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The neighbor who said my pergola was too big was right about wind load
Last month my neighbor Dave watched me sink 6x6 posts for a 14 foot span and said I should brace it diagonally before the fall gusts hit. I shrugged it off because his own deck has that cheap lattice look, but after two 40 mph nights I saw the whole frame sway almost 3 inches. Has anyone else skipped the cross bracing to save time and regretted it later?
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wood.noah2d ago
Did you check the posts for any twist at the base, or is it just the top moving? I had the same thing happen with a 12 foot span and had to add metal brackets at the beam connections, plus a single diagonal brace on each corner. That cut the sway down to about half an inch, and it held through two winters without any trouble.
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