TRANSFORMING HOMES SINCE 2007
PART OF THE EXPRESS GROUP
DEDICATED SUPPLY & INSTALL SERVICE

Pergola Frequently Asked Questions

As these high technology outdoor solutions are new to the UK we’ve pulled together our most commonly asked questions to help you understand how to prepare for the products, the power requirements and how to maintain them once installed.

General FAQ's

What does bioclimatic mean?

Bioclimatic essentially means a pergola with a electronically controlled roof. The roof louvres can be rotated, opened and closed to suit the weather.

What’s the difference between a fixed and bioclimatic pergola?

A bioclimatic pergola has a remotely operated roof where the louvres can open, close and be rotated. A fixed pergola has the roof louvres in a fixed position, so they essentially offer shade protection as opposed to rain protection.

What are the pergolas made from?

All our pergolas are manufactured solely from extruded aluminium profiles.

Are the bioclimatic pergolas waterproof?

Yes, but because the pergolas are always exposed to the natural elements 100% of the time and the open sizes are not fully weather tight it is inevitable that at some point some water will get into the pergola but with the bioclimatic roof closed the pergolas are essentially waterproof.

Do you need planning permission for a pergola?

No, because a pergola is classed as a temporary structure.

What does the pergola sit on?

A pergola can weight up to 1000kg so each leg of our pergola will need to sit on a concrete footing that is at least 150mm deep. In many instances if the pergola is going into a grass area, then a concreate pad or foundation will need to be put down for the pergola to sit on. The pad can then be dressed with flags, tiles or decking to create a stunning new space. The pergolas can sit on decking but would still require a solid foundation for each post.

What maintenance is required?

The pergolas will need a simple clean down two times a year. If the pergola is a marine environment or above a swimming more maintenance is required.

The guttering system within the pergola needs to be kept clear of leaves and debris, if the gutter gets blocked water will pool within the gutter and it won’t drain properly.

We offer a full clean down and service option.

Will Express put down a foundation for the pergola?

Yes, if you don’t have a builder, we can use a third part to put down a substrate for our pergola to sit on.

Are the pergolas set sizes?

No, we can offer bespoke solutions to suit your specific requirements.

Electrical FAQ's

Do you need a power point for the pergolas to operate?

A fixed pergola does not need power connecting to it but as soon as you add LED lights, heating systems or the bioclimatic motor then we will need power to operate the pergola.

What are the power requirements for the bioclimatic pergolas?

We recommend a 16 amp power source, this is enough to power a heater and all the extras we offer with our pergolas. We will run the power to an independent fuse board that can then be connected to your homes power source.

Can the Pergolas link to a home automation system

Yes, our pergolas come with Somfy Tahoma as standard which can easily be connected to a home automation system. Once installed you download an APP and the pergola can be controlled from there.

What are the LED light options?

We can place LED lights in the roof louvres, we recommend every four 4 louvres other wise the lights can become too bright.

We can conceal LED lights within the pergolas internal transom so the whole of the pergola benefits from ambient lighting.

We offer perimeter lighting which is similar to the above but not concealed.

If the pergola has six legs we can offer LED strips in the central legs.

All LED’s come with a dim feature as standard.

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Contact / Visit

Get in touch by phone or email or if you'd like to meet, you can visit one of our Leeds showroom