Are the advantages of a pergola the best fit for your outdoor living lifestyle compared to alternatives like a shade sail, canopy or gazebo?
Creating an outdoor living space where you can relax regardless of the blazing sun or chilling rain necessitates a flexible patio cover that can help you get the most out of your deck, patio or pool deck. The brutal mid-day sun we get here in Palm Beach County can certainly hobble even the most vigorous sun bathers. To truly enjoy time with family and friends here in South Florida, a shade solution is a must for your outdoor space. If that same patio cover can also protect you from the daily afternoon downpours, then you’ve found the ideal system. These same advantages are even further magnified for commercial operations like country clubs, resorts and restaurants that need to know they can rely on their outdoor seating spaces in any weather.
In this article we’ll break down the pros and cons of popular patio covers.
So, let’s take a look at some common patio covers and see which is ideal for your outdoor living lifestyle. Whether you’re considering a patio gazebo, shade sail, a patio canopy, or a pergola, each has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Some options are more permanent and require the help of a professional installer while others are better options for DIYers seeking a shade solution that can be taken down.
Canopies are usually pretty affordable options ranging from $35 to $1,000 depending on the square footage you need to cover. The lightweight pop-up tent provides a moveable shade cover that can shift around your yard to where the party is being hosted so it can serve as a patio canopy or a deck canopy, and with optional side curtains, they can block out some wind and rain.
The main limitation of the portable patio canopy is its durability. These covers can rip easily, especially if it’s being put up and taken down often. The thin tent material creates shade but the heat from the sun still radiates through, so the shaded space may still be uncomfortably warm. Of course, from an aesthetic perspective, these pop-up tents won’t deliver much in the style department.
Similar to a canopy, a shade sail is strung from support posts or eye hooks attached to your home. Shaped like a boat sail, the canvas does bring a little more architectural style to the party. Though they create shade, the billowing sail can be ravaged by high winds and do little to block out the rain. If you are interested in adding lighting or cooling fans, you’ll need to explore other options.
Pergolas stand out from these other patio covers in that they combine all the best features of a gazebo with a flexible roof system that can adjust to the changing environment. Historically, pergolas were fabricated from wood with stationary louvers mounted on a frame. The wooden structures were susceptible to rot, and the static louvers merely created partial shade for the patio below.
Today’s modern pergolas are light years ahead. Leveraging advanced aluminum, modern pergolas are both lightweight and strong, so they are light enough to be built on a roof deck and strong enough to stand up to heavy winds. With hidden assembly hardware they have sleek exterior lines that can complement the most contemporary architectural designs, and the hollow support columns can hide internal drainage, embedded lighting, heating systems, etc. With cutting edge powder coating materials and techniques, these pergolas resist rust for life-long durability, or the coating can be customized to match any imaginable color, even wood grains for a rustic look.
Pergolas can be erected as standalone structures in a garden or on a pool deck, or can be attached to the home to create a seamless indoor/outdoor entertainment space. What really stands out from traditional patio covers is the adjustable louvered roof of today’s modern pergolas. They put you in control of the sun/shade balance on your patio, and allow you to close the louvers completely to block out the rain. The pergolas that SYZYGY Global employs are unique in the market. With a specialized dual-walled louver design, they trap the rain so you can relax during a rain shower.
Pergolas can also be augmented with some truly intuitive smart features, such as:
Wooden pergolas usually cost anywhere between $2,500 and $20,000. Budgets for modern aluminum pergolas are truly dynamic based on the size and level of customization your outdoor lifestyle demands. Pricing varies greatly depending on the job specifications, scope of work and local building codes, so any interested homeowners or contractors should contact SYZYGY Global for accurate project budgets.
Ultimately, these advanced pergolas are more than just basic patio covers, they become a year-round outdoor destination where you can host parties or simply relax regardless of the strength of the mid-day sun or veracity of an afternoon downpour.
Patio covers can be fabricated from aluminum, fiberglass, wood, cloth or canvas, or a combination of these materials. An awning is a perfect example of these materials joining forces to create some flexible shade solutions. Awnings can be fixed structures with canvas stretched over a metal tube frame, or retractable with a manual or motorized crank. A retractable awning will usually cost around $2,000 or upwards of $3,500. The major downside of a fixed awning is the canvas needs to be taken down in high winds and can be damaged under snow loads in colder climates, while the hinged arms of a retractable awnings can break down over time.
The gazebo steps into the realm of permanent patio cover options. Traditionally, gazebo patio covers stand separate from the house adjoining a pool or as part of a garden space. Comparing the shade sail vs gazebo, the latter is defined by its fixed roof. With pillars or columns supporting an octagonal roof structure, a gazebo provides shade and is built to stand up to high winds, and will keep the entertainment space below dry in the rain. Optional heating and lighting systems can increase the usability of the space, and roll-down curtains can further block wind and rain. Gazebos are typically freestanding structures, so you have to walk in the rain to get to their coverage areas, so they are not ideal for adding functional living space to your backyard.
Gazebo costs can fluctuate depending on the size of the structure. A no-frills gazebo can range from $1,500 to $7,000. Start adding optional lighting and heating systems or patio fans, and the price will climb. Bespoke gazebo kits start around $5,000 and reach $10,000, while the budget for a fully custom-built gazebo can be virtually limitless. Whether choosing a basic or high-end kit, or a custom build, most gazebos will require permitting, so take those added costs into mind when evaluating these structures.
For green thumbs that love to be surrounded by plants and flowers, a glass-paneled greenhouse gazebo can be a nice addition to an outdoor space. A greenhouse can be built as a standalone structure or attached to the home. They can be outfitted with combinations of clear and tinted glass to keep the direct sun from becoming too harsh, but they are designed to be warm and full of light, so not ideal shade solutions for the patio. Greenhouse budgets can range from simple hoop-style gazebos for around $1,000, all the way up to $35,000 for gabled roofs covering monster 20’ X 100’ heated greenhouses.
The ramada is similar to a pergola in that they are both freestanding structures, but ramadas usually feature solid pitched roofs clad in tiles or shingles. Delivering full-time shade like a gazebo, the ramada is often chosen to house an outdoor kitchen or entertainment space. Obviously, the downside to ramada style patio covers is their static nature. They do not allow any sunlight to reach the patio ever. These large-scale structures usually require extensive planning and permitting too. Budgets for a ramada can vary depending upon the design and added options, but it averages $9000 for a small no-frills starter package.
For restaurants, private clubs or hotels and resorts, a luxury outdoor dining patio can be a complete game changer for your guests and your bottom line. Not only does a well-designed outdoor seating area attract guests and keep them comfortable on hot days, but ensuring it is accessible in any weather gives operators more confidence that their space can be monetized year-round, regardless of the weather.
Incorporating a modern aluminum pergola with an adjustable louvered roof is the ideal solution for these business environments. With the roof able to adjust to control the sun/shade balance, restaurateurs can keep diners comfortable in the heat of the midday sun. A pergola that closes tightly to keep out the rain also keeps them dry during afternoon showers. This newly found seating space allows businesses to expand their capacity as well. For restauranteurs the all-weather protection afforded by a modern louvered roof pergola guarantees the new space is always available for guests, allowing managers to build more confident ROI forecasts on their pergola investment.
Beyond the physical expansion of the restaurant space, today’s modern pergolas also allow restaurateurs to build unique design enhancements into their facilities. The architectural styling of a pergola roof and columns creates an instant design update for a restaurant’s exterior. With our ability to clad the pergola’s exterior in custom colors or even wood grain trims, the pergola can take on the unique style of the restaurant’s existing themes.
Additionally, a restaurant pergola can further benefit diners by incorporating some amenities. For example, patio cooling solutions like embedded patio fans further cool the diners, LED lighting can bring a special ambiance to the evenings, and motorized retractable curtains can be combined with embedded infrared heaters to keep diners comfortable during an evening chill. For restaurant staff, the simple remote-control systems allow them to easily manage the sun/shade balance or close the louvers and curtains at the touch of a button. To allow front of house staff to focus entirely on their guests, the pergola can even be outfitted with an autonomous sensor array that automatically closes the louvers when rain showers are detected.
Investing in a modern motorized aluminum pergola can have significant benefits for both the guests and the owners of a restaurant or other hospitality business. If you would like to explore how the SYZYGY Global team can seamlessly integrate an expanded outdoor dining space into your hospitality space, please contact our design team today and we can share some outdoor bar inspirations.
As you are evaluating which of these patio covers will be the most ideal fit for you and your family’s unique outdoor living lifestyle, contact SYZYGY Global to learn more about how we can fully-customize your outdoor space.
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