Poolside Shade Structures

Having the perfect place to relax post-dip, reducing sun exposure and providing cooling shade after a dip in the pool makes for a great day by the pool. Thoughtfully designed poolside shade structures allow you to extend the hours you’re able to laze by the pool, adding style and versatile year-round outdoor living space. With so many options to choose from, which poolside ideas are right for your home and family?

Less Expensive Options

Shade Sails

Shade sails, sometimes called sun shades, feature a triangle-shaped fabric with eyelets for anchoring to nearby trees or structures with twine or rope. They’re easy to install but just as easily destroyed by Denver’s gusty mountain winds, making a small pergola a far more reliable investment.

Canvas Awnings

Canvas awnings are held aloft by metal frames, extending from above nearby windows and doors or attached to buildings. They offer more reliable shade and rain protection than a shade sail, but their larger size and more intricate design make them costlier to install than shade sails. Like shade sails, awnings also easily become damaged by strong wind and break down quickly in the harsh mountain sunlight, requiring frequent maintenance and replacement.

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Traditional Wood Gazebos and Pergolas

Traditional wood shade structures are another popular choice poolside. They come in two styles:

Open roof
Traditional wood poolside pergola designs typically feature a lattice roof supported by wooden columns. They are often topped with vines and greenery, offering an open, airy feel – but not enough sun or rain protection.

Solid roof
Permanently closed structures like wooden gazebos, pergolas, and pavilions provide reliable, full-time shade and rain protection and partial outdoor views. However, they limit ventilation on summer’s hottest days and offer no access to the sun’s warmth in cooler weather.

All wood shelter styles require frequent staining or painting to prevent rot and pest infestation, especially with poolside moisture and chemical exposure. Expansive designs can be costly, and replacement is unavoidable.

Poolside Pergolas

Adjustable aluminum pergolas give you climate control options that fixed roof designs cannot. With a louvered roof pergola, you can enjoy fast access to sun, shade, shelter, or added ventilation at the touch of a button. Create your ideal poolside setting. Adjust louvers up to 170 degrees or slide them fully closed for leak-free rain protection, turning your deck into an all-weather usable space. The fully extruded powder-coated aluminum construction of StruXure pergolas stands up to hurricane-force winds, snow, hail, harsh sunlight, insects, salt, and pool chemicals without peeling, denting, warping, or rotting. Unlike the high-maintenance wood patio shelters, they last a lifetime, providing lasting enjoyment with minimal care.

Pergola Design Styles and Features

The right pergola design can turn a barren pool deck into a stylish, multifunctional space. Highlight your architecture or outdoor theme with a small, portable 10×10 pergola or an expansive, multi-zone pergola system custom designed to hang over your pool. Create a more traditional design with faux-wood wrap and custom-cut ends, integrate architectural columns for flair, or keep it modern and sleek with a white, black, beige, bronze, adobe, gray, or custom-colored pergola designed to complement your décor. StruXure offers a variety of sizes and design options to meet your needs.

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Add Functional, Usable Patio Space that Works Beyond Swimming Season

Some of the best poolside shelters double as year-round outdoor living spaces. When you design your pergola, thinking beyond the summer swimming season ensures plentiful opportunities for backyard enjoyment, like weekend barbecues, dinner parties, and family get-togethers – or opportunities to sip a drink, read a book, or watch a game or movie by yourself or with a loved one. Incorporating the right amenities ensures usable space that functions even when the pool is closed. StruXure makes it easier than ever to outfit your poolside pergola with built-in:

• Lighting
• Ceiling fans and infrared patio heaters
• Motorized screens and curtains
• Outdoor TVs and speakers
• Automated rain, wind, and freeze sensors

Turn Your Poolside Pergola Ideas Into Reality

Don’t get burned by inferior patio cover solutions. Contact StruXure Denver at 303-500-6669 for a complimentary design consultation today.

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