DIY Network

Pergola: Evaluating the Situation Pergola: Evaluating the Situation From "Grounds for Improvement" episode DGFI-107

Figure A

Mark and Lynette Stephens have a spacious backyard behind a beautiful home, but the weeds are out of control, and the existing shrubs and trees haven't been pruned in years (figure A). It's a jungle out there, and it needs taming -- fast! With help from Grounds for Improvement's host, Jackie Taylor, our resident landscape designer, Dean Hill, has formulated a plan to tame the jungle and create a pergola where the Stephens family can enjoy their yard. Accent lighting, steppingstones and plants will surround the new structure, which is designed to mimic the classic architecture of the home.

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Tools
Sod cutter
Circular saw
4' level
Shovels
Hand sledge
Socket set
Marking paint
4 cordless screwdrivers
Jigsaw
Torpedo level or 2' level
Rakes (leaf and hard)
Sledgehammer
Hand trowels for planting
Hose
Electric drill with long bits
Hammers
Heavy spade
Wheelbarrows
Posthole digger
Extension cord
Ladders

Materials (Pergola)
Timbers:
4 (4"x6"x10') pressure-treated (PT).
2 (2"x4"x10') PT
2 (2"x4"x14') PT
4 (2"x8"x14') cedar
10 (2"x6"x10') cedar
8 (80#) bags Quikrete
6 cubic yards mulch
Gravel
9 (18"x18") bluestone pavers
4 (8') fiberglass columns
3 (5/16"x10") lag bolts

Plants
2 redbud (Cercis Canadensis)
30 astilbe
300 myrtle

Lighting
1 (200-watt) transformer
3 path lights
2 (mr-16, 60-degree) 35-watt
1 photocell
1 hanging light
2 uplights
250 linear feet 12-2 wire

The pergola project has several steps:

1. Select site.

2. Dig postholes.

3. Secure posts.

4. Cut beams.

5. Frame bottom.

6. Add columns.

7. Spread gravel.

8. Add joists.

Steps

1. The first step to constructing a pergola is to select the site and mark the place for the four posts that will frame the structure.

2. The next step is to begin using marking paint to mark the postholes for the pergola, which will measure 8'x11'. (A pergola is an outdoor structure with an open roof over which vines can be trained. The pergola being built in this project will reflect the design of the house.)

3. With rakes and shovels in hand, the crew begins digging out the area that's been marked for the new flowerbeds and postholes. Then, exhibiting a divide-and-conquer attitude, the crew splits up. While one group begins digging the postholes for the pergola, the other starts taking up the stones that surround the area. These stones will be put back after the pergola has been built.

Figure B

4. After the rocks have been moved, it's time to remove the sod where the new beds will go. When removing sod, it's important to cut just below the roots, keeping the shovel low to the ground (figure B). Another option for removing sod is to rent a sod-cutter.

5. As for the postholes, sturdy 4"x6" beams will frame the pergola, and it's important that they be put solidly into the ground. Using a posthole digger that has both a level and depth measurements on it, makes the job easier. They can be found at most home-improvement stores. The holes should be 30" deep, depending on the local frost levels. In some areas of the country, you might have to dig deeper; check your local frost level before you dig.

RESOURCES :

Black and Decker tools
Website: www.blackanddecker.com
Black & Decker, Inc. (Corporate)
Website: www.bdk.com/main_bd.htm

Porter-Cable Tools
Porter-Cable Corporation
Website: www.deltaportercable.com

Delta Woodworking Tools
Deltak Power Tools
Website: www.deltamachinery.com

Irwin Industrial Tool Company
Website: www.irwin.com

Ames True Temper Tools
Ames-True Temper
Website: www.ames-truetemper.com

Outdoor lighting
Vista Lighting
Web: vistapro.com

Plants provided by Hancock Horticultural Services
Hancock Horticultural Services Inc.
Phone: 865-933-3200