Landscaper Know How.

Crafting the Classic Cedar Pergola -Notching the Post

The corner of a L-Shaped Arbor Custom Crafted Pergolas and Arbors by Switzer's — The corner of a L-Shaped Arbor.

Pergolas and Arbors add so much beauty and style to your outdoor living space. With their overhead plane they create the feeling of being in a room. Yes, you guessed it… an outdoor room! Many materials are available to construct pergolas. Stone, concrete, metal, vinyl to name a few… but, we love the look of wood. And our favorite wood to work with is Real Cedar. The beautiful color and natural decay resistance of cedar make our first choice and recommendation.

When constructing a pergola or arbor the joinery is of utmost importance. A strong construction can provide years of worry free outdoor living. In crafting our Classic Cedar Pergola and Arbors we notch the top of the post for the strongest connection. This allows the cross members to rest on the post to carry the load and not the fasteners. The over sized carriage bolts keep the joint nice and tight.

Classic Cedar Pergola – Watch Video on notching the post.

The complete assembly of a Classic Cedar Pergola by Switzer's — The completed assembly of a Classic Cedar Pergola.

Using a wood chisel to finish cleaning out the notch of a Real Cedar post for a Custom Classic Cedar Pergola.