Hi. I am helping a friend with a pergola. What is the best way to secure the
2×4 uppers? (cedar) Metal clips? Air nails at an angle? Notch the uppers to mesh with the
cross braces? Dowels?
We live in a pretty extreme climate in N. Central Saskatchewan.
thanks
dp
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So this gal is talking to her therapist. She says, you know what my problem is, its like this. When I talk, and I mean when I'm trying to explain something to someone, I know what it is I want to tell them, I mean its here in my head right, its just sometimes when I try to say it, it comes out and I dont really say what I mean to say. So I'm trying to explain something and it should be easy or simple or whatever but it just never happens. I'm trying to explain a bush and I end up talking about the whole lawn. Do you know what I mean?
Doc says "wordiness"
Real trucks dont have sparkplugs
I'll try and send along a picture, but what I did was I used 6x6 posts, then I sandwiched 2 x 10's on either side of the posts for the "joists" for the pergola. Once this was done, I had 4 - 2 x 10's (2 on either side) running east/west (or whatever the case). From there, I used 2 x 8's every 12" on top and I attached this by toe-screwing them in place w/ either stainless steel screws, or galvanized screws, etc. From there, I ripped 5/4" x 6" deck boards in half and attached those to the tops of the 2 x 8's every 12" to secure the top of the 2x8's. I attached the ripped boards with 2" galvanized nails. Everything turned out great.
I'll try to send out pictures tonight to help illustrate what I wrote above.
Here are some pics of the pergola (note - I had to use the design I used on the end of the boards since there was an existing arbor with this design, so I wanted to keep everything the same):
Timberlok screws just like in FHB issue 188 July 2007. Very nice article but I may rabbet the tops of the posts so the 2x8's rest into the rabbet.
these are 2x6's notched to receive the top stringer or header or whatever you want to call it. I just lined up all of the 2x6's on edge after i had jigsawed them and cut to the line with the skil saw and hogged out the waste with the same skil saw and then chiseled out the little wood teeth left over. Two stringers so there was two 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 notches to be made. Then when i toenailed them i made sure the pieces were plumb as i screwed them down. Was not hard.
Winnipeg is the backdrop in this photo