Month: April 2021

Pergolas are outdoor structures with four pillars supporting horizontal cross beams and decorative lattice use for shade or a place to relax. They are often decorated with plants like vines that climb or crawl to their posts, lattice and beams. If you want to enhance your home, placing a pergola will be a great idea; it can add character to your outdoor spaces.  

Many types of pergolas come in different designs and colours that can help enhance your garden and home. Pergolas can be built near the pool area, playground, park, deck, or terrace and help extend the home’s living areas. Natural foliage like vines, hanging plants and flowers can be added to bring out a natural and relaxing ambience to the pergola. 

Pergolas can be the perfect place to relax, rest and catch your breath after a long day of work. Another apparent reason for building a pergola is it enhances the resell value and beauty of your home. 

Pergolas can be made from teak, cedar, fibreglass and aluminium. There are many designs to choose from, like pergolas with a gabled roof, pergolas with retractable canopy, traditional wood pergolas and many others. 

Does a pergola increase the value of a home?

Pergolas enhance the outdoor appeal of the property, and since outdoor living is gaining popularity, it increases the value of homes. Improvements such as pergola and other outdoor improvements have a return on investment between 50% – 80%. Buyers are willing to pay for properties with well designed and lovely outdoor spaces. 

Pergolas also increase the living space of your home. The extra living space can be added to calculate the value of your home. A beautifully designed pergola would also be appealing to potential buyers, therefore increasing your property’s value. Buyers would choose a property with a nice open space and pergola compared to a bare and empty property. 

Are permits needed to build a pergola?

Typically, pergolas are open structures with no roof, and its post or pillars are not anchored deeply to the ground. Sometimes they are just attached to existing systems like decks. They are also small compared to the main home and do not alter the home’s design.  

So, generally speaking, it does not require a building permit. It is better to contact local building authorities before purchasing or building a pergola since every state or city may have a different rule. Another consideration would be your local Homeowner’s Association; you can ask them for requirements and comply as needed. 

There are cities in Australia that do not require permits for installing specific pergola designs or types. But you still have to contact them for the details. For example, in Hume and Maroondah, Victoria allows pergolas except if they are located further forward 2.5 m of the home’s front wall. In Greater Dandenong, they allow pergolas without a roof. For other pergola designs, the homeowner should secure a permit from the local authorities. 

Decks are elevated outdoor structures that are attached to the main house to extend its area. Traditional decks are typically made of timber or wood. Decks often extend the living space of homes and have direct access to the house. They can also part of the garden and the outdoor landscape. 

On the other hand, a pergola is a structure with a verticle post that supports multiple horizontal several crossbeams used as a shaded walkway, sitting area or relaxing area. Traditionally woody vines are placed and allowed to crawl to the top into the crossbeams and provide an excellent shade against direct sunlight. Pergola’s are a nice addition to the home and a great place to relax with the family. 

What materials are used in building a deck and pergola?

In the past, decks were made from material readily available in the community, such as redwood, red cedar, pine and many others. But most owners prefer hardwood since pines are not durable, especially in the outdoor environment. Manufactures of composite decks claim that they are more durable than traditional materials and are more resistant to the outdoors like rain, sun, and snow. But lately, people have been inquiring about the harmful chemical treatment they use in their manufacturing process. 

Modern decks are now made of several materials such as aluminium, metals, composite materials, treated lumber and composite lumber. Many artificial decking made of wood-plastic composites; brands like Azek, Ecornboard and many others have produced certain composite materials. 

Pergola’s are similarly built with timber or wood, but modern versions are also made from metal. A traditional pergola does not have a roof, but the recent version now has polycarbonate roofing to protect the users from rain and direct sunlight. 

What is the difference between Patio and Deck? 

Decks are very comparable to a patio and located outside the house but attached to the main structure. But the main difference is that patios are at ground level while decks are above ground and elevated. Patios typically have a concrete floor or paved with bricks, tiles, stones or pavers. However, both offer the same benefits: a place to relax, extend your house and have other family activities. Patios are usually cheaper to build than decks because their supporting structure needs to raise ti from the ground. 

A deck and a patio is a cheaper way of extending your house space than developing your home’s indoor space. A deck is raised, so it needs structural support from underneath its floors. A deck usually enhances the garden and the surrounding landscape. 

Can my deck support a pergola?

Pergolas can be built into your deck and support it. You can do many designs to enhance both structures, and a pergola needs at least four support post to connect to your existing deck. These connections are essential because they will hold the pergola safely in its place. It is recommended to use the same materials, so if your deck is made of wood, it is recommended to use a wooden pergola rather than a metal one so they can match adequately. However, pergolas made of other materials can also be placed on your deck.

Timber bolts and fasteners are needed For the deck to support the pergola properly. They will be used to connect the wood from the deck to the wood portion of the pergola. A post to beam hardware made of thick galvanized steel can is also needed to fasten the beam and other parts of the structure. 

Ensure you use treated wood because they can resist more stress, moisture and pressure, especially if they carry the whole structure. Do not use pergola’s top-heavy because they can become unstable, placing too much emphasis on the deck.