Roof/Pergola started

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:38 pm

Great looking pergola Jose. I take it you only have screen cover on the roof, no poly carb on there?

Good idea to build it that way

Andy E · Post by **Andy E** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:16 pm

Hi there,

Have you thought about making your own T section for the main front beam with the 2 x 6"x2"? This should help stop flex in any direction. Are you putting a cross in the central section to help stop the structure flexing if you see what I mean??

Andy

Jose Antonio · Post by **Jose Antonio** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:39 pm

Hi Bob. Thank you, a solution simple but difficult to discover

Only it is a fabric of I shade now. Possibly soon I will install thin bamboo. I proved the weight hanging me of the center of the steel, and it bears the weight.
I did not use poly carb, there to be a lot of heat and to be necessary that the air circulates.
For the winter, only month and a half is a cold fort, and for it I have a canvas of cover covering 90 % of the surface. And a heater elecro only by night..

Regards

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:20 am

Bob the cost of covering the Pergola with Polycarb is going as much as twice the cost of the timber alone just for the panels. You will also have to think about the shape of the sections to avoid wastage. If your frame is not square youar angles will be different giving a ifferent degree of waste. Look at my old pond for example. I was going to use polycard sheets on the roof of that untill I worked out that wastage would be around 65% because of the width, length and angles on the apex's.

I still feel the best result would be to still place the posts on the pond wall as this will keep your framework from being too wide creating other issues. Good luck

Jules

Dave T · Post by **Dave T** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:30 am

Hi Bob...

couldnt help but comment on your plans....

Im living in Ireland and just bought a house on 1/2 acre of land...my koi are still at my old house which I thankfully still own.

At the moment Im building a fish /green house with a 4500gal pond with full settlement filteration for watering vines I intend to grow.

At the moment the roof is going up...ive used 8''x8'' uprights yes very heavy timber on every second rafter...the roof is constructed of 4'' x2'' timbers with a pitch of about 20degrees...each rafter being 1.2m apart...yes no weight as using polycarb also....like you I thought the easiest option would be to build a flat roof , but the roof ridge roof looks twice the job.... will post a few photos soon...

if your going to do the roof yourself....very important!!!!
ensure that each upright both sides of the pond are 'same' distance from each other & inline. if not it WILL break your heart (no pun intended )
the roof will be up down ...all over the place

measure and cut your first pair of rafters each side of the ridge plate getting your angles right( the ridge timber running down the middle, this will give it the strenght ).
Once youve done this and they fit well, cut all the other timbers the same
...do this on the ground....once youve done this and your uprights are perfectly square they should all fit confortably up to the ridge plate...

Your dimensions sound simlar to mine ...your cross brace will be fine about 1ft from the ridge top...this should give you the veiwing you need from your deck area....the only concern is what do you do with the roof where the pond widens out ???? from your photos looks like your going to set up all the adjacent uprights the same distance from each other...GREAT.... should work out well.....with a nice over hang on areas not covering the pond.

like jules said calculate the lenghs...do I buy 12ft lenghts...will my side wall be one mtr lenght etc...you seem like switched on lad ...no doubt youve already have this in hand

Im not a roofer...put have a brother in law who gave me some advice.

dont forget that Ridge plate down the middle!

anyway ...look forward to seeing the progress.

Dave

Taggy · Post by **Taggy** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:39 pm

Yep it sure does look big,but knowing your garden certanly not out of proportion!!!!

So the planning is been done,when do you rekon completion??? I know you like a good project,makes a change it is one for you Bob

But cant wait to see completion,i must ask when Summer comes will you be storing polycarb,or are you going to use to retain heat??? in all or some places on pond???

Did you complete your filteration re-build???

Graham

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 7:51 pm

Dave - will post some more drawings soon, but it will be 'square' and the pitched roof will fit. Just need to complete the designs, still contemplating the frontage build. Finding the right materials at a reasonable price is the difficult part.
Phoned today for some 8-metre 6" x 2" timber, or 8" x 2", the company said they have never sold any that long and couldnt get it. Will try a few other places. Perhaps the steel beam is the way to go. I cant put all the posts on the pond wall though, as the pond is an odd shape and the pitched roof wont fit properly. Flat roof would though. Will show this on some drawings later.

Graham - still planning the front and pitch. Filtration not completed either, that's to be done after the roof. Once the roof is on I can work through the Winter in the dry!. Roof Poly Carb will stay on all year round. Will be making some new fibreglass showers for the pond soon, just finishing the moulds off and picking some materials up on Friday.

ageinghippy · Post by **ageinghippy** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 11:21 pm

Bob,
It`s a shame you didn`t get some of the roof trusses from the demolition fella`s at Dannyboys place. They looked to be a fair old size, and you could have adapted them to fit your plans. Have you thought of trying demolition firms for your timber?

Chris (another one)

vippymini · Post by **vippymini** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 12:15 am

hubby saw a telly programme tonight that had good old !"Tommy Walsh" joining two beams together, he thought of you and came up with this drawing as he could not remember the name they gave to the joint.
the programme said it was the way to join beams so they lock together and dont sag.
hope this helps with your length problem

eds · Post by **eds** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 12:19 am

vippymini wrote:hope this helps with your length problem

Looks awfully painful to solve any "length" problems Bob may be having! All those bolts....

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:17 am

Des phoned me last night and said "why dont you have a pitch roof on the front, that way you wont have one long length, but 2 shorter lenghts going up to a ridge beam".

Just when I start to get some thoughts together another idea pops up. So potentially 2 ridges, one down the whole length, another for the front. Certainly got me things now.

Also going to visit a woodyard today, see what lengths and sizes they can do.

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:19 am

Bob it needs to look good aswell as serving a purpose. Don't cut corners and don't compromise on strength.

Did you enter the competition by the way?

I would personal follow the outline of the pool, have pitched roof and make it look awesome!

Jules

Bob Hart · Post by **Bob Hart** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:14 pm

Jules,

I would have thought my recent posts would have indicated that I wasnt cutting corners, just trying to find the best way of designing this, without breaking the bank. Yesterday I couldnt get the large lengths of wood I wanted, perhaps today through a different supplier I may be able to. 8-metre lengths of 6x2 or 8x2 arent sold by general timber merchants. I'm sure I'd have got the same responce to asking for a 12-metres length of 6x1" for the centre beam.

Following the outline and having it pitched, would mean the roof would be at differnt lengths, as it comes around the corner. It will be flat around the front and then come at an angle where the patio is. Not easy to build level though, as roof beams need to be the same pitch, with different lengths and all supported adequatly.

If it was easy I'd have done it by now.

In answer to your second question, I dont get the magazine, so no.

I need to decide on how to build this very soon though, enthusiasm is deteriorating a tad, as a solution isnt easy. It's stopping me doing the rest of the work and now I have a kitchen to now design and install!

Jules · Post by **Jules** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 3:20 pm

Bob, come on don't throw the "Kitchen/pond/filter" argument at me! We all know that wiithout a good pond there is no reason to stand in the kitchen woundering if you should build a pergola! Get a grip mate

Love reading your dilemas out here and it does keep me amused, all be it in a wicked way but you do beat yourselves up over the daftest things.

Looking forward to coming "home" soon.

Jules

Taggy · Post by **Taggy** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 4:25 pm

More Showers Bob,for personal use it that or will they be for fufilling orders????

Graham