Building a pergola for shade

When we have family around in the summer we struggle to find shade and we obviously don’t want to get burnt. Our garden faces towards the South West so we decided to install a pergola.
I’m not brilliant at carpentry but I’m perfectly capable of using a kit, and mixing up some concrete! So Jane looked around and found a good deal on Amazon, where we found a 3.6 x 2.0 metre pergola at a decent price. Buying just the timber would have been a bit cheaper at about £2 per metre in Wickes, but then there would be the design and cutting.
I also needed an electric screwdriver to easily complete the job and I got a Bosch from Amazon to help me out with that.
I didn’t follow the instructions to the letter for the pergola, as I decided to carefully measure out the ground, then put in the 2.4 metre support posts set in concrete in the ground. I then built the two long lengths (sides) onto the support posts, before putting the top rafters in position, all using 100mm screws. The 45 degree supports are fixed into place with 70mm screws.

This photo shows the finished article, which we painted with green Cuprinol prior to assembly. When installing a pergola for shade, remember that the shaded area does not fall directly below as the sun is never higher than about 60 degrees in the sky in England. So the shade will always be to the North and East sides of the structure during the afternoons when that shade is to be sought.