Pergolas: A Popular Landscape Element

By Gregory Harris, LASN

This free standing 27 foot x 38 foot pergola has fiberglass four-by-six rafters with decorative ends and polycarbonate panels to keep the space dry.
Photos Courtesy of Structural Pergola Systems

After renovating a backyard space – with the addition of the latest high-end grill, a flat-panel television and a water feature - to become the ultimate in outdoor living, what’s next? A pergola perhaps?

A pergola (Latin: pergula ”projecting eave”), or arbor, is a backyard or garden feature that adds an artistic element. It’s a workman-like feature that provides shade without inhibiting surrounding views. Whatever the use and benefits, pergola installations are popular in outdoor living design.

Pergolas can be freestanding, on a patio, anchored to a deck, attached to the side of a home or building, or out in the garden.

Pergolias were originally used to cover walkways between estate buildings back in Medieval and Renaissance times. Such pergolas were often covered in vines, creating “tunnels” through which occupants could stroll protected from sun and rain.

Vincent Ignatowicz of Structural Pergola Systems, who has more than 30 years of experience in the design and construction of decks, believes the installation of a pergola is one or the more practical and inexpensive ways for the homeowner to cover an outdoor sitting area, bar or kitchen.

Pergolas can be constructed using materials including fiberglass, vinyl, urethane and wood. All of the materials have pros and cons – fiberglass and vinyl do not need stain for example – while materials such as cedar are lighter weight.

Pergola Materials
A variety of materials can be used to build pergolas, including treated wood, vinyl, laminates, cellular PVC and fiberglass. Cost, maintenance required for upkeep and aesthetics are some of the differences in materials that should be taken into account when selecting what to use on pergola construction.

Backyard America www.backyardamerica.com/pergola_comparison.htm has produced a materials comparison chart for the pergola kits it offers, comparing fiberglass, vinyl, urethane, cedar, Amish pine and cellular PVC in such areas as maintenance, weight, availability of matching accessories, stability and durability.

In their comparison chart, all of the pergola types received “excellent” marks for stability, except the cedar products, which earned a “good” rating. All of the pergola types, as far as durability, were rated “rot and insect proof.” As for maintenance, only the vinyl pergolas are listed as “maintenance free with cleaning.” The cedar and Amish pine offerings are listed as needing moderate maintenance with painting or staining being needed every two to four years. The urethane, cellular PVC and fiberglass offerings are listed as needing very low maintenance requiring paint every seven to 10 years.

Pergolas for Shade and Cover
People like the look of pergolas, the open-air style, the filtered light and the bit of shade they offer. Panels can be installed on the lattice of the pergola to provide even more shade. There is the option of course of covering part or the entire top of the pergola for all weather use.

In the LASN January residential feature “Earth, Air, Fire & Water: Orchestrating the Elements to Strike a Red Hot Note,” www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/15956, landscape architect Robert Mowat added a Douglas fir pergola to the property with striking red painted columns. No one says pergolas have to be boring! He also specified minimally shaded smoked acrylic panels atop the wood beams.

Some pergolas incorporate canopies that are motorized or have manual rope drives.

Commercial Applications
Ignatowicz says that universities are one of the fastest growing segments for incorporating pergolas. “They are including more and more outdoor gathering and seating areas, and pergolas add shade to these spaces,” he said. “I believe this is the strongest building sector for pergolas.”

He notes more pergolas cropping up in large urban areas. In New York City, for instance, rooftop gardens are quite popular and pergolas are a natural fit. “They also have new elevated parks and these are also popular spots for pergolas,” he adds.