Wooden pergola instead of an aluminum patio cover

Had a few friends build pergolas in the past few years out of heavy cedar. Both covered them with corrugated aluminum to make it a patio.

Sealed cedar will last a long, long time, helps repel insects, and is gorgeous.

Can you source cedar beams from local lumber yards?

I'm interested in building a pavilion and am debating lumber options. Cypress is available with a wait. I'd be interested in cedar if it were available in 6x6s and at least 12' long. I should call around, but figured it's easy enough to ask here.

I was faced with this decision when designing my outdoor kitchen space. I chose an insulated aluminum cover because of rain and the intense heat during the summer months. I haven't had any regrets.

Cedar is naturally resistant to rot, but will turn grey over time. A sealant preserves the wood much longer. You'll need to put several generous coats as it will soak up a large amount. One of the builds mentioned in my above post was done this way a few years ago and it still looks like the day we finished it, granted it's covered and only sees partial sun.

Personally the look of clear sealed cedar is hard to beat and won't fade like a stain will if exposed to the sun. My cedar fence is sealed with a walnut stain sealant and after 4 years it's faded pretty good where it takes full sun.

As for the polycarbonate, a pressure washer and some Jomax/bleach should work fine. If it's translucent then cleaning the top would be the biggest challenge.

I just don’t understand the appeal of building a pergola in south Louisiana. They offer little to no shade and when it rains, no cover from the elements


All that, combined with the price on wood at the moment, would make me want to build an aluminum patio. I just put up a 13x22 aluminum patio by myself (a buddy helped). The materials only cost me $1200

Post your email here and I’ll send you some when I get home this evening

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Pergolas are cool until you realize you live in Louisiana and you want shade. I went with a aluminum top. My sister and BIL have built a couple homes and put pergolas. Each time after a few months, they slap some metal up there.

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This. I built a pergola-style patio cover with translucent fiberglass panels because I wanted a cover, but with some light let it. It sounded great in theory, but ended up just turning into a greenhouse.

When I put up a new roof this spring, I had to take the pergola cover down. Replaced it with an aluminum patio cover (16x14) that's tied into my gutters and does a much better job of keeping the temps down. Was also able to wire in a ceiling fan that really makes it nice.

Cost me $1,200 to have it installed, and I don't think I'd save much more by building another wood pergola one.

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I just don’t understand the appeal of building a pergola in south Louisiana. They offer little to no shade and when it rains, no cover from the elements

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Well I agree in respect to a pergola with no cover. But I'm potentially interested in a pergola with a translucent polycarbonate cover. From my research there are a few different variations but I'm interested in one that would let in about 30% of the light. The goal would be to have a little bit of both worlds in allowing in light but also generating some shade and a cover. I've only got the three windows along the backside of my living area that would all be blocked out by a standard patio cover. Great for reducing energy costs but it would kill any natural light into my living space.

https://sequoiaoutdoorsupply.com/pergola-kits

Sequoia Outdoor Supply in Metairie - They helped design a customer pergola with roof. I bought cedar from them and had French Quarter Fencing do install.

They have great photos on the website, might give you a few ideas.