Designing Your Own Custom Pavilion, Pergola, or Gazebo December 3rd, 2019 PennDutch Design How to Design a Shade Structure: 1. Make sure your backyard has enough space 2. Determine how you’re going to use it 3. Choose between wood or vinyl 4. Find a quality installer Designing your own outdoor structure makes your backyard feel like home, and your home feel a little more like you. While we have a huge variety of in-stock outdoor structures, you may have very specific needs or a particular idea in mind of what you want your structure to look like. With our online design tool, you can design a custom pavilion, gazebo, or pergola with the exact specifications and features you want. We have all the resources you need to create the backyard of your dreams. Why Design Your Own Custom Pavilion, Gazebo, or Pergola? Space Many customers come to us looking to fill a specific space in their backyard. Whether you’re adding a pergola to your existing deck or patio, or simply looking for a gazebo that fits snugly in your garden, selecting the right size structure is crucial. While we have a wide variety of in-stock structures at every size, the ability to build your own custom structure will make sure that it’s the perfect fit for your space. Style Outdoor structures are a significant purchase, and just like a wedding dress or a nice suit, you want your custom shade structure to be tailored to you. With a variety of dimensions, colors, and add-ons, you can create a structure that’s unique to you and your space. You’ll never have to worry that your backyard will look just like your neighbor’s. Cost When you build a custom shade structure, you only pay for what you want. There’s no need to buy a higher-cost package just for one feature you like. Going custom also means that you can add all the extras you can dream of, like additional electrical receptacles, screens, and cupolas. Designing your own pavilion, gazebo, or pergola gets you the best bang for your buck. How to Design a Custom Shade Structure Thanks to our online design tool, creating a custom-built pavilion, pergola, or gazebo doesn’t have to be stressful. We’ve broken the process down into five steps of customization that will help you design the perfect shade structure for your yard. 1. Style & Shape The style of your structure will be one of the biggest decisions you make when designing a custom shade structure. Depending on what structure you’re planning, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Pavilions We offer pavilions in both wood and vinyl. While both are durable and relatively low-maintenance, one may be a better fit for you. Wood is a beautiful, natural option, but it requires annual maintenance to clean and re-stain the exterior of the structure. Vinyl requires little-to-no upkeep, but has limited color and texture options. We offer six base pavilion styles so you can find a structure shape that compliments your home and any other structures on your property: Vinyl Traditional Hampton Grand Estate Wood Traditional Alpine Grand Estate Pergolas Just like with pavilions, there are a number of styles to choose from for the base of your pergola. First, you’ll need to choose whether you’d like a wood or vinyl pergola. While it requires more maintenance, wood is a popular choice for its natural beauty. We also offer four base pergola styles to start with: Vinyl Traditional Artisan Wood Traditional Artisan Cedar Gazebos Gazebos also come in wood and vinyl. Because of the wide range of uses for gazebos, we offer four different shapes: Vinyl Octagon Oval Rectangle Decagon Wood Octagon Oval Rectangle Decagon We also have two different railing styles to choose from when building your custom gazebo: Country Colonial 2. Size Size is one of the biggest considerations to take into account when designing a custom shade structure. It’s also one of the main reasons why people choose to go custom in order to fit a structure into their existing space. Check out the size ranges we offer for each structure to find one that fits your landscape. Pavilions The smallest custom-sized pavilion we make is 10’x10’. The largest sizes we offer are 24’x24’ and 20’x28’. Pergolas We offer a number of pergola sizes from 8’x12’ to 16’x20’. Gazebos Our gazebo sizes are dependent on shape. The smallest custom gazebos are our 8’x8’ octagons, and there are unique sizes every few feet up to 30’x30’ dodecagons. 3. Roofing & Flooring Roofing and flooring are two big decisions when it comes to designing a custom-built pavilion, pergola, or gazebo. Most customers look for a mix of durability and design. Pavilions If you’re looking for a durable and long-lasting pavilion, you’ll need to select an appropriate roof. Here are the options you can choose from: No Roofing Asphalt Shingles Rubber Slate 5V Metal Standing Seam Metal Once you’ve selected your roofing type, you’ll need to select a color. Based on your material selection, you’ll have up to sixteen potential options: Dual Gray Aged Redwood Charcoal Gray Driftwood Dual Black Dual Brown Earthtone Cedar Rivera Red Forest Green Harvard Slate National Blue Weatherwood Green Red Blue Bronze Pergolas By default, our pergolas come with a classic slatted rooftop. If you’d like a shadier space or want to use your pergola to grow vine plants, you may opt to add a lattice roof to your custom pergola. Gazebos There are also a number of roofing options to consider when building a custom gazebo: No Roofing Asphalt Shingles Rubber Slate 5V Metal Standing Seam Metal Cedar Shakes Depending on your roofing material, you can select from up to seventeen options: Dual Gray Aged Redwood Charcoal Gray Driftwood Dual Black Dual Brown Earthtone Cedar Rivera Red Forest Green Harvard Slate National Blue Weatherwood Green Red Blue Bronze Cedar 4. Color Color is often a reason why customers opt to design their own shade structure rather than buying one in stock. The color options for our wood and vinyl custom pavilions, pergolas, and gazebos are as follows: Wood Unfinished Stained: Cedar, Canyon Brown, Cinder, and Mahogany Painted: White or Almond Vinyl White or Almond 5. Extras & Add-ons Depending on the structure and style options you choose, you can select from a number of add-ons for your custom structure. Post & Railing Styles Pavilions and pergolas can be designed with a variety of different post thicknesses from 5”x5” to 10”x10”. While all post thicknesses boast the same sturdiness, one may better suit the style of your home and landscaping better. If you’re designing a custom gazebo, you’ll be able to choose the style of your railing spokes. Vinyl options include Country and Colonial, while wood options include Dutch and New England. Just like with post styles, all of these railings are sturdy and durable, but one may be a better fit with the design of your home. If you prefer a more airy look, you can opt for turned posts and no bottom rails on your gazebo. Cupolas Cupolas are small extensions that can add character and charm to your custom shade structure. Our cupolas are available for both pavilions and gazebos. The styles available depend on the overall style of the structure. They can also be bought separately as an add-on later. Electrical If you plan on using your structure for entertaining, you can add an electrical package to your custom build. The package comes with one receptacle, and you can add on additional receptacles to each of the main posts of your structure. Additional Gazebo Options Victorian braces can add a touch of class to a simple gazebo. If you’re looking for additional protection from sun, weather, and insects, you may want to select a screen package or VinyLite windows. You can also add Amish-built benches or a screened floor if you desire. 6. Requesting a Quote Once you’ve designed the custom structure of your dreams, you can get a quote with one click. One of our designers will take a look at what you’ve created and provide you with a price and any concerns or considerations to think about. When you’re ready, they’ll bring your custom-built structure to life, and deliver it to your home so you can enjoy it for years to come! Ready to start designing your custom pavilion, gazebo, or pergola? Try our online design tool and transform your backyard with a new outdoor structure!
