How to make your backyard pergolas for family get-togethers?
One of the best ways to turn your outdoor area into an alternative living room is to make a pergola above a deck or some other relevant backyard structure. This way, you will provide some cover from the sun, make the temperature in the area more temperate and even raise the property’s resale value. Needless to say, this can also turn your backyard pergola into a perfect meeting spot for your family. Here are six ideas you should try out to make your backyard pergola into a perfect place for a family get-together.
Choose a pergola design
There are so many options to choose from. For instance, you can install a pergola on top of a floating deck. You can also use a pergola as merely a cover for your hot tub. Those who want to save time, space, and energy can build a pergola over a patio, instead of building a deck or a foundation. Needless to say, this also makes the construction a lot cheaper. Some people even use the pergola to create a custom, backyard garage. How does this work? Well, how often do you have these family get-togethers? This way, you also get a function for your pergola, all year-round. This will also make it easier to give your kids a healthy alternative to staring at the screen.
Extending your entertaining space
The key thing to start with is to consider the functionality of your backyard. To be honest, how big of a portion of your backyard do you actually use? How big of a portion of your backyard is functional all year-round? Is there a way you can use a pergola to prolong this? Of course! Sure, a pergola, on its own, doesn’t provide much protection from rain but even this can be remedied. On the other hand, during some of the hottest days of the year, a pergola can make a difference between a pleasant area and an unbearable heat.
Watch out for structural integrity
To make this pergola durable and reliable, the construction needs to be somewhat heavy. Still, this means that achieving structural integrity may be a tad harder. According to experts in the construction of pergolas from Sydney, any sort of shade structure is a potential risk. Shade sail, parasol, and awning can all collapse if not installed properly. However, pergolas are bigger and heavier, which makes the danger more serious. Still, if the project is done properly and the pergola installed professionally, the risk is next to non-existent. This is why a DIY project is only advised for veteran contractors.
Make sure everything can fit
Keep in mind that a family get-together requires some additional infrastructure. You need some seating. You also need a coffee table or a dining table. This means looking for outdoor furniture and the best way to fit it all into this constrained space. Keep in mind that the amount of space isn’t unlimited, which is why it would be best if you were to see this pergola-covered area as a single room within your home. Don’t try to fit too many items here, especially if they don’t fit thematically. Still, keep in mind that some items can be moved and replaced over the course of years.
Make it suit the lifestyle of the home
The best thing about pergolas is that they come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. If you manage to pick a style that matches the rest of your home/property, you stand to benefit greatly. Not only will the time spent there be much more satisfying but the value of your property might rise quite drastically. A stylish pergola can make any home much more desirable, especially since it makes an additional area of the property into a livable space. Sure, it may not add to the square footage of the property itself but it does create a strong reason for an increase in the price.
Think about the full cover
Pergolas are designed with a see-through roof and you need to look for additional ways to provide cover. Some add a layer of shade sail across it but others prefer to go for a more interesting solution. Sprawling the fast-growing vine on top of it is one of the best ways to provide cover for the area. This way, you can make the place feel like a landmark overtaken by nature, thus further adding to its unparalleled beauty.
In conclusion
Spending some quality time outdoors with your family sounds too idyllic to be true. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Creating an inviting outdoor area under a pergola will make it so much more compelling to everyone. An invitation for a get-together will become something that they will agree upon instantly, without having to persuade or goad anyone. It’s not that people don’t like spending time outdoors, it’s that they usually have no reason to do so. This way, you’re giving them all the reasons they need.
Author BIO
Grace Wilson is a 27-year-old biotechnologist and kind of a bookish girl. Surfing the Internet is her favorite, that’s why she has turned into blogging. Following a healthy mindset and lifestyle is what she considers my life principle. If interested, follow her on Twitter.