Grates, trellises and garden pergolasare elements of small garden architecture. They are usually made of wood, although they can also be metal or a combination of these materials with brick, stone or concrete. They are excellent supports for garden vines, but they can also be an ornamental element in themselves, helping us separate certain parts of the garden or emphasize the character of certain places.
Garden pergola
On garden plots we can meet with various architectural structures and elements of small architecture.Architectural buildings are mainly gazebos and related elements that constitute a compositional whole and define their style. The elements of small architecture includegrates, trellises and pergolas , as well as other supports for vines, fences and gates. Perhaps you are asking yourself why put such structures on your plot? On a flat ground, flowers form uniform surfaces, hiding behind each other and not giving the desired effect. Supporting ourselves in such a situation with elements of small architecture, we can obtain various aesthetic and practical solutions that help to properly display the plants, as well as give the garden an appropriate (e.g. mysterious) character.
A garden trellisis the simplest support for a creeper, made of a frame and a truss filling it. It can be attached to a building wall, set on foundations as an independent structure or combined with plant boxes. It can also be a complementary elementpergolaortrejażor be a part of the gazebo wall structure.Gratings are most often made of hard boards or cheaper, soft lumber. We can also meet plastic and wire grates, which, however, are much less effective and do not look as natural as wooden grates.
Garden grille
Trejażis one series of columns connected at the top by a horizontal beam on which short cross members are embedded. As in the case of grates, we can findwooden trellisesandmetal trellisesThe trellis allows us to separate an attractive part of the garden, separate parts of the plot of a different nature ( e.g. a decorative part from a usable part) or creating a cover from the eyes of neighbors.
"Pergolameant a once-covered passageway formed by plants overgrowing the bars. Today, when we use this term, we mean a structure composed of vertical posts supporting the beams around which the plants grow. Pergolacan be a natural awning for various recreational corners. Plants growing on the pergola will make it pull into the overall landscape fairly quickly. Thanks to the pergola covered with climbing plants, we will get a nice corner to rest - a place sheltered from the wind and sun. By combining the pergola with the allotment gazebo, you can get an interesting spatial, aesthetic and panoramic effect. "
How to build a pergola?
A pergolacan be built from untreated piles or sawn timber, which will prove to be a better material if the pergola is connected to a wooden platform or if a gazebo is the support on one side. It is worth drawing the project on graph paper, which will make it easier for us to calculate the amount of materials needed (we always buy a bit more materials in case of possible losses during construction or the need to slightly change the design). If you want to move freely under the pergola, which is covered with plants, remember that its height must exceed 2 m. When building a pergola , let's also take into account the vertical loads resulting from the weight of structural elements and the weight of plants (significant especially after rain or when snow falls in winter). Horizontal loads caused by lateral winds will also be important for the stability of the structure.
Garden pergola
The solidity of the pergolais determined by the vertical poles supporting the horizontal elements. The posts can be wooden (both round and rectangular, usually 10 x 10 cm are sufficient), made of stones or bricks, reinforced concrete and covered, for example, with cladding, or metal pipes or welded angles. It is important that they are rigidly embedded in the ground, preferably on concrete footings, sunk into the ground to a depth of at least 60 cm.
Garden pergola
You can use the same wood for the transverse (roof) beams as for the vertical elements, or the planks with a cross-section of 5x15 cm. Lighter boards can be used for decorative rafters between the beams.
Wooden elements of the pergolaare connected with galvanized clamps and pins. If the structure is to be strong and stable - carpentry joints will be even better. Simple tongue and groove joints are used to attach the horizontal beam to the vertical post. This type of connection is especially useful when the crossbeams are to protrude beyond the post.
Before we startbuilding a pergola , be sure to impregnate all wooden elements. Outdoor wood preservatives such as Sadolin or Duluks Wood Color Impregnants will be useful here. It will be even better if the wooden elements are pressure impregnated (the impregnating agent penetrates deep into the wood and the protection is more durable). Metal elements that we will use to build a pergola should be made of stainless alloys or galvanized. If they are not, we must protect them with an anti-corrosion coating before assembly. You can use Silikonkauczuk, Enamel Akrylokauczuk or Steelochron.
