# Forum Home Renovation Pergolas, Gazebos, Strombellas & Rotundas  Pergola support problem

## iborg

Hi Folks 
I am in the process of building a pergola and have come across a small problem. 
The pergola I am building will be 6 x 3m. 3 posts along the 6m length and 9 rafters. 
I have added some photos to help explain. 
In the "outside" photo you can see a bird feeder, this is where I have the problem. The pergola will be along the fence down towards the door that can also be seen. 
I do not want to put a post in this corner and the nearest rafter in the roof is 1.1m away. 
I am fitting noggins in between the rafters right against the colourbond fascia and will fit a board on the outside of the fascia to hold the pergola rafters. 
The problem is that I do not see how secure the fascia board near the corner. 
If anyone has an idea I would appreciate reading about it. 
Philip

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## peterw

G'day iborg
Hope you are having some luck in the last couple of days. I'm no expert in pergolas, but I do know that you can get metal brackets that screw/bolt to the rafter, goes through a hole in the fascia and have a plate that the pergola bolts to on the outside. This may be easier than working in tight spaces to fit noggins behind the fascias. 
Agree - you don't want a post right on the corner. Depending on the weight of the pergola you could probably get away with the last fixing of the pergola through the fascia at the last rafter - the front corner of the pergola then 'floats' and is fixed to the post by the fence. Provided there is one long piece fitted along the fascia which is supported along its length, leaving an end hanging shouldn't pose a great problem. 
Check with a place that sells timber/designs pergolas and they might have some other tips. (and don't forget the good old council approval that would probably be required!)

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## denwol

Why dont you just take the bottom row of tiles off so you can nail the nogigns onto the rafters from the top rather than inside the ceiling.
You can also get brackets that fit to the rafters on the opposit side to the facia bracket. You can then fix your beam to the bracket on the outside of the fascia.

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## iborg

Thanks to both of you for the ideas. 
Denwol - I am fitting the noggins as you suggest.  I sometimes think the brackets might have been a better way to go, but, I didn't like the idea of having to put (fairly) large holes in just the right place in the fascia and then sealing it. 
Peterw - Your idea is exactly what I had intended. After I bought the timber I then noticed the damn downpipe just where I really didn't need it. Between the corner and the window in the picture. I really don't feel like messing with that.  
Bunnings have a bracket intended to attach to a rafter and up throrugh the roof (http://www.roofextenda.com.au/). I think I will make something similar from a couple of heavy duty brackets and threaded rod and bolt it to the rafter and an L-shaped wooden frame inside the roof space. I will also attach the ends of the L to the nearest rafters. 
To do this I will take of some of the capping for easy access.  
If anyone can think of a better idea, I sure would apprciate it.

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## Yonnee

Two ways I would look at this. 
First, attach a beam along the bricks and run your rafters out from under your eaves. Then you can run your roofing tucked up under the guttering, butting up to the fascia. 
Or... 
Place 'noggins' inside the fascia between the house rafters as you intended, the outside fascia beam will cantilever past the last accessible point but shouldn't be a problem. 
I had a point on my pergola that didn't allow access to place any noggins, so I slid a piece as big as would fit up into place. Using a broom handle to put pressure against it, I drilled some screws through the fascia into this piece, which then held it secure. Then I attached the outside beam to this with a coach screw rather than a coach bolt as I had no access to do up a nut. 
The only drama with attaching your rafters at fascia height and running your roofing over your guttering is cutting your roofing around the guttering at the door end due to the slope of your fall of the roof, and then trying to put flashing on it. 
Yonnee.

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## dazzler

> First, attach a beam along the bricks and run your rafters out from under your eaves. Then you can run your roofing tucked up under the guttering, butting up to the fascia.

  I like this one best, provided you have the head room and the added advantage is you are not fiddling around an already watertight area  :2thumbsup:

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## iborg

Hi Yonnee 
Thanks for the ideas. 
A beam along the bricks is a good idea, but, headroom would become an issue. 
If I realised that I would have this problem, I would have fitted 4 (5?) of the roof extendas and put the pergola above the current roofline. 
The end would still float, but, only a short distance and a stout beam would deal with it.  
As for flashing, that is not a problem, as I intend to only put shade cloth on. 
Philip

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## dub3media

Hi iborg what did you end up doing? I have the same problem here in Nz, how much are those roof extenda brackets? Did you end using them?

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## iborg

hi Dub 
I did not use the extenda brackets. 
I am far from finished, but, will build an 'L' shaped box to fit into the corner of the roofspace. I will bolt this to anything I can find adjacent and also to the corner roof beam above, after strengthening it. 
I will attach it to the roof beam with threaded rod and steel brackets. To do this I will have to off the roof capping near the corner. 
I will try to remember to take photos and post them. 
Philip

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## blak

> Bunnings have a bracket intended to attach to a rafter and up throrugh the roof (http://www.roofextenda.com.au/).

  Anybody got experience using these for pergolas? 
The technical specs on their website seem limited.
How many brackets would be required for a 4x4m pergola?
Does the bracket have to be secured to the top plate and rafter of the house?

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## Bloss

Huh?  :Confused:  Tech Specs seem OK to me: http://www.roofextenda.com.au/roof-e...fications.html  :2thumbsup:

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## blak

> TOTAL SQUARE METERS OF ROOF AREA ABLE TO BE SUPPORTED

  The maximum roof area shown, in ideal conditions is 9m2. Is this for 2 brackets? How do you read the specs for 3 or 4 brackets.

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## barned01

i hung a metal pergola off my roof in a similar fashion to yours.
metal is your friend here as a 6, 8, or 10 mm plate is less likely to be affected by weight than anything else.
i was able to tie this corner into the three previos rafters to the corner to help share the load. each rafter had a 90x45 by as long as possible beam secured up each rafter and then each of those reinforced rafters had a custom made 8mm x 50mm x again as long as practicable piece of metal plate secured along the reinforced rafter. A noggin was then used behind the facia (i had room to put a 90x45 beam between the rafter and facia but you could just as easily use the metal plate or even angle iron) and secured to each reinforced rafter. there are easy ways to resecure the facia back to the
the corner beam was no different to the others, just it was on an angle.
so far so good 2 years later, the roof in that corner feels more secure than any other corner also.

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