It’s time to get your pergola project started, but it’s a good idea to get some advice to make this project run smoothly as possible and get the best outcome. If you’re going down the DIY path, it makes sense to do as much home work as possible. Softwoods commitment to helping DIY customers has always been to provide advice and assistance to help you get the result you want, and guide you through the build until you are all done. Have a quick look at some testimonials from our customers to see that we will help you from the beginning to the end of your project. This blog post will help you getting started with the planning of your pergola.
Have a look at the area you intend to build your proposed pergola. For this exercise we will assume you’re building a pergola covered with roofing.
Think about how wide and long you wish to make the pergola and what will best suit your purpose. Imagine your outdoor furniture underneath the pergola to get an idea how wide you will need to make the structure, also what style to choose (gable, gable with hip or bay ends, flat/skillion roof, or shade cloth) and the orientation. Generally when you measure the area, you should also consider that you might want your pergola to cover your back door from weather and allow at the least an extra metre or so around your furniture setting to make for a comfortable space.
Your pergola’s purpose has a lot to do with the style that you choose. Wider structures are better suited as gables, as the wider you get the more expensive engineered timber becomes. Using a gable structure enables you to cover wider distances with fewer of these engineered timbers and in doing so lowering the price of your pergola. Gables (A frame structures) resolve this issue and are engineered to eliminate this problem. They also remove a good amount of heat and allow for air to pass better within the structure.
Flat roof / skillion style structures are another practical pergola solution for outdoor entertaining areas. The rate of fall required on a flat roof structure with standard corrugated roof sheets is 88mm per meter, for this reason this style of pergola is best suited to an area where you’d like to create a sense of space and openness. In building a flat roof / skillion style pergola you need to work with this required fall to ensure that you get the desired fall and height of the structure correct.
With these two main types of pergola design, you should to look at your own situation and figure out what will work best for your home, if you’re unsure you can always consult with one of our friendly staff for guidance.
