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Pergola Design

The location of a Pergola is very important when choosing a pergola design or plan for your backyard.

The two most common locations for a pergola is attached to your house or used as an outdoor room away from your home. You can also add a pergola to a large deck or patio, next to a swimming pool or build a pergola over a hot tub.

Pergola as a Focal Point

Pergolas are great for focal points in the backyard. The backyard pergola can be a cheaper alternative than a building gazebo and much easier to build.

You could also design your pergola to be used as an entry to a large area in your backyard or build one to be used as a transition from one outdoor room to another.

Remember that pergolas are nothing more than a large arbor, built to provide some shade, be an open and airy outdoor room and often used to support climbing plants such as vines and roses.

Another thing to consider in your pergola design is the sun. Depending on how you place your top beams, you will create either more or less shadows and shade.

Wood is the the most common material used, with cedar wood being the preferred. Pergolas can also be constructed out of vinyl, steel and aluminum.
You can find many wood and vinyl pergola kits online.

Pergolas are relatively easy to build, but should be sturdily built using quality materials that are long lasting.

Attached Pergola

If attached to your house the pergola design you choose along with the materials should be appropriate in size to your home and compliment it.

Try to incorporate some of the same colors and materials that is used in your home into your pergola.

By installing a stone or wood floor, adding built in sitting, or a table and chairs, permanent planters, flower containers and some outdoor lighting you will have created a great outdoor room.

Vines and climbing plants will soften the look of the pergola and makes it more inviting.

Do to the size of pergolas versus arbors the pergola will be your main focal point in most backyards keep this in mind when doing your backyard design.