How to shade a pergola?
Have you decided to create a little corner of paradise by installing a pergola in your garden? As well as being decorative, it protects you from the sun's rays and the elements. But does it protect you from the outside world? In this article, we take a look at the different ways of concealing your pergola. You'll be able to take full advantage of the pleasures a pergola has to offer, without exposing yourself to the glare of your neighbours!
A green wall to hide your pergola
Whether your pergola is traditional or bioclimatic, you can grow climbing plants. On a traditional pergola, you can even create a very decorative green roof. Avoid climbing plants on the roof of a bioclimatic pergola, as this could damage the adjustable slats and their motor. However, a planted side panel is perfectly feasible.
While concealing the pergola and breaking up the view, the outside plant wall also adds a touch of natural freshness.
Advantages of a green wall
Planting a pergola with climbing plants is both aesthetic and natural. You can build plant walls of any size. You'll always find the right plant screen to conceal your pergola. Its ability to provide protection from the sun and outside views depends on the varieties of climbing plants you choose, some of which have more abundant foliage and flowering than others.
Disadvantages of a living wall
A living plant wall needs regular maintenance, just like a flower bed or vegetable garden. What's more, you'll need to wait until the climbing plants are tall enough and full enough to conceal the pergola.
Motorised blinds: a made-to-measure solution
What could be a more modern way of screening your pergola than with a motorised vertical awning? Fixed to the sides of your pergola, it can be installed during or after its construction. You can also choose to screen one or more fronts, depending on your need for protection. As well as hiding you from the neighbours, motorised awnings protect your relaxation area from gusts of wind, sunlight and bad weather. They are generally UV-resistant, and you can even choose between fully blackout or translucent blinds.
If you install vertical blinds on a bioclimatic pergola, you'll increase its protective capacity and thereforesave energy. You can choose to create a draught by opening the adjustable slats on the roof, with the blinds semi-closed, or to keep the heat inside the pergola in cooler weather.
Advantages of motorised vertical blinds
Closing blinds are highly aesthetic. They provide protection from the sun while protecting your privacy. They can be operated remotely using a remote control or switch, or with a crank. The fabrics are available in a range of colours to match the colour of your pergola. The awning can be lowered to an intermediate position to let the sun shine in while keeping the shade out.
Disadvantages of side blinds
Vertical blinds are quite expensive if you choose an electric model.
Sunbreakers: translucent protection
Often confused with the side awning, the sunbreaker can be fitted under the roof of the pergola. It is therefore positioned horizontally. You can play with the sunbreaker panels to hide your pergola to varying degrees. There are also decorative sunbreakers that let in natural light while remaining camouflaged.
Advantages of the sunbreaker
With its slim, clean lines, the sunbreaker is suitable for all types of pergola and all designs. It prevents glare while letting in soft light.
Disadvantages of the sunbreaker
The sunbreaker needs regular dusting and cleaning. When fixed horizontally under the roof, it protects but does not completely hide the pergola.
A bohemian atmosphere with blackout curtains
When we think of curtains, we always think of interior design. But did you know that you can also put curtains on a pergola?
You can choose thick, blackout curtains or sheer curtains to protect your corner of paradise from the outside world while letting in soft, natural light.
The best thing is, there's something for everyone! All you have to do is fix curtain poles around your pergola and you're done! As with your home, you'll find plain, patterned, long or shorter curtains... You can even choose several curtains in different colours to play with as the days go by. To keep them in good condition for as long as possible, don't hesitate to take them down in bad weather. Watching the curtains flutter in the summer breeze is a real treat!
Advantages of blackout curtains
They come in all sorts of colours and patterns. Curtains are inexpensive and can be bought anywhere. They are easy to change without the help of a professional.
Disadvantages of opaque curtains
Curtains, whether blackout or translucent, need regular maintenance. They should be removed in wet or windy weather.
Adjustable louvre panels: the 3-in-1 solution
You're probably familiar with the adjustable slats on the roofs of bioclimatic pergolas. This may be the type of pergola you've built. Panels with adjustable slats, also known as claustras with horizontal slats, work in the same way, but are fitted laterally. They allow you to benefit from the sun, to completely conceal the pergola, or to protect yourself while letting in the light. It all depends on the position of the slats: closed, semi-closed or horizontally open.
Advantages of tilt-slat panels
Offering more possibilities than a conventional panel, a panel with adjustable slats is not much more expensive. What's more, they're highly decorative and don't feel closed in. The panels are easy to maintain.
Disadvantages of side panels with adjustable slats
They can become expensive if you choose to screen all sides of the pergola. Some panels are movable only at the top, with the bottom fixed.
The patterned fixed screen: concealing and decorative
The claustra is a fixed side panel that integrates perfectly with the structure of the pergola. The patterns represent graphics, plants, curves, circles...
They let the light through while shading the pergola and protecting you from prying eyes.
Advantages of decorative screens
As its name suggests, a cladding screen is highly aesthetic, and is the perfect way to dress up your relaxation area. It provides shade while letting you enjoy the sunshine. They come in a wide range of designs and colours. The fixings are invisible.
Disadvantages of pergola screens
Claustras can be quite difficult to clean because of their many patterns. Although they do conceal the sun, it's important to note that they still let the sun's rays through to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the design.
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