As summer approaches, our thoughts naturally turn to spending as much time outside as possible, and why not? Colorado has some of the best weather conditions in the country, with warm, bright days and cool, comfortable evenings. We want to make the most of these ideal conditions by turning to our backyards, oases of pleasure in our busy lives.

One of the best ways to take advantage of your backyard retreat is to give it focus and purpose with a pergola. Recently, Eric Veronesi of the DeckTec team gave us a few minutes to talk about the ageless beauty and function of owning a pergola.

“I have a pergola on the back of my house,” said Eric. “It’s south-facing and cuts down on the sun with pretty tightly spaced beams, and in the middle of the summer the space is definitely cooler.” He said that this shade, while not as totally weather resistant as a covered deck, provides a nice amount shade and air circulation.

Other benefits of pergolas that Eric pointed out include:

• Creating focal points in a garden, giving you beauty as well as practicality in sun management
• Making walkways between detached garages and houses or guided paths for visitors to your property, for safety as well as beauty
• Pergolas also support vining and food plants, like grapes, for compact gardening.

“Over all, I’ve been pretty happy with my pergola,” said Eric.

In history, the first pergolas date back approximately 3000 years, and while their popularity wanes and grows, they never seem to disappear from our landscapes. In Renaissance times, the Italians became responsible for the pergola’s resurgence in popularity, and that popularity continues today. Although the materials we use in our yards may be different from the marble columns of those times, the effect remains impressive.

We asked Eric if he thought constructing a pergola would make a good weekend, do-it-yourself kind of project. After all the structure seems simple enough—four posts with beams and crossbars overhead. It is a straight-forward concept.

“I know you can buy a pergola kit at Costco,” he replied. “But you still need to adhere to building codes and whatnot, so it’s not really a quick slap-it-together kind of project. And if this is going to be attached to the house you definitely want to know what you’re doing.”

Some of the other considerations you need to be aware of include things like:

• Building permits
• Homeowner Association approval
• Proper construction standards (like the fact that for each pergola post you put in you need at least a three-foot deep hole dug and filled with cement to hold the post in place)
• Size of materials in that pergola posts are generally no less than ten feet long, which you will not only need to transport home or have delivered, but also be able to carry and place them properly for a level and balanced finished project.

If a DIY isn’t on your list of fun things to do, DeckTec can help. “Right now, we’re filled with projects until August,” said Eric, “But that still gives you plenty of summertime to enjoy with a new pergola. And you can start planting for perennial vines to grow next spring.”

Generally, when DeckTec builds a pergola, the project lasts about three or four days, depending, said Eric, on inspector approvals, but overall it’s a pretty quick project.

And the cost is generally very reasonable too. “I think a homeowner should budget about $28 to $30 per square foot for a pergola project,” Eric said.

And if you need help designing the space that best fits your backyard, the experts at DeckTec will help. Take a look at some of our designs, then give us a call: 303.277.1550. Eric or one of the other great design experts will be happy to come out and give you the guidance you may need to make your yard a special retreat with the ancient architectural interest of your own pergola.