Pergolas

Yes, we are based in Brentwood, Essex and have a good selection of pergolas and furniture available to view in our showroom. The full address is Units 1 & 2 The Heron Country Club, Brentwood Road, CM133LW. Please use this link to book an appointment: https://sunslifestyle.com/get-in-touch/

All models come with instructions and can be self-fitted with basic DIY knowledge, as well as ideally two more people to help, plus an array of tools including a rivet gun when installing any side options. Estimated build time varies for each size model and can range from 1-5 hours. This does not affect the 5 year manufacturers warranty on the frame and roof or the 2 years warranty on the sun & deluxe screens.

We can supply heaters, which start from £300 each. They have a 1.5m lead with a standard 13amp plug, so a power source is required.

We recommend sourcing a local electrician to add LED lighting options for our Maranza and Rota pergolas. Our Luxe electric pergola models and Positano LED pergola models are available complete with LED lighting.

The reason being is that it is a much safer option for outdoor lighting as it needs to be IP rated to ensure it is waterproof. Also this gives the security that if anything happens and requires attention, you then have a local electrician to call on to fix any issues if they did arise, as our installers are not electricians. This also allows us to keep to the 5 year warranty, as adding electrics will often reduce the warranty period to just 1 year.

The heaters and lighting can be self-fitted, but we recommend that both are installed by an electrician.

If the structure is being installed against a house or building, we are able to remove the middle leg on the building side and replace this with a wall bracket for a seamless open vista. All other legs are required to support the pergola roof and also required as part of the integrated drainage system. Please get in touch to enquire about this option and have ready your exact measurements from the patio floor to the top of the door, when the door or window is open.

We offer flashing too for a weatherproof connection to your home, you'll see this option on your specific pergola configuration page.

The pergola must be fitted on to a solid surface and beneath the finished surface must be something for the pergola to be secured safely such as a concrete pad or if on decking we suggest support joists.

This would need to be completed before our installers arrive as they do not offer any groundworks and a local handyman would be able to assist you.
We can provide a floor plan so that you can see where the floor plates of the pergola will sit based on your chosen size, the floorpan can also be viewed on any product page.

We advise for concrete pads of approx 40x40x40cm beneath any tiles (or similar) also if you have decking then we advise the same or alternatively extra structural joists below the decking and where the footplate of the pergola will sit.
You should then finish your surface completely with the tiles and grout, allowing time to set or decking on top, so that when our installers arrive they can drill through the tile/deck and in to something extra secure below.

It is a good idea to choose your pergola size before doing any groundworks however if you have already laid the patio/deck then we do advise for you to check what is beneath the surface is secure enough, as type1 or sand would not be, also composite decking without something solid below would not be secure enough, however you may already have structural beams underneath where the footplates will sit, which would would be fine along as all footplates are sitting on structural beams wide enough for the footplate to be bolted in to fully.

Porcelain tiles usually have a full solid concrete base below however you should check with whoever laid the surface.

The pergola should never be left unbolted, if you are opting for self install please bear the above in mind.

If you are installing screens or side options please bear in mind that the pergola should be levelled accordingly and the legs should be measured perfectly at the top and bottom, then bolted down and then the side options can be fitted.

Please see the Ground Fixing Sheet explanatory document for detail.

We specialise in louvered roof and retractable pergolas which are produced in set sizes allowing us to work within customer measurements. We have a huge range of sizes and options available.

It is not possible to bespoke the manual roof models however it is possible to produce bespoke size models in a similar style in a completely automated version.  Prices start on average from £1,250 per square metre and require a call with our bespoke team, followed by a site visit.

Our models are semi-permanent structures, meaning they are secured to the surface and not below, this makes them very sturdy and durable, yet still with the ability to move, if required. Always keep the roof louvres slightly open and your side screens fully retracted back into their cassettes during extreme weather conditions to allow the wind to pass through the structure. The internal drainage channels on your pergola behave much like the gutters on your home. Keep them clear of debris to help them function at their best. During particularly heavy downpours, rainwater may splash over the top due to the sheer amount of water running through the channel at that time.

Our Rota, Maranza and Luxe models do not require planning permission. This is due to them being classed as semi-permanent structures which are secured to the existing surface and not cemented below the ground, this allows them to be disassembled and moved if ever required. Some exceptions may apply if you live in a conservation area so please always familiarise yourself with your local authority regulations. If you have any questions are team are on hand to help.

In terms of the height of your pergola, the further away from the boundary the better:

• Within 2m of the boundary the max. height must be no greater than 2.5m (8′ 2″).
• You will need planning permission for your pergola if it’s on the front of your house.
• You will need planning permission for your pergola if it is in a conservation area or on the side of your house between the house and the boundary wall.
• If your house is in a conservation area and your pergola is more than 20m from the house and greater than 10 square meters, you will need planning permission.
• You will always need permission if your building is listed.
• Any sort of veranda, balcony or raised platform will need planning permission.  This is primarily for your own safety!  It will need to be built according to building regulations.

All of our aluminium products have a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty as standard. The sun and weather screens have a 2-year warranty. Please refer to https://sunslifestyle.com/service-warranty/.