Rafter And Batten Size
A basic pergola has four corner uprights that support a grid of beams or rafters. The number of different designs, however, is limitless and is why they are so popular as they can be styled to your own preferences. The number and size of uprights, rafters and even the addition of battens, as well as how high, how much overhang and the end profile shape, all allow you to individualize your outdoor area.
All these aesthetic decisions also affect the amount of shade that the pergola will provide, even before you add any additional cover. Check out How Does a Pergola Work?
Rafters and Battens are the cross members that create the grid pattern on the top of the Pergola. Now some of these will have structural requirements to ensure your Pergola is strong and will not collapse but the size and shape of most of them can be adjusted. By increasing the number and/or their shape you can increase the amount of shade that it creates this may actually mean you make the Pergola stronger!
Matt Leacys Top 3 Tips For Designing A Pergola
Why Pergolas Are So Attractive
Aside from the previously mentioned ease of installation, many interior and exterior designers, landscape architects and backyard DIY enthusiasts find pergolas to be an attractive set piece that can enhance the beauty of any open space. Pergola covers give home and business owners a usable space that is more attuned with nature and outdoor beauty.
This is why it is common to see pergolas made from wood or metal thats made to look like wood. Unlike all-weather pergola shade canopies and awnings, pergolas are not normally designed to shield you from heavy rain or snow. Although modern louver types have the capability to hold out rain and snow, by and large, pergolas are meant to blend with nature.
This is what makes the idea so attractive – it captures the essence of a dreamy log cabin and mixes it with the usability of a patio or deck. You get the feeling that nature has conspired with the owner to create a cozy and tranquil place for your guests, family or customers.
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Attach The Drawstring To The Canopy End
Cut two pieces of nylon rope, each the length of your pergola, plus another 4 feet. Tie each to the end support bar, one at each end. Drape each drawstring over a horizontal support beam at the end of the pergola.
Pull the drawstrings down in order to move the pergola canopy horizontally and extend it. Loop the drawstrings around the cleats to hold in place.
Best Waterproof Pergola Rain Cover Ideas
If you always feel that your yard is hot, it means that you need something to protect from the sun. One of the most common ideas is to make a pergola. Pergola functions to protect from the sun, like canopy. Even more, you can also make a pergola that can protect from the rain. In this case, you need a pergola rain cover. Make sure that you use waterproof rain cover. There are many ideas to use. If you are confused, you can consider these:
Canvas for Pergola Rain Cover
The first option of pergola waterproof rain cover is canvas. It can be considered as the most expensive idea but the quality is undoubted. Canvas can be installed either under the eaves or on the top of the roof. Canvas is well known with its ability of waterproof so that it can be used for many purposes. Besides for pergola, you can also use canvas for a party tent or other purposes. The main function is to protect from the rain. Canvas is also easy to install so that it becomes the best choice. Some of contractor also offer retractable rain cover for pergola.
Covering A Pergola For Rain With Waterproof Canvas
retractable rain cover for pergola
Louvers for Pergola Rain Cover
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Corrugated Fiberglass for Pergola Rain Cover
Corrugated Fiberglass for Pergola Rain Cover Image
Tarpaulin for Pergola Rain Cover
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Canvas for Pergola Rain Cover
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Best Pergola Cover Ideas
Covering your pergola with a waterproof cover not only keep out rain but also protect your structure from water based damages including rust, mold and rotting. The cover also block the harmful UV rays from the sun. Here are great pergola roof cover ideas for shade, privacy and protection from rain, UV rays and snow.
Theyre Not Worth The Cost
There is actually great ROI involved with a pergola.
Alts guarantees that our pergolas will be made of the highest quality, and we always focus on getting the job right the first time, so that you can get the most out of your investment. The upfront costs of a pergola are returned with every minute of enjoyment you receive from it over the years.
If you dont think youll get enough years of enjoyment from your pergola, its also a great investment that will increase the value of your home.
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Decorative Wood Pergola Cover
This is a cover that provides shade, but lets the light filter in playful patterns. These shadows change throughout the day as the sun changes its position. Its not very costly to install, and if you are a bit into tinkering, you can easily acquire the needed materials and do it on your own.
You might want to add a protective layer to the wood or buy a synthetic kind that resists water and humidity. You wouldnt want to change it every other season.
Gorgeous And Unique Pergola Cover Ideas With Pictures
Sitting out on your porch or in your backyard soaking up the sun is pretty amazing and all, but what about when you want to relax away from the heat?
Once my husband and I realized we needed some shade in our outdoor area, it was my mission to find out how we could best achieve this goal.
I stumbled upon some beautiful pictures of pergolas and, the next thing I knew, Id gathered 35 pergola cover ideas!
Today, Im happy to be sharing them with you, so you can create your own shaded oasis!
Contents
Youd be amazed at what a touch of plant life can do, especially right above your head! This simple yet elegant combo of climbing plants and pergola shade gives off such a rustic feeling, youll forget all your worries in a heartbeat!
Throw in a table for two and you may never want to go back inside again! Or, better yet, make your home just as cozy with the interior design ideas I found at deavita.net.
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What Kind Of Waterproof Covers Can Be Used To Cover Pergolas
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Your pergola adds an interesting element to your outdoor space, but unlike a more formal porch, it doesn’t do much to keep you out of the rain. If you’re looking for options to cover your outdoor structure — either permanently or just from season to season — you can choose from any number of materials to do the job. Some options will, of course, cost much more than others.
Construction Plan For Your Pergola
You naturally choose the shape of your pergola yourself. This can be a so-called roof pergola, which is actually an open roof. But the best known is the single pergola that consists of vertical posts that are interconnected with crossbeams. The characteristic sleepers, the so-called horsemen or riders, are placed on those crossbars at regular distances .
The easiest way is to build such a pergola with square posts, although you can of course also use round wood. Here we continue from square wooden posts. The base is formed by posts of 3 meters in length. Assume that your pergola must be approximately 220 centimeters high. You prevent that with the first best plant that slightly curves down, everyone has to stoop. In that case you can place the pole 80 centimeters deep in the ground, making the structure sufficiently strong. Use a ground drill to make the hole. With a shovel that is a terrible job, because the hole has to be dug out much larger than is necessary for the pole. You can choose the thickness of the posts yourself, but if you are looking for some strength and the pergola, for example, becomes a kind of roof, you will soon want to use square posts of 9 cm.
On top of the uprights you place the crossbars . They are often made from the same type of wood as the vertical uprights. You attach them to the uprights and to each other with the help of angle irons. As a last step, the cross riders can then be fitted. Some thinner wood can be used for this.
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Installing The Clear Roof Panels
Now we were finally ready for the roof! All that prep took way more time that actually adding the roof, but I know proper prep is important .
We discovered that our house is not square on the property and made our pergola line up with the fence so it didnt look crooked. So our roofing had to be measured carefully to ensure the overhang was the proper distance all the way down.
So we measured the start and end of every 26 panel and cut each one individually. It ended up being that each panel was 1/4 longer at the back end than the front end. We put the slightly diagonal cut line against the crooked house and left the factory cut line at the overhang.
To cut the panels, we clamped a level to create our cut line and used a circular saw to run right down the edge of it. It was super quick to measure and cut each one. The sound of the saw hitting each corrugation is a little scary at first, but it cuts so clean that there is no need to worry.
After cutting we placed the beautiful clear roof panels on top of the pergola. They just sit onto the horizontal and vertical closure strips. Once in place, it is time to start securing it.
Each screw hole needs to be predrilled with a 1/4 drill bit first to allow for expansion and contraction due to change in temperatures. Without this there might be cracking and that is not desirable! So we used both sets of hands to make quick work of it.
One person predrilled the holes and the other one came in behind with the special screws.
- 195.2K
Stitch The Canopy Fabric
Since the canopy fabric rarely will come in widths that match your pergola’s width, decide whether you want to stitch together separate canopy strips or leave them separate.
For example, a 12-foot wide pergola would require two strips of fabric, each 6 feet wide. Use a sewing machine to sew the two runs of canopy fabric together. Sailcloth is too thick to sew comfortably by hand, but muslin and linen can be manually sewn. Many do-it-yourselfers prefer the look of separate canopy strips.
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Pergola Shade: Pratical Solutions For Every Outdoor Space
For those of you just starting to look at pergolas as an outdoor living accessory, you may be shocked to learn they dont really provide much shade and they certainly dont protect from rain. It leads one to wonder why they exist at all then. Perhaps a little history is in order to shed light on the origins of the pergola and its evolution to the pergola shades you see in backyards now.
Pergolas have been built for centuries to protect from the sun and provide shade. They are simple frames covered with a variety of materials that tend to vary according to geography or time and place in history. Our pergolas here in North America are really an idea that is incomplete when only rafters are overhead. A fully featured pergola includes a sun screen of some sort.
Most people build a pergola to relax outdoors in a space that is inviting, comfortable and with a modicum of privacy. These characteristics encourage spending more time outdoors and thats what outdoor living is all about.
Rain protection is another feature that is a highly desirable feature for a pergola. I reviewed a variety of pergola covers in an earlier blog on pergola roofs. However, sun protection is the primary purpose of every pergola regardless of geographic location. The interesting thing is the variety of materials that can be used to screen the sun. Lets look at the different ways to create pergola shade.
Reeds and Leaves
Live Foliage
Branches or Bamboo
Lattice Panels
Fixed Fabric
Shade Cloth
Diy: Retractable Pergola Canopy Tutorial
Pergolas can offer some great privacy, but theyre not always the best for shade. In my backyard, the sun shines all day long and man, is it HOT out there!
While you can buy pergola shades for a few hundred bucks, you can also make your own pretty inexpensively.
Ill show you how I made this one using a few materials from the hardware store and some outdoor fabric.
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Different Types Of Pergolas
John Mifsud of Hipages-listed company AA1 Drafting knows his way around a pergola. Here are some of the different types of pergola designs that are available, according to John.
They Dont Hold Up To Weather
Not only can a louvered roof system stand the weather, but its actually built to do just that. Our pergolas are fitted with a wind sensor that opens and closes the slats depending on the windspeed, protecting the patio from the elements.
Arcadia Pergola is also made to be watertight when it rains. As mentioned before, the built-in gutter system allows the rain to be run off safely.
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Install The Wire Rope On The Eye Screws
Fit a thimble through one of the eye screws. Slide the end of one of each wire rope through the eye screw and over the thimble. At the other end of the wire rope, fit a clamp over the rope and slide it up to the thimble area.
With a wrench, tighten down the wire rope so that it forms a tight loop over the thimble. Repeat for the other two wire ropes and eye screws.
What Makes A Good Pergola
A good pergola design idea should be fully functional to suit your needs and lifestyle, it should be affordable, low maintenance and offer good privacy and excellent sunshade, says John Mifsud of Hipages-listed company AA1 Drafting. A specialist pergola builder will be able to advise on the best style, size and materials based on your requirements and budget.
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Have It Installed Or Built Yourself
Of course you can have your new pergola installed. That is easy because you do not have to worry about it. But a do-it-yourself pergola can also easily be realized. Regarding the construction, it is of course a little less complex than you name it a garden house. And of course you can buy packages in which you will find all wooden parts pre-sawn. Including the necessary hardware such as angle irons, screws or bolts. But cutting and machining the wooden parts of your pergola yourself will also not be a huge challenge for many do-it-yourselfers.
- Very economical: depending on the porosity an average1 liter is sufficient for 88 ft².
- Available in 1 / 2,5 / 5 / 10 / 25 Liter.
Installing The Closure Strips
After the purlins were attached, we needed to attach the SunTuf horizontal closure strips. We attached them to the bottom of the purlin on the far edge of the pergola and the center of other purlins with 1 1/4 construction screws.
They are super easy to install because they just snap together at the ends. We just climbed on top of the pergola and made quick work of it.
Under the eave of the house it was a very tight fit. We barely had enough space to add the pergola roof. We had to be a little creative to attach the purlins and horizontal closure strips.
First we attached the horizontal closure strips to the 2×3 boards. When the board ended and we needed to attach another closure strip, we marked where the new strip would start on the next board.
In order to attach the purlin on top of the header, we had to screw up from the header of the pergola into the purlin. We did this by pre-drilling a pilot hole at an angle then securing the purlin with a screw. I added a screw on each side of every cross beam.
Next we attached the vertical closure strips. These go in between the ends of the horizontal closure strips just on the outer edges of the roof.
We needed to add 2×2 boards in between the 2×3 purlins to bring the sides of the pergola up to the same height. These were painted before installing again.
Then it was easy to cut the boards to length and secure with 2 1/2 construction screws. The vertical closure strips were cut to fit and then attached with the 1 1/4 screws.
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