Pergola

A pergola gives shade without closing in the space. The most common kind on Greek homes is wooden, with posts, beams and close-set slats or reeds on top, but there are also steel and aluminium ones. They often come with wooden latticeLatticeA panel of thin wooden battens crossed in a grid. It is used for screens, for privacy and on pergolas and planters. screens for privacy and with climbing plants.

A wooden pergola lives in the sun and rain, so it needs regular maintenance: cleaning, sandingSandingSmoothing a surface with sandpaper or a power sander to remove bumps, loose old paint or gloss, so the new paint or varnish grips well and comes out smooth. where the old finish has worn, wood preservativeWood preservativeA liquid that soaks into wood and protects it from fungi, rot, woodworm and moisture. It goes on bare wood, usually before varnish or paint. wherever the wood has been left bare, and a fresh coat of exterior varnishVarnishA clear or semi-transparent finish for wood that lets the grain show through and protects it from sun, rain and wear. or paint. The feet of the posts, where water collects, and the joints are the first places to rotWood rotDecay of wood caused by fungi when it stays damp for a long time. Rotten wood goes soft, gives when pressed or crumbles, and can't be saved with paint. and should be checked.

On a roof terraceFlat roof (roof terrace)The flat concrete roof on top of a building. It is the most common kind of roof in Greece and the part that takes the most sun and rain., the pergola's fixings must not pierce the waterproofingWaterproofingThe work and materials that stop water getting through on flat roofs, balconies, bathrooms, basements, planters and tanks. without proper sealing around every base. For large or permanent structures, it is worth checking beforehand what the building's rules and the planning regulations allow.