Table of Contents
The pergolaA structure with open wood-framed roofs, often latticed and supported by regularly spaced posts or columns, and covered by climbing plants such as vines or roses, shading a walk or passageway. Pergolas are distinguished from āarbors,ā which are less extensive in extent and structure. in this example is 9m (30ft) long x 2.4m (8ft) wide.
The project is broken into sections (pages) which include working plans, construction details, roof details, and materials. Each section contains it’s own instructions and diagrams etc.
The lumberAny of the framing wood. list is at bottom of this page.
Lumber required for the lean-to pergola
| <span”>LUMBER | USED FOR | AMOUNT |
| 100×50 (2×4) suitable for exterior use | rafters 13 @ 2.4m (8ft); purlins and ledger 50m (166ft) | 82m (270ft) |
| 100×100 (4×4) suitable for exterior use | posts 5 @ 3m (10ft) | 15m (50ft) |
| 200×50 (2×8) suitable for exterior use | BeamA supportingĀ member. 2 @ 4.5m (15ft) | 9m (30ft) |
| 150×25 (1×6) fasciaExterior horizontal visible flat front trim board that caps the rafter tail ends. bdSee BOARD | front fascia bd and side barge bd. | 18m (60ft) |
The plans
The plans for the lean-to pergola. An example of working plans for a lean-to pergola and roof, 9m (30ft) long x 2.4m (8ft) wide.
Below is an example of working plans for a lean-to pergola and roof, 9m (30ft) long x 2.4m (8ft) wide.
The Site Plan
This plan shows the placement of the pergola in relation to the existing house and boundaries.
The Flat Plan (footprint)
The flat plan is an arial (looking down) view of the pergola addition.
It shows the overall dimensionsAny of the three linear measurements, length, breadth and depth. of the project and information such as footingA base (in or on the ground) that will support the structure. placements, bearerA sub-floor wood supporting the floor joists. and rafterStructural member of a roof that supports the roof load and runs from the ridge to the top of the side walls. placement and spacings between rafters.
The Cross-Section Plan
The cross section plan is a plan taken from a cross section of the flat plan. The cross section shows lumber sizes and footing size.
A detail plan is accompanied to give clearer detail.
A detail plan is a blow up (magnified) part of the plan.
The Elevation Plan
The elevationSide view of a building. plan is more like a drawing of the outside of the addition rather than a plan although is still drawn to scale. The elevation plan gives a good perspective of the addition to the untrained eye.
I have generally followed this plan over an existing pergola, with modifications to suit my situation.
This site was the most helpful I have found.
For purlins (nogs) I reused existing 2x2s across the top of the rafters, planning to fix the Suntuf sheets to them directly.
This plan does not address painting, but I would observe that it is a helluva lot easier to paint structural wood components before installation. Most of the structure is the typical outdoor white.
Cut the rafters, angle the ends, and paint them on the ground, to save a lot of work.
After hammering or bolting the steel anchors and truss ties, I hit them with some white spray primer to hide the nail heads and hammer marks.
I am using the smoked gray Suntuf, and I wish I had painted the purlins more of a matching gray color (instead of white) before screwing them down to the rafters. I would prefer the purlins to fade out of view against the polycarb sheets.
The plan and equipment list make no mention of the foam closure strips offered by Suntuf, to match the contour of the sheets across the top of the purlins. I am planning to use them, hopefully to provide some noise damping, and wonder if paint will have any effect on them. They are supplied in bright white, which would upset my gray “camouflage” scheme.
Also, the closure strips are very lightweight and make placing the sheets difficult, especially if you are doing this singlehandedly. A couple little folded pieces of duct tape keep them on the purlin when sliding the sheet into place.