How To Use The 3D Oak Pergola Designer
Bays
The number of bays refer to the gaps between the upright posts. As standard, a one bay gazebo is 3 metres wide by 3 metres deep, measured from the outside of one post to the outside of another, so the overall footprint. For each bay you add, it increases the width of the overall footprint by another three metres. Every oak pergola is made bespoke from scratch, so the sizes here are just examples. If you have specific requirements get in touch for a quotation. Any measurement can be altered: height, width, length, the distances between the posts etc.
Thickness
The thickness refers to the cross-section size of the upright posts, and the main beams, or 'top plates' running horizontally. The larger in size your pergola, the thicker you would normally have the posts to keep it looking proportioned. However, you will achieve a "chunky" look by choosing thick posts on a small pergola, or a more "elegant" look by choosing thinner posts on a larger pergola.
The slats across the top, or 'crossmembers' usually stay the same at around 75 x 150mm regardless of the thickness you choose for your posts.
Profile
The profile refers to the style of the ends of the main horizontal beams, or 'top plates'. Square is standard, without any shaping, often chosen for a minimalist look. Chamfered and Rounded are often chosen to give a more modern look to the pergola, and customers that chose the Ornate profile say it appealed to them with a more traditional Eastern styling.
Footings
Because of their weight, our Oak Pergolas don't need to be bolted or fixed to the floor. The two most common options for where the posts meet the floor are:
a) drill metal rods (a centimetre or half an inch or so in diameter) into your base, drill into the bottom of the posts and rest them onto the protruding metal bar. Oak, being extremely hard-celled, will quite happily sit on top of these metal rods so you can leave around a half an inch gap under the posts to keep them off the ground.
b) We can provide white reconstituted stone 'feet', called staddle stones. They are 23 centimetres tall and already have a metal bar protruding around an inch out of the top. Again, you just drill the bottoms of the posts and sit them on top.
Another option is to have the pergola posts provided longer if you wish to cement them into the ground. This option is sometimes specified by designers of structures going into public places.
If you have any questions about any aspect of our Oak Pergolas, call us on 01889 597283 or send a message through our contact page.