Layering Up: A lot of pergolas will only have one layer of overhead beams – say going in a vertical direction. One way of adding more shade and roofing to the pergola is to add another level of beams – this time going in the horizontal direction as seen in picture (1).
Going Natural: A simple and inexpensive way of covering the pergola is to hang plants and vines across the beams (2) – this also adds to the decor of the space. Another eco friendly idea, though not as decorative, is to use the pergola as a solar station as seen in picture (3).
Retractable Canopies: A retractable roof lets you transform the pergola space, letting you control the amount of heat and light shining through. The most common canopy designs are fabric ones (4) (5) that are either motorized or manual pulling. Picture (6) shows a simple roofing system that can easily be done DIY – a fabric canvas slides along a wire that is attached the posts. Then there are motorized blind systems that can be opened to a certain angle, and can be solar powered like the system from Solarishield.co.uk seen in picture (7).
Fixed Covers: Here are some pergola roofing ideas and options that are fixed in place – a vinyl lattice (8), bamboo poles (9), a fabric mesh (10), glass (11), or polycarbonate (plastic) (12). 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12
Here are some other pergola posts for more ideas:
- Simple Outdoor Pergola Lighting Ideas
- Resource Guide for DIY Pergola Construction
- Search all of my pergola posts for more ideas
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