Waterproof Retractable Pergola

[Frogpig]

Hi everyone, we have recently purchased a house which has patio doors leading out to a lovely West facing, long garden. I'd like ideas for a versatile sun/rain shade of some description for outside the patio doors. The patio gets a lot of sun so I'd ideally like something retractable so we can choose how much sun or shade we have. The sun shines right through to the dining area in our kitchen when we eat our evening meal and it's blinding. Finally, I love the idea of using the patio in any weather so would love something waterproof. I dont want anything as big as a gazebo because it may block out some of next door's light. I'll try and find a photo to explain but basically, I'm just looking for something as versatile as possible so would be grateful for recommendations. Thank you!

This is the only image of the patio, I've blocked out my children but this is where I'd like the pergola/sunshade.

I think Wayfair have a few things on their huge website.

Thanks, I've had a look on Wayfair, Amazon and loads of other sites but can't find anything that ticks all the boxes so thought I'd see if anyone has come across anything.

Have you looked at aluminium pergolas?

I think you're looking for a patio awning. Googling that phrase brings up some options.

We have them in Germany called 'markise' - they're fully retractable, new ones often electric so easy to use.

Good for keeping the room behind shaded and cool too!

@vera16 thank you for the suggestion. I have but can't seem to find any waterproof ones without spending thousands.

@doradoo I think that's probably the best bet, again the challenge is finding a waterproof one but I suppose I'm not going to sit under it in a hurricane so water resistant should do it!

Thank you both for your ideas.

We have a similar set up and similar wishes in our house. I was also going to suggest a Markise (having also lived in Germany!), the other option I've come up with is a sail shade. And having discovered these exist, I suspect that the oddly placed carabiners in my garden mean that the previous owners had one of these.

I don't think either of these options are necessarily waterproof, but I would imagine you could still sit under them without getting wet...

I could've written your post. We are looking for exact same thing. Our garden is WNW facing and the afternoon/evening sun is very strong on the patio and into kitchen/diner/play room. I think we've decided on an awning. I was thinking of a pergola but then I was worried about how dark the room would look in the winter. Currently we have a tarpaulin attached to wall, fence and washing line pole which does the job but isn't exactly appealing

A motorised awning would be best but I don’t think you’ve got enough free wall space to attach it.
you can get removeable covers for permanent pergolas

We have a motorised retractable awning with a similar garden set up and I love it.

We have a south facing garden and we all burn in minutes. I wanted a fancy sun shade/awning, but budget wouldn't stretch so I got a massive cantilever parasol from Ikea. It's 2m x 3m and is shower proof. It has lasted really well, we've had it since 2018, but we are meticulous about always using the cover when it isn't being used.

We have weighted it down with paving slabs and big boulders and it has never wobbled.

I really like this option - you can have the louvres open or closed but yes it is pricey.

www.whitestores.co.uk/titan-3-6m-x-3m-rectangular-wall-mounted-aluminium-pergola.html?product=W20222

Thank you so much for the ideas.
@Janek I've looked at Sun Sails and they do seem to be waterproof so maybe this is an option as they look quite good if put up properly. I'm not sure how easy they are to take down though and I think what @stormelf said about not being gloomy in winter is an important factor as its a long victorian house so all the light comes from the back.

I will look at the one from IKEA @Callmecordelia and would love that one @vera16 but not sure I could justify the cost.

Do you know where you can get the removable pergola covers from @BungleandGeorge ?

Do you have enough space under the awning for seating @EssexCat ? Our patio doors are quite big so if the awning comes out 2.5m, I'm not sure we'd have much space for anywhere to sit.

Thank you all again, you've given me a lot of food for thought!

We use ours in the rain /showers - wind is the main issue to be wary of

Just had a look on the ikea website (any excuse) and it looks like the one we have (Seglaro) is on offer at £150 at the moment, which I think is a bargain. You do have to factor in weighing it down as well though.

If ££ are no problem, then this might also be a possibility

www.zappoutdoor.co.uk/products/retractable-roofs/

@Callmecordelia thank you for looking for me, I'll have a look at that one now. I love IKEA too!

@doradoo they look amazing but anything without prices online is a bit scary 😨 I'll see if I can find out the price.