GROUND FIXINGS
For ultimate stability and peace of mind, your pergola
must be fitted onto a solid surface. Beneath the
finished surface must be something for the pergola
to be secured to safely such as a concrete pad.
Secure groundwork must be completed before our
installers arrive (they are not permitted to do this),
a local handyman would be able to assist you.
We would always advise Blue Circle High Strength
Postcrete spec 40N for this, ensuring the concrete
pad fall should be the same as the fall of the
designated surface.
Floorplans are available for each of our pergolas so
that you can see clearly where the floorplates of the
pergola will sit, you’ll also find the relevant pergola
floorplan on sunslifestyle.com product pages under
‘assembly instructions’.
We would recommend choosing your pergola size
before doing any groundworks however if you have
already laid the patio/deck then we advise you check
the surface foundations are secure enough. Type1,
sand, cement or concrete are not adequate unless it
contains ballast (which Blue Circle Postcrete does).
If you do not know who laid your patio, you’ll need
to double check the foundations first.
If installing your pergola onto composite decking
without something solid below, you will need to have
structural beams underneath matching where the
footplates will sit (providing they are wide enough
for the footplate to be bolted into fully).
We recommend postcrete pads of 400mm3
beneath any tiles or decking (or structural joists below the
decking) for optimum stability. You should then finish
your surface completely with the tiles fully grouted or
decking on top, so that when our installers arrive they
can drill through the tile/deck and into something
extra secure below.
We use 70 - 120mm carbon steel bolts in most
instances and diamond drill bits on porcelain tiles. In
some instances we may need to pack up to achieve
the correct levels, the packing we use (if needed)
ranges from 5 - 50mm.
If you have an aco drain where the foot will be
sitting, please get in touch.