![]() ![]() By raising one end of the battens (having the wire attached higher at one end) you can choose which end the water will run out. You should also think about how/where you want the water to drain. For bigger installations, the tension required in the wires to support the shade, especially when wet, becomes more than a standard pergola would be designed for.įor these to be successful for rain protection you need to give some consideration to the strength of the system for the additional weight of the material when covered in water. ![]() These are available as kits but are actually relatively straightforward in design so could easily be made at home, especially if your pergola dimensions are not too large. This does seem to be a method that could be self-installed and even retrofitted to a pergola if you had enough clearance height.ĭepending on the design they can be opened and closed automatically with a motorized system, by means of lines (similar to those used for window blinds) or simply by having poles attached to each corner of the shade. The key difference is that this inherently causes the high point of the canopy to be in the middle allowing rain to be shed on either side by gravity. They have a single track in the middle that supports the middle of a series of battens that in turn support the shade material. The only real example of this seems to be the offering from ShadeFX Canopies. Although the material used might be waterproof the fact that the material is only self-supported because it is under tension (it has no battens) means that inevitably when it gets wet water will end up pooling. These offer a very compact and weatherproof solution for when the shade is not needed, and it is packed away, but they are not really suited for rain protection. ![]() These are basically the same as a retractable patio awning but rather than having arms to support the leading edge of the shade it is supported by tracks and pulled out by means of cables. Ensuring the water can all escape by maybe angling the battens and leaving a suitable gap at the corners should be sufficient. The main issue I can imagine is if using the batten technique you might trap water in the lower corners that may encourage the material to rot. Check out How to Attach Cloth to Cover a Pergola. I found three different methods for attaching the cloth that if the whole roof structure of the pergola has a slope would still work. The methods mentioned above for attaching shade cloth to the top of your Pergola would still be valid for canvas materials, making it suitable for heavier rain, as long as there is enough slope to ensure they drain. These materials are used in the top end retractable pergola cover solutions but can also be utilized for simpler DIY versions. See our guide Types of Shade Cloth Materials or How to Attach Shade Cloth to a PergolaĪs compared to shade cloth mesh, canvas has a much tighter construction and can be made from or treated to be water-resistant, water-repellant or even waterproof. They are also inherently mold and rot proof. It also maintains the breathability of the roof, as hot air can rise up and pass through the shade cloth mesh, and yet can offer a very high level of shade/protection up to 98% for some materials. In heavy rain the beading water may drip before it runs down the material making it of limited benefit.Īlthough not suitable for heavy rain this option is usually fixed (although not necessarily permanently see the options within our How To Attach Shade Cloth Guide) so it doesn’t have the potential problems of a moving retractable system. The size of the holes in shade cloth mesh are small enough that it stops gentle rain and will instead cause it to ‘bead’ and run down the fabric (both the inside and outside). The first option may not be quite enough for some people but having used the same material for shade sails I know that it can work in light drizzle/gentle rain, as long as it is installed at an angle.
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