Pergolas are a great way to give your backyard a stylish upgrade and increase your usable space for outdoor living. Although they do provide some shade (mainly in the mid-day, early afternoon hours), what if you wanted more? What if you wanted to use your pergola to host dinner with friends, but it’s calling for rain?
A pergola gives you an ample amount of shade but can have its downfalls, especially in high noon sun and some wetter weather conditions. There are lots of ways to increase your shade and enjoy your pergola in different weather conditions, from fabric to aluminum and metal.
Below is a list of the six best options to help you achieve the amount of shade you desire.
The Best Ways to Add Shade to Your Pergola
There are several options for creating more coverage from sun and weather for your pergola. The six best are listed below.
Fabric Cover
Fabric covers are easy to secure to protect them from blowing away in the wind. When selecting the type or style of fabric you want, remember it also has to be easy to remove in case of snow. Heavy ice or snow can cause the fabric to rip and be ruined. Fabric covers can be purchased as a canopy style, stationary or retractable, which can be moved to let in the sunlight.
Canvas and lace are two possible types of pergola fabric.
Privacy Shades
Privacy shades are great when you prefer to go back and forth between open and airy and privacy. They can be done in different patterns to match your design aesthetic and hung with grommets or loops. When down, these can make your pergola feel like an additional room to your home.
Acrylic or nylon sailcloth is best to use for privacy shades. You can buy it as a ripstop, and it is very durable.
Corrugated Metal Roof
Metal roofs are incredibly sturdy and waterproof. These are a great choice if you live in a damper climate since they sound great in the rain. These lean toward a more country-chic look.
These are made from steel coils sent to a painter and then to a manufacturer who will make them into the roofs you see. Since the base is steel, it makes these types of roofs very strong.
Roof Panels
Roof panels are very similar to metal roofs, as they provide shade and protection from the elements. They do have a tendency to fade over time due to constant sunlight and are not as strong as metal roofs when it comes to snow.
They do, however, allow more ambient light in while blocking the direct sunlight. This allows you to have that light and airy outdoor feeling without the risk of sunburn. Most of these are made from polycarbonate, which is a type of plastic. It can resist fading and shattering.
Lattice
This is probably one of the most versatile options because you can decorate it with as many or as few plants as you like. Climbing plants, such as honeysuckle and jasmine, have a delightful and calming scent to them. You can also use reeds and foliage as your options. This can give your backyard more of an English garden vibe.
These are made from slats of wood that are crisscrossed or woven together, making them the perfect backdrop for the climbing foliage mentioned above.
Shade Sail
These are highly convenient and affordable. They can be placed across your pergola or strung from them to a tree to a post on your pergola and extend your outdoor space even more. They give your backyard a bit more of a graphic and/or nautical look and come in rectangle or triangle shapes.
These are mostly made from nylon, which helps to make them less expensive than other options.
A Few Things to Note
Although vinyl and plastic roofs look great, they do fade quickly. Heat and rain can also cause them to distort and warp. The best options are metal or aluminum. Since aluminum is lightweight, it is best for the retractable styles, as the motors can be quieter.
Canvas and nylon are both great options for fabric versions of shade and can be a less expensive option.
Conclusion
Pergolas are a great, aesthetically pleasing way to enjoy a bit of outdoor living, but it doesn’t just have to be when it is sunny out. There are lots of cover types to choose from to fit your needs and many options for versatility, whether manually controlled or electronically.
Metal or aluminum roofs maintain their shape and color the longest and are also the strongest cover options.