Pergola design and materials

[Adam2]

Hi there,

Im planning to build a pergola with a flat roof. I was planning to dig two posts and attach a wailing plate to the house, but not sure since the dimensions are 5mx4m. 5m along the house, 4m roughly to the garden bed. Which timber should I use? What's the best way to attach the wailing plate? Should I bolt it directly under the fascia or attach it through screws to the rafters through the fascia itself?

[StevieB]

Welcome @Adam2. It's fantastic to have you join us and we look forward to following along with this project.

Let me tag @Jimi, @pepsp, @tom_builds and @425314 who may be able to offer advice. Our resident D.I.Y. expert @EricL will also be happy to help as soon as possible.

Stevie

[Jimi]

Hi @Adam2 . I would highly advise to attach Fascia brackets like the below. It then attaches to the rafter (also include a rafter stiffner) to get the correct support. You then attach the wailing plate to these fascia brackets. This part is the most time-consuming for the whole project, but the most important. Check out Softwoods, they offer a brilliant solution to get a great design at a good price - you still construct yourself but it takes a lot of guess work out. You can special order through Bunnings.

[EricL]

Hello @Adam2

It's great that you've received fantastic advice from @Jimi. I totally agree with the recommendation of looking into Softwoods Pergola Kits. The kit contains all the materials you need except the concrete footing. All the timber is pre-cut except the post lengths. It comes with detailed instructions and everything is labeled. The structures are engineered to facilitate easier council approval. The best part is that it can be custom sized to your needs.

To answer your questions I recommend having a look at the Bunnings guides below.

• What to consider before building an outdoor structure
• How to build a pergola
• How to build a pergola frame
• How to build a pergola roof

Here are some fantastic pergola projects our Workshop members have shared.

• Outdoor kitchen with deck and pergola by @raymao268
• Barbecue entertaining area with pergola by @sandy_d
• Pergola over low-level deck by @DIYgals

I recommend planning your pergola either on paper or computer. This will define how you want the pergola to look like. I suggest reading the previous projects that were contributed by other members. Once you've decided on a look, then you can start deciding what kind of timber to use. It sounds like a fantastic project. Any updates you can provide would be much appreciated.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric