Honey can we add...

[Chef]

So over a year ago Chef phil came to me with the CRAZY idea of building a brick oven in the back yard just like the one at Addesso (the WFO resturant where he was the chef)...not thrilled with the idea but it made him happy so why not. Well I began to get pulled in as we go closer to the first pizza, then I was hooked. Not only was the pizza, bread, pies and everything else we have cooked in the oven been wonderful but we were bringing family and friends together (not to mention the benefits of not heating up the indoor kitchen) SO we have had more than our share of parties and we noticed near the BBQ/Fire pit people would gather and stand on the grass near the edge of the pit. HMMM Phil suggested we add another 3 feet of patio block so a chair or two could be placed there. It looked good...but??

Honey do you think we could add some more to the patio like maybe go out to the koi pond maybe another 13 feet? Then I looked at him again batting my eyelashes and said and maybe a Pergola. A WHAT? A pergola you know a wooden structure and we can grow some grapes on it (now I had his attention!) SO we searched the net found some plans and started to build today. We still have 8 more beams to put on the top and some bracing to do but this is what she looks like so far.

[Modthyrth]

Nice! How did you do the footers? It looks like they're in a sloped kind of block--did you cast them yourself?

[Chef]

We bought the footers pre-cast very inexpensive about $3 - $4 each, I think we have had it with cement!!! LOL.

[Ken524]

Congrats on the pergola! Looks great. There is something about pizza ovens and pergolas. We had the lumber for our pergola delivered on Wednesday.

[christo]

Looking really nice. I definately understand taking a break with concrete - casting my concrete benches is killing me!

But... I'm not really sure I understand the post anchors.

Do they sit on the ground or do they go in the ground 2 feet or more?

If they sit on the ground - I'm afraid the next big wind storm is going make a big problem for you. With all of the sail area a pergola top creates it won't take much to flip it if its not anchored firmly in the ground.

Christo