AVOID HANGER TROUBLE

On a traditional pergola, the joists are perpendicular to the house, and it’s best to attach the hangers before installing the ledger board. I tried that with the skewed hangers on this pergola, but fitting the rafters into them became a big challenge.

Instead, attach the center and side beam hangers and mark where the rafters should go, then screw the rafters into place and slide the hangers in after. To get that cool symmetrical look, be sure the rafter marks are symmetrical on the ledger board.