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.
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!
Videos showing our installation process, from beginning to end.
How the blueprints for our pergolas get made.
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Over the years, it's common to find some questions that come up again and again. Scroll through the question and answer bank on the right, and if your questions aren't answered by the end, you can get in touch using the phone number below!
What questions can we assist you with? Call us at (563) 345-6745 or click the button below.
The dimensions of a Heartland Pergola refer to the width and depth of the pergola's roof. The pergola roof will include the beams and rafters, and on a traditional style pergola, will extend past the posts of your pergola.
For an example, a 14' x 14' pergola means that the overhead roof dimensions are 14' x 14'.
To figure out post spacing you will want to look at the specific CAD drawing for the pergola size you are looking for. Noting that a typical traditional style pergola will be built with the posts inset one foot from the end of your beams. Modern pergolas will NOT have an overhang.
Tip while planning - if your patio space is 14' x 14', most homeowners will opt to go a size larger on a Traditional Style Pergola so that the overhang of the pergola roof extends past the edge of your patio, rather than stopping even with it. A 14' x 14' patio would benefit from installing a 16' x 16' pergola (or greater) for optimum sun coverage.
We have the best of both worlds!
Aluminum base structure for extreme durability and strength paired with a vinyl exterior that makes your pergola maintenance super easy!
Many vinyl pergolas on the market are going to have no reinforcement or internal reinforcement by wood. Over time, that wood will rot, warp and sag. The aluminum inserts of Heartland Pergolas ensure that is never an issue for your pergola. It's a solid structure, easy to maintain and will last you for decades! We are so confidant in that fact that we offer a Lifetime Warranty.
You can purchase any of our pergola kits or eyebrow pergolas online through our website or order by calling in (563-345-6745) and talking to our sales team. If you are ordering a pergola with customizations outside of our pergola design tool, custom sizes or configurations, you will want to purchase by speaking with our team over the phone/email.
Upon ordering, either via our website or through our sales staff you will receive a docusign document emailed to you detailing all your options and pergola specs to sign off on before we send your pergola to fabrication.
Due to the custom nature of our product, we cannot accept returns. All pergola kits are made to order specifically for your space and requirements. We recommend you work directly with our team to discuss all potential site, climate, and installation requirements before you make your purchase to ensure that you get exactly the materials that you need.
We want you to be happy with your purchase, if there is a problem just reach out and we will work with you to make it right.
It doesn’t happen often but if you do find something missing or damaged, we will replace it immediately.
For all orders in the continental US, shipping is already included!
If you live outside of the continental US and would like a quote on shipping, please contact Elizabeth for a shipping quote!
Each kit will come with the corresponding instruction manual for that pergola. It will list step-by-step how to install, what tools are needed and show diagrams for the installation. You will also get your related CAD drawing for your pergola as well.
You are welcome to download the digital version of our instruction manuals ahead of time if you want to take a look at the process first!
We also have installation videos available 24/7 playable from YouTube Play List. Our Video Installation series will break down each step into a short video so you can see exactly how each step is completed.
VINYL AND ALUMINUM STRUCTURES LIMITED WARRANTY
Subject to the conditions and limitations listed herein, Heartland Pergolas warrants its vinyl structures to be free from defective workmanship and materials and, when subject to normal and proper use, against surface peeling, rot, structural damage from termites, splitting, flaking, rusting, and blistering, abnormal weathering or abnormal discoloration.
We have many customers who go the DIY route to install their pergola! If you have some basic building experience and knowledge with some simple tools, you can build a pergola.
We provide you with written installation instructions, video tutorials online, and the best customer service you can get!
You can watch our videos ahead of time to see if you feel comfortable working with the tools and materials needed to build your pergola. Our Installation Videos are divided up into short step-by-step clips that are to the point and show you exactly how each part is completed.
General guidelines for DIYers:
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