Pergola Post Installation?

Cliffhanger

Hi All,
Just found this site and looking forward to sharing ideas to improve our trade. I am building a pergola using western cedar-6x6 and 6x10 and want to here better ideas about the post connection at the base. Here is my plan-flooring to be natural orchard stone, drill hole in center of post and thru orchard stone and slab, install plinth(aluminum) to keep moisture from wicking, epoxy #4 rebar into both holes to maintain lateral and uplift resistance, apply cedar base trim to cover plinth. Any better ideas??

Thanks Bruce

Mike Finley

I love building pergolas and have found there are about as many ways to do posts as there are designs for purlins and lintels.

Just a few -

Bury the cedar in cement, bury the cedar in packed gravel, bury PT in cement or packed gravel and wrap with cedar 1 x 6. Bury cedar and treat it first, or wrap it in copper or wrap it in felt. Posts without burying first, you can use cement piers and Simpson products for attachement and isolation, or you can wrap the base of the posts in copper jackets, there are just seemingly endless options.

Rusty Nails

We've been building these things they call "Pai Pai"s. They're pretty much the same thing, with a Polinesian twist.

Anyway, The attachment used was a 1/2" x 8" round plate, with a 12" x 3/4" all thread welded on the bottom. This was epoxed in when setting the post. The plate had 4 holes drilles for 12" x 1/2 lags that went up into the Ohia post.

This passed all the wind and uplift loads requiered, and left no exposed hardware.

Hell of a lot of trouble though.........

Cliffhanger

Thanks for the ideas. Please keep them coming.
Later Bruce