After a heavy, wet snowfall crushed our test gazebo last winter, we decided to come up with a more permanent outdoor sitting area with some protection from the late afternoon, i.e. Happy Hour sunshine. After considering (and costing out) a raised deck with screened in porch area, we settled on a pergola with some configuration of shadecloth and a paving stone floor that ended up not requiring a building permit to install.

I designed the 12′ x 16′ pergola around standard sizes of CedarTone pressure-treated lumber from Menards, supported by four 12″ diameter concrete piers sunk below the local frost level. For the patio surface, we chose Uniblock WestPort Beechwood concrete pavers that come in a mixture of three sizes. On sailcloth advice from Emily and Lucas, we contracted with Jackson Canvas Co. to fabricate strips of Sunbrella material that would eventually be woven between the joists of the pergola to provide overhead shade and a fun shadow pattern on the barn wall. Completing the sun protection, I installed a 10′ wide Coolaroo roller shade that we picked up off the shelf from Lowe’s.

With invaluable help from Jess, Al, Kyle and Linda that will always be more appreciated than I can ever express to these very special people, this summer-long project finally came together in the middle of October. Perfect timing, as the weather was cool but comfortable, especially for laying the pavers, which was, after all of the foundational preparations, a back-breaking and satisfying week’s worth of work.

The photos and captions below will illustrate the steps and progression of our Pergola Paver Patio project!