"Charlie Pridham" wrote ...
One of the Casualties of the strong winds has been our 30' pergola, this
is the second time the 4" tanalised uprights have snapped in strong wind
and I have concluded its just not strong enough!
I have reluctantly decided to build the pillars up in brick but before
I order bricks wondered if any Urglers have used any other method to
create the uprights?
I didn't know for instance whether there are any square section products
like the things you build chimneys out of but in something a bit more
decorative than rough concrete, looking to end up with something around a
foot square

When we moved here there were square wooden pillars holding up a porch that
runs across the front of the house. They rotted from the inside within a
couple of years and after replacing them a couple of times, and constantly
having to mend them despite using good wood preservative, we eventually
bought stone like pillars from Haddonstone. Quite expensive but because they
last forever without any maintenance they are actually cheaper in the long
haul, at the time they were cheaper than some hollow glass fibre ones I
found.
Alternatively how about using some of those thermal blocks they use these
days to make houses, cement one on top of another, use a circle cutter down
the centre to enable you to cement in reinforcing rods , I sure your local
builders merchant would advise.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK