No one can deny the charm that adding a pergola to your property will provide. Pergolas can serve a plethora of uses and have recently become even more popular because of their versatility. Pergolas come in all shapes and sizes and can play a number of roles within the landscape or as an outdoor living shade structure. In a recent article by Better Homes and Gardens the pergola is featured in over half of the top10 ways listed to create a backyard getaway. From ensuring privacy within your outdoor space to dressing up your deck, pergolas score high on the outdoor living report card. Among the highest on the list is the way pergolas can serve as a beneficial shade structure.
A pergola used as a patio cover, or cover for a porch has in itself much potential to offer shade depending on the distance between the cross beams that cover the upper portion of the pergola. The construction of the pergola can be made more conducive to providing shade through the spacing between the cross beams located atop the pergola and by using wider rafters in the pergola design. The closer the beams are set, or the wider the rafters, the more sun protection your pergola will offer. All of these factors are influenced by the intended placement of your pergola in correlation to the direction and amount of sunlight your location receives. Archadeck of The Piedmont Triad offers many ways a pergola owner can increase the sun protection while keeping the original design of your pergola intact. These include using curtains made from weather resistant plastic, awnings, shade fabric built into the roof of the pergola, and even drop down weighted blinds. Blinds are a viable option when your pergola receives little morning sun but heats up quickly during the heat of the afternoon. We have many options available which can be customized to deliver the most shade and comfort to your pergola addition
Pergolas also provide a huge benefit for homeowners in search of a shade structure that will still allow sunlight to penetrate their interior living spaces. Loss of light is a concern for homeowners when considering adding a covered porch or outdoor room addition. Roofed structures don’t allow as much sunshine into your interior living spaces as does a pergola which can enhance the mood and flow within your home. The pergola’s ability to allow sun to flow freely into your home will also influence your heating and cooling costs throughout the season and especially in the winter.
Never forget the aesthetic impact a pergola addition can add to your home. A pergola simply looks good added to a house, and the design choices are endless. You can use columns in your pergola design to match existing columns on your existing home, and even incorporate your brick into the columns for your pergola. Pergolas also allow design freedom because you can mix mediums in your design and create an eclectic space when creating your unique addition. This added beauty will become an asset to your home. In some cases an attached pergola will add square footage to your home’s municipal tax base adding monetary value to your home.
Today’s Piedmont Triad pergola can also be designed to include all the creature comforts you crave in your outdoor space. Your pergola can be built to include ceiling fans, outdoor lighting and even sound systems among the many outdoor comfort features we can include in your design. The possibilities of modern pergola design are only as endless as your imagination.
To learn more about our unique and beneficial pergola designs, contact Archadeck of The Piedmont Triad today. Call us today for a free consultation (336) 664 – 1332
piedmonttriad@archadeck.net