home pergolas

Pergolas may be used to enhance the beauty of playgrounds and the surrounding of our homes, but they are also an effective mean to get shade in walls and windows and to reduce air conditioning costs.

Pergolas Sizes

You may opt by standard sizes: 3x2, 3x3, 4x2, 4x3 meters (10x6.5, 10x10, 13x6.5, 13x10 feet) sizes are very common, but non-customized dimensions are also cheap solutions.

The round wood posts and the treated bearers and rafters also have standard sizes, and can be combined to make larger structures.

Pergola Covers

Some pergolas are sold with shade netting. Removable shade-cloth is a flexible and low-cost covering option.

Vines are another covering alternative for pergolas, preferable in many cases. If your climate is temperate or cool, prefer deciduous vines: they won't block the winter sun, allowing adjustable seasonal shade. For tropical and hot climates consider evergreen vines.

Location

As shading structures, and to get higher energy cooling savings, pergolas should be located adjacently to walls, in the sunnier side of the building. When using vines, consider a minimum space between the vine and the wall (around 1,6 feet/0,5 m). It's essential to ventilation and cooling.

For more details, see: Shading & Trees