Steve and Ryan came over and helped finish the structural elements of the pergola. I started out by cleaning up the area and laying out the tools while Jack supervised.
Once Steve and Ryan arrived we installed the second beam. The next step was to install the joist that goes along the north side of the pergola and provides the support for the floating corner. The corner is held together with timber screws and a L bracket.
After that, we installed one of the posts that will support the joist.
This turned out to be a little more complicated than I thought. I mis-measured the beams and as a result the joists were sitting on the brick instead of the railroad tie. This wasn't a big deal except for the fact I had planned to screw the base into wood, not brick. I took a trip to OB Hardware to purchase some concrete screws and masonry bits. After some drilling we were able to get the posts installed.
Once the post was bolted into the joist, Steve decided to strength-test the structure by hanging on it. The structure passed.
The next step was to install the remaining joists. We started on the south side and worked north. The first was held in with timber screws. Two of us would hold the joist up while the third made sure the board lined up with the beams and installed the timber screws.
The joists in the middle were installed using brackets. I would climb up the ladder to install the brackets, then Steve and Ryan would lift the joist up so I could measure the necessary length. The joist was removed, cut to the correct length, and then reinstalled and screwed in.
I purchased the correct masonry bits from the store so the second time around went a lot faster. At that point we were finished for the day!
For fun, we threw some of the cedar boards up on the pergola so we could experiment with how far apart we wanted the boards spaced. I like how they look 2-3 inches apart.
The next step is to decide upon how far the cedar boards will be spaced and how much we want the boards to overhang from the end. Once we decide that, we will make a run to Home Depot to purchase a box of screws and start screwing the lattice down. I think we are three or four days away from being finished!
