# Forum Home Renovation Pergolas, Gazebos, Strombellas & Rotundas  Pergola with Angled Slats

## crashworx

Hi All, 
I'm looking to put up an open pergola in our backyard over our deck. 
I love the look of the pergola attached and wanted to replicate something similar. What I'd like to understand is how would I cut out the grooves in the cross beams for the angled slats to fit in? 
I'm guessing you could do it with a chisel but that would be incredibly messy and unlikely to get a great result... Is there an easier way?   
Any advice would be appreciated. 
Love this forum!

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## Bloss

A router is the go Router (woodworking) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia e.g.: Routers | Trim & Plunge Routers Available At Bunnings Warehouse . Best to set up with jigs that you can simply push the router around in one go to cut the trench.

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## Gaza

Run batten down side of rafter then cut blocks on angle as spacers like a triangle these sit on the batten then drop slats in between  
Or trench out using drop saw 
Or trench out using circular saw 
Or use a punch ally louver system

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## Micky013

+1 for router and jig

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## METRIX

These types of pergola look fantastic.

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## Bloss

> These types of pergola look fantastic.

   :What he said:  and if you set the angle to be the same as the latitude and space them correctly (Google, there are some tables that show you) you will get full shade in summer and most sun in winter and a variable range in the spring & autumn. Of course you can angle them to offer constant shade too . . . or part shade.

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## crashworx

All, thanks heaps for your replies here, have definitely set me on the right track. 
While i have this thread going, would also be interested in your thoughts on how best to secure the beam to the brick along the house so that they are concealed.. Obviously you can use normal dynabolts but they don't provide the clean finish like what is shown in these pictures..  
is there an alternative ?

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## METRIX

Hide any fixings behind where the slat supporting beams come out, but this does depend on how far apart your slat supporting beams are.

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## Bloss

:What he said:  So long as you have sufficient depth left you can also countersink the depth of the dynabolt/ ankascrew bolt/head and cover using a flexible external filler or a plug.

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## crashworx

Bloss, I had that thought, but dynabolts can be tricky to get the right depth and the filler might not match up. might end up making a mess (which I'm great at doing).. 
Metrix, love your idea. I think the supports will be about 2 to 2 1/2 meters apart, so given the right size beam, it shouldn't be an issue. 
thanks again for your help here guys.

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## Bloss

I have done similar pergolas by having the slats in frames that are mounted between the supports after the structure is in place. That requires a little more work and you need precision in measurements (but all building does . . .). That advantages are that all the work can be done at ground level and/or under cover and for maintenance the frames are simply unbolted/ unscrewed and dropped down then put back up when re-coated etc. Does make the ends a little thicker, but all looks OK in scale.

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## toooldforthis

> and if you set the angle to be the same as the latitude and space them correctly (Google, there are some tables that show you) you will get full shade in summer and most sun in winter and a variable range in the spring & autumn. Of course you can angle them to offer constant shade too . . . or part shade.

  yep. exactly.
interestingly they did the opposite in the OPs photo? 
tho depends on the aspect they had, and where they wanted the winter sun I guess.

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## METRIX

> Bloss, I had that thought, but dynabolts can be tricky to get the right depth and the filler might not match up. might end up making a mess (which I'm great at doing).. 
> Metrix, love your idea. I think the supports will be about 2 to 2 1/2 meters apart, so given the right size beam, it shouldn't be an issue. 
> thanks again for your help here guys.

  2 to 2 1/2 meters sounds a bit much to put fixings apart, we don't usually go over 900, another way I have done it is to used dressed timbers, and put the fixings in where needed, then put another thinner dressed timber over the lengths that join the wall in between the supporting beams, if you don't have rounded corners where the join is, you can join the timbers and wont see the join, (that's a lot of joins in one sentence) 
I personally don't like Dyna's for Pergola fixings, chemset is the best, or if you are after mechanical fixings WERCS Anka screws are better and they don't blow the bricks apart like Dyna's can, and a lot of DIY'S struggle with Dynas, and end up having so much tread sticking out, the fixing is useless. 
Dyna's specs are weak in comparison, as a 12mm Dyna only has a M10 bolt inside it, you need to make sure you install the Anka screws correctly though, like any fixing, it's only as strong as the installation allows it to be. 
Dyna 12mm Max Tensile load 7,7 kN, max shear 7.9kN (still very strong) 
WERCS Anka 12mm Max Tensile load 14.4kN Max Shear 16.7kN    
Or if you really want something strong, go for SpaTec Plus Safety Anchors, these are classified as Heavy Duty anchors and crap over Dyna's or Ankas, come in low profile hex head or recessed head. 
SpaTec Safety 12mm Max Tensile load 22.6kN Max Shear 27.6kN

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## r3nov8or

I'd have thought that an open pergola, even a roofed verandah open on three sides, won't really need to cater for shearing forces beyond that provided by correctly placed and spaced dynabolts

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## crashworx

Thanks very much all...  
To round up the conversation, would love your opinions on the type of wood to use for this.. 
There is a deck underneath which will be either merbau or ironbark, so would like to complement that well.

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## Bloss

> 2 to 2 1/2 meters sounds a bit much to put fixings apart, we don't usually go over 900, another way I have done it is to used dressed timbers, and put the fixings in where needed, then put another thinner dressed timber over the lengths that join the wall in between the supporting beams, if you don't have rounded corners where the join is, you can join the timbers and wont see the join, (that's a lot of joins in one sentence) 
> I personally don't like Dyna's for Pergola fixings, chemset is the best, or if you are after mechanical fixings WERCS Anka screws are better and they don't blow the bricks apart like Dyna's can, and a lot of DIY'S struggle with Dynas, and end up having so much tread sticking out, the fixing is useless. 
> Dyna's specs are weak in comparison, as a 12mm Dyna only has a M10 bolt inside it, you need to make sure you install the Anka screws correctly though, like any fixing, it's only as strong as the installation allows it to be. 
> Dyna 12mm Max Tensile load 7,7 kN, max shear 7.9kN (still very strong) 
> WERCS Anka 12mm Max Tensile load 14.4kN Max Shear 16.7kN    
> Or if you really want something strong, go for SpaTec Plus Safety Anchors, these are classified as Heavy Duty anchors and crap over Dyna's or Ankas, come in low profile hex head or recessed head. 
> SpaTec Safety 12mm Max Tensile load 22.6kN Max Shear 27.6kN

   :What he said:  I am a fan of Ankascrews, but have also seen them used with holes drilled too big and way too often without the correct depth into masonry. But have used all the above. And I close up spacings on these too not just at the minimum required by standards.

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## Bloss

> yep. exactly.
> interestingly they did the opposite in the OPs photo? 
> tho depends on the aspect they had, and where they wanted the winter sun I guess.

  Yep - in my quick answer I assumed that googling would tell the reader that orientation is a primary factor not just azimuth.

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