Issues → March/April 2008 → Home & Garden → Do-It-Yourself Home Projects →

Rooftop Pergola

by Ian Aldrich

When Dan Thibeault moved into his second-floor condominium in a rehabbed 1830s-era mill building in Peterborough, New Hampshire, he didn't let a little thing like lack of ground space get in the way of creating a garden area. Thibeault, a chef and painter, set his sights on transforming a "boring" long-and-narrow rooftop section just off his living room into a summer retreat, replete with potted plants and trees, wrought-iron fencing, and a small seating area overlooking a nearby river.

But it wasn't until he'd built a small pergola that Thibeault felt as though he'd finally conquered the space. "It divides things up," he says. "You have a choice: You can either sit with the flowers and vegetables or sit under the shade in the pergola."

PROCESS:

To stay on track with the condo developer's "green" building guidelines, Thibeault hired Jeff Labrie, owner of Greenwave LLC in New Ipswich, New Hampshire, an outfit that specializes in eco-friendly construction.

For the rails and spindles, they bypassed pressure-treated lumber -- a popular but chemically treated material for deck framing -- in favor of mahogany, which has a natural resistance to rot and the dampness of New England winters. As a cost-saving measure, the rafters, a series of 2x10-inch boards, were made out of spruce, and then protected, like the rest of the structure, with a coat of white paint.

To fend off moisture between the building-side ledger board and the brick exterior, Labrie mounted the 10-foot-long beam on several 3-inch-thick mahogany blocks, attached to the brick via 4-inch lag bolts. There were also a few design flourishes.

Thibeault, a self-described "column freak," anchored the pergola's look with a pair of antique pillars that he'd picked up at an architectural salvage shop. Another touch: The slanted eave endings match those on the parent building. Overall, the project took two days to complete.

COST:

Just under $2,400 for labor and materials, including the pillars (four for $60)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST?

"When you see it from the road, it's kind of intriguing," Thibeault says. "People will come up to me and say, 'Oh wow, I notice you have a pergola up there.' "

RESOURCES:

Greenwave LLC, New Ipswich, NH. 603-878-1186
Vermont Salvage, White River Junction, VT. 802-295-7616; vermontsalvage.com

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