Fred closes his pergola for the winter
6
That's right, we're well into autumn. Temperatures have definitely dropped, and the days of barbecues and terrace breakfasts are well and truly over.
So where to start?
To cut a long story short, I chose wood as the material to build a beautiful pergola leaning against the house, positioned just above the terrace. In this way, I created a covered, shaded area, ideal for enjoying the great outdoors without getting nasty sunburns.
I don't regret the installation at all. I'm often asked the question and, above all, people point out that pergolas can disfigure the house or "clash" a little with the decor. My answer is that if you choose your materials carefully, if you opt for a sober, simple and elegant style, I don't see why it would disfigure anything. On the contrary, a pergola is a real asset, and we spend most of our time on it!
How can you enjoy your pergola for as long as possible?
But I do have an idea for extending the comfort of this living space by a few weeks. I've discussed it with some of my DIY friends, and it's feasible. Some of them have done it themselves at home, and they're delighted: so I'm going to do the same and close off the sides of my pergola.
And yes, visualize the pergola: it's actually vertical beams on which a covered roof rests, quite simply. So the only cover is above our heads.
I'm going to close off all three sides of the pergola to turn it into a protected room. See what I mean?
In this way, the lean-to pergola becomes a veranda, a direct extension of the living-dining room.
Transparent PVC tarpaulins to create a veranda pergola
Remember: to cover the roof of my pergola, I used 100% waterproof PVC tarpaulins, thick and strong enough to protect us from both UV rays and wind and rain.
But watch out, I can see you scowling: plastic sheeting isn't what it used to be. Gone are the days of heavy, ugly tarpaulins. Today, tarpaulins are trendy accessories that can be customized, colored, printed - in short, they're an economical, practical, solid and aesthetic solution.
In fact, I opted for a beautiful white tarpaulin roof covering. Combined with the wood, the result is a modern, uncluttered pergola that's simple yet chic.
To close the sides of the pergola, we also wanted to use PVC tarpaulins. As I was saying, this is a very economical solution compared to installing aluminum sides, or even a glass roof. It's also important to bear in mind that, for us, this is a temporary installation, because as soon as spring returns and the weather warms up, we want to remove these partitions and once again have a pergola that opens onto the garden.
So we're opting for a covered veranda system. And a veranda means plenty of light. A room bathed in sunlight. Of course, we can't install white tarpaulins to form the veranda walls, as these models are perfectly opaque.
After a little research, we settled on reinforced plastic tarpaulins in transparent PVC. With a weight of 400 g/m², they're thick enough to resist and form solid walls, but also easy to handle and therefore easy to install.
What's more, their transparency is just what we're looking for.
Installing transparent PVC tarpaulins
As mentioned earlier in the post, we'd like to create an ephemeral veranda: a bright, enclosed room that stores heat and allows us to take naps or read quietly, without suffering from the cold. Martine also wants to store her fragile plants under this winter veranda: she's afraid that her precious potted plants will die during the harsh winter ahead...
How do I go about installing these tarpaulins and closing the pergola?
I'm going to use the reinforced metal eyelets that run all around the PVC sheeting.
I thought I'd simply use the pergola's existing structure, i.e. the wooden beams, to secure my tarpaulin walls with bungee cords and ropes that will wrap around the beams. Installation is quick and easy: it's true that the insulation won't be optimal, but that's not the point either. We want to enjoy protection that will enable us to stay under the veranda pergola for a while longer, before the temperatures really get too cool.
There you have it, a good deal to follow, folks. I'll keep you posted on the progress of our installation and be sure to show you the results.