The Top 10 Questions To Ask Before Building a Pergola

By: Ryan Bittner

1. What is a pergola for?2. What to build a pergola out of?3. What is needed to build a pergola?4. How does a pergola provide shade?5. How big should a pergola be?6. What style of pergola do you want?7. What color to stain pergola?8. Who builds pergolas?9. When to buy a pergola kit?10. Where to buy a pergola?

1. What is a pergola for?

A pergola is for hanging out with family. It’s for enjoying shared moments and making

them memorable. It’s to designate an area. To give structure to an open outdoor area. A

pergola can frame the sky and your surroundings and give you a view like none other.

Under the pergola, you feel like you're somewhere special, a place that has been

designated for making memories with those most important to you. It’ll be just outside

your door, but you’ll feel like you're in a whole other place. Use it to entertain when you

have guests and to relax when you want to get away. They’ll bring a focal point to your

yard and you can even center the entire landscape design around them. A pergola can

be used for a variety of reasons. Maybe you’d like it to carry some vines in your garden,

or mount a tv on your back patio, the possibilities are endless. Outdoor kitchens,

jacuzzi’s, and dining areas are popular choices under a backyard pergola. Typically,

traditional pergola designs don’t include any solid walls, and have an open ceiling.

They’re made of wood, composite, stone, or a combination of these materials. If you

want to add a wall or close the ceiling, that can work well too. A pergola can be

connected to your house and can improve your patio area or you can build it

freestanding out in the open yard. Both are great options, it just depends on what you

want. Pergola’s are best when semi-shade is desired. You’ll have parts that are blocked

with the sun and parts that remain open throughout the day. Whether freestanding or

connected to the house, a pergola is an eye catching structure. If you want to increase

your living space to the backyard, a pergola is a great way to do that. Pergolas have

many commercial uses as well.

2. What to build a pergola out of?

You’ll need to decide what your pergola is going to be made from. Top choices are:

treated wood, common wood, Cedar or Redwood, composite, vinyl and metal. Treated

wood will be your most economical option. The stain and finish wont be as versatile,

but it will hold up well in soil and other areas that see moisture. You’ll see treated wood

used a lot as the substructure of decks and in-conjunction with other woods for fences

and such. Common wood, like Douglas Fir, is a good option when you want a little

more style than your average Treated wood can offer. It looks good painted and can

provide a styled look stained as well. Cedar and Redwood are going to be more

expensive than common wood, sometimes by double, but you’ll get much more

attractive pieces of wood and therefore a much better looking pergola. You’ll also get

better protection from termites and the elements with a higher grade wood like cedar or

redwood. Composite and Vinyl are good options when low-maintenance is a high-

priority. Composite and Vinyl prices can vary widely. With a good composite or vinyl,

the maintenance will be a lot less and overall it will be more durable.

3. What is needed to build a pergola?

You’ve got the wood picked out but you’ll need something sturdy to anchor your

pergola to the ground. If you have an existing cement patio you can probably mount

your posts directly to that with a post base bracket. If you don't have a cement patio or

any existing cement footers, you’ll need to dig your own. Check your local city code to

find out how deep and wide your footers need to be, typically 18” deep and at least 12”

wide. You’ll need a different post base for this, one that can be set in wet cement.

If your pergola is going to be connected to your house or other structure, you’ll need to

put a Ledger board in place. This is a board that you will connect to your house

horizontally and after you’ll attach the rafters to it. I recommend using hardware to

mount your rafters whenever possible, as it will help with the strength and lifespan of

your pergola. You can connect vital parts of your pergola with bolts or lag screws to

strengthen and give added flare. That's the basics, but you can add a retractable shade

cloth a tv or fan, put a shower in, the upgrades are endless.

4. How does a pergola provide shade?

There are a number of ways your pergola can provide shade. Typically. a pergola does

not actually “shade” the sun. As the sun rotates overhead it will shine direct sunlight

through the gaps you have in your open ceiling. Wherever there is wood overhead, the

sun will be blocked in the places you have wood. So, the more wood you add, the more

shade you get. You can add more rafters or purlins (the smallest cross-members) on top

so that they’ll be closer together. You can also increase the width of the actual wood

you’re using. (swap a 2x2 for a 2x4) to increase your shaded area. If you add more

layers up top that will also increase your shaded area. If you do want to have it more

open up top and still shaded, or you are going for a certain style, you can put shaded

plexiglass on the rafters and that way you’ll have mostly full “shaded” sunlight. If you

want full shade, you can have that too, simply finish the roof off with shingles or

another roofing treatment and you have a patio cover to provide shelter from the rain. A

retractable shade roof is also a popular option for those that want to enjoy the best of

both worlds.

5. How big should a pergola be?

Determining the maximum and minimum size of your pergola depends on where

you’re going to put it. How much space does the yard allow? How big is your patio

area? Do you want low hanging beams for a more intimate environment or a higher

ceiling that feels more like a room? Do you want the pergola to look beefy or slick? Do

you want the least amount of posts connected to the ground? If you do, then your going

to need bigger connecting beams to hold all that weight. Are you trying to shade an

area? You may want to build it a certain height to maximize your shaded area. These

questions will help you determine what size your pergola needs to be.

6. What style of pergola do you want?

Between the different combinations of materials, design motifs and finishes, the options

for your pergola are limitless. It depends on exactly what you want. First, take into

consideration what the pergola is going to be used for and what area it’s going to cover.

This may dictate some of the shape or style your finished pergola will give off. Once

that’s done, you’ll want to notice what kind of style your home, backyard or

commercial building already has going for it. It’s always best to match existing themes

and elevate the style and look with everything you build. Some examples of popular

styles are: Italian Renaissance, Gothic, Spanish, Modern, Farmhouse, Garden, Middle

Eastern, Asian, Tiki, and more. Some aspects that will help achieve a certain style are:

what material you choose, how thick or thin the material is, how the structure is stacked

visibly, how the ends are cut, how many pieces are used, the color and finish of the

material you choose, the type of wood (if using wood), the fasteners and brackets you

choose etc…

7. What color to stain pergola?

If a sanded finish is what you desire, be sure to sand your wood before applying any

type of finish. If you like the rough-sawn look (cedar is a great choice for that, redwood

too), then no sanding is needed but you will want to remove any burrs or imperfections

before staining. Also, if using a transparent or semi-transparent stain, remove any

unwanted markings by sanding so they will not show through (a code from the factory

for example). There are many options when it comes to the finish of your pergola.

Redwood for example, has a lot of interesting detail and coloring and provides a great

look with a transparent stain. Choosing the stain transparency depends on how much of

the wood grain you want to see. Stains typically range from transparent, semi-

transparent, semi-solid, and solid. Colors vary, and options increase as you move

towards solid. Something important to consider always, especially with a connected

pergola, is how it will look next to the house. You might

want to match some existing features or you may want

to have some contrast, but you should always take it

into consideration. When in doubt, white is often a good

solution. If you want something that will be easier to

clean and require less maintenance, you may choose to

paint your pergola. Paint color options are endless, but

one thing is for sure, you’ll want to prime coat your

pergola before painting to prevent any leeching of the wood tannins (coloring). If your

pergola is fully exposed to the sun all day you may want to avoid paint because it does

not hold up as well as a penetrating stain or a water-repellant sealer. Sealer is used to

cover the pores of the wood and provide a smooth finish. Often used before the varnish

or lacquer. If you want maximum protection with your stain, you’ll put a varnish or

lacquer on it to protect the wood from the elements. This requires more maintenance,

especially in the first few years as the coats begin to build up, but will keep your wood

looking brand new. You’ll want to sand and clean before applying new coats. I

recommend getting a coat when it’s built, a coat within 6 months to a year, a coat a year

after that, and then you can probably go 3-5 years without another coat depending on

how much sun hits the pergola.

8. Who builds pergolas?

A variety of people build pergolas; carpenters, framers, and general contractors to name

a few. Companies that build decks and patio covers are likely to as well. Be sure your

contractor knows exactly how they're going to anchor the pergola. You don't want a

pergola that moves with the wind after a few years. Make sure they are familiar with

the finish unless you intend to have someone else do that.

9. When to buy a pergola kit?

Some people prefer to build their own pergola or have a family member build it for

them. In either case, be sure to take your time, because there can be a lot of repetition in

building a pergola and the wood gets stacked in a certain order. So, if you make a

mistake at the beginning and don’t realize it until the end, you may have to take many

pieces of wood off to get to your problem piece. I would suggest a basic 10x10 pergola

with a DIY kit for the inexperienced builder. The choices are limited and so are the sizes,

but it will be a lot easier to put together.

10. Where to buy a pergola?

If you’re going the DIY route, you can choose from a variety of online sellers. Here’s a

couple more that Amazon offer. However if you're needing something bigger and

customizable, you’re much better off finding a local contractor. Typical licensed

companies that build pergolas are: General Contractor, Landscape Contractor, Framing

Contractor. The best thing to do when you are ready to build a pergola is to ask your

friends and family if they have anyone to recommend for the job. If they do, you’ll be a

step ahead because a good contractor can be hard to find. If they don’t know anyone,

which is often the case, you can find what you need by searching online. Look for

contractors in your area that have good reviews, good work, and good service. Look at

their websites and decide which companies are in your top 3. Rate them from 1-3 and

call the first one and see how the experience feels on the phone. If they don’t pick up

(surprisingly, often the case), call the next one. When you are happy with the phone

experience, ask them if they can come out for a bid or send you one online. From there,

you can make a decision knowing you did your research, and chose the right contractor.

Also, if you take an interest in the process and appreciate their craft, but stay out of the

way, your contractor will love you.