Pergolas are one of the hottest trends in landscaping, showing up everywhere from urban parks to rooftops, and more urban landscape developers and architects are beginning to include pergolas in their designs. Pergolas that are done for a small garden or residential design may be built of wood, but commercial applications have needs that wood is unable to meet. That&#;s what makes aluminum the better choice for pergolas of all sizes, styles, and placements.
Pergolas have been around since approximately the &#;s and were often used for training vines over paths or walkways, and could be found in a variety of gardens and parks. By necessity, they were built of wood.
Over the years, pergolas changed in size, style, and placement, but continued to be made of wood. They became sturdier, could incorporate shades or canopies, and were designed to be freestanding, while others attached to homes or buildings. Wood is beautiful, can be cut and carved into a variety of shapes, and stained or painted in different colors and finishes. There are also several species of wood that are well- suited to being used in pergolas, so different grains and characteristics can be played up.
Wood is very versatile, which can mean that you have a lot of options for the style and appearance of the pergola. It&#;s also timeless and has a natural appeal that may make it a more requested material by clients. It also works well for small projects such as gardens or patios, where it&#;s not going to see a lot of daily use.
For a small garden or backyard project, wood pergolas may work well, but wood has some drawbacks that might mean that it&#;s not always the best material for the job. This is particularly true for commercial and large-scale projects.
Wood needs to be stained or painted to help protect it from the elements. There are a few types of wood like cedar that are naturally insect-repellent, but most woods are susceptible to insect activity and moisture problems. Wood can swell, warp, and crack after exposure to the elements, and any finish that may be applied can experience bleedthrough, as well as chipping, peeling, and cracking of the paint or stain that will require scraping and repainting every few years.
Wood can also experience issues such as dry rot, which may make the structure less stable and will require a lot of expensive repairs over the years. Wood is also combustible, and therefore unsuited for some applications where there may be risks from fire.
Wood is beautiful and versatile, but it doesn&#;t always make the right material to build from, particularly when you&#;re constructing or planning a pergola for urban and commercial applications.
Aluminum pergolas are just as attractive as wood, with even more versatility, better durability and lower maintenance. Aluminum is ideal for creating more modern pergola designs that are better suited to urban landscaping, and the material can also be treated to give it a simulated wood-grain appearance so it can still have a more classic or traditional look. This makes aluminum suitable for any design or application.
Aluminum pergolas are custom-designed which means that they&#;ll be extremely durable and able to withstand the climate and be utilized the way they are intended. Like wood pergolas, they can be freestanding or attached to a building, they can be covered, include canopies, or have an open, classic design. Aluminum comes in many different sizes, and with an increased strength, you can find more narrow and sleeker styles than wood, without compromising on durability.
Aluminum pergolas are coated with a fluoropolymer finish that lasts for years. It can give your pergola a bright, bold finish, or a subtle, muted, wood-grain finish that won&#;t need the same level of care or reapplication that wood pergolas require.
There are few drawbacks to using aluminum to construct pergolas. They&#;re attractive, versatile, and can have the same appearance as wood. The only potential drawback would be the slight learning curve involved with designing and building them; if someone has only worked with wood, they may find aluminum initially intimidating. Once they&#;ve worked with aluminum, this concern should fade.
Aluminum pergolas kits can be easily constructed onsite. They use stainless steel hardware, and the ends are welded to give you a stylish appearance and added performance. Like wood, you can find aluminum pergolas with curves, cantilevers, arches, and other classic and innovative styles. If you can imagine it, you can create it.
Aluminum pergola kits have standard extruded sizes that range from 1-inch by 1-inch up to 8-inches by 12-inches, and there are custom sizes available as well. These size ranges give you more flexibility in designing and building than wood, because aluminum will have greater strength and the ability to withstand use even at narrower widths.
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As more people realize the many benefits and uses of pergolas in their architecture and landscaping design, the demand for these structures is only going to rise. By utilizing aluminum to meet the demand, you can ensure that each structure you build is going to last, which will save your clients both money and maintenance, and in turn, will increase your reputation.
Aluminum offers more customization, better durability, increased longevity, and more styles and finishes than wood, which means that you can offer your clients more options to fit their unique landscaping and needs. Wood has been used for centuries, but the needs of cities and landscaping have changed, and therefore the materials that are used need to adapt and change with them which makes aluminum the right choice over wood for building commercial and urban pergolas
When deciding on aluminum vs. wood pergolas for your next design, remember that aluminum pergolas are designed to last for years with less maintenance and far greater durability. Aluminum can also give you more versatile looks, including a wood-grain finish, as well as more contemporary styles.
Aluminum pergolas include: Stratus, Harbor, Breeze, Trex Pergola Element, Trex Pergola Shadow, Trex Pergola Pavilion, Trex Pergola Retreat & Trex Pergola Solis
So you&#;re considering an aluminium pergola, and you&#;re wondering what are the pros and cons of transforming your outdoor space with a louvered structure?
Perhaps you&#;re also considering the merits of a wooden pergola, an awning or even a steel option. Well, if that&#;s the case, this article has everything you&#;ll need. We are the complete nerds when it comes to pergolas, and so feel free to benefit from all our expertise below, or just give us a call on 020 , and pick our brains!
Aluminium pergolas come with adjustable louvered roof systems. This means that you can choose between basking in the sunshine, your perfect amount of shade, or waterproof, within seconds. They are exceptionally engineered to maximise sunlight in the good weather, and ensure complete protection in the rain, draining the water into reservoirs away from your entertaining space.
If you want the perfect outdoor haven, an aluminium pergola is the way.
There is nothing worse than a heavy wind busting your parasol, or desperately trying to weigh down a canvas canopy. aluminium pergolas are fixed down to your patio/decking and are immovable structures, wind resistant up to 120kmph. They are proper high-quality structures that withstand all weather conditions to extend your living space. The high-grade aluminium is powder coated to ensure it doesn&#;t fade in the sun light, there will be no rust, or decay like with wood, simply a structure that stands proud for 10 years+.
To become your dream entertaining space. You&#;ll have a vision of how you want to spend time in your garden, and your aluminium pergola can be customised to suit that. It might be that you want an ultimate grilling and dining area. You might want an outdoor room that runs seamlessly off the back of the house, with blinds on all sides and patio heaters, creating a cosy outdoor shelter. You might want a fire pit and LED lighting, perfect for entertaining and ambiance. Whatever it is you dream of doing in your garden, your pergola can be customised for it.
High quality aluminium pergolas are a thing of absolutely beauty, and no doubt absolutely transform the back of your house / outdoor space. There is a reason you&#;ll commonly find them on the back of the finest hotels and restaurants in the world, they add pure class.
No rust, no decay, no fading &#; they are easy to look after and require almost no aftercare. Just give them a washdown after winter with some soapy water and they will look 10/10 for many years! No relentless jet washing and chemical treating like with a wooden pergola for example.
A high quality aluminium pergola should last you a minimum of 10 years, and they should still be looking fantastic 10 years on. The aluminium powder coating protects from colour fading in the Sun, and aluminium is a rust free, low maintenance material. So if you opt for a £ high quality aluminium pergola, you can expect to get plenty of value out of it. If you enjoy it for 10 years, that&#;s £40 a month &#; not a bad price to spend more time enjoying your garden with the people you love. You might be wondering if your aluminium pergola is an investment in your home, if so, check out our article here &#; &#;does
an aluminium pergola add value to your home."
When installing and aluminium pergola, you do it once, you do it right, and then you never worry about it again. It&#;s not like a wooden pergola, requiring frequent repair and remedial works, or a cheaper steel model, that will struggle to withstand the harsh weather conditions of winter. Your aluminium pergola can be installed on patio, decking or even a grass area (with the right footings) and then it&#;s a permanent fixture in your home.
For many, the sleek, modern design of an aluminium pergola is of great allure. However, in certain spaces, it simply won&#;t be the right fit. Sometimes the juxtaposition of modern and classic side by side can be fantastic, and there are other times when that 15th century property just needs something more sensitive, like a more earthy wooden pergola.
Generally wooden and aluminium structures are fairly comparable in price, depending on the model, however the wooden pergola will require more maintenance and repair work, exceeding the total cost of aluminium in the long term. There is no doubt that a steel or vinyl pergola will be far more budget friendly, compared to aluminium. This is of course reflected in the quality of product and its longevity.
Now you can certainly customise the functionality of your aluminium pergola, heaters, side blinds, wall mounting etc. However the design itself will stay fairly consistent. If you&#;re looking for something a little more unique and ornate, wood is the way to go. For those customers that want something truly one of a kind, having a wooden pergola design and carved, choosing every inch of the detailing, is the best method.
This was a big part of the original purpose of a pergola! Vines and flowers weaving and climbing their way up and over your pergola was the primary goal. Now of course we see our pergolas as entertaining spaces, places to enjoy our gardens with the people we love. And whilst you could certainly grow up the side of your pergola, you wouldn&#;t want these plants interfering with the mechanics of your weatherproof roof. So if you&#;re primarily after a pergola to satisfy your green fingers, wood is the way to go!
This is true of any permanent pergola structure. Wood, aluminium, a hard top gazebo &#; if they are going to stand ever present, they need suitable solid footings. However, if something more temporary will do the job, grabbing the pop up gazebo out the shed from time to time and pegging it into the ground will save a full installation.
Danni Gough
Passionate about helping people create spaces they enjoy, with the people they love. Incredibly knowledgeable on all things aluminium pergola. Loves spending time in her garden with her husband, her pup Ronald and a glass of wine!
Are you interested in learning more about Modern Aluminum Pergola? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!