Mario's
Pergola and Patio Covers
Aluminum Pergolas
If you are like most Houston residents, you enjoy getting outdoors and spending as much time in the fresh air and sunshine as possible.
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Pergolas Offer Great Shade
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Aluminum Construction is Strong and Rot Proof
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Near Zero Maintenance
What needs to be remembered here is that the whole idea of a pergola is that it is an arch with a minimal depth to it, which becomes covered in plants that are most often climbing plants.
Patio living in Houston adds a special dimension to entertaining yourself and others. But patio space left unprotected from the weather elements not only shortens the life of your
expensive outdoor furnishings and accessories. Outdoor plans can easily be cancelled or ruined by too much sunlight, a sudden shower or an excessively windy day.
Anyone not considering aluminum pergolas is missing out a fantastic opportunity to add a ‘new age’ element to their garden as well as being able to develop a truly unique design to their pergolas. There is no rule or law that says a pergola has to be made out of wood or look rustic and yet, for some people the thought of having an aluminum pergola would be virtually purgatory.
Why a Pergola?
What needs to be remembered here is that the whole idea of a pergola is that it is an arch with a minimal depth to it, which becomes covered in plants that are most often climbing plants. Subsequently the framework of the pergola becomes largely hidden in time. With that in mind the material you use to make the pergola out of should be aesthetically unimportant.
The positioning of the pergola is all important. It needs to be placed such that it invites visitors to the garden to walk through it, giving the impression of passing from one part or theme of the garden to another. In other words it signifies something different, so why not use a material for the pergola itself that is different to what might be expected?
Advantages of Aluminum Pergolas
One of the main advantages to having an aluminum pergola is that it can be constructed from a light material that has all the strength and structural integrity of much heavier and thicker timbers. This makes it very easy to work with and means that an individual could more than likely construct their pergola without any assistance. Also, don’t think that an aluminum pergola has to be metallic in appearance, as they can be painted or covered to any color you desire.
Constructing an aluminum pergola very straightforward, requires you to just fix nuts and bolts as directed by the manufacturer. There’s no need for power tools to cut and drill it as you will have chosen a design in which all the components are already cut to the correct lengths and the bolt holes will already have been drilled for you.
Uprights, cross-members and supports can be solid cast or box-girder in construction, whilst end-caps can be molded to just about any shape or size making attractive adornments to the pergola framework. However, the key advantage to having an aluminum pergola is that once installed you will have no maintenance worries for years to come.
Unlike a timber framed pergola you won’t need to annually treat the timber or inspect it for rot, let alone have the bother of needing to replace sections of it.
Pergolas Roofs
Regardless of the material used to make the pergola from, some people have very long or deep pergolas with a roof fitted to it. By and large people choosing to fix a roof to a pergola are intending it to be used as a functional walkway in wet weather, rather than necessarily to showcase climbing plants and the garden.
Even then, there would be a lot to be said for having an aluminum pergola framework on to which the roof was fitted. The reason for this is simply that aluminum uprights will not rot, unlike wooden poles that are fixed into earth that is often wet or waterlogged. An aluminum framed pergola would also be ideal for fixing a lightweight, but durable, polycarbonate roofing system.