Pergola Rafter Tails

What are pergola rafter tails? They are the bits you can see sticking out of the end of the rafters on the top of the pergola. You can see a curved rafter tail design in the photo below.

The Pergola Rafter Tails - Design Templates

It's great to have your own individual style, and the pergola end design templates will help you to achieve a truly individual look for your pergola.

There is one plain design and seventeen other pergola rafter tails to choose from, which have curved edges and classy lines!

Included are designs for both 6" and 4" deep rafters.

All you have to do is download the file, print off the design you like, copy it onto card and mark it on the end of your rafters.

Simple - yet very effective.

"Built our pergola before we found your site...would have been very helpful. But love the templates for the Rafter Tails! Using Design #5. Thanks so much."

Laura
California, United States.

Curve Appeal

There are 18 pergola rafter tails here to choose from, ready for you to use. All you do is simply place the template onto your rafter end, draw the outline and then cut with a jigsaw. Easy!

Using the Rafter Tail Templates

The templates show how to cut the notches for rafter tails that sit flush with one another. This is what they look like. To achieve this style, the notches are cut to half way.

Another type of rafter is the raised rafter. It gives a really great effect. The notches are cut part way (at 1" instead of the 2" halfway mark) in order to make the top rafter sit slightly higher than the supporting rafter.

The third rafter style is a very easy way to build a pergola: no notching required! The rafters are un-notched so that they sit fully on top of the supporting rafter.

These modifications mean that you can make significant style changes to your pergola, not only with the different pergola rafter tails, but also in the way that the rafters are fixed together.

Choose which style you would like. Mark the rafter tail and notches with your template, and you are ready to go!

Viewing the Templates

If you want to open the file in your browser window, you can just click on the link in the email.

However if you want to download the file to view later, then right click on the link and choose 'Save', then select where you want to save the file on your computer.

Once you have saved the file, locate where you saved it, and double click to open.

In order to print, open the downloaded file, and select the 'Print' option from your file menu.

Tools You Will Need

All you need to cut the straight rafter tail ends is a hand saw.

To cut the around the curved template marks you will need a jigsaw and a workbench.

If you don't have these, or a friend that can lend them to you, you can buy one online by following the links below or from your local DIY store:

Jigsaw

Workbench

Changing your rafter tail ends can significantly alter the look of your pergola and give it a real uplift, much like getting the sizing, proportion, and aesthetic appeal of your pergola posts spot on.

Once you have made that decision, you might want to check your beam spans, if you're unsure about those. The beam span is simply the distance between posts because, of course, you want your pergola to be structurally safe and you'll want to avoid those beams and rafters sagging over time.

Choosing you pergola post fixings is usually quite straightforward. Even so, there are several different ways to attach a pergola to the ground, and checking those out will give you a really good idea of where to start.

Downloading the Templates

It's easy to do.  Just fill in your name and email address in the form below and you will be able to download the 18 free rafter tail templates immediately.

Check your inbox for the email that contains the download link and password.   

If you can't find it, please check your junk/spam folder. 

"I did look at design tails and I used some of the dimensions. The information was excellent. This is a really useful site and has lots of information within it. Some of the links are also handy too. Thank you!"

Harry
Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom.

The Free Pergola Plans Bundle

All the free plans are packaged together, so you will have access to: 

• The Main Pergola Plans
• Both Simple Pergola Designs
• 18 Free Rafter Tail Templates
• The Raised Bed Plans to use as a simple pergola planter.
• 'Love Gardening!' my ezine newsletter publication, which keeps you informed of updates to the website, hints and tips on gardening, landscaping, garden design and makeovers, planting...in fact, all things to make our gardens fantastic places to relax and unwind!

Here's to building the garden of your dreams...

Subscribe to 'Love Gardening' and Get Your Free Plans Now!

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"Love the templates for the Rafter Tails! Using Design #5.  Thanks so much."

Laura
California, United States.

So, as far as your rafter tails go, choose which style you'd like, mark the rafter tails and notches with your template, and you're ready to go!