Pergola Build with Festoon Lighting

This Terrigal courtyard already had good paving, but it was hot, glary and completely unused after dark. Rather than rip up perfectly sound paving, the owners asked whether a pergola could turn it into a proper entertaining area. It could — and for a fraction of the cost of a new deck.

We designed a timber pergola sized to the existing patio, with post positions set clear of the pavers so no water was trapped against the timber. Posts are fixed on galvanised stirrups and the beams are bolted rather than nailed, which matters in Terrigal where onshore winds test any freestanding structure. Rafter spacing was worked out to give useful midday shade without making the space feel closed in.

Festoon lighting was run along the rafters with a concealed cable route back to a switched outlet, so there are no droopy extension leads across the yard. The finished pergola gets used almost every weekend, and it is one of the highest-value outdoor upgrades available to a Central Coast home.