Pergolas in Southern Ontario – Nobleton

Pergolas Ontario: This project took place about 20 years after the client cut out a newspaper article in the Toronto Star about the groundbreaking woodwork we were doing. These pergolas have unique detailing that plays among all 4 structures. It is a large yard, so we decided to draw the eye from space to space. 

She initially had the landscape design company create a design with pergolas, but she didn’t like the look of their designs. 

They live on a golf course in Nobleton, so stray balls happen. The main pergola needed a roof or retractable canopy to prevent people from being hit. Drop-down side screens also reduce guests’ risk!

These photos were taken when the project was about 90% complete. We will return to take some final shots this spring.

Pergolas Ontario: Designed to Last Decades

When we build pergolas in Ontario, Canada, there are many things we do differently. Posts are sealed before they go into the ground and concrete. The posts are also treated before they get the PVC wraps. Careful attention is paid to prevent moisture from getting into the post wrap from the top of the column. “Support Posts,” “Beams,” and “Rafters” are the components of pergolas. After 35 years of building them, we know precisely where pergolas fail. Our footings are also a little different from what you might expect. The concrete is about 2 feet down, and the top of the footings is backfilled with crushed stone. 

Hundreds of pieces, usually made of wood, comprise the bracing and canopy, and more than thirty pieces typically make up a post wrap on pergola supports. Pergolas are sometimes seen as a maintenance nightmare; however, our pergolas come with sealed end cuts. Sealing the ends prevents rot and delays failure by a decade or two.

How do we Build Pergolas in Ontario so Efficiently?

Our shop near Wasaga Beach, Ontario, is where we make all the pergola parts. These things take time, and all the prefabricated parts can go to the site already stained. If we had to fabricate parts and laminated materials on site, that would mean extra weeks on site for many projects. 

30 years of experience means that it’s not our first time. At this point, building pergolas is muscle memory.

Pergolas Ontario: Building with Western Red Cedar

To learn more about Western Red Cedar (Click)

Read our articles about the best lumber choices for outdoors (here) and another on Sustainable lumber for decks (here)

The above articles explain why our pergolas in Ontario are usually built using western red cedar lumber. Pergolas need to be built of long-lasting lumber, and it helps that the lumber comes from larger trees, which means that our pergola support posts can be made from a cut of lumber that is less likely to crack or twist. (We know the cuts of lumber we need.)

Pergolas Ontario: Lateral Stability for the Win!

Pergolas Ontario: Learn about Lateral Stability. A pergola in Ontario has to resist both snow load and extreme winds. Though most pergolas don’t have roofs, just adding the ice that forms over a long winter with many freeze-thaw cycles could double the weight you have perched upon the posts. 

As long as the footing or connection to a deck is substantial, lateral stability is supplied with bracing of some type. 

When a pergola resists the wind structurally, there is no movement to damage the structure, and it simply lasts longer! Build something timeless, something beautiful and design it to last decades. Even if you invest a little more, your investment will be timeless. 

To see some more pergolas, see our Pergolas Gallery Here