Building an outdoor pergola from a pergola kit or from a pergola plan requires having a little diy experience. The process from start to finish involves deciding on the design and purpose of your outdoor pergola.

photo credit: Ingorrr For some the choice will be about having more outdoor living area and making additional outdoor rooms while for others the structure is more about utilising your garden more and for longer during the year.  Some great ideas for doing just that is to incorporate an outdoor fireplace in your pergola which means being able to use it further into the fall.

You may decide to incorporate your pergola into an already present garden structure such as a patio, deck or arbor or may opt for a free standing pergola in one of the three most common shapes:- rectangular, circular or octagonal.  If it is low maintenance that you are after then the vinyl and aluminum versions are best.

Wooden Pergolas and patio pergolas are most often constructed out of cedar and red woods. 
The reason for this is that they have a natural resistance to rot and insect infestations.  Teak is also popular, but can become costly and pine when treated properly is a cost effective alternative.  When building your garden pergolas take into consideration what type of wood is going to be best for you weather conditions.  For those living in more tropical climates it may be best to consider other materials such as vinyl or metal.  A metal awning or pergola will often last much longer than its wooden counterpart when exposed to higher levels of humidity.

photo credit: Lisa Sanderson

Remember that this is a long term investment both in your summer enjoyment and your homes value, so don’t take short cuts when it comes to quality.