An essential element of your garden, a pergola is an aesthetically pleasing and decorative construction. In the first place, it protects you from the sun and modern pergolas protect from bad weather. The dimensions must be considered carefully for your new shelter to be as efficient as possible. In this article, we take a look at the ideal dimensions for a pergola.
Choose the height of the pergola according to its type
The dimensions will not be the same for a freestanding, wall-mounted or bioclimatic pergola. First of all, classic and bioclimatic pergolas do not all have the same functions. Secondly, a wall-mounted pergola will benefit from the presence of a wall of the house on one side, in contrast to a freestanding pergola.
In general, a wall-mounted pergola is based on the roof height of the house. This creates an attractive harmony, with the roof being neither too high in order to prevent rainwater from entering the pergola, nor too low to avoid the need for bending over.
If you install an aluminium freestanding or self-supported pergola, it will stand on its own, without a requiring a supporting wall. It can be installed in the middle of the garden. Certain high winds may enter and create damage under the pergola. We recommend a height of 2 to 4 metres. Avoid higher roofs, as sun protection will not be optimal. It also seems logical to take other criteria into account, like the height of the residents of the house. Therefore, if one on the members of the family measures 2 metres, the choice of a minimum height of 2.5 m will be more suitable. As for bioclimatic pergolas, you can keep the same dimensions. In case of gusts of wind, remember to open the louvres to create a draught.
The dimensions of a pergola for an ideal height
The ideal dimensions of a pergola include the height, but also the floor area. It will be larger or smaller according to the available space. Nevertheless, it is better to have too much than too little. 1m20 is the minimum length to be able to enjoy your pergola. If you plan to install a lounge suite or a table, make sure you have enough room to move around.
Bespoke pergolas vary between 3 and 6 metres in depth and width. This gives us an average surface area of 20 m². If you want to get the full benefit of your pergola, try not to exceed ⅓ of the total area of your garden.
