This term of Italian origin entered our language about a century ago. The Robert dictionary thus designates a “small garden construction, made of horizontal beams in the form of a roof, supported by columns, which serves as a support for climbing plants”.

Attention: It should not be confused with an arbor that has a circular shape and a rounded top. This is made of trellis slats supported by hoops, on which plants are also climbed. This type of green pavilion in the garden is also called a gazebo. Due to the proximity of usage, it is very common today to use these terms interchangeably.

Things get even more complicated with the recent evolution of the term pergola. It designates more and more an architectural construction with openwork equipped with fixed or adjustable slats, as here. We note that if the role of shading continues, that of trellising climbing plants has been set aside.

What materials for the pergola?

Traditionally, the pergola is made of wooden beams arranged in gratings so that climbing plants, such as wisteria, climbing roses, honeysuckle, vines, or clematis, wrap around it.

It is not a very difficult construction by pergolas builders Perth to make and you can find many plans on the internet. Contemporary louvered pergolas are very often made of wood. In principle, autoclave-treated wood of a particularly resistant species.

Metal is another popular material for making pergolas. Traditionally, they were made of wrought iron. Currently, these are more steel or aluminum structures. It is a decorative alternative to the parasol or the awning, very popular in the gardens of Provence in particular.

Where to place the pergola?

Installed independently in the garden above a terrace, this pergola is used to create a pavilion under which to take shelter for lunch. The structure protects from the sun without completely obscuring it while integrating naturally into the landscape.

Attention, if like here your pergola is fixed and requires the creation of a floor of more than 5 m², you must apply for a building permit. If it is a removable structure, there is no obligation.

Most often, however, the pergola leans against the house to shade a terrace on which you can have lunch in the hot hours. If the pergola has an extra roof and it serves as a shelter for the car, then it is called a carport.

Discover how to arrange several spaces on a terrace:

Today the pergolas that rest on the house can be self-supporting. They are particularly popular with architects or pergolas builders Perth who place them above large bay windows. Architectes firm explains that in contemporary houses “this solution allows better integration of the habitat into the exterior. It’s also a smooth transition out”. Prices vary depending on the size and material selected.