Advice on modern style green Oak pergola

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mrmoose

Established Member
Joined
24 Sep 2016
Messages
28
Reaction score
0
Location
Bristol
Hi Folks
Not having worked with green Oak very much I am looking for some advice on constructing a set of modern style green Oak pergolas to replace a customers set of existing structures in pine that have been up for apparently 20 years. (Please see photos).
The existing timber is 75mm square and the structures are 2.35 m tall
My concerns about taking on the project are:

The type of joints on the existing are a bit unusual and I believe might be so in green Oak
She wants the same style so no bracing.
The overall look as she would like the Oak a bit thicker maybe 100mm
Whether they might twist, warp or not be very straight.
How long they would take to rot in the ground (I guess I could use a stainless steel foot of some kind.)
I look forward to your advice.
pergola.JPG
pergola2.JPG
pergola3.JPG
pergola4.JPG
 
Checkout the Youtube video by the Restoration Couple on making an Oak Pergola - it demystified a lot of things for me on oak framing.

Sitting the legs on staddle stones keeps it off the ground and means it will last much longer.
 
maybe concrete posts in the ground but use postsavers

Ive used flashband with a hot air gun and followed by a wallpaper seam roller.
massively increased life span
 
Checkout the Youtube video by the Restoration Couple on making an Oak Pergola - it demystified a lot of things for me on oak framing.

Sitting the legs on staddle stones keeps it off the ground and means it will last much longer.

I assume you mean...



I think they were pretty lucky, not a lot of health and safety (yawn), if one of those beams (or more) came down on top of you it would hurt and then some. I'd want a lot of manpower, scaffolding, bracing, whatever I could get to keep everything upright and controlled until the last peg was in place.

I put together an oak sleeper garden edge a couple of months ago, so twice the thickness of the proposed beams, they were bloody heavy, and hard to control even at ground level.
 
Yes - there is a series of them which gives a lot of detail.

I don't recall being alarmed by the H&S- were they working in the main with 8" timber when you are looking a 4" which will be easier?
 
maybe concrete posts in the ground but use postsavers

Ive used flashband with a hot air gun and followed by a wallpaper seam roller.
massively increased life span
I like the look of those postsavers, not come across those before. I replaced a post that had rotted out in a metpost, at least five years ago. Like you I surrounded the base of the post with flashing, so the water runs off and onto the ground without being held wet. I repainted the post recently and it is solid as a rock. In the case of the oak pergola I'd raise it onto staddle stones, pinned from beneath as per the video. The only addition I'd make is to route a drip strip or recess on the foot of the post so the water has no ability to sit on the underside
 
Thanks so far folks, yes I have seen those postsavers, they look quite good. I've used plastic bin bags and gaffer tape in the past to good effect too I don't think saddle stones will go with the style. Any thought on the joints? also, I'm concerned that using 4-inch posts might make it look too clunky for the modernist style.
 
I assume you mean...



I think they were pretty lucky, not a lot of health and safety (yawn), if one of those beams (or more) came down on top of you it would hurt and then some. I'd want a lot of manpower, scaffolding, bracing, whatever I could get to keep everything upright and controlled until the last peg was in place.

I put together an oak sleeper garden edge a couple of months ago, so twice the thickness of the proposed beams, they were bloody heavy, and hard to control even at ground level.

Many thanks, I had already seen that vid. Of course, this project will be smaller sized timbers. Still haven't decided whether to pursued the customer to stick with 3-inch oak:unsure:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top