Two days ago I decided I wanted a pergola in my garden. How hard could it be?
Turns out just figuring out what to buy was already a full day’s work. Every guide assumed you knew the basics. YouTube was full of guys with fully equipped workshops going “it’s simple, just…” Forum threads devolved into arguments about concrete footings. I just wanted someone to tell me: here’s your shopping list, here’s how you put it together.
It couldnt find that, so somewhere between frustration and procrastination I thought why not built it myself, a 3D configurator where you set your dimensions, see what it looks like, and get a material list and build guide.
No idea if it’s useful for anyone else but it genuinely helped me finally understand what I was getting into. I’m also still a little amazed that you can go from idea to something like this in two days, the tools available for building software right now are kind of wild.
A structural engineer friend helped me get the load calculations right so it’s not just vibes-based woodworking advice.
It’s at https://pergolaperfect.com – I have no commercial intentions with this, just thought maybe it could help someone else 😅
by Interesting-Stuff123
2 Comments
Perhaps you have some idea how to make neat L-shaped pergola? I see you are a man of wisdom, and my google-fu is weak. I need to cover my L-shaped patio, and two contractors had already gone no contact. I’d DIY but can’t find a decent example.
Nice. A decking version next would be cool!