Very likely, you love having family and friends over for casual get-togethers, barbeques, special occasions, or simply hanging out among your beautiful landscaping. But depending on your sun exposure in your backyard, navigating the sun’s rays can prevent you from maximizing your enjoyment. If you’re experiencing sunlight that can at times be blinding or perhaps sunlight that’s simply too hot or too direct, depending on the time of day, you may find yourself considering one or more shade structures, such as a gazebo, in the Northport, NY, area.
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Shade structures can help give you more options for optimizing your enjoyment of your backyard. There are a number of different types of shade structures available that can serve both functional and aesthetic purposes. If you’re debating what suits you best among shade structure options, here’s a brief breakdown of some options that might help.
Gazebo
A gazebo can offer both protection and privacy for outdoor living spaces as well as provide greater flexibility when it comes to location. These shade structures typically have a closed roof but open walls which allows you and your guests to reap the benefits of being outside, while at the same time having some measure of protection against excessive sunlight or inclement weather. Because the flooring of a gazebo is typically separate from the ground—a gazebo’s flooring is typically either wood or stone—gazebos can be placed practically anywhere you like in your backyard.
Aesthetically, gazebos can make for a stunning focal point in your backyard. They can anchor both your landscape layout as well as people’s general attention. And when you add landscape lighting to the mix, a shade structure that’s beautiful and functional during the day can become luminous and decorative at night.
Pavilion
Like the gazebo, a pavilion has open walls and a closed roof that allows you to enjoy the outdoors while still being protected from the sun or rain. A pavilion has beams and a roof but isn’t connected to a floor. If you already have a patio, for example, and are looking for a shade structure, a pavilion is a good option to explore. This structure would provide an excellent gathering place for you to sit with a drink and relax or have a full-blown dinner party.
Pergola
Pergolas are another popular choice for shade structures. Pergolas have open walls and a semi-open roof, and some (louvered pergolas) offer flexibility depending on the sun’s brightness on a particular day or time of day. The roof is composed of horizontal beams that are able to segment and deflect sunlight throughout the day. Their unique structure helps keep more of the sun out of your eyes, while at the same time providing some shelter and shade for you and your guests.
Pergolas epitomize simplicity in form and flexibility in function. Pergolas can come in practically any size, depending on your yard size and needs. They can be big enough to cover a dining area, an outdoor kitchen, or simply a place to lounge and relax. They can be small enough for one to two people to hang out, read, or enjoy the view.
Those are only three of many shade structure options. Your ideal solution will likely come down to a number of key factors, but two that will likely stand out are: what kind of exposure your backyard gets from the sun and how you want to use your backyard space.
Related: HOW TO CREATE AN OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE CENTERED AROUND A GAZEBO IN OLD WESTBURY AND SETAUKET, NY
