A pergola is a backyard feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area with vertical posts or pillars that usually support a roof-type structure of cross-beams and a sturdy open framework. Today Pergolas are commonly used on decks and patios, especially in farmhouses and hotels and even commercial office spaces. We mainly use them for shading purposes but can also used them just to “frame in” an area. This gives it a sense of height and break up or define certain areas architecturally.
Normally we design them into the original deck design, but quite often we add them after the fact; after clients have invested in a deck or patio and they start using it. After going through a summer, you start to take notice of the sun and how it shines on the backyard or the landscape. In a perfect world, all this would be taken into account during the design phase but, we all know that not everything receives the due attention during the design phase. So, adding one after the fact is generally not a big deal. Just consider the height of the structure and the relationship to your windows/views from the inside of the home.
An especially effective location for a pergola is over a paved area such as a path, courtyard, or patio. These structures are custom built, and can fit any specifications that you need. For the best shade coverage for the majority of the day with an open-roof pergola, place it so the rafters orient north and south. As the sun travels, the rafters cast wide lines of shade under the structure, except around midday when the sun is directly overhead.
