Pergolas may require some additional maintenance. However, the beauty and additional entertaining space that a pergola will add will have you enjoying your yard for years to come.

Prepping Your Pergolas for Spring

You’ve been working on your yard, and it’s looking incredible. You properly prepared your yard for the winter season, and it shows. The sun is shining, the grass is mowed, and the weeds are pulled. You can feel the warmer weather creeping up and are so excited to better utilize your outdoor space this season.

If outdoor entertaining is your goal, a pergola may just be the perfect solution. A pergola can be used as an extension of your living space, ultimately increasing the amount of time you may spend outside. Depending on where the pergola is placed in your yard, you may receive enough shade to perfectly accompany a warm afternoon, or you may need to have a retractable shade cover installed for more sun protection.

What exactly is a pergola you may be wondering? Pergolas are best known as an outdoor garden feature that oftentimes has an open lattice and support cross beams and is used as either a shaded walkway or outdoor seating area. People love the additional seating space and the overall improved appearance in the backyard making pergolas a coveted backyard addition.

Depending upon the materials used, pergolas may require some additional maintenance. However, the beauty and additional entertaining space that a pergola will add will have you enjoying your yard for years to come.

Assessment Of Your Pergola

Just as you would assess your back deck after the winter months, it’s important to assess your pergola before the warmer weather begins. A well-treated pergola that is cleaned regularly, stained and sealed has a 10-12 year life expectancy whereas an untreated pergola has a much shorter lifespan.

You will need to check your pergola regularly to do your own personal assessment of its condition. Is there damage from the snowpack? Check the wood for insect infestations or rot and look to see if the pergola could use some stain or finish. With too much damage, some pergolas will need to be replaced but the majority of pergolas can be saved with proper care, regular assessments and being stained and sealed before the winter months strike.

Cleaning Your Pergola

During your assessment you may notice that during the winter months your pergola became quite dirty. It’s important to take the time to clean your pergola to prepare it for entertaining and the warmer months. Pre-rinse the inside of your pergola with a garden house to reduce both debris and dust. Be sure to clean the surface of the wood by applying a deck cleaner that was specifically created to remove algae buildup from the wood or any mold or mildew that may have accumulated.

LEARN MORE: Pergolas Design And Installation Services

Additionally use a pressure washer on a low setting to continue to remove any dirt or grime that may have built up in small cracks and crevices. Another option to this method is to sand the surface of the pergola to clean up any remaining dirt. Once you are done with all of the cleaning steps, rinse your pergola with clean water and let it dry completely to avoid any new mold or mildew buildup.

Repairing Damaged Areas

You’ve now assessed your pergola after the winter! It’s time to repair any damage that you may have discovered before you begin to use it during the warmer weather months. What does the damage entail? If the damage is structural such as a broken gutter, or post, it’s important to replace any damaged pieces of the wood as well as any worn components such as brackets, clamps, additional hardware, any gaps or cracks that may need to be sealed and also simply making sure all screws on the pergola have been tightened correctly.

Uneven surfaces can be sanded down and new paint and stains can be applied to protect the wood. Lastly, be sure to check for any insect infestations so they can be treated appropriately and will not continue to cause any additional damage.

Preparing For Climbing Plants & Vines

Another nice feature about pergolas is that they can be aesthetically customized to your liking. With that being said, some people prefer their pergolas to have more of a simple aesthetic created from wood. Other pergolas that you may see might be training grounds for both climbing plants and vines. If you do have a pergola that has plant growth, you will need to trim any plants that have become overgrown back to your desired length, as well as to prune away any bare branches or foliage that has died to encourage new growth once we reach the spring season. If necessary, you can also treat any vines that need to be treated with insecticides.

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You can also refresh your look by planting new plants and vines if anything needs replacing as well as setting up new arches and trellises with support stakes if needed. Before you know it, you will have a new focal point in your garden.

Perfect Pergolas

While maintenance always does require a little more time and effort, it always pays off in the end. Be sure to prep your pergola for the spring season by making sure that no repairs are needed. When you assess the condition of your pergola, you can bring it up to spring standards which will keep it in amazing shape throughout the warm weather months.

Maintenance is always important with any yard project and can be seen as a more manageable task if we do minor check-ins and maintenance throughout the year..

Big Rock Landscaping loves pergolas! By starting with designs early in the process, the team at Big Rock works tirelessly to develop and maintain your perfect backyard. We have the best artistic tools, professional resources, and design expertise as well as installation and maintenance services in both commercial and residential areas across the Wasatch Front. With professionalism, an artistic eye, and attention to detail Big Rock Landscaping can help with every stage of the landscaping process. Whatever your vision, Big Rock Landscaping offers the most amazing pergolas.

Contact Big Rock Landscaping today to bring your pergola dreams to reality.