You, your family and friends will undoubtedly spend endless hours of fun under your pergola. While timber pergolas tend to require very little maintenance, to ensure that it continues to be a fun-filled venue for years to come, here are some maintenance tips.
Make Cleaning a Habit
Dirt and grime can build up over time and accelerate the wear-and-tear of your structure. Wash your pergola when you feel like it needs it, especially those nooks and crannies where dust and other substances tend to collect. You do not need to use special cleaners to do this; water and some mild soap should do be enough. You may need to dislodge any dirt or grime that has built up and for this you can use a cleaning brush with soft bristles.
Pay Attention to Cooking Areas
If you cook under your pergola, pay special attention to the areas where you place your stove or barbie. You will notice that spills, spatters and slime abound where you do a lot of cooking. You may have to buy some grease cleaner such as baking soda, concentrated dish soap or lemon oil. But besides this all you need is a metal brush and some muscle.
Look above the area where your stove or grill sits, and you may notice on the ceiling some residue from smoke. You can use the same cleaners to scrub off any discolouration and leave your dining space looking shining, shimmering and splendid.
Keep Plants at Bay
Plants are great to have in your pergola. Decorating the structure with vines is especially popular. If you have adorned your pergola with crawling flora, you need to realise that as the vines grow, they also add more weight and may stress the pergola frame. Regularly trim away old growth to spare your pergola from the burden of carrying additional weight and help prolong its life. Doing this also encourages the plant to sprout new growth.
If It’s Broke — Fix It!
Even with the utmost care for your pergola, unexpected things may happen that damage its structure — really bad weather can break a tree limb and strong winds can send it crashing through, or a part of the structure can be subject to unforeseen damage. Whatever the case, you need to repair or replace the damaged section as soon as possible. Otherwise, even more damage may result as the rest of the structure takes on the weight-bearing function of the damaged area.
Paint is your friend
If you have a roof on your pergola and it’s painted you likely won’t need to repaint it for a very long time. However you should be aware of the excellent protection that paint affords timber against the elements. If there are any parts of your structure that are unpainted, add a coat or two and rest easy knowing that your structure is well protected.
Keep your pergola in excellent shape, clean regularly and make needed repairs immediately, and your outdoor living structure will serve you well for years and years to come.
