Innovative pergolas provide shade and shelter

Serene summer afternoons under a pergola (a distinctive overhead arbor open to the sky) just became more carefree. Walpole Woodworkers, Walpole, Mass., a manufacturer of home products, has joined forces with ShadeFX Canopies, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to introduce Shade Pergolas, a beautiful combination of soaring pergola shape and automated retractable canopy.

The open-topped pergola shape allows growth of climbing plants and flowers, but also allows UV rays, rain and the occasional visiting spider. Shade Pergolas give outdoor environments the best of all possible worlds—that traditional look with a retractable awning that is waterproof, wind-proof and fade resistant. Shade Pergolas can be designed to cover large areas (up to 600 square feet), giving them many applications for commercial properties, outdoor cafes, seating areas at marinas and golf courses, senior living facilities and other large-scale locations where patrons seek sun, shade or protection.