The most important decision you’ll make is between a mounted and freestanding pergola. Installing a mounted pergola against your house gives you the freedom to move between your indoor and outdoor space seamlessly. Alternatively, a freestanding pergola creates an additional outdoor living space that’s both protected from the elements and separate from your home. 

Optimizing sunlight is key when deciding where to place your pergola. It’s important to consider how the Louvers will open and its orientation to the sun. Depending on the chosen angle, opening Louvers to the north will give you full control over sun exposure. If opening to the north isn’t possible, we recommend facing west so that the sunshine can be let in from the early morning into the afternoon. It’s equally important to account for anything that may block the sun, including walls and trees.

Part of selecting the right pergola is knowing the ideal height and width for your space. The first step is establishing your pergola’s length by measuring the total length of the area you want to cover.

Next, you’ll need to establish width, which should include a 4-inch perimeter around the pergola for anchorage. We always recommend maximizing the width as the price difference is minor and maximum-sized pergolas are the least expensive per square foot.

Lastly, the height of your pergola will determine the feeling you’ll have while underneath it. A 9-foot ceiling is the ideal height. A taller height will make it feel airy and grandiose while a shorter ceiling will feel cozier. It’s important to keep in mind that adding any motorized screens will reduce the height passage by 9 inches. 

There’s more than one right answer when it comes to selecting the right color for your pergola. It’s important to select the color of your structure according to your personal tastes and the existing color of your house. However, we always recommend going with a lighter color whenever possible. White Louvers help increase solar reflection by keeping the sun’s heat out.