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Whether as shade, a privacy screen or trellis, a pergola offers many advantages. Not to mention countless design options for craftspeople and DIY enthusiasts: you can opt for a single or double pergola, permanently attached to the house or as a standalone structure. Whatever you go for, there is one thing to remember: because, like all outdoor wood constructions, your pergola will be exposed to rain, wind and sun, it is best to choose weather-resistant wood. This can be pressure-impregnated spruce, for example, or construction timber made of larch or Douglas fir, which do not need any protective treatment. Sturdy post supports or ground impact sleeves not only anchor the supporting pergola posts in the substrate, but also create spacing between the wood and the ground, thus preventing impinging rainwater from soaking the posts from below.
What do I need to consider?
Because this is an outdoor project, you should make sure that the pergola wood fits together exactly. Otherwise, waterlogging may occur in the gaps. You should therefore use partial thread screws with washer head in order to ensure that the wood is pulled together completely at all joints. Areas of the structure that are exposed to the elements will also need screws that are reliably resistant to rain and UV rays. In other words, only stainless steel A2 should be used. In areas that are not directly exposed to the elements, stainless-steel screws are not obligatory, but you will need increased corrosion protection – normal chrome-plated screws are therefore not suitable. With zinc-plated fasteners like wood connectors or screws, there is also a risk that the wood around the screw hole may darken.
What solutions does SPAX offer?
For standard pergolas, wood connectors like steel angles tend to be used as fasteners. If you want your pergola to be just as sturdy, but also a little more appealing to the eye, go for our WIROX washer and cylindrical head screws. These offer maximum durability of the wood connections coupled with reliable corrosion protection in areas that are not directly exposed to the weather. The washer head of the HI.FORCE screws with 6, 8 or 10 mm diameter develops such high tensile forces during insertion that even warped wood can be effortlessly pulled together without forcing or clamping. The various thread diameters enable the fastening of both narrow and wide wood cross sections. To fasten posts to base supports, our range includes the SPAX post screw full thread in stainless steel A1. Suitable for many types of metal supports, its fillister head and screw collar guarantee a clean and attractive finish, not to mention top corrosion protection for your outdoor project.
Discover now our screws for pargolas
Outdoor
6 Products
Wooden paths and wooden walkways are typical in coastal areas. They lead through often rough terrain or through sand dunes. If you look at the necessary wooden construction, you could say that wooden walkways are basically very long and very narrow wooden terraces, because they also consist of a load-bearing substructure and planks bolted to it made of weatherproof wood. Both are often installed in larger dimensions on bridges, so that the wooden planks can have thicknesses of 40-45 mm.
What are the challenges for fastening?
As with a wooden terrace, the fastening screws primarily secure the connection of planks and substructure against moving and lifting. In the case of woods of larger dimensions, the forces occurring as a result of the work of the wood are also greater. The screws used must therefore be more massive and longer. And finally, there is not only a particularly humid climate near the coast, the screws are often also exposed to splashing water from the sea and very salty air. This poses very special challenges for the corrosion protection of the fasteners.
Outdoor
6 Products