June 16, 2014 in Hardscape News

The Benefits of Adding a Pergola to Your Home

pergola with circle in center

The Benefits of Adding a Pergola to Your Home

If you’re looking to add something visually interesting to your landscaping, a cedar pergola will provide an aesthetic centerpiece to your home’s exterior. Any outdoor living space will also be dramatically enhanced by the added protection from the elements, gardens will be enhanced through the addition of a structure which allows climbing plants to grow, the overall value of the home will increase, and complexity will be added to other already-existing structures or future projects.

If you’ve just built or purchased a home, and you’re waiting for trees to grow, a pergola can provide some protection from the sun and rain. Added protection can be provided by allowing climbing plants to grow on top of the structure. Wisteria thrives in our Midwestern climate and is one of many excellent candidates for climbing plants to incorporate onto a pergola as it transforms beautifully to complement each season. This quality also makes a pergola an excellent addition to homes of gardeners, as the added protection from the sun will allow shade-loving plants to thrive.


A pergola can be used as a lead-in to other structures such as a veranda or to shade a dining area. A pergola can also lead from the entryway of the house to a solitary gazebo. If other structures are not present, they can be easily implemented into the landscape in the future given the fact that pergolas can be incorporated into any design.

Pergolas are also useful for added privacy or for blocking unsightly views, like a neighbor’s ugly shed or their dead tree. Placing a pergola strategically will focus guests’ attention on elements of your property that contribute a sense of elegance to your backyard.

While cedar pergolas are strongly recommended, especially in the Midwest, they can be built from nearly any material including metal or treated southern pine. Cedar is notoriously weather and warp resistant, so it will last through pouring rain, sizzling summers, and bone-chilling winters. It is also resistant to mildew and pests. This quality is also why the same material is often used in the construction of the lining of closets and dresser drawers. Because it’s unnecessary to treat cedar with chemicals to prevent mildew or an insect infestation, the material is exceptionally environmentally friendly. While cedar can be somewhat costly, it offers the best performance per dollar than any other type of wood.

Here at Patio Supply, Western Timber Frame pergola kits are available and ready to be installed. Being pre-cut and stained, they can typically be installed in a single afternoon. Pergola parts are numbered and come with detailed instructions for assembly to ensure installation is hassle-free. They feature mortised joints, eliminating the use of unsightly galvanized brackets, hangers, and bolts and displaying a sense of beautiful, old-world craftsmanship. Western Timber Frame’s pergola kits also offer a high degree of customization with 8 styles of beam ends, 2 types of wood (Douglas Fir Timber and Cedar), 6 colors, 4 knee brace styles, and 8 overall sizes to choose from. Available upgrades include arched support beams, arched knee braces with keystone, full wrap around roof, a radiused roof, drilled holes to accommodate any lighting/electrical needs, 4’ tall privacy lattices attached to one or more sides of the structure, and decorative keystones.


Whether you enjoy keeping a garden; want an enhancement in protection from intense sunlight, wind, or rain; or you’re increasing your level of privacy, a pergola will add more than beauty to any home. Pergolas create comfortable outdoor living spaces and, in doing so, add significant value to your property.