A homeowner in Cathcart bought a Mirador adjustable louvered aluminum pergola, the 10' x 13' model sold at Costco, and wanted it in the corner next to their existing patio. The pergola was ready to go. The corner wasn't. It had no patio, and nothing solid to fasten a pergola to.

So we built both: four concrete footings for the pergola to fasten to, and a Pennsylvania bluestone flagstone patio that fills in the corner and ties into the patio they already had.

Four footings, set for the pergola

The footings drove this whole project. We poured four 12-inch-diameter concrete footings, one at each of the pergola's post locations. When the patio was done, the pergola's posts were secured to the footings with screws into the concrete.

A pergola needs that kind of anchor. Its roof can catch a lot of wind, and patio stone laid on gravel isn't something to anchor a structure to. Concrete footings give it a solid connection to the ground.

Building the flagstone patio

The video shows the patio going in, start to finish:

Base: a compacted gravel base, raked out level and run over with a plate compactor.
Stone: Pennsylvania bluestone flagstone, a natural stone, set piece by piece and cut to fit.
Joints: polymeric sand swept into the gaps between the stones, then watered so it hardens in place.

The new bluestone fills the corner beside the homeowner's existing exposed-aggregate patio, so the two read as one outdoor space with the pergola as its centerpiece.

Bought a Mirador pergola at Costco?

Costco delivers the Mirador to your driveway or curb. Assembly isn't included, and neither is anything for it to stand on.

If yours is in the garage waiting for a home, we can build the footings and the patio it sits on. Universal Landscape Corporation builds patios across Snohomish County and nearby towns. Contact us for a free estimate.