There’s nothing more refreshing than a pool in the summer. But the summer sun can be brutal. There’s only so much protection sunscreen can provide. Don’t let your play time in the pool be cut short for lack of shade. If you find yourself limiting your time outside because there’s no escape from the sun, pergolas are the perfect pool partner.
What Is a Pergola?
A pergola is a structure that is made up of vertical posts that support a cross-beam roofing grid. The roof’s slats are usually left open to provide partial protection from sun, but many times they are covered with fabric, vining plants, or slatted roofs. Pergolas can be either free-standing or attached to the side of a house. Pergolas have many desirable features. Read on to see why they have become so popular.
Types of Pergolas for Pool Areas
Before we talk about benefits, let’s explore the different types of pergolas. There are several basic pergola designs that can be used in pool areas. Here are some of the most common:
- Traditional Pergola: A traditional pergola is a simple structure that consists of four corner posts and a series of cross beams or rafters.
- Arched Pergola: An arched pergola features a curved or arched roof that adds architectural interest and a touch of elegance.
- Freestanding Pergola: A freestanding pergola is not attached to any other structure and is supported by four corner posts. A freestanding pergola is the perfect pool partner because it can be placed anywhere – next to the pool, over the pool, on the edge of the pool deck to expand the living space – the options are endless. Freestanding pergolas are extremely versatile and the most affordable.
- Attached Pergola: An attached pergola is attached to the exterior of your home or another structure. An attached pergola is the perfect pool partner for pools that are adjacent to a building, as it can provide a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors. An attached pergola may increase the price as the roof must be incorporated into the existing structure.
Affordability
Pergolas have many desirable features, but one of the best is that they are affordable. Compared to other fully roofed structures, pergolas are much more affordable because of their relatively simple design. Because they don’t require a lot of materials, they are a fantastic solution for adding shade to almost any outdoor area even if you are on a budget. Of course, you can spend more if you like by making it larger, adding privacy walls, lighting, and even a retractable roof, but a basic pergola with a simple fabric roof for shade is all you need to create a welcome oasis from the summer sun.
Protection from the Elements
Even when the sun is intense outside, you can still enjoy your poolscape comfortably. A poolside pergola is the perfect place to rest and relax, take a break for a snack, or a delicious summer nap. They even offer protection from wind and light summer rains. Additionally, you can create shade in your pool by building your pergola over the water on one end. Their versatility is impressive.
Beautify Your Backyard
For as practical and affordable as they are, pergolas add elegance to any outdoor environment. These structures come in many styles so you can find one that matches your aesthetic. Place outdoor furniture below them and add strips of fabric on the roof and sides. From bright and beachy to gauzy and romantic to opaque and upscale, your curtains can create the vibe you like. Add decorative lighting along the edges of a pergola to create a magical evening experience. A pergola’s personality is as varied as the people who build them!
Enhance Your Garden Area
If you’re a gardener, you’ll love the way a pergola expands your growing area by supplying a wall and roof area that your plants can enjoy. Train climbing vines up the sides and over the top and hang baskets of annuals for a pop of color. Don’t forget to place pretty potted plants below. Your pergola is a blank canvas waiting for you to paint it with perennials and accent it with annuals.
Privacy
Pergolas can feel private too! Adding fabric, latticework, or drop shades to one or all sides can create a secluded haven in your backyard. Adding sides makes your pergola feel like a separate outdoor room or home extension without the cost of constructing one. Besides adding privacy, sides block both sun and wind extending the usability further into the cooler seasons. With fabric walls and heaters, you can enjoy crisp fall evenings. Imagine toasting marshmallows and making s’mores around a firepit in late October or early November.
Expand Your Living Space
Pergolas create functional space for entertaining, lounging, eating, playing games, grilling, and even working from home. Pergolas enhance your everyday living and increase your entertainment capacity. It’s easy to entertain large groups when guests can spill outside and enjoy the pool from the protection of a pergola. No other addition will add this much functionality for the price.
Outdoor Dining
A pergola is the perfect addition to enhance an outdoor kitchen or bar or to simply dine al fresco without fighting the late afternoon sun. No outdoor kitchen? Move your barbecue grill under your pergola and create one!
Increase Your Home’s Value
A pergola adds to your home’s value. As outdoor living has become more popular, properties with pergolas have seen an increase in value. Who wouldn’t be enchanted by a backyard with a pool and a pergola? Pergolas transform the typical backyard with a pool into a backyard paradise.
Pergolas Are the Perfect Pool Partner
At Creative Concepts and Design, we love building pergolas almost as much as we love building decks. Unless your backyard is drenched in shade, we think every pool could use a pergola. Let us create the perfect pergola for your pool area. Check out our pergola gallery for ideas. There’s sure to be one that fits your style and if there isn’t, we’ll design it together.
