Pergola Reviews That Hold Up to Real Weather

Look up your county's design wind speed in the ASCE 7-22 wind hazard tool or check your local building code. Most of central US needs 90-110 mph. Coastal Florida, Louisiana, Texas Gulf and the Outer Banks need 130-180 mph. If your contractor cannot tell you the rated wind speed of the kit, treat it as 50 mph and assume it will not survive a hurricane.

Powder-coated aluminum will outlast wood by 3-5x in any climate that sees rain, salt or freeze-thaw cycles. Wood looks better the first year, aluminum looks better every year after.

Properly engineered ones (Renson, Hanso, Sorara, Luxury) have integrated gutters in the rafters and corner downspouts. Cheaper kits skip the gutter system -- water pools and drips through the louver gaps.

DIY aluminum kit on existing concrete: 6-10 hours. Pro-installed louvered system with new footings: 2-3 days. Custom wood pavilion with electrical: 1-2 weeks.

Only specific models. Renson Camargue Sky, Sorara louvered series in storm spec, and Luxury Pergola with deep footings are engineered for 130+ mph. Always ask for the specific ICC-ES report number or local code approval before assuming.

To louvered systems -- yes, if your installer specs the rafters for the added dead load. To standard kits -- not safely; the spans are not engineered for panel weight plus wind uplift.