The right post and its support size are necessary for the pergola. It’s common to get confused while choosing the right post and its support size like 4×4 Or 6×6 For Pergola.
4×4 is a smaller post size which makes the pergola look smaller, and it doesn’t support enough load and may get damaged with a heavy load. Usually, people use 6×6 for pergola as 6×6 handles enough load and looks better than smaller post sizes.
There is no fixed instruction to choose a specific post size, but choosing the perfect post size is considerable while building out your first pergola outdoors.
Let’s dive into the guide!
Table of Contents
Should I Use 4×4 Or 6×6 For Pergola?
If you want stronger posts that can tackle a heavy load than 6×6 posts or more than is right for you, just go for it, while 4×4 for a pergola is not better than 6×6. As 4 is much weaker in handling enough eight, it can also
At the set, if you already have a 4×4 for the pergola and it is working fine, your pergola does not require a post replacement.
4×4 posts can carry as much as 420 pounds per post, on the other hand, a 6×6 post can carry as much as 20,834 pounds.
4×4 post size can be prone to twisting if used on bigger pergolas, whereas a 6×6 post size resists twisting and can tackle bigger pergolas load easily.
Several DIY project experts described that 6×6 is usually very popular than other bigger and smaller post sizes.
First identify your need related to the pergola, by doing this you will automatically get the answer of your required post size.
There are more post sizes available in the market to make the pergola bigger and capable of handling the load.
Would 4x4s Be Sufficient For The Posts Or Should I Go With 6x6s Instead?
As we discussed earlier, a post is responsible for handling the load of a pergola. if the load is much heavier, 4×4 is not sufficient for the posts, you have to choose bigger than it to prevent future issues regarding damages to posts.
6×6 is sufficient for the posts as they are popular and have enough capacity to handle the standard size of the pergola. Moreover, 6×6 post support decreases the risk of twisted pergola structure.
If your pergola is small and has a post size between 6 by 4 then 4×4 is suitable, but if you are planning for a large pergola then you are required to add 6×6 post support.
Bigger pergolas have enough weight and sometimes they require more than 6×6 if the post size is enough.
First, you should have to know how big your pergola will be. If you’re taking help from any contractor then ask them to choose the right size for the post based on the size of the pergola.
If you’re building it yourself, choose a 6×6 size post if it is going to be larger than a pergola with only 4-6 feet between the posts.
Which Size Is Best For My Pergola 4×4 Or 6×6?
Everyone builds their pergola based on their choice. There is no fixed size number to build a pergola which means everyone has different sizes, types, and styling pergolas.
You can choose the best size between 4×4 and 6×6 for your pergola based on the size of the pergola. If the pergola posts carried more than 420 pounds weight then your pergola requires a 6×6 size. If the pergola is small and has a weight below 400 pounds, go for 4×4.
Choosing the right size support for posts makes the pergola stronger and more long-lasting.
Few people complain that their pergola posts start damaging and look like they may fall on land because of climate changes, which means if support to posts is weaker, weather changes may damage it.
As we know, harsh weather is not suitable for unstable post support sizes materials. After selecting the perfect size your pergola needs, choose which wood would be great.
Nowadays, Redwood and Red cader are the two most popular materials to build up a long-lasting pergola.
How Many Loads Can A 4×4 Or 6×6 Post Support?
It’s proven that we choose the right post support only when we know about its qualities. Qualities like how much weight it can bear, what wood it should be, and what size it should be.
A 4×4 post support is capable of handling a load up to 450 pounds, it also depends on what size of the post support is in feet. Generally, A 6×6 post support can handle 2000 pounds weight.
We have to analyze things like wood species, length, height or span, grade, orientation, moisture content, grain orientation, condition, and the type and location of the load before guessing how much weight a 4×4 Or 6×6 post can support.
Moreover, we cannot guess load support just based on 4×4 or 6×6 post sizes, the type of wood is also a considerable factor to know the actual strength of post size.
If you have heard that someone’s post has been damaged over time- it’s not only the size fault, the way we had built a pergola may be wrong.
Final Thought
The size of a pergola post depends on three main factors; pergola size, load the post going to support, and post type. A very small pergola works fine with 4 post size, but if you’re planning to build a bigger pergola, you require a 6 or even more than that based on the load and project size.
