10 Unique Pergola Designs Having your own pergola is an astounding way to jazz up your garden. The spacious, open arches can serve as a beautiful outdoor element in your home. Of course, there are several different designs to choose from and we’ve listed our favorite versions here for you to go through. Design #1 – Attached Pergolas Attached pergola designs are very common but there are several outstanding designs to choose from. Try a space-defining pergola that you can attach to your French windows or to a side entrance. This semi-attached pergola can extend your living space and serve as a beautiful transition space from the inside to the outside. You can also attach the pergola to the side of your patio and create the illusion of a bigger room with natural ventilation and natural light. Design #2 – Two-Tier Pergolas You may have seen these kinds of pergolas and they lend an elegant appearance to your garden. You can do this yourself by layering two different types of roofs over each other. Try plain columns and place them at right angles to each other, and on top of each other, to create the two-tier appearance. If you keep a little space between the two-tiers, you can place pots, planters, or allow two-different colored flowering vines to occupy the space between the two tiers. Design #3 – Curved Pergolas Curved pergolas are extremely beautiful. The curved latticework can increase the floor-to-roof space but still lend an extremely intimate feel to the seating area underneath the pergola. You can choose from curved lattices, basket-weave curved lattices, deep-v shaped lattices, etc. If you have the time and money, you can easily custom-build your own curved pergola to suit your garden and outdoor space. Design # 4 – Disconnected Pergolas You may have a large garden but disconnected pergolas and walkways are an exceptional way to bring seating arrangements together. Create stone walkways and cover them with horizontally curved pergolas. The pergolas can be disconnected from each other and spread out over a large garden. Design #5 – Over the Door and Window Pergolas If you have sufficient space around your doors and windows, consider adding pergolas that extend for two to three feet over your doors and windows. Not only do they architectural interest to your building but they can also form a framework for climbing vines. In case you have the space, you can also extend a single window pergola for three feet and place a seating arrangement under it to make a small cozy nook. Design # 6 – Extra Large Pergolas For houses that have sufficient outdoor space, an extra-large pergola can act as an outdoor room. Fit it with an outdoor fireplace, a barbeque, central dining area, bar and seating and you are good to go. Design #7- Pool House Pergolas  If you have a large pool, set up a combined pool-house-pergola space. Use classic columns, curved thatch roofs, tiled flooring, comfortable seating, shower rooms, etc. to make your pool-house-pergola comfortable, intimate, and trendy as well. Design #8 – Pergola Entryways Jazz up your home and its entryway by setting up a pergola walkway from your gate to your house entrance. It adds practical protection from the sun and rain. You can also relax on hot summer days by placing seating in the walkway area. This type of walkway is perfect if you have a large lawn but a small backyard. Instead of using the backyard, convert the walkway into a large seating area. Design #9 – Rooftop Garden Pergolas If you don’t have enough space in the backyard or as your lawn, set up a pergola on your roof. Most manufacturers do make lightweight pergolas that can be set up in an hour on your roof. Aluminum is the most common material but stainless steel is also popular. If you like eco-friendly versions, you can choose from bamboo, raffia matting, coir, and so on. Choose from a range of colors and designs or make your own lightweight version to form a shady place to relax on your roof. Design # 10 – Contemporary Styling Instead of the classic wood beam appearance, contemporary pergolas are far more popular at present. The most common style consists of lightweight aluminum poles that support vinyl-mesh sides and retractable tops. Non-mechanized versions are also available and they are cheaper. These types of pergolas are available in several colors and sizes and they are weather resistant as well. As you can see, you can choose from a huge range of stylish pergolas and gazebos for your outdoor space. In case you want to make your pergola multifunctional, some manufacturers also offer multi-level structures in the above mentioned designs. All you have to do is purchase the ready made pergolas, and set them up in your backyard, patio, lawn, and so forth and prepare it for any special occasion.
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red cedar bark A pergola made of wood is the ideal structure for providing shelter and shade outdoors, and it will improve the value of your property. Wood is the popular choice (benefit of wood link) of material for constructing pergolas because it is not only affordable but also easy to work with, which provides numerous design options. Out of all the different types of wood, western red cedar wood is the perfect material for constructing pergolas, because of its special characteristics.

Ten reasons to consider western red cedar for constructing your pergola:

1) Highly Durable Western red cedar wood is extremely durable and is the popular choice for constructing fences, outdoor structures, and making building components. There are different varieties of cedar, but western red cedar is known to resist moisture and decay the best. Western red cedar is able to withstand almost all types of extreme weather, which makes it ideal material for outdoor structures such as pergolas. 2) Repels Insects Cedar actually has the characteristic of repelling insects, and it therefore will not easily fall prey to termite infestation. In olden days, when cedar trees were plentiful, people used to make the frames of their houses and clapboard sidings from cedar. Certain homes even had their roofs made of cedar planks. While many other types of woods are susceptible to termites, cedar can resist these insects and others largely. 3) Dimensional Stability Cedar is hygroscopic, which means the wood will discharge or absorb moisture to be in equilibrium with the surrounding atmospheric conditions. Secondly, the wood has extremely low shrinkage factor and is extremely resistant to checking, twisting, and warping. When you use western red cedar for making pergolas, it will not change its dimension or size  in most types of weather conditions, temperature, or level of humidity. Other types of wood start to warp when there is excess moisture in the atmosphere, but most cedar types will remain flat and straight, which makes them excellent construction material. 4) Comparatively Lighter in Weight Western red cedar is one of the lightest softwoods available commercially. The density of red cedar after it is oven dried is around 21 pounds per cubic foot, and a relative density of 0.32. Such low density, makes it much lighter in weight than other woods, and therefore it is easy to handle and transport cedar. 5) Thermal Conductivity Since cedar has a lower density, it correspondingly has more cell cavities. When the wood is dry, these cavities will be filled with air, which will make cedar a good thermal insulator. A structure made of cedar will keep cool in the hot season and will not need much heating during the winter. Compared to steel, concrete, and brick, the western red cedar provides much superior insulation amongst the softwood varieties. The R value of red cedar is 1.35″ of thickness, which is about 34 mm. 6) Beautiful Appearance Pergolas stand out in the outdoors and therefore they need to look elegant and beautiful. Many types of cedars will not lose their grain texture, and they can be stained and painted without losing their elegant grained appearance. Cedar also looks beautiful in its natural color, which can be white or red. Since, the wood is resistant to rot, and weather conditions, you do not need to stain, paint, or varnish the wood to provide a protective layer as in other woods. The natural color of cedar will also age beautifully to a silvery grey with time. 7) Fragrant Wood The wonderful aroma of cedar is quite well known. The oil in the wood, which provides water-resisting quality, is also quite fragrant. In fact, cedar is the most preferred wood for wardrobes, closets, saunas, and hot tub surroundings. Hence, if you want pleasant smelling pergolas, cedar would be the ideal choice. 8) Acoustics Any wood has the property for dampening vibrations and noise, but cedar excels in this property because of its vast cellular network.The minute interlocking pores of the cellular network, converts the energy of sound into heat due to viscoelastic and frictional resistance. As a result of this high friction inside, the wood has high dampening capacity compared to other materials used in structures. Hence, if you want a relatively quiet atmosphere or you want to dampen the sound you might be making while entertaining guests in pergolas, then cedar would be the ideal choice. Western red cedar is especially effective in this aspect, and is used widely to reduce noise or for confining noise within a certain area. 9) Easy to Handle Being lighter in weight compared to other woods, western red cedar is much easier to handle. Carpenters and workers prefer working with cedar, since there is much less strain during the building process. 10) Customized Designs Since cedar is easy to work with, it is possible to create numerous designs and engravings with relatively less effort. Hence, if you are thinking of building pergolas with intricate and elegant designs, western red cedar should be your first choice.
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