What Is The Point Of A Pergola? (Benefits, Varieties)

Last Updated on November 25, 2021 by Kimberly Crawford

Pergolas have a great story behind them. They come along With an Italian feel in their detailed structures, which would take you back to the historical era.

These open-air and charming structures have around four columns and posts that are surrounded by lattices and cross-beams. These structures are renowned and are made of vinyl, wood, or aluminium.

Mostly, you’ll see pergolas installed on concrete patios or pavers. This will allow you to place any outdoor furniture underneath it if you want to. It is a fantastic way to make your backyard a great relaxing spot.

Related: How to Create an All-Weather Patio Space With Teak Outdoor Sofas

Points Of A Pergola

1. Versatile Shade

You might be wondering if pergolas provide shade? Well, yes! Pergolas are designed in such a way that they add shade to your backyard area. Pergolas are great for providing relief from the humid, hot and harsh, rays of the sun while also permitting sunlight to fill up the space.

Although remember that pergolas never provide full shade, their versatile detailings help a lot of shade options. And, if you want full coverage, you can add a retractable canopy, as it allows you to enjoy different levels of shade depending on the sun’s location.

Note that retractable canopies are not just the only option. There are many more alternatives to add additional sunblock to the pergola that can reflect your preference, such as plants, bamboo, or fabric sales.

2. The Amp Up The Beauty Of Your Backyard

Pergolas are known to amp up your backyard space like nothing. The design of the pergola is known to add a stylish touch to the patio, backyard, Or pool area. While these details alone can lure anyone, the possibilities for upgrading the style, beauty, and elegance of your pergola are never-ending.

Firstly, you also have an alternative to choose the material to curate your pergola. They are available in aluminium, vinyl, wood, and fibreglass. Relying on your preference and style, these materials add modern, rustic, elegant and classy beauty to your pergola.

One more way to add a touch to your pergola space is by hanging roses, plants, honeysuckle wisteria, or grapevines through the beams of the pergola. Give the structure an alluring and romantic feel while adding dusky lighting around the posts.

3. Hospitable Outdoor Area

Whether you want to have a barbeque party Or a simple wedding, pergolas are curated for these special moments only. Pergolas are known to lure individuals via their beauty and shade.

They provide an excellent location for family and friends to come along together and spend time together while they eat, play games or sit. The pergola design is inclusive, yet you can add privacy with drapes, screens Or latticework.

4. Long-Lasting Value To Your Home

You may wonder whether you must invest in pergolas Or not. So, are these pergolas worth it? Yes, they are. Their beauty, shade, and accommodating nature is specially curated to add great market value to your house.

Professionals say that the look of your house has the power to enhance the overall value of your home by 15%. Presently, outdoor living is getting very popular, which puts pergolas on-demand today.

They add special characters to the landscape design while being super enjoyable and helpful at the same time. They were curated to complete your backyard landscape piece, and it also inspires you to innovate your outdoor landscape area.

One great piece of news is that whether you select vinyl or wood, with great maintenance, they will serve you for a lifetime. Vinyl needs less maintenance overall, and wood requires staining and repainting every two years. The decision between vinyl and wood takes into consideration a lot of personal factors.

5. Provides Affordable Beauty

Many questions would fill up your mind if you want to get a pergola as you would think if they are affordable or not. Pergolas are a great and affordable choice, especially if compared to pavilions and gazebos.

While pavilions & gazebos cost over $4000, the estimated cost of a customised pergola is about $3,500, with materials and labour included. If you curate it yourself, the price goes down to around $3,000.

If you need cheaper options, there are DIY or do-it-yourself kits too, that usually cost around $1,500 to $2,000, which depends on the square foot. 

Related: 30 Best Patio Awning Ideas and Designs

Pergola Design Ideas

Below are some diverse pergola designs and styles that can highly inspire you.

1. Reclaimed Barn Wood & Cedar

This kind of pergola is sheltered with barn wood and cedar. It defines and anchors a rear and patio entry while providing a substantial architectural feel. The cedar would turn grey and old with passing the time. It would give the pergola an aesthetic and rustic feel.

2. Southwestern Patio

This kind of pergola unifies the space, and the roof also helps in cooling the rooms inside while helping to cut down the use of air conditioners.

3. Light- Filtering Pergola

This pergola enhances the outdoor spacing of a particular area. This Pergola keeps on animating your space when the sun moves from one direction to another throughout the day.

4. Pergola Paradise

This type of pergola features some unique designs right from indoors to outdoors. The view is beautiful from literally every angle. The wood beams supported by stone posts are simple, horizontal and flat, and the best part is that they don’t block the view.

5. Greenwich Pergola

It provides a dynamic and architectural space to your home. It makes the dining and outdoor space more intimate while also providing the shelter you require.

6. Petite pergola

This is worked upon by incorporating a pool house, deck, patio and a pergola. This pergola design is great if you have been challenged to work with only a limited space.

7. Kitchen Pergola

This pergola is very long-lasting and is built especially for outdoor kitchen space. It provides shelter and warmth as the Homemakers dine and grill.

Benefits Of A Pergola

There are a lot of advantages to having a pergola. Some of them are:

1. They Are Beautiful

Let’s start with the central fact: beauty. Pergolas have a kind of beauty that can surpass every standard design. Their architectural design can help create a fantastic look in your backyard.

There are a plethora of pergola designs, ranging from simple, ornate and modern designs. Gardeners appreciate pergolas as they give a medium for showing off the beautiful plants that you have in your backyard.

2. They Define Spaces

Pergolas are airy and wide open. As soon as you blend the pergola with floorings, you can define it seamlessly and amp up the outdoor living space.

3. Affordable

If you need to upgrade your outdoor space without spending alot of money, a pergola might be the best for you. They are easy to build and are super inexpensive.

They can have a significant impact if you want to add climber plants. You can very easily find an affordable, beautiful and economical pergola that fits your budget.

4. Low Maintenance & Durable

Let’s say if you select a vinyl pergola, you won’t have to worry much about the pergola getting deteriorated. Vinyl pergola never chips, warps or splinters. Unlike wooden pergolas, they are not acquired by termites or other insects.

5. They Provide Shade

Pergolas provide shade. However, the size of the beams is responsible for giving shade to you via these pergolas.

Types Of Pergolas

There are a lot of varieties of the pergola. Deciding which pergola would you opt for depends upon you. Let’s look at some of the most popular types of the pergola.

1. Wood Pergolas

They provide a rustic and aesthetic look to your outdoor space. The durability and natural feel of these Pergolas make it worth every penny. Wooden Pergolas are great for humid climates.

If not stained, they would steadily turn grey and old which would give it a more upgraded effect. However, keep in mind that wooden Pergolas might need staining every two to four years.

2. Vinyl Pergolas

They offer an elegant, classic and clean look. The best part about this pergola is that it requires zero or minimal maintenance. Vinyl Pergolas can last a lifetime. Vinyl is among some top-notch materials to utilise for your Pergolas.

However, you won’t get a lot of colour options in the case of these Pergolas. It also tends to be a little pricier as compared to other materials.

3. Fibreglass Pergolas

These Pergolas have a great lifespan and need minimal maintenance. It won’t rust or corrode. The best part about these pergolas is that they hold the paint nicely and don’t absorb moisture.

They resemble vinyl pergolas well. Fibreglass Pergolas are the most expensive variety of Pergolas available in the market. Also, the cost of a fibreglass Pergola is much higher than a vinyl or wooden pergola.

You can use a lot more materials for your Pergolas, such as aluminium or steel. Aluminium Pergolas don’t rust easily and are super lightweight as well.

Things You Should Take Into Consideration When Curating A Pergola

Pergolas have become super popular in the past few years. Building a pergola is a fantastic way to upgrade and enhance the beauty of your outdoor space. Building a pergola is one of the bestest decisions you can make to increase the overall value of your property. However, before you build a pergola, you need to consider a few things.

The things that you’re required to keep in your mind are:

Material

Well, there are a lot of materials available for building pergolas. Selecting the best material for building a pergola is the first thing that you need to consider. Even though wood is the most renowned material for building a pergola, it won’t be your best choice.

A vinyl pergola would be the best owing to its strength, durability, aesthetic appeal and no maintenance.

Size

You need to look after the size of the pergola that would suit your yard. In case your backyard is enormous, you can go for a rectangular and a large pergola. At the same time, you can select a small or a circular pergola for smaller spaces. You must always choose a pergola that receives a better shade.

Style Of The House

Your house style and shape should be considered before you choose to design a pergola for your house. If the style and structure of your house are modern, go for a modern pergola that can amp up the beauty of your backyard.

Purpose

It would help if you also kept in mind the purpose of building a pergola for your backyard. If your only purpose in creating a pergola is to improve the house’s aesthetics, you need to develop it in the centre of the backyard as it would do the job decently.

Budget

Your budget is one of the essential factors that you must keep in mind while wanting to build a pergola. The budget depends on the material, type and cost of a pergola. Hence, planning a particular budget is essential.

Final Thoughts

A pergola is a straightforward, unique and gorgeous structure that adds an ample amount of appeal to your house backyard. One can also transform the exteriors of your house and create a nice living space where you can spend time with your friends and family or relax and calm yourself down after a long tiring day. It doesn’t matter what you use it for; you can easily be sure that you will love having a pergola in your backyard.

Pergolas also come along with several advantages and can support changing and enhancing the overall look of your house’s outdoor region. We hope you liked the article.

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We would love to hear what you guys have to say regarding pergolas. If it’s your first time getting a pergola done, we would suggest you hire a professional company for doing so. They would do the work perfectly for you!