Pergolas that adorn yards and gardens always capture attention and elicit compliments. Interlaced with trailing plants like fragrant jasmine and wisteria, colorful bougainvillea and honeysuckle, pergolas shade pathways and patios, acting as a kind of second garden above the head. Classic pergolas often extend for miles, shading pathways for horseback riding or strolling. Most residential yards do not have enough space for lengthy pergolas. When adapted for the realities of today’s yards, a pergola can be any partially-roofed open outdoor structure that is longer than it is wide. Simple to build, this basic garden pergola measures about 8 feet wide by 16 feet long and requires only low-cost materials and minimal carpentry skills.

Permits, Zoning, and Utilities

Your pergola might require a building permit if it falls within certain size or structure-type criteria for backyard structures. Exterior structures also typically cannot be built within a certain distance of property lines. Consult your local permitting office for guidance. Call 811 to have local utility companies visit and mark the location of buried services.

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

• Tape measure
• Speed square
• Circular saw,
• Cordless drill,
• Step ladder,
• Laser level,
• Electric miter saw
• Jigsaw
• Bubble level
• Framing hammer
• Shovel
• Carpenter’s pencil
• Chalk snap line or twine
• Post hole digger
• Drill bits
• Clutch style bar clamps or trigger clamps

Materials

• 6 10-foot long pieces of 4-by-4 boards
• 8 8-foot long pieces of 2-by-8 boards
• 9 8-foot long pieces of 2-by-6 boards
• 18 8-foot long pieces of 1-by-3 boards
• Bagged crushed gravel
• 12 bags ready-mix concrete
• 3-inch galvanized screws
• 1 1/2-inch galvanized screws
• 1 inch galvanized screws
• Wood stakes
• 10 Stainless steel hurricane ties

Instructions

Pergola Building Options

Lumber Alternatives

Buying pressure-treated lumber helps your pergola last longer and reduces maintenance duties. Ground-contact pressure-treated wood is the least expensive type, but it is speckled with injection points where chemicals have been forced into the wood. You may wish to spend a bit more for appearance-grade pressure-treated lumber which has no visible injection points. Cedar lumber, about twice as expensive as the ground-contact boards, is a favorite exterior building material for fences and gates. It will attractively weather to a gray, silvery color if left untreated.

Paving Under the Pergola

Lay stone or concrete patio pavers below the pergola and around the posts. For a smooth appearance, miter pieces of 1-by-4 boards at 45 degrees and nail around the base of each post as trim.

Changing the Pergola’s Dimensions

This pergola takes full advantage of 8-foot-length boards, resulting in very little wasted wood. However, you can change the proportions of the pergola in any way you choose. For example, you can create a long, narrow walkway pergola by cutting the upper 2-by-6 boards in half, thus halving the pergola’s width. Add more 2-by-8 beams, vertical posts, and 1-by-3 boards to add as much length as you wish.

1. Mark the Dig Points for the Posts
   On a flat, level section of ground, establish a rectangular pattern of six points where you will mount the vertical posts. With the framing hammer and wood stakes, mark three points in a straight line, each 7 feet apart. Now 7 feet away, mark another three points in the same manner parallel to the first line. Use a chalk snap line or twine to ensure that each set of three points is straight.
2. Set the Posts
   With the post hole digger, dig 3 feet down or below your area’s frost line, at each of the six staked points. Scatter a bed of crushed gravel about 4 inches thick at the bottom of each hole. Set one post in each hole, first tamping down the gravel with the post.
   Now you will add the concrete. Hold a post so that it is plumb, then pour dry ready-mix concrete around the post. Fill the hole with water. Nail two pieces of scrap wood per post in a tripod fashion to hold the post plumb while the concrete cures.
3. Level the Posts
   While your posts may end up being the same height, it’s expected if they vary by an inch or two. With the laser level or a chalk snap line and bubble level, establish a uniform height for all of the posts. Use the lowest post as the measurement to which the other five must conform. With the circular saw, cut down any of those five posts as needed.
4. Shape the Top Beams
   Mark with a speed square and cut one end of each of the 2-by-8 boards in any decorative fashion. The easiest way to do this is to make a straight 45-degree cut with the miter saw. For a more graceful look, cut the end as a quarter-circle with a jigsaw. Cut one end only. The other end of each board must keep its 90-degree factory edge.
5. Mount the Top Beams
   Place the 2-by-8 boards at the top of the vertical posts, one on each side. You will have a total of eight 2-by-8 boards, with the eight decorative ends facing outward.
   After drilling pilot holes, affix with 3-inch screws, using four screws per attachment point. This will comprise a total of 16 screws per board, eight on one side, eight on the other side. It is helpful to temporarily hold the 2-by-8 boards in place against the posts with clutch style bar clamps or trigger clamps.
6. Cut the Lattice’s Decorative Ends
   Nine 2-by-6 boards will rest on top of the beams and will be perpendicular to the beams. Similar to the 2-by-8 boards, cut decorative ends on each 2-by-6 board. The difference with this step is that you will be cutting both ends of each 2-by-6 piece.
7. Notch the Lattice Boards
   For a flawless look and a tighter fit, notch the pieces of 2-by-6 boards so that they can rest on and within the 2-by-8 beams. Create two notches using a jigsaw at each end, each notch 1/2 inch deep. After cutting the notches for one 2-by-6 board, test it at various points down the length of the beams. If it works, use this as a template for cutting the eight other 2-by-6 pieces of lumber.
8. Build the Top Lattice
   The 2-by-6 boards and the 1-by-3 boards will form the top lattice. Rest the notched 2-by-6 boards on the beams, perpendicular to the beams, and spaced two feet apart from each other. Lay the 1-by-3 boards over the top of the 2-by-6 boards, spacing them 1 foot apart from each other. Lay them perpendicular to the 2-by-6 boards in a grid-like pattern. Screw down the 1-by-3 boards with the 1 1/2-inch screws, using one screw at every place where the two boards cross.
9. Secure the Lattice To the Beams
   While the lattice is sufficiently heavy to remain in place by itself in good conditions, a strong wind is capable of upending it.
   With the cordless drill and 1-inch galvanized screws, secure the lattice to the 1-by-8 beams with stainless steel hurricane ties.

Hanging drywall is a crucial skill that you keep returning to over and over when you remodel a house. With a small financial investment, you can substantially alter the look of an unfinished space, such as a garage or basement, in little time. Successful drywall installation hinges on correctly anchoring the drywall panels to the framing members. Once you master the technique of hanging drywall, you can inexpensively finish rooms.

Made largely of the mineral gypsum, drywall is a considerably large, heavy, and unwieldy building material. Consider purchasing an inexpensive plastic drywall carrier that allows you to hold the drywall sheet at your side without twisting your arm. Although you can install drywall by yourself, the job will be much easier if you have a helper or two, especially if you are covering the ceiling. After hanging panels, you will need to finish the joints, which will likely include wet-sanding as a way to reduce the copious amounts of dust that drywall and drywall compound creates when sanded. Hanging drywall is a labor-intensive project, and it’s only part of the job.

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

• Cordless drill,
• Step ladder,
• Hammer,
• Tape measure,
• Drywall square,
• Utility knife,
• Level or long straight board (optional)
• Planer/power planer (optional)
• Drywall lift

Materials

• Drywall sheets
• Drywall fasteners (screws or ring-shank nails)
• Shims
• Wood glue or hot glue

Instructions

1. Check the Wall Studs
   Before you start hanging the drywall, check the studs and joists for bows or twists. The finished walls will look best if the studs are as flat as possible.
   Visually inspect the studs or joists to see if they are aligned in a straight plane. To confirm alignment, hold a long, straight board or level across the framing. If any framing members stick out, trim them with a saw or a power planer (especially for a large installation). Then, fill in low spots with shims attached with nails or glue.
   Run the head of the hammer up and down the studs (for remodels, not new-construction drywall installation) to check for stray screws or nails that will impede the drywall.
2. Choose a Drywall Fastener
   Drywall is attached to framing with drywall screws or nails. Drywall screws are the fastener of choice for most drywall installations. Drywall screws have a fluted head designed to recess slightly below the surface of the drywall paper without breaking it, and coarse threads for the best hold in the gypsum core of the drywall. Screws can be driven faster than nails, with less chance for damaging the face of the drywall; they also hold the drywall to the framing better than nails.
   Drywall nails do have their place, though. If you need to install a large amount of drywall quickly, drywall nails go in considerably faster than drywall screws. Both options follow in the next steps.
3. Option for Driving in Screws
   Use the same process for screwing in drywall panels on the ceiling and on the wall.
   Screws need to be driven below the surface of the drywall so that they can be covered with joint compound and sanded to create a smooth surface. Do not drive them in so deep as to tear the paper surface and damage the gypsum core. Once the paper is torn, much of the holding power of the fastener is lost.
   A properly driven fastener is slightly countersunk beneath the surface. Screw depth can be controlled on a cordless drill with an adjustable clutch. Screws should penetrate the framing at least 5/8-inch, which means that easy-to-find 1-1/4-inch screws will suffice for both 1/2-inch and 5/8-inch drywall panels.
   Tools for Screws
   For do-it-yourselfers, the best tool for attaching drywall is a cordless drill with an adjustable clutch. Or you can use special drywall screw bits that fit into a drill chuck. These bits are designed to stop turning when the screw hits the desired depth.
4. Option for Driving in Nails
   As with screws, nails need to be driven below the surface of the drywall so that they can be covered with joint compound and sanded to create a smooth surface.
   Hammering drywall nails can actually be a more forgiving technique than driving drywall screws. Drywall screws tend to rapidly penetrate the drywall paper and tear through instantly. But with hammering, the broad, smooth head of the hammer allows for several errant blows before the paper tears. Use the same process on ceiling and wall panels.
   Use a hammer that has a curved face which will leave just a small dimple around the nail head. Use ring-shank drywall nails only, as these have a broad head that helps hold the drywall in place. Nails should penetrate the framing at least 3/4 inch.
5. Hang the Drywall on the Ceiling
   If you are covering both walls and ceiling with drywall, begin with the ceiling.
   When attaching drywall to ceiling joists spaced 16 inches on center, fasteners should be spaced 12 inches apart. With wall studs, the maximum spacing between fasteners should be 16 inches. Drive screws or nails into each stud beneath the panel. Attach fasteners every 8 inches along the untapered edges, but keep them at least 3/8 inch from the edge to avoid damaging the gypsum core.
   If using nails, plan to drive a second nail 2 inches from the first at each fastener location, along the face of the drywall.
6. Prepare to Place Drywall on the Walls
   After covering the ceiling with drywall, you will attach the top sheets of drywall to the wall. When installing drywall that is horizontally-oriented, start with the top and work your way down. The idea is to make your cut side facing the floor, where it will be later covered up with baseboards.
   Mark the locations of the wall studs on the edges of the ceiling drywall with a pencil. This will make it easier to find the stud centers when driving screws into the wall panels.
7. Lift Wall Panels Into Place
   Once the stud locations have been marked, you will use a drywall lifter to place panels into position.
   When installing top panels on a wall, rest the panel on screws driven temporarily into the studs about 50 inches below the ceiling. Use a drywall lifter to place the panel into place on the screws. Then quickly grab your screw gun or drill in one hand while sliding the panel up with your other hand and shoulder. Drive a screw at the bottom of the panel into a center stud, then work your way out and up the panel.
   Continue to lift each panel into place on the screws. Continue to grab your drill in one hand while sliding the panel into position with your other hand and shoulder.
   Bottom panels should fit snugly against the top panels. Use your drywall square to cut pieces to fit.
   DIY Drywall Lifter
   Rent or create a DIY drywall lift. Make two cheap and easy braces by attaching a 4-foot-long piece of 2-by-4 lumber to a full-length piece of a 2-by-4 “leg.” This T-shaped brace should be about an inch taller than the height of the ceiling to hold the panel up to the right spot. Make two of them, but an assistant will be needed to maneuver the drywall lift.