Neil Parnham our expert of the day, writes:

For anyone looking to add space, style and elegance to their garden, these versatile wooden structures are practical projects that can be built in a single weekend.

Fall is an ideal time to consider outdoor architectural upgrades. While it may be your last major project of the season, your appreciation for the effort will grow when spring 2004 arrives. The structure is already in place, ready to enjoy as plants grow and flowers bloom around it.

A popular building material for a wooden pergola is Western red cedar. Its stable, resilient, and durable without the dangers of chemical treatment.

Safety is important for people making building material choices, says Peter Lang, general manager for the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. Cedar looks beautiful and is among the most durable woods. For hundreds of years, cedar has been highly prized for its natural compounds that resist rot and mildew.

While western red cedars natural qualities have always been recognized, these are taking on new, heightened value among builders — from professionals to do-it-yourselfers. Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a recommendation to avoid chemically treated wood, specifically wood treated with a form of arsenic. Recent studies have linked the arsenic in treated wood to cancer.

Daniel Lazaj our expert of the day, writes:

If you have been thinking of building a pergola, you have probably been looking around and seen kits available online. Some of these kits can be expensive, and you will still need to put them together. If you have set a budget, and a pergola kit exceeds it, build your own, it can save you money, and more than likely meet your budget.
If you are handy with tools, and you enjoy building your own projects, this will not be very difficult to build. The first step will be to get some plans. There are many sites online offering free pergola plans, you can also buy plans online for a good price. Having plans is very important step you must take to build a great looking pergola.
Building your own pergola is not difficult, and can usually be done during one or two weekend. Once you get your pergola plans that will work for the location you have chosen, you will want to go to your building department. Weather you will be building your own pergola from plans, or using a pergola kit, you will need to check with your building department for any permits you will need for this project.
If you don’t feel capable of taking on this project, consider hiring a handyman. Once you have the pergola plans you want,  and the material, you can show them to different handyman to get some estimates for this project. All pergola plans will come with a material list, this will give you an idea how much this project will cost. Adding the price of the material and the handyman’s price to build, you will be able to compare to pergola kits, this will give you a good idea of the savings. This is another option you might want to think about to get the pergola you want, and save some money.
To finish off the project add climbing roses or vines to your pergola. Once your pergola is completed it will make a great focal point to your patio, garden, or backyard. It will also be a great place to relax and entertain. Having a pergola will not only increase the value of your home, you will have your special retreat for many, many years.