ᐅ Assembling a Pergola Made from Reclaimed Oak Beams

Hello everyone. I could use your help. We want to build a pergola over the path from the parking area to the front door. It will be made from several solid oak beams, about 15 x 15cm (6 x 6 inches) in thickness. The old beams we have come from the demolition of an old barn, so they are anything but uniform and unfortunately not all the same size. What is the best way to secure them in the ground? Beam shoes are not an option because of their irregular shape, and neither are H-post anchors. We will, of course, make concrete footings. Would 60 x 30cm (24 x 12 inches) be sufficient? The beams are quite heavy, but they don’t need to carry large loads. Maybe you could give us some tips. Thanks a lot! :-)

Hello,

without some sketches including measurements and pictures, it will be difficult to provide many tips.

But first, two points:
- Top edge of the foundation = top edge of the paving, or should the foundations be set deeper?
- Instead of post bases or similar, you could also consider using four separate angle brackets (one on each side)

Try searching for "post anchors." These are screwed to the bottom of the posts and then anchored to the foundation.

wilsumer schrieb:

Now the old beams (which we got from the demolition of an old barn) are obviously far from uniform and unfortunately not all the same size.

Then ask the sawmill about their rates for small quantities. Essentially, beams can be fed through the saw in the same way as logs.

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Why make it so complicated? Either use slightly larger post anchors and fill the hollow space or use slightly smaller ones and cut the beams accordingly.

Or, for a cleaner solution: use T-post anchors (also called slotted post anchors).

Of course, a saw and some basic craftsmanship skills are required, which I would consider necessary for something that people will walk through later.