To Build a Pergola?
To build a pergola or not to build a pergola, that is the question. The previous owners of our house obviously thought it was a good idea to build a pergola over the top tier of the three-tiered deck they attached to the back of the house:
As you can tell from the leaves littering the deck, there are LOTS of trees in our yard. Plenty of shade. What is the purpose of a pergola? Well, among its decorative purposes, it is meant to give shade.
We did not really need the shade. In fact, the excess of shade in our backyard was causing the deck to turn green. Plus, the pergola was serving a further function: it was home to spiders. I really hate spiders. I don't like walking under them or through their webs every time I go out the back door. I don't like wasps either, who build their nests inside the crevices of pergolas sometimes. Birds also like to make nests there, which isn't so bad unless you want to have birds swooping at you every time you walk out into your yard, or don't mind cleaning up after them.
I also didn't appreciate all the shade our pergola was casting through the deck doors into what is now our dining room (since we remodeled our whole first floor - there will be more blog entries forthcoming about that).
So I offer this reflection to anyone who may be considering building a pergola. Ask yourself, do I really want shade in the places the pergola is going to cast them? Do I hate spiders, wasps, and other creepy things that make their homes right above our heads in pergolas? Do I care if birds have a perfect place to build a nest right outside my patio door? Think this through carefully, because you may otherwise find yourself doing this to your pergola someday:
Trust me, the view to the backyard is much improved sans pergola. The sunshine coming into the dining room is great too. So at least when it comes to an attached deck, I vote no to building a pergola.
