Who can build a pergola?

[MC Paul Barman]

I'm thinking about putting something like this in a back corner in my backyard.
Is anyone savvy with building stuff like this?

I'm wanting to build it myself. But I've never done anything like pouring concrete and what not. Is it practical for someone to do that? Or is there too much stuff you need to be able to lay the concrete or brick floor?

thanks

 

[gocubsgo]

I wish I was skilled enough to build something like that by myself. There are some good Youtube DIY videos, if nothing else than to give you an idea of what it might take. I've used Youtube videos for several home projects and they work out pretty well. Something like that is a lot of work for one person to do unless you are really confident in your abilities and have some skill.

 

[MC Paul Barman]

Thanks for the tip.
I'll check youtube to see how practical this is for me to do.

I've never mixed or poured concrete.

 

[dirtypablo]

Im sure I could do it, it doesnt look too complicated or difficult. I leveled concrete for my dad's driveway when I was younger, but I didnt mix it, we had a truck come pour it then I flattened it all out, it was hard work but not overly complicated. Im sure there are plenty of instructionals out there on how to pour it yourself.

 

[blokeybloke]

Watch a few episodes of Yard crashers on the DIY Network. You'll get the basic gist of forming/anchoring/pouring concrete posts etc from watching it.

 

[KOCowboy]

you can do it just do your research

 

[Torrid]

Hey, cool stuff. I'm putting one in my backyard too, as well as replacing a lot of grass with stone and indigenous low-water plants. I recently finished the foundation and leveling that thing was a pain. Had to make a perimeter around it, then use a long board across the frame with plywood attached, to drag it across and level.

Now it looks like I have a Kumite ring back there and a ridiculous amount of fill dirt that I have no idea what to do with. I tried to give it away on craigslist, to save myself the trouble of transporting it. I had a middle-aged woman with a van show up, back it up to my fence, then literally shovel dirt into the back of her vehicle. Keep in mind, I said van, not truck, so this shit is literally just like on top of her seats that she folded down and filling up the entire back half of it.

I asked her why she needed all this dirt and she said that her dogs were digging holes in her backyard. My girlfriend asked her, "Well, if they're digging, shouldn't the dirt still be there, just moved"? We uh, we really didn't get a response to that.

Now I have slightly less fill dirt and some major trepidation towards telling anyone else on craigslist where I live.

 

[WalkenWouldOwn]

Hey, cool stuff. I'm putting one in my backyard too, as well as replacing a lot of grass with stone and indigenous low-water plants. I recently finished the foundation and leveling that thing was a pain. Had to make a perimeter around it, then use a long board across the frame with plywood attached, to drag it across and level.

Now it looks like I have a Kumite ring back there and a ridiculous amount of fill dirt that I have no idea what to do with. I tried to give it away on craigslist, to save myself the trouble of transporting it. I had a middle-aged woman with a van show up, back it up to my fence, then literally shovel dirt into the back of her vehicle. Keep in mind, I said van, not truck, so this shit is literally just like on top of her seats that she folded down and filling up the entire back half of it.

I asked her why she needed all this dirt and she said that her dogs were digging holes in her backyard. My girlfriend asked her, "Well, if they're digging, shouldn't the dirt still be there, just moved"? We uh, we really didn't get a response to that.

:icon_lol::icon_lol:

 

[equus]

I'd say fly Blokey out and pay him to do it. he knows that shit.

Bay area would hire it out as well.

 

[INeedARemedy]

Hey, cool stuff. I'm putting one in my backyard too, as well as replacing a lot of grass with stone and indigenous low-water plants. I recently finished the foundation and leveling that thing was a pain. Had to make a perimeter around it, then use a long board across the frame with plywood attached, to drag it across and level.

Now it looks like I have a Kumite ring back there and a ridiculous amount of fill dirt that I have no idea what to do with. I tried to give it away on craigslist, to save myself the trouble of transporting it. I had a middle-aged woman with a van show up, back it up to my fence, then literally shovel dirt into the back of her vehicle. Keep in mind, I said van, not truck, so this shit is literally just like on top of her seats that she folded down and filling up the entire back half of it.

I asked her why she needed all this dirt and she said that her dogs were digging holes in her backyard. My girlfriend asked her, "Well, if they're digging, shouldn't the dirt still be there, just moved"? We uh, we really didn't get a response to that.

Now I have slightly less fill dirt and some major trepidation towards telling anyone else on craigslist where I live.

Hahahaha

That is a great story

 

[Pliny Pete]

 

[Lone Coyote]

I'm interested on your project, please keep us posted and share the tutorial (if you use one)

 

[usmctanker242]

The base is the most important part, so if you're not comfortable with that, then just hire that part out. The rest isn't very difficult, just lots of work. As others have said DIY channel is good to go, and so is YouTube. Also, at Lowes/HomeDepot there's tons of books and I'm sure there's an entire book dedicated to pergola's. It's probably worth the $20 or so for all the little tips and pointers which will save you a bunch of time.

Good luck with it all man, and post pics if you actually get around to doing it.

 

[MASShole]

You can mix some quickrete for the bases as long as you make them level and vertical. It's the hardest part by far.

After that, the rest is fairly easy, but you need at least two people to put the cross rails on.


I have a concrete slab in my backyard, and I am thinking about doing a half pergola on it and having grape vines grow up it.

 

[MC Paul Barman]

Thanks for the tips.

I'm going to see how much sense it makes for me to do the concrete floor myself.
It would be cool to try.... but I also don't want to waste too much time with trial and error'ing my way through that part of it.

 

[MASShole]

So if you want to make a concrete floor, that's different. You'll want to hire a contractor for that because it's much more than "dig up an area and pour concrete."

If you want to do it in the yard itself, you can dig holes a bit bigger than the corner posts, and use a quick setting concrete mix. It'll be grass throughout, but that's the one you can do yourself if you know how to measure, level and keep upright posts.

 

[MC Paul Barman]

So if you want to make a concrete floor, that's different. You'll want to hire a contractor for that because it's much more than "dig up an area and pour concrete."

If you want to do it in the yard itself, you can dig holes a bit bigger than the corner posts, and use a quick setting concrete mix. It'll be grass throughout, but that's the one you can do yourself if you know how to measure, level and keep upright posts.

Good to know.
Yeah. This would be a concrete flooring thoughout. Not just concrete mooring on the legs of pergola.

 

[Josh]

I was going to post this.

 

[MASShole]

Good to know.
Yeah. This would be a concrete flooring thoughout. Not just concrete mooring on the legs of pergola.

Yeah, hire a contractor for that. You can start the actual digging yourself, but if you want to do it right the hole should be a minimum of 12" deep, generally up to 18" is better. You essentially need 3 layers for a solid foundation (sand, rock, concrete).

They can pour it and then you let it sit. After a few weeks (or a month, preferably), you can use concrete screws and a post anchor to get the corners up.

Looks like this:

 

[Rob Battisti]

Yeah don't do it if you're doing the concrete floor. The pergola, in itself, isn't a terribly hard set up.