Now that the
planning stage for our edible garden is done, it's time for the next step - arranging permanent elements such as patios, pergolas or arbours, fountains, garden sheds, and pathways. As suggested by the books I've been reading it makes sense to locate these features first, as they will be of a permanent nature serving to better define the space. From a practical standpoint it just seems prudent to install these elements at the earliest stage due to the fact that their construction often results in significant disruption to the surrounding area. This is where a lot of blood, sweat and tears are shed because it often requires major digging and some heavy lifting.
Happily, we had already done most of the subgrade improvements for the gravel pathways and patio area last summer. The major elements we had to concern ourselves with this year were the shed installation, laying of the interlocking stone and pergola construction. While we have yet to choose a suitable shed, we've taken delivery of the stone pavers and have begun construction on the foundations and support posts for the pergola.
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| Pergola - Plan. |
Even for something as simple as a pergola, it's a great idea to have a working [architectural] drawing done to make sure that (a) it gets built properly and (b) you can undertake an accurate estimate of materials. A certain amount of pre-planning is also necessary on your part if you've chosen to do the work yourself. Make sure to allow enough time (at least 2 weeks) for materials to arrive as certain sizes and types of lumber and anchor hardware may not be in stock and may need to be special ordered. For example, the Simpson-Strongtie post brackets specified required 2-3 week lead time. Finally, make sure to always order extra lumber just in case...mistakes are not always preventable!
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| Pergola - West/East Elevation (For illustration purpose only) |
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| Pergola - North/South Elevation (For illustration purpose only) |
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Decorative beam/joist end cut detail (variation of the cyma recta profile)
Right click on image to download template |
To build any solid structure like a pergola, we needed to dig at least 4 ft. deep for the four concrete sonotube foundations into which the post anchors were set. (For Canadian climates, we must go down a minimum of 4 ft. to make sure the foundation is below the frost line where the soil remains inert.) On the first day of work the four post holes were dug, sonotubes placed, concrete poured and post anchors set.
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| A number of measurements were taken to ensure the posts were squared and true |
Like any good construction manager, to save a little time, I had my carpenter working on the joists and beams while the digging team augered the holes, with the objective of having the pergola finished by the end of the next day. Lo and behold, the carpenter received a pretty serious bee sting and was unable to make it on day two. However, he promised to resume work in a few days, but I'm not sure how it's gonna work out as the weatherman is calling for rainy weather so progress may suffer a bit!
