Adding additional value to your backyard – Pergola

Today we’re going to talk about how we took down a project of making a pergola for one of our clients. Pergolas are ideal for your backyard during hot summer days. We at Ranger Roofing of Oklahoma, top rated Tulsa, OK roofing contractor are going to show how you can build one in less than a weekend on your own for less than $500 worth of materials.

The most important part of the pergola is the wood, don’t cut corners when buying it and be ready to spend a bit more time and money picking the right piece. You’re going for quality here; you want this to last, and the only way to do it is with high-quality wood and proper care.

Chose the wood that fits your stlye and personality…

After purchasing the wood make sure that there are no structural problems with it, check the grain and make sure it won’t crack when drilling into it. While staining your wood make sure you cover the whole surface and let dry overnight, more often than not you will need to apply the second hand over the first one so ensure that you have enough time and paint for it.

Start by drilling a small hole in your patio; this is where the legs of the pergola will fit. If you have an older deck make sure you don’t crack the wood, drilling a smaller hole before drilling a large one in the same place can help prevent this.

You might want to consider cutting your beams horizontally and getting three long planks which you can screw together to gain some elasticity making sure the pergola has a bit of moving room. After cutting the plans stain them to protect their insides and clamp them together. After clamping and aligning them use screws to secure them permanently in the place.

Turn your backyard into the focal point of your home

After you make four beams and secure them in place with screws, start putting on the horizontal beams, these help to achieve the stability of the structure and support the cover if you decide to go for one. Placing a removable cover might be better than a permanent one since it can be removed if required. You can also go for a half and half approach and make one side of the roof permanent while the other a cloth one that can be rolled in during a storm of when you want to enjoy a quiet night outside and not have it rattling against the wind.

When you’re finished give it another coat of stain and leave it to dry overnight. Before you call it a project a success make sure you inspect all of the bolts and make sure it isn’t leaning too much, this might come to hurt you in a case of a storm. If you’re unsure about the quality of the design call your local contractor to inspect it for you and suggest a way to fix your problems.