My wife and I are considering installing a pergola to provide some shade in the alley space we have between our house and garage, which measures roughly 9.5'x16.5'. Both the house and garage are finished with stucco, and we want to know the best approach for securely attaching the horizontal timbers. Ideally, we'd like to mount them directly to the walls to conserve space. Any suggestions?
3 Answers
To get started, you'll want to fix two beams, known as ledger boards, directly to the walls of your house and garage at your desired height. It’s best to remove some stucco around where you’ll be attaching the boards, then use lag bolts or screws to fasten them to the wall studs. Make sure to touch up the stucco afterwards. While mounting to the stucco can work, it won’t last as long, so I'd recommend against it. You also need to install flashing to prevent moisture damage to those beams. After that, you can either mount rafters on top of the ledger boards or attach them directly. Don't forget to stain or seal your structure to protect it from water damage!
Consider using concrete footers with 4x4 treated posts to create a sturdy base for your pergola. You can then build a rectangle on top and brace the corners before putting up a sun sail for shade. I personally think going through the stucco is risky and could lead to leaks, so sticking with a free-standing structure might be a safer bet. Good luck!
Great tips! Avoiding stucco sounds smart. Thanks!
Just a heads up to check with your local authorities. In my area, if you attach a ledger to the house, you usually need to get a permit and have an inspection done.
Thank you very much!