pergola/ pergoda?!

[Lalaland50]

We are hoping to have a wooden pergola built at the back of our house, where the kitchen is. It would be attached to the back, where the french doors are and go out 3m and go the whole length of the house (4m).

We have a small Victorian terrace, SW-facing and in the summer the patio/ decking area gets so hot, we can't sit out there, and the kitchen does too. We are also still shielding, as my DH is waiting for a stem cell transplant, so we can't have anyone in our house, but if we had an outdoor area with nice furniture etc, that was sheltered, we could sit outside and not get rained on etc.

The carpenter that is going to do it for us, has suggested a clear plastic covering, to go on the wood, which in theory sounds good and would keep the rain off. However, we would also need another covering like some bamboo or something to actually shade us from the sun. Then, I'm worried that we will lose all the sun, and I do actually like having a bit of sun! Does anyone have any experience of this. I've looked at the retractable awnings, but my DH said that it wouldn't be practical to keep the rain off...he says that we would still have some sun coming in...I'm' just concerned I'm going to create a completely shaded area and never have the sun in my garden again!
Thanks.

I have a glass roof on top of my pergola. It doesn’t get too hot. I have sail shades underneath but we rarely use them.

You need to be careful that you don’t create a structure that is regarded as an open porch since that needs planning permission.

@HasaDigaEebowai I'm getting a lot of different views on whether plastic will get too hot!
The sun shines directly onto our patio where the pergola will be, so I wonder if that would make a difference.
Please could I see a picture of yours? But fine if you'd prefer not to.

Mine is a large 5m x 5m area and has closed walls on two sides, open on the other two. It’s never any hotter than being out on the lawn. In fact it’s slightly cooler since there’s a bit of shading from the beams.

I can’t post a photo unfortunately since we are having the kitchen extended and so it’s been taken down temporarily to allow the scaffolding to go up.

But mine is south facing and exposed. It isn’t too hot.

Op, conservatories with plastic roofs are basically unusable as they get too hot.

@Lalaland50 get yourself on Instagram.....soo much inspiration.

This is what you need for a roof.

www.thepolycarbonatestore.co.uk/polycarbonate/sheet/twinwall

www.instagram.com/p/CRb28GmLTKd/?utm_medium=share_sheet

Hidden by bamboo or roofing timbers for shade.

Its gonna take YEARS to grow anything around a pergola of the size you mention.

@mrsdaltongrant thank you.
I think we're going to go for the polycarbonate roof with bamboo underneath for the shade/ hide the plastic...now, back to my original worry of creating cover so it's always in shade - and yes, of course I want the best of all worlds! my DH is trying to convince me that the sun will still come in, but I'll be really gutted if it plunges our patio in complete shade all the time? The retractable covers are just too expensive...does anyone have any experience of this?

Before we put the glass roof on our pergola had a polycarbonate roof with bamboo on top. It was dark in the kitchen as a result since very little light came through.

@ HasaDigaEebowai … ok! Was the polycarbonate clear?

yes the polycarbonate as clear and so on its own it would have been fine but with the bamboo on it was obviously covered and therefore quite dark. Obviously light still came in through the sides but it certainly made the kitchen dark.

@Lalaland50

I am currently planning one but it's nowhere near my house (bottom of the garden) I was planning to use polycarbonate and then obscure that with roofing battens for a feature look. We want a semi shaded area so that works for us. As I'm planning myself we will put up the post and support rafters and then decide on on a rubber roof (zero light) or polycarbonate with battens.

Can you not build the pergola structure and don't "roof" it initially. That will show you just how much light you'll get with polycarbonate and if you think it needs to be shaded to can decide on something after?

I have seen lots of people use this company

www.instagram.com/p/CFhaHBeBc3N/?utm_medium=copy_link

For panels if you don't want anything "fixed" there just be a few companies doing the same or similar.