Deck or pergola first?

[snoop75]

Gday all,

Just stumbled onto this forum so first post.

I'm planning on building a deck in the backyard in view of adding a pergola later.

Is this the right way to go about it - is it better to build the deck first and add the pergola later?

Or should I incorporate pergola posts into my deck design to start off with?

Sorry about what are probably pretty basic questions.

Cheers.

[silentC]

Well it doesn't really matter which order you do it in unless you want the deck bearers to hang off the pergola posts. If your pergola will extend out past the edge of the deck, you can put the pergola posts in afterwards. However if the deck extends further than the pergola, or they extend by the same amount, you would be better to either do both at the same time, or do the pergola first. You just need to think about what will support the pergola and whether it needs to be incorporated into the deck. Note that the pergola posts can't just sit on the deck and will need to go down to a concrete footing in the ground below.

[snoop75]

Ok, cheers for that - it makes sense.

The pergola will most likely be the same size as the deck so I guess I'd be better off planning for both at the same time.

Thanks again, great forum!

[Trav]

Definitely at the same time. I built a deck and instantly regretted not integrating a pergola as it got WAY too hot out there. Retrofitting a pergola was a pain (so I sold the house!).

Trav

[clackerz]

Retrofitting a pergola was a pain (so I sold the house!).

Trav

LOL
Problem solved!

[Yonnee]

Bear in mind too, if you just build the deck incorporating the pergola posts, without the pergola framework, the posts will warp and twist over time, making it more difficult to complete the pergola when the time comes.

The order in which I would do it if the budget was tight;
-Design and apply for permits for the whole job.
-Get quotes for the timber for the whole job (I faxed around my timber list to four different places, phoned the one most convenient to me with a copy of the cheapest quote, who then matched it. Saved over $500.00 on an 18M x 3.6M job).
-Then build the frame work of the pergola (Posts, beams, rafters & battens).
-Then the deck framework and deck.
-Then the roof. (And this last bit can be weeks, months, even years... My Dad's pergola is only now just getting a roof. House is 32, Pergola frame is around 25...)

I needed mine to be waterproof first as I am tiling the deck, so the roof went on after the decking framework. It's only taken me... 2 years since the first footings were poured, And about 12 months since the main structure was started.

...Hmmm, I wonder where I get that from.

[echnidna]

You can build a deck on stumps
When you build the pergola sometimedown the track the pergola posts only need to notch ito the joists and bearer, Or you can even fit it on top of the deck and strap it down to the sub frame.