PERGOLA PROGRESS

I'm building a pergola in our backyard.  I have one primary purpose for this project. 

Privacy. 

We have a very nice neighbor who lives on the other side of the fence and we talk often when we're both in our backyards.  But we can see inside each other's windows whenever the curtains are open.

So, I'm fixing the problem.  It will probably take three or four years before privacy is achieved, but it will happen.

Last Saturday I went to The Home Depot and hauled home all the supplies needed to build our pergola.

The pergola will cover most of our patio, about 40 feet long and 8 feet wide.

This is our view from our back windows.  Coincidentally, they can see through our windows, too. 

I set out the lumber to get an idea of how things might fit.

On Sunday I did the most dreaded part of the job.  I mixed 240 pounds of cement in my wheelbarrow, using a hoe, and filled eight cement tubes.  Each tube of concrete contained an embedded bolt, measured and precisely placed for supporting the pergola posts.

Getting ready to place the posts.

I covered the threaded bolt in each cement tube with masking tape to prevent cement from getting into the threading while pouring the cement.

The masking tape was removed to expose the threaded bolt.

A galvanized steel base was secured to each bolt with a nut and washer.

Each post was nailed to the galvanized base.  These posts will never touch dirt and, eventually, ivy will grow up each post along the fence.  The ivy will also grow across the beams and will be trimmed to hang down just far enough to block the window-to-window view.

First post in place.  The cross beam is attached to the overhang.

Second post in place.

Third and fourth posts are placed at the far end of patio.

Fifth and sixth posts placed.

Final two posts are placed at the near end of patio. The only other work remaining now will be to install additional cross beams overhead, then plant ivy at the base of the five posts on the left, and watch the ivy grow into a privacy wall.