Pergolas

Want to use your pergola through a Melbourne winter? Sort the roof, the water and the frame before the blinds. Here’s the order that works.

A deciduous climber shades a pergola in summer and lets winter sun through. Which climbers suit a Melbourne pergola, which weeds to avoid, and how to prepare the frame and prune.

Two builders can quote the same pergola and land thousands apart without either of them being dodgy. The word pergola

Louvres, shade sails or a retractable canopy over your pergola? A straight comparison of how each handles Melbourne sun, rain, wind and upkeep, and which suits which backyard.

The short answer: attach the pergola if you want it working as an extension of the room behind it, and

A pergola has an open top, a verandah is attached and roofed, and patio means different things to different people. Here is how the labels differ in Melbourne, and why the name changes your quote and your approvals.

Why a pergola can trigger a building and/or planning permit in Victoria, what councils look at, and how to get a reliable answer for your own address before you build.

Comparing pergola covering choices for Melbourne weather: open rafters, polycarbonate, insulated panels and louvred opening roofs, plus how to handle rain run-off.

Designing a pergola that suits your Melbourne home: attached vs freestanding placement, sizing and proportion, orientation for the sun, and planning for power and future enclosure.