Pergola Depot Fedora User manual

Thank you for purchasing a do-it-yourself pergola kit from Pergola Depot. We appreciate your business,
and we are here to help you in any way possible. It will help to read these instructions entirely before
beginning. Take your time, follow these instructions, and call us if you need help. You can do this!
If you are installing on a concrete foundation, we recommend you use galvanized steel post bases on each
post secured with concrete anchors. For our pressure treated pine kits, we recommend you also install one
Tapcon concrete screw in each post base to prevent twisting of the post while drying. The post bases,
anchors and Tapcons are included with your kit if purchased with the option to be installed “on a concrete
slab or footer” and can be purchased as accessories from us or from your local hardware store. There are
instructions on how to install them in this document, and we have a video on the Installation Information
page on our website under the Resources>Tips menu.
If you are installing your pergola on top of new footings, allow the concrete to dry before completing the
rest of the pergola installation. This may require that you dig the holes and pour the footings one weekend
and then assemble the kit the next. Additional instructions are provided below.
Check out the Resources>Tips tab on our website and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have
questions or need some extra help.
Call: 1-877-563-0002
Email: [e-mail]
Assembly Instructions
Fedora Pergola Kit (Attached)

Tools and Supplies Needed
oHelper (we recommend at least 2 helpers)
oTape measure, hammer, level
oLadder (tall enough to work the top of your pergola during assembly)
oScrew gun (a star drive bit is supplied with kit)
o3/4” Wrench
oFor new footings: post hole digger, dry concrete mix, gravel, trowel, shovel and mixing bin
or wheel barrow
oFor installing rebar into post (if posts going into new concrete foundations): drill, 5/8" drill
bit
oFor ledger board: drill and 5/8” concrete drill bit (masonry walls), or 1/2” drill bit (wood
frame walls)
oFor all kits using post bases on concrete: drill; 5/8” masonry drill bit; and 15/16” wrench
oFor Pressure Treated Pine kits using post bases on concrete: you will also need a 5/32"
masonry drill bit, and a #2 Philips bit or #2 Philips screw driver
Kit Components

o2x8 Beams (2 for standard size kits)
o2x8 Rafters (# depends upon kit size)
o2x8 Ledger Board (1)
o6x6 Notched Posts (2 for standard size kits)
o2x6 Angle Braces (4 for standard size kits)
o2x2 Top Slats (# depends upon kit size)
oHardware Pack - 3” screws, 8” bolts nuts and washers, concrete anchors or lag screws for
ledger board, rebar for post install (if installing in or on new concrete foundation), star drive
bit
oOptional: post base trim; post base mounting hardware and Tapcons (for pine kits);
concrete footing form tubes
Reference the packing list that was provided with your shipment confirmation for a complete
list of kit components, including the number of each type of lumber and hardware pack
components.
Installation Steps
฀Step 1- If not already done, remove the crating material from the outside of the kit.
฀Step 2- Lay out all parts next to where you will be installing the pergola.
฀Step 3- Place the ledger board against the wall exactly where you would like, but laying on
the ground (with the x’s facing up) and make a pencil mark on the wall at each end of the
board.
฀Step 4- Place the front beams in place on the ground about where you think they will end
up and the ledger board against the wall. Place one rafter on each of the outermost X
marks on the beams and butt the rafters against the wall. Make sure the end of the rafter
that is against the wall is on top of the X mark on the ledger board. Temporarily screw in
the rafters to the front beam and to the ledger board. The X marks look like this lXl.
฀Step 5- Step back to see how square the beams and rafters look. Take a tape measure,
hook it on the outside corner of one of the rafters, and pull the tape to the opposite corner.
Write down the measurement. Then hook it on the other rafter and pull to the opposite
corner like this:

Move the boards around until you have the same measurement both ways. When you have
the same measurement, it is perfectly square. Hint: This is easier if you and your helper
both have a tape measure and pull them across at the same time.
You and your helper must hold the rafters steady so that they do not move while taking
your measurements. Once this is done, make sure not to move the boards around until you
complete the next step. Hint: You can temporarily screw the rafters to the beams, screw
them down just enough to hold them in place.
฀Step 6- Now you can see where you should dig your holes for each post. (Or mount your
post bases if you’re on concrete.) Look at the top of the beam just inside the first rafter
where it says post. If you are on concrete, make a mark on the ground directly in the center
of the lines where it says post on both corners. If you are on grass or dirt, stick the flags
that are provided with the kit into the ground on both corners where it says post.
฀Step 7- Unscrew and remove the rafters from the beams and ledger board, then move
everything out of the way. Now you should be left with two marks where your holes or post
bases will go.
฀Step 8- Dig the post holes with the center of your hole at your mark, 2 to 4 feet deep
(depending on the depth desired –see our website under Resources>Tips>Post Information)
and 24” in diameter or install your post bases directly over top of your markers. If you are
pouring new footings on which to mount your posts, proceed to the next step and come
back to this step when you are ready to mount the post bases.

Post Base Installation:
If installing using post bases on top of an existing concrete foundation or previously poured
footings, place the bases on the concrete in the exact position where they will be installed.
Hint: The measurements between the center of each post base should be the same as the
center post to post measurement for your size pergola, which is 3’6” less than the overall
size for each dimension. For example, a 10x12 pergola has a center post to post
measurement of 6’6” x 8’6”. Find the center of the hole on the bottom of the base, mark
that point, and drill into the concrete with a 5/8” concrete drill bit at least 4” deep. Clear
excess debris from the hole. Place the washer and nut on the concrete anchor, place the
flared end into the hole in the concrete, and hammer it down until it is against the post
base, but do not tighten. Repeat for each base. Before tightening the anchor to the post
base, make sure that each base is square to the outside edge of your pergola footprint. Lay
one of the beams or rafters (depending upon length needed) on the ground directly outside
two of the post bases, then rotate the post bases until the outside edges of each base are
touching and square with the board. Repeat this for the other bases. Once square, tighten
each anchor with a 3/4" wrench until snug to the base.
If installing a pressure treated pine kit using post bases, we recommend you install one
Tapcon screw for each base through one of the holes in the post base that surround the
first anchor. Using a 5/32" concrete bit, drill the Tapcon screw hole to at least 2” deep.
Once the hole is drilled, clear excess debris from the hole, and slowly screw the Tapcon
through the post base using a #2 Philips head screw bit or screw driver until snug to the
base. Repeat for each base.
฀Step 9 - Pour in gravel to fill the first 4” of each post hole. Continue with the rest of this
step if you are installing on top of new concrete footings and have not already poured your
footings. Check out the information we have available on our website under
Resources>Tips>Post Information, and consider using concrete footing form tubes, which
you can purchase at your local hardware store. Mix the concrete according to the
directions for the concrete you purchased and fill the hole to about 2/3 of the way to
ground level. Use a shovel or piece of rebar to eliminate air bubbles. Insert one piece of 18”
rebar supplied with your kit into the concrete so that it sits diagonally from the bottom of
one side of the hole toward the top of the other side. Pour in more concrete to cover the
rebar and until the concrete is level with the ground, or to the desired height to ensure that
the top of each footing will be level with each other. If the ground surface is not level, you
can use footing form tubes to create a level surface across the top of each footing using a
line level. Work the top portion of concrete to eliminate bubbles and smooth the top with a
trowel or shovel. Repeat for each footing. Allow to dry completely, which will depend
upon the concrete used and weather conditions. Once dry, go back to the previous step for
instructions on installing the post bases.
฀Step 10 - For posts that are being installed into concrete footings, we recommend you
install a piece of 10” rebar, supplied with the kit, into the bottom of each post. Locate and
mark a spot that is approximately 10” below ground level. Using a 5/8" drill bit, drill a hole
through the post at the desired mark on each post. Note that the rebar will be inserted in a
later step.
฀Step 11- Lay the two posts on the ground with the bottoms at the edge of each hole, with
the tops facing away from each other, like is shown in the next picture.