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Patio Arbors

Mike — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:20:45 +0000

There is always a good season to enjoy your patio. Depending upon the climate in your region of the country, you may benefit from even longer patio enjoyment seasons. What is something that we all need to get more enjoyment from our patio space – shade! The problem is, you don’t want to sacrifice looks strictly for function. All too often, this is exactly what happens. After all, you could simply hang sheets on your patio cover if all you want is shade. Your neighbors wouldn’t be too thrilled and neither would you, most likely.

So, the question is, how can you carve out a little piece of shady heaven in your garden or patio space? One attractive option is with patio arbors. You could consider these both as sculptural pieces in your yard as well as functional places to get a shady seat. Many times you will see an arbor used to support some vines or other flowering plants over a nice patio swing. The same type of set up can be achieved by having a garden bench sitting patiently beneath one of these handsome arbors.

What Types Are There?

A perfect spot to sit and swing beneath a patio arbor.

An arbor may go by several other names, which we will briefly parse out here. On Patio Covers Place, we use the term arbor to describe a wood or metal structure that typically has four posts and a cross-beam ‘roof’. They are much like a pergola, except that they are smaller in size and scale. Occasionally, you will also hear the term trellises used to describe these structures. A patio trellis, in our mind, is more of a two-dimensional structure that is meant to support smaller growing vines and is often mounted up against a wall or fence for added depth and dimension.

A patio arbor can also welcome you into your patio or garden space. They may have an arched roof or top that serve as a door to your space. You might find that they are usually constructed of wood. Because of its ability to be crafted into many styles, wood is an easy choice. Cedar and redwood make excellent choices for their ability to weather to a nice color and also stand up to the elements.

You can care for them by sealing and staining each year for a structure that will last you for years to come. Metal arbors are also available. Wrought iron is making a comeback in many outdoor home and garden designs and features. This will also provide support for your plants and vines, all while adding a nice strength and timeless appearance to your garden space. Whether you choose wood or metal, you really can’t go wrong with either choice of these patio arbors.

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Patio Trellis

Mike — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:54:56 +0000

There is a distinction to be made between the various terms used to describe what are quite similar patio structures. For our purposes here at Patio Covers Place, we will use the terms as described here to discuss these items. You may find that other sites or sources of patio building information use a slightly different nomenclature. In the end, it isn’t critical that there is only one name for something as long as you understand what that item is.

Here, we are talking about the patio trellis. These are nothing more than structures used in a patio or garden space that add dimension, depth and character to the space. Typically, they are constructed of wood, though metal trellises exist as well. In fact, wrought iron trellises or some made with copper can look quite elegant and provide wonderful visual dimension to your space.

A trellis is related to other popular patio structures, the pergola and the arbor. Where we would make the distinction here is that while a pergola is often used as a cover for your patio space, an arbor can be used as a stand-alone structure in a garden space and a trellis is more ‘two-dimensional’. It can certainly be the support for climbing vines and other plants, like both the pergola and arbor as well.

This brings up another term that can be used when talking about such structures, the garden arbor. Garden arbors, are unique in their own right. We would talk about an arbor as a type of smaller pergola. Most pergolas consist of four posts and have beams and a lattice-type roof. They can range in size, but a 10’x10’ pergola could be considered average. A larger arbor could also have four posts, but might be something more like 4’, 6’ or 8’ wide by 2-3’ deep. In other words, you could put a nice garden bench beneath it or have it over your garden or patio entrance. They serve a nice function in this way. Again, like the trellis and pergola, greenery may grow all over it, creating a type of shaded cover all its own.

In the end, don’t get too hung up the name of the patio structure you are wanting. The only way to really find what you want is to do a search. As you are able to refine your search and see the names and pictures of exactly what you are after, then you can make a better decision about it. If that ends up being called a pergola that you want to build, then so be it. If you are looking for more of a ‘background arrangement’, we suggest looking for a suitable patio trellis.

Arbors – Elegant Design Elements for a Patio or Garden

Mike — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:07:49 +0000

There are so many things to like about arbors, that it is hard to pick the first thing that comes to mind. If you are looking for arbor designs browsing the web, then you will come across so many different styles. A garden arbor is a very simple structure, that gives beauty and elegance to any space that is lucky enough to have one.

Even if it is as simple as having an arbor-gate that brings you into your courtyard or patio area, the look and feel is both welcoming and warming. If you have ever experienced this, then you know the feeling. There is just something about walking beneath a vine or flower-covered arbor that brings you into the space you are entering. It makes that space seem like a special place to go.

A great shot of an arbor over a garden bench.

There are different types of arbors, as mentioned. Some are just simple two post and beam structures that have a few stringer beams up top for the support of your greenery. Others are more extravagant creations with many more posts and beams to support a much larger array of flowers and vines. In this respect, an arbor is very similar to a pergola – occasionally the terms are used interchangeably. A pergola is another type of patio cover. Pergolas are usually four post and beam structures with a lattice roof. Often, a pergola is made of wood – though metal and vinyl options are available.

Similar in some respects to the pergola is the gazebo. While the pergola has a more ‘airy’ openness about it, the gazebo is more closed. This is because gazebos have a more formal roof-type structure to them. Like other covers, they can use metal roofing materials or some other traditional type of wooden roof or shingle.

At Patio Covers Place, our preferred choice of wood for outdoor projects is cedar. It is not only a gorgeous looking wood, but has many additional properties that suit it best for outdoor applications. Its ability to age gracefully and be sustainably harvested are two features that immediately come to mind.

Now, there is yet another garden and patio element that confuses this issue – the trellis. A trellis is more of a two dimensional structure, so to speak. Typically, they are made of smaller lumber pieces with lattice work between the ‘posts’. Then, they are often used along fences or as small fences, to allow delicate flowers, vines or other garden herbs and plants to grow on.

The most important thing you can do is find the type of patio or garden structure that will work best in your space. Don’t worry about what it is called. You’ll probably hear many of these names used as synonyms anyway. If you don’t already have a good idea of what you are looking for, you can just browse images online, search in fine home magazines or just look over your fence if you like your neighbors’ ideas. The beauty of this project is that arbors can even be built by hand by the avid DIYer. If you’ve got one in your home, this is a great project to work on.

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