Modern home exterior at dusk with illuminated pool, spa, lounge areas, and bar seating visible through a screened pool and patio enclosure.

What Is a Pergola? Pergola Benefits, Types, Options, & More

POSTED December 27, 2023 BY Absolute Aluminum

Modern outdoor patio with a black pergola, white louvered roof, dining table and chairs beside a turquoise pool, surrounded by lush greenery.

Floridians are no strangers to intense solar heat, but recent record-breaking temperatures may have you thinking more seriously about adding a shade structure to your outdoor patio or deck. After all, if you’re like many Sunshine State residents, you abandon your outdoor living spaces in favor of your climate-controlled indoor areas during much of the year. Wouldn’t you like to spend more time outside, without feeling confined to an area defined by walls?

That’s the No. 1 benefit of purchasing a pergola for your outdoor living space. A pergola will provide shade that will make your patio or pool deck more comfortable during the many months when the scorching sun would otherwise drive you indoors.

However, there are many types of patio covers that vendors are marketing as pergolas. Before we list any additional benefits provided by pergolas, let’s clearly define this outdoor shade option.

Exactly What Is a Pergola?

A modern-day pergola is a type of patio cover that has adjustable louvers—or slats—that can be angled to fully or partially block the sun’s rays, thus shielding you from solar heat and glare as you spend time in your outdoor living space. The versatility provided by the pergola’s movable louvers sets it apart from other types of patio covers—even retractable ones, which are either extended to block the sun or retracted to allow solar rays to beam full force onto your patio or deck. There’s no shade option in between.

When you add a fully adjustable pergola to your outdoor living space, you’ll be able to close the louvers to create a solid roof that blocks not only the sun but also rain. And, because a pergola is a shade structure with support columns and trusses, you’ll also be able to add outdoor curtains or screens to enjoy privacy and insect protection.

4 More Benefits of a Pergola

Here are some additional benefits you’ll receive when you add a pergola to your outdoor living area:

Enhanced visual appeal for your patio or garden
Protection for delicate plants that require morning sunlight and afternoon shade
Expanded entertainment space, where both your refreshment tables and guests will be sheltered from the elements
Better marketability of your home should you decide to sell

The Best Pergola to Buy for Your Outdoor Living Space

If you live in the southern Gulf Coast region of Florida and you’re thinking about adding a pergola to your home, make sure you consider the Pergola X options available from Absolute Aluminum. These sought-after pergolas come with automated, pivoting louver systems that will allow you to enjoy full or partial shade using an app on your smartphone. They’re also customizable for size and aesthetic design elements, with options like corbel ends, column wraps, cornices, and more.

When you partner with the outdoor living experts at Absolute Aluminum, we’ll help you sort through the options so you’ll get all the benefits you desire out of your pergola purchase. We’ll also take precise measurements of your outdoor living space and handle all the details of your pergola’s installation. You can count on our well-trained installers to deliver exquisite workmanship. After all, we’ve been the go-to outdoor living contractor in this region since 1988, and we maintain a solid A+ Better Business Bureau rating with lots of five-star customer reviews.

Contact Absolute Aluminum today for more information about our industry-leading pergolas and other outdoor living upgrades for Florida homeowners.
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