How to Build a Pergola over a Patio

Video Transcript

RON HAZELTON:
Well, you know what, I think it’s time for another road trip.  So, I’m heading to Voorhees, New Jersey.  Dennis and Joanne Cuderyo want help with, of all things, a pergola.

RON HAZELTON:
Hello, Dennis, Joanne. Hey, good morning.
JOANNE:
Hi, Ron, how are --
[BOTH SPEAK AT ONCE]
RON HAZELTON:
How are you both?
JOANNE:
Fine, thanks.

DENNIS:
Good morning Ron, how are you.
RON HAZELTON:
Pleasure to meet you.
DENNIS:
Nice to meet you too.
RON HAZELTON:
Oh, I love this yard. You guys must spend a lot of time out here, huh?
JOANNE:
We do.
DENNIS:
Yes, we do.
RON HAZELTON:
Joanne had landscaped their yard to perfection, but she and Dennis found that it got pretty hot sitting out on their patio, with no protection from the sun. The solution seemed to be a pergola. Popular in the gardens of Europe, pergolas are large arbors with trellis beams across the top, on which flowing vines or climbing plants can be grown.

I want to give you a picture of what we're gonna be doing today. You can imagine this pergola, if you will, as kind of a roof that's going to extend out over this patio.

The first piece we'll install is called a ledger. Since we want the pergola the same size as the existing patio, we start at the edges of the patio and draw vertical lines up the side of the house. By measuring between these lines, we can calculate the length of the ledger.
DENNIS:
Okay, 139.
RON HAZELTON:
Okay, Dennis, how we looking over there?
DENNIS:
Okay, we're fine here.
RON HAZELTON:
Now, to this ledger, we're going to attach about six beams that will run out this way. The two end beams are gonna be attached to the end of the ledger, no problem there, but the other four are going to have to attach somewhere here in the center.

Now, I could toenail this in, but I don't think it would be strong enough, and I don't want to use metal brackets. So this is what we're gonna do. We're gonna take this ledgers back down and we're gonna cut about four notches in it, just like this. We'll put it up and then we'll cut notches on the end of our beams, which we'll slip right in here, and that's how we're gonna support it.

We measure and mark the depth of the notch first, then use a combination square and scrap piece of wood, to mark the width.

And this is what we want to remove, right here.

Once Joanne expertly cuts out the four required notches --

Very nice,
JOANNE:
Thank you.
RON HAZELTON:
-- we drill pilot holes and attach the ledger to the side of the house with lag screws. With the ledger in place, we move on to installing two posts that will support the other end of the structure. The bottoms of these posts will be held in place by these post brackets, which will have to be attached to the concrete patio.

This is a hammer drill. It's gonna hammer and drill at the same time.

This kind of boring requires a carbide-tipped masonry bit, which can be used in any power drill. Today though, we're using a hammer drill that pounds as it rotates, eating through concrete at a much faster rate. Even so, Joanne gets a good workout.
JOANNE:
Whew --
RON HAZELTON:
Tuck the post base in place like that. This is an expansion anchor; what's gonna happen with this? We're gonna drop this into the hole. As we tighten this nut right here, the bottom of this is gonna draw up and it's gonna expand or flare out and jam itself inside the hole.

So go ahead -- and press that in.
[BOTH SPEAK AT ONCE]
DENNIS:
All right.
RON HAZELTON:
Press down on it with your finger. There you go.
DENNIS:
There we go.
RON HAZELTON:
All right, good, that's good. Tighten it up as much as you can.
JOANNE:
Whoa --
RON HAZELTON:
Tight?
JOANNE:
Yeah, it's tight already.
RON HAZELTON:
Next, we install this post support to prevent the end of the post from coming into contact with the concrete, something that could eventually cause rotting. Dennis secures the bracket to the post with heavy gauge galvanized nails, while I check to make sure that things remain plumb.

To keep the posts vertical in both directions, we pound in stakes and then attach temporary braces with screws. This time, Dennis keeps his eye on the level.
DENNIS:
Yeah, we're nice and level.
RON HAZELTON:
Good. See, that, that's fairly steady now. It's not gonna go anywhere.
JOANNE:
That is good, yeah.
RON HAZELTON:
With the posts secure, our next job is to install the two end beams.

The bottom of the board on the line, all right?
JOANNE:
Good.
RON HAZELTON:
You there?
JOANNE:
Yeah.

RON HAZELTON:
We use adjustable clamps to temporarily hold these in place. To attach these beams to the posts, we're going to be using two tools, a cordless drill with a counter sink drill bit --

There you go, Dennis.

-- and a second cordless drill with a screwdriver bit holder. This has got a square bit in here because that's going to match up with the square drive hole in the end of this stainless steel screw.

Stainless steel screws are non-corrosive, which makes them a great choice for outdoor projects. Now, for the inside end beam.

Just drop that sharp piece of wood in to make sure that these notches are aligned. Okay, okay, now check the bottom edge for the line. And then when, when you're there, clamp her up.

Once we're lined up, we attach this beam the same way we did the first. This pergola really has three layers of beams. The first layer consists of the ledger and the end beams that we just put up. On top of the ledger and end beams will go five additional beams that will extend out from the house. And finally, set on top of those, eight more beams that will run parallel to the house.

Joanne wants these second and third tier beams to have decorative curved ends, so she sketches a design on a piece of scrap wood, cuts it out --

And there you go.
JOANNE:
Pretty --
[BOTH SPEAK AT ONCE]
RON HAZELTON:
Then sands the edges smooth. This pattern or template allows Joanne to trace exactly the same shape on the end of each beam. Curved ends completed, Dennis and I next cut the numerous notches that will allow the beams to interlock with one another.

Well, now it's time for some assembly. If we've measured and marked carefully, the layered interlocking beams should all fit together like the pieces of a giant puzzle. We purposely left our support posts long.  Now though, it's time to cut them flush.

My tool of choice for this? Why, my trusty Japanese handsaw, of course. Now for the third and final layer of cross beams. We cut these interlocking notches a bit shallower, so the beams will sit higher and appear more prominent. Joanne and I are the workhorses here.

Oh, gosh, I love the way this is fitting.

Then Dennis comes in to help out with the last few, and we have a ceremonial passing of the mallet before we call it a day.

Well, is this the way you imagined it?
JOANNE:
This is exactly what we wanted. It's perfect.
DENNIS:
Very good.
RON HAZELTON:
Happy?
DENNIS:
Excellent, yes, sir.
JOANNE:
Yeah.
  RON HAZELTON:
You know, it's fall right now, but I can imagine sitting here in the summer with the vines growing all over this and having just a lot of cool shade here, will really make this backyard special.
JOANNE:
Will you come back in the spring to see the flowers?
  RON HAZELTON:
I'd love to, I really would and thank you so much for working with me. You were great.
JOANNE:
Thank you, it was a pleasure.
DENNIS:
Thank you.
RON HAZELTON:
You were okay.
[LAUGHTER]
DENNIS:
Thank you very much.]
RON HAZELTON:
All the best to you guys.
[BOTH SPEAK AT ONCE]
JOANNE:
A job well done.