When decorating your outdoor living area, both pergolas and gazebos are a fantastic way to enhance your outdoor space. However, not many people understand the difference between the two structures since both are open, rest upon columns, and come in various sizes.
In today’s guide, we’ll discuss the difference between a gazebo and a pergola and which one you should choose when remodeling your backyard.
What Is a Pergola?
Pergolas are open-air, outdoor structures that consist of pillars supporting a partially open roof system. The roof system is usually structured to allow air and sun to filter through, offering partial shade. Due to this, pergolas don’t offer as much weather protection, and they’re not really great for seating areas during the colder weather.
They can be designed as freestanding structures or structures that are attached and supported by a primary structure (like a home) on one or more of its sides. It’s important to note that most pergolas are built over preexisting floor structures or surfaces, such as decks, patios, and even paved surfaces in your backyard space.
What Is a Gazebo?
Just like a pergola, a gazebo is a standalone structure that consists of pillars supporting a roof. However, unlike the pergola, the gazebo roof design is completely closed, offering much better protection from any weather conditions.
The solid roof offers protection from the sun, as well as from rain and snow, something that a pergola can’t do. The gazebo can have partially closed or completely open sides, which allows plenty of airflow during hot summer days.
Gazebos are garden structures built on their own floor system, which often raises them above ground level. It’s also not outside the realm of possibilities for gazebos to have built-in seating, an outdoor kitchen, and even a fire pit.
Gazebos also come in plenty of different configurations, such as rectangular or octagonal, and as such, they tend to be more expensive to make, even if you’re DIY-ing the project.
Differences Between Pergolas and Gazebos
While both structures provide shade and shelter for lounging to a varying degree, both of these also complement your home and add value to the property. However, there are some key differences between the two structures.
The main difference between the two is the roof structure: pergolas have partially open roof systems, while gazebos have closed roofs. Another difference lies in the fact that most pergolas (not all) are usually adjacent to the home and built on an adjacent deck or a patio
On the other hand, gazebos are completely separate outdoor living spaces that tend to be more robust and durable, as well as more protective.
Which Option to Choose
There are really no right or wrong answers when it comes to choosing between pergolas and gazebos. The choice between the two really comes down to how you want your outdoor area to look like.
If you’re looking for someone to build your pergola or a gazebo, Atlantic Outdoors offers affordable and reliable services to homeowners. We also provide financing options so you can build a custom outdoor area without any budgetary constraints.
