If you’re thinking of building a new outdoor living area for your Melbourne home, you may have wondered what the difference is between a pergola or patio, or are they simply one and the same? 

Strictly speaking there is a difference and that’s simply that a pergola doesn’t have a roof while a patio does. Think of a traditional Melbourne pergola and you’d be picturing an outside structure with posts and beams, and a deciduous climber growing on it to form a canopy and provide protection from the sun and light rain. Then, during the cooler months, with the deciduous climber bare of leaves, the winter sun could shine in, adding some much needed warmth.

These days, of course, we’re a little more liberal about whether to call the outdoor living area for your Melbourne home a pergola or patio. Roof, no roof, deciduous climber, no deciduous climber; whether you call it a pergola or patio it’s up to you. It’s a bit like the pronunciation of ‘derby’, ‘tomato’ and ‘oregano’, depending on where you live.

4 Tips for a great Melbourne pergola

So, for the sake of this post, let’s just call it a pergola. After all, it doesn’t matter what you call it as long as it does exactly what you need it to do. Which is a great beginning to our tips on how to build the best Melbourne pergola for you:

  1. Most importantly, think carefully about how you will use your new Melbourne pergola. The main thing to consider is how large you’ll need your pergola to be. If you tend to spend time outdoor relaxing with family, your pergola won’t need to be large (unless you have a big family of course!). While if you entertain a lot, you’ll want plenty of space for your guests, furniture and cooking equipment.
  2. While your pergola doesn’t need to be roofless to be called a pergola, if you want to use your space in all types of weather being roofless just won’t do. You’ll want to install some type of roofing on at least part of the structure to keep the elements out. Polycarbonate sheeting can be a good option if you like a light-filled pergola. Other options include a retractable awning and installing a roof that can open and close. 
  3. It won’t affect the practically of your Melbourne pergola, but having an outdoor living area that looks great is vital. To do this, it will need to match or complement the style of your home. This is something that’s easier said than done for the average person, but for Outside Concepts it’s one of our specialties!
  4. These days we all seem to be busy, so it’s a good idea to consider how much maintenance you’re prepared to do on your Melbourne pergola. A timber pergola will add character and charm to many homes, but a steel or aluminium structure will be virtually maintenance free.

Melbourne pergola – just call 1800 601 674

When you’re ready to make your Melbourne pergola (or Melbourne patio!) dream a reality, if you live in the northern or eastern parts of Melbourne here is some great news: Ron Matz is waiting for your call. Ron is our North Eastern Branch owner and he prides himself on quality workmanship, quality materials, excellent project management skills and a focus on customer satisfaction.

Call Ron today!

Looking for a solution to your outdoor lifestyle? Call us now for a free quote on 1800 601 674.

Whether you want to call it a Melbourne pergola or a Melbourne patio is up to you; just call Outside Concepts!