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WARNING: If the information in these instructions is not followed exactly, weakening or failure of the erected structure may result causing property damage, personal injury, or loss of life. All brackets designed and sold by RioOutdoors.com are to be used for building pergolas only and are not to be used for other structure construction purposes.
......3 1.10 O ..12 AFETY AND WARNING INFORMATION CTAGON PERGOLA ASSEMBLY WORK OUTLINE 1.2 T ........... 4 OOLS REQUIRED 1.3 C # 4F-O ........5 ONTENTS OF 1.4 O ....5 1.11 A #4OL PTIONAL ECK SUPPORT RACKETS...
GENERAL INFORMATION 1.1 SAFETY AND WARNING INFORMATION 1.1.1 Building Permit & Inspection Requirements We recommend that you consult with your local building permit office and obtain advice and any required building permits and inspection approvals from the local building inspection department or the local authority over building codes. 1.1.2 Other Cautions CAUTION: Adhere to all safety requirements.
1.2 TOOLS REQUIRED Listed below, are common tools required for pergola projects. These tools are not included in this kit. Your pergola project may not require all tools. Select and acquire the tools for your project from the “Required for” column in this table. Description Tool Purpose Required for...
If you wish to build a wooden deck as the floor for your floating pergola, you may wish to use our deck beam support brackets, SKU #24BS. This bracket can support 2x4 or 2x6 beams. You can order the required number of brackets at RioOutdoors.com.
1.5 LIST OF MATERIALS THAT YOU WILL SUPPLY This is the list of required materials which are not included in this kit. You will acquire these items locally for your project. Use this table to help you calculate your total project budget. Total Item Item...
1.6 GENERAL LUMBER REQUIREMENTS INFORMATION We have designed the corner elbow brackets to provide automatic alignment of the header 4x4s. By making certain all header 4x4s are of the same length and not warped, following the instructions properly, and securing the 4x4s to the elbow brackets as instructed, you will achieve a perfect octagonal shape for your pergola.
To create a deck, you must add support beams every 24”, or less, to support the deck boards. You may toenail the support beams in place or choose an easier and more precise mounting method using our Beam Support Brackets (SKU# 24BS, available at RioOutdoors.com). P a g e...
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1.7.2 Floor Leveling and Preparation. Plan to assemble a floating pergola where you can excavate and create a level platform, at least, the overall outer dimensions of the pergola. If soil type is sandy, soft, or wet, you must consider adding concrete blocks or pier blocks under the posts of the pergola to prevent the pergola from sinking into soil.
1.8 SELECTING YOUR PERGOLA SIZE Below, you will find detailed dimensional information about octagon shaped pergolas. The Header Length is the primary driving factor which determines the octagon dimensions. Note that DIM A and DIM B are equal and are mesured between two parallel sides of the octagon.
1.9 SIDE ELEVATION DIAGRAM Based on the height of the post used, the diagram below provides the side elevation profile for this pergola system. POST HEIGHT DIM A (in.) (in.) 92 1/2 104 1/2 116 1/2 128 1/2 140 1/2 The Post Height, above, equals the outer height of the pergola.
1.10 OCTAGON PERGOLA ASSEMBLY WORK OUTLINE 1.10.1 Brackets Application Depiction 12 | P a g e...
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1.10.2 Posts Preparation Measure and prepare eight posts of equal lengths. Use a power miter saw to trim the posts to equal lengths. 1.10.3 Headers Preparation Prepare sixteen (16) 4x4 lumber members (8 for headers and 8 for floating floor footers) of equal length by following the steps, below.
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1.10.4 Octagon floor frame construction 1. Lay out the eight floor 4x4 footer members in a rough octagon shape. 2. Start in one corner and add a 2-Way Octagon Elbow on top of the two 4x4s. 3. Secure the two adjacent 4x4s to the elbow. See Section 1.11. 4.
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8. Slide a #4OL octagon elbow on top of each post. 9. Secure the #4OL octagon elbows to the post tops. See section 1.12. 10. Repeat steps 8 and 9 for all post tops. 11. Lift and place a header member in the open U-channels between two posts. Repeat adding all headers. 12.
1.11 ASSEMBLING FLOOR CORNER #4OL OCTAGON ELBOW BRACKETS Before starting assembly work, measure the length of each perimeter 4x4 to verify that they are of equal length and make certain each member is straight (has no bow nor is warped). On the ground, mark the location of one corner post. Start assembly at this post location and continue assembling floor members and corner elbow brackets around the perimeter.
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5. Wrap a piece of electrical tape around the drill bit, spaced 1-1/4” from the drill bit tip. This will act as a hole depth indicator when you drill each pilot hole. Pilot holes should be drilled at least 1-1/4” deep. A little bit deeper is acceptable but do not drill less than the required 1-1/4”...
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7. Use a ratchet driver and a 7/16” socket to drive one ¼” X 1-1/4” lag screw through the pilot holes you drilled. Total of four lag screws are required. One in each lower hole on the sides of the U-channels. 8.
1.12 POSTS INSTALLATION 1. Slide a 4x4 post inside the open vertical tube in all corners’ #4OL octagon elbow brackets. If post resists sliding easily, tap top of post lightly with a hammer. Post must slide all the way down to the bottom of the square tube. 2.
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3. Drive one 1/4x1-1/4” SS lag screw through each pilot hole you drilled and tighten down using a ratchet and 7/16” socket. 4. Repeat steps 2 to 3 at all corners. Check top of floor 4x4s for level one more time and adjust as necessary to maintain level. 20 | P a g e...
1.13 POST TOP #4OL ELBOW BRACKETS INSTALLATION 1. Slide a #4OL octagon elbow bracket’s tube over the 4x4 post top after aligning the header receiver u-channels in the proper directions. Let gravity work and pull the bracket all the way down on top of the post. If you feel resistance tap lightly on top of the elbow bracket until it slides all the way down.
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3. Identify the four 5/16” holes which are on the sides of the gussets in the elbow bracket. 4. Drill 3/32” X 1-1/4” deep pilot holes at the center of four 5/16” Holes. Locate pilot holes at the center of each 5/16” hole.
1.14 HEADERS INSTALLATION 1. Lift and place one 4x4 header into the U-channels of adjacent post top brackets. 2. The resting positions of headers in the U-channels are shown, below. 23 | P a g e...
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3. Locate the two 5/16” holes on each vertical face of the U-channels holding the 4x4 header. Drill 3/32” X 1-1/4” deep pilot holes at the center of four 5/16” Holes. Locate pilot holes at the center of each 5/16” hole. Repeat for the opposite end of the header.
1.15 INSTALLING DECK BOARD SUPPORT BEAMS 1. Decide on which direction you would like the deck boards to run. Deck support beams run in a perpendicular direction to the deck boards. Support beams should be spaced, approximately, every 24” or less to support the deck boards. The deck support structure required depends on the overall size of the pergola.
7. Secure the support beams to brackets using #6 x 1” SS wood screws. Two screws on each side of the Beam Support Bracket are required. 1.16 INSTALLING DECK BOARDS 1. Plan and lay down your deck boards starting in the center of the pergola. Work outward from the center in both directions. Use the thick end of a wood shim as a spacer to leave an 1/8”-1/4”...
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2. When you approach the vertical post corners, create notches in the deck boards ends to fit around the corner post bracket and the gussets. The gussets are 1/8” thick. Make a cut the width of a carbide tipped circular saw blade to create a clearance slot for the corner gussets.
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Let us know how the construction project went for you. Was it easy to do? Did parts fit easily and properly? Do you like the quality of our products and design styles? Is your pergola structure sturdy and strong? Please go to RioOutdoors.com and provide us with your review.
Warranty protects against defect in manufacture only, unless herein specified otherwise. Any part(s) found to be defective during the warranty period as outlined above will be repaired or replaced at RioOutdoors.com’s option provided that the defective part is returned, if requested by RioOutdoors.com. Alternatively, RioOutdoors.com may at its own discretion fully discharge all its obligations under the warranty by refunding the verified purchase price of the product to the original purchaser.
Parts where the RioOutdoors.com logo has been altered, deleted, removed, or made illegible will void this warranty. Minor movement, expansion and contraction of the steel parts is normal and is not covered under the terms of this warranty.
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