The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Pergola

Indoor-outdoor living is not a new concept, but certain features and clever design choices make connecting your interior and exterior spaces much more seamless. Case in point: pergolas.

These slatted outdoor shade structures date back to ancient Egypt, where wooden designs beautified temples and gardens. Since then, pergolas have only gotten more useful — and more interesting. That can be credited to new, more durable materials, diverse designs and styles, convenient pre-built pergola kits, and comfort-focused accessories.

Whether you shop POLYWOOD or elsewhere for a pergola kit, you’ll need to be privy to a few key items.

If you choose a POLYWOOD pergola, you can opt for White Glove Delivery when placing your order. This all-inclusive service includes delivery, assembly, professional installation, and removal of all packaging materials.

And in addition to pergola building materials, you’ll need a mix of tools at your disposal:

• Safety gear: Goggles, hard hats, work gloves, ear protection, and steel-toed shoes.
• Pencil: For marking lines and hole placements on lumber.
• Tape measure: To get lumber and site dimensions.
• Chalk line: To ensure straight lines and an accurate footprint.
• Shovel and post-hole digger: If you plan to dig holes for in-ground concrete footings, you’ll need these.
• Speed square: For checking 90-degree angles on vertical posts and horizontal beams.
• Spirit and post levels: These help ensure posts and beams are straight and level.
• Wrench or socket set: To tighten nuts and bolts.
• Hammer drill: This will help you anchor pergola posts into existing concrete.
• Ladder or scaffolding: Pergolas are tall — these will help you reach the top beams and rafters.
• Drill and impact driver: To drill pilot holes and drive in screws and lag bolts.

• Height: The tall structure guides the eye up to prevent the room from feeling flat.
• Light: Overhead rafters filter sunlight and cast shifting shadows that change the texture of the ground and furnishings beneath.
• Layers: The open beams are the perfect place to hang climbing plants or weave in string lights for warmth, contrast, texture, and enhanced functionality.
• Zones: A pergola defines a space, clearly separating it from the surrounding areas.

• Open-beam: These roofs feature widely spaced parallel rafters with no intersecting slats.
• Lattice or cross-hatch: Pergolas with lattice-style roofs have the same parallel rafters as open-beam designs, with a second layer of thin slats running perpendicular to create a crisscross pattern.
• Retractable canopy: These structures are topped with durable covers that roll up to let in the sun and roll back out when you want shade.
• Louvered: Louvered pergolas have adjustable slats that allow you to choose the level of light that shines through.

There are plenty of ways to put a pergola to work. Here are our favorite ideas.

• Whimsical garden: An arched pergola laced with Clematis at the entrance to your flower garden or covering a landscaped walking path creates a magical moment.
• Covered relaxation area: A louvered pergola lets you choose your level of relaxation. Keep the slats closed when the sun’s at its peak, and open them at night when you want to take in the starshine.
• Privacy by the pool: A poolside pergola with privacy walls creates a secluded space by the water where you can read or sunbathe. Add a comfortable chaise lounge and table to complete the comfortable look, and you’re good to go.

The answer to this question depends on the pergola’s size, shape, and the type of furniture you want to use.

For example, POLYWOOD pergolas are offered in two sizes: 8’ x 12’ and 12’ x 12’. We always recommend leaving at least three feet of clearance around furniture in the spots you plan to use as walking paths, like in front of sofas and on the sides of chaise lounges.

Here are our recommended furniture setups: