Adapting The Plans
There may be several reasons for adapting the plans - after all we all have individual tastes, and some situations require special treatment.The free pergola plans do, in fact, allow for a great deal of variation, but you might like to consider the options below before you begin.
If you'd like to: - Use concrete instead of Metposts to secure your posts to the ground.
- Put up your pergola on sloping ground.
- Use 'chunkier' wood.
- Make the rafters tails longer.
- Make the rafters sit higher.
- Have more rafters in only one direction.
- Make your pergola longer or wider.
- Put trellis panels on a third side of your pergola.
- Fix your pergola to a patio.
All of these are possible, and the plans still work with these adjustments.
This pergola design has been adapted from the plans.
It shows how the plans can be modified to give a completely different style.The pergola rafters are deeper and thicker, giving a more substantial feel. They are also slightly raised. Instructions are given showing how to build your pergola with different rafter styles: flush, raised and un-notched rafters, making it easy for you to create an interesting and unique garden feature. Purlins have been added to add extra shade. They could be used just for their decorative effect too.
Further Help
Many people contact me asking how to adapt the plans: some modifications being more complex than others! I will try to help in any way I can. Some wonderful pergolas have been built this way. The most important thing is that you create your pergola of choice.There are many ways of adapting the plans. If you feel that you need further guidance, use the
contact form
and, hopefully, you will have your pergola built in no time at all.
A Note About Metposts!
The plans are based on the installation of Metposts (sometimes called post anchors) to fix the pergola to the ground. It means there is no mess caused by using concrete, and, perhaps more importantly, the anchor collar keeps the post out of the ground, reducing the likelihood of the post rotting.
However, Metposts can be a little tricky to install, especially if the ground is hard or stony and some people (including myself) can become frustrated when the anchor skews. Making a pilot hole with something like a crowbar can help. Or, roughly dig the hole and then tamp the soil down firmly again, once the Metposts are in their correct position and level. Other pergola fixings are discussed in 'Adapting the Plans'. Perhaps consider using the alternatives: - A standard concrete, ballast and cement mix.
- Postcrete
- Concrete-in post anchors
To use any concrete product you will need to dig the holes. The advantage of Postcrete is that it can be tipped straight into the hole, reducing the cleaning up. Postcrete can be used to secure the concrete-in post anchors too, and they have the added advantage of keeping the post away from moisture.
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