When looking for your perfect outdoor structure, this is always one of the top questions. The most popular materials for pergolas are wood, aluminum, vinyl, and fiberglass. They all have their benefits and their weaknesses, and they all have a different style aesthetic to consider as well. But when we are talking about the strongest and longest lasting pergolas, the consensus is going to be that an aluminum pergola is going to be the big winner.
Now hear me out – aluminum structures have a solid rep for low maintenance, longevity and high strength. So while aluminum is often heralded to be the best material for a pergola, there are exceptions! A low-quality aluminum pergola can actually be one of the worst pergolas to buy for your home.
Cheaper aluminum pergolas available on Amazon, Wayfair etc. are often cheap for a reason. They use light grades of aluminum, poor designs and cheap hardware to construct. Which for you means they can have a very short lifespan and, in some cases, be downright dangerous.
So how do you know what to look for to make sure you are investing in an outdoor structure you can enjoy for years? There are a lot of factors to look at including customer service, customizations, features, colors, how long the company has been around, where the pergolas are manufactured, and more but there are 3 big components that can tell you a lot about a pergola in a very short time.
Those 3 criteria are wind ratings, snow load ratings and warranty.
Why are those three components important? The better all three of those specs are, the better the materials used and the better engineered the design is, which in turn, will give you a stronger and longer lasting pergola!
Pergola wind ratings are important because you want your structure to be able to survive the storms mother nature throws at it. Not to mention some locations are just prone to strong regular winds, whether from the open plains, along the coast or up on a bluff, having a structure strong enough to withstand the wear and tear of wind is important in keeping yourself and your family safe or having your structure take lift off to the neighbor’s house.
Even popular models like Sorara or Hanso have mediocre wind ratings. With ratings only in the 70s – it provides good strength for every day, but 70mph winds can also be a run of the mill thunderstorm here in the Midwest. And if you live on the coast or are prone to hurricanes, then you know that won’t cut it.
PurpleLeaf, another popular online brand, showed a rating of only 40-45mph. With ratings that low, that could be a danger to your family and neighbors.
Higher end aluminum pergolas are going to surpass 100mph with their wind ratings. For example, a Heartland Pergola anchored into a wood deck has a wind rating of 115mph while a Heartland Pergola anchored into concrete and using our hurricane clips has a wind rating of 150mph – meaning they can weather a category 3 or category 4 hurricane!
If you live in the sunny South, consider yourself lucky to not have to worry about how much 12 inches of snow weighs…but for a good swath of the country some snow is inevitable. As snow falls and accumulates on the top of your structure, added weight and force can stress your pergola. Making sure your structure can hold a fair amount of snow is important. Some of the above-mentioned pergolas only give you 5, 8 or 14lbs per square foot.
Heartland Pergolas have been wet stamped in some states for as high as 85lbs per square foot. So those in Michigan, Montana, New York – all known for their high snowfalls, can rest assured your structure will hold steady.
If you are choosing an aluminum pergola with open/close louvers, you also need to be mindful that many of these brands stipulate that they MUST be open during windstorms or snow, otherwise they will your warranty to be void! That could be bad news if you are away from home when a pop-up storm comes rolling in.
The last criteria you should check out when making a quick comparison is the warranty length and coverage. Some warranties are as short as 1 year while others give you 5-10 years. Still some quality structures will extend out to a Lifetime Warranty!
You also must carefully check what the warranty covers, on many pergolas with automated features such as automatic open/close louvers and shades, the warranty for the automated portion may be different or far less than the structural portion. Other changes or additions to your pergola can also void your warranty.
For example, with Hanso, something some homeowners run into is that the pergolas height runs a little shorter than others on the market. People try to work around this by installing them on top of a landscape column. However, a typical landscape column height wouldn’t require the full-size post to be used, but you can’t cut your posts down to the height desired as that will void your warranty.
PurpleLeaf states they are not compatible with fire pits underneath their structures and can void your warranty.
No pergola will be perfect in all areas, but safety should be high on your priority list. From there, weighing the price against factors like features, design, and warranty may look different to different people depending on what your needs are. But be inquisitive about what you’re purchasing and how it aligns with what is important to you. That’s the best way to make sure you get the quality you expect for your outdoor living space.
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Have questions? We want you to love your structure. Get genuine help and information to make you make an informed decision about your pergola purchase.
Heartland Pergolas are a high-quality aluminum framework pergola made of thick structurally sound aluminum and sleeved with our premium vinyl for superior strength and low maintenance. Our materials are strong enough to be used in commercial applications with stamped engineered drawings to back our design, yet elegant and moderately priced to be used for residential outdoor spaces. Give us a call and let us help you design your outdoor oasis!
If you can’t find what you’re looking for please give us a quick call at 563-345-6745 or use our chat box in the bottom left corner of your screen!
