Building a garden pergola

[brittas2009]

Hi all

A quick bit of advice please. I'm intending to build a pergola with 125mm Sq uprights and was wondering what the best way of securing them in the ground is? I was going to stick them in the ground by about 50cm with Post Crete but am concerned that they'll rot and then I'll be left with a 'snapped off' pergola, but more importantly a big lump of concrete left in the ground to dig out

Is there a better way or is it these or spikes?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[JohnD]

spikes are awful

some people don't like concrete, but if you put concrete spurs in, you can bolt your wooden posts to them with 150mm space above ground level. They have bolt-holes cast in for this purpose.

If and when the wood rots you can just bolt a new post on.

easy peasy

you can paint the concrete with dark brown masonry paint to make it blend in with the stain on your woodwork.

I can show you some pics if you like.

 

[Thermo]

concrete spurs on a pergola ohh that will look nice. pressure treated 5 " posts willl last a very very long time

 

[JohnD]

that will look nice.

I agree. But the masonry paint is the finishing touch.

 

[ladylola]

Thermo's right treated posts all the time, and really there's no need for concrete mine's simply an 18" hole and the post held by rammed hardcore. The whole thing is jointed together and won't move concrete is a waste in this situation.

 

[Thermo]

that will look nice.

I agree. But the masonry paint is the finishing touch.

mad

 

[StephenW]

If you look at posts on pegolas in public parks or outside buildings they often appear to be bolted into a metal bracket which stands proud of ground level by a couple of inches on a thinner round post which is concreted into the ground.
Mind you, I've had a fence fall down where the wooden posts were fitted into bolt-down metposts and it was the metal metpost that rusted through and snapped - the wooden post was still fine!

 

[Thermo]

thats because met posts are crap imho. we have used wood for thousands of years because it works!