A pergola is a structure that’s often attached to your house which provides a covering for a deck or patio. In other cases, it’s a self-standing building with a lot of open air that can be used for a variety of different purposes. Unfortunately, many homeowners who put up beautiful pergolas find out they aren’t using them because they don’t provide enough protection from hot sunshine or rain, and they want to add some type of a roof that will keep nature out a little more. Among the different types of roofs you can find those made of plastic and fiberglass, metal, or fabric.
Either plastic or fiberglass can be a good choice for a roof for your pergola. The materials are quite durable and hold up well under extreme weather conditions offering you a more permanent pergola roofing option than many others you will find. Roofs made of these materials are designed so that they block the UV rays of the sun and rain, but they still allow a lot of light to come into the structure. Plastic panels are easy to find, inexpensive to buy, and simple to cut and fit to the areas of your roof. Fiberglass, on the other hand, may not be as readily available, but it is an excellent green choice, because it’s often made of recycled materials.
Metal roofing makes an excellent choice, because it is the most durable which also makes it the most permanent. Metal roofs are easy to install, since it’s a simple matter to cut and shape them to any style and size of a pergola roof. Roofs can be made of tin, copper, aluminum, and steel. Steel will, of course, be the toughest roofing material, but it will also be the most expensive. Any of these metal roofs can be very attractive and set off your structure well. Besides, isn’t it soothing to think about sitting in your pergola listening to raindrops falling on a metal roof?
A third option for pergola roofs is fabric, and there are many kinds of outdoor fabrics you can choose from. Some of these fabrics will provide you with UV protection which means your furniture will stay looking nice longer, and not nearly as much heat and light will penetrate through them. One of the good things about fabric roofing is that it comes in so many different colors and patterns that you can make a real statement with it. You can buy matching shades for the sides of your pergola if you so desire to give yourself more privacy and more protection from the elements.
Putting a roof on your pergola can make it even more functional. Therefore, if you’d prefer not to have the sun or rain beating down on your head while sitting in the pergola, you can look into installing a roof of plastic, fiberglass, metal, or fabric.