How to Enclose a Pergola: Four Side Screen Options Compared

A pergola or patio roof solves the problem from above. The sides stay open — and that is exactly where the weather gets in: driving rain on a west wind, evening draughts, low sun in spring and autumn. To use the terrace beyond June to August, sooner or later you close at least one side. This article compares the four common ways and shows what to measure before ordering.

What the side solution needs to do

The four options differ mainly in which of these requirements they cover:

• Wind protection — the most common motivation, especially on freestanding pergolas
• Rain protection from the side — requires closed material, not mesh
• Privacy from neighbours without darkening the terrace
• Flexibility — should the side open up fully again in summer?
• Insect sealing along the edges

Hardly any single option delivers everything at once; the order of your priorities decides.

The four options compared

1. Fixed glazing (sliding glass walls or fixed panels)

Glass panels between the posts turn the pergola into a space protected year-round.

• Strengths: complete weather protection, unobstructed view, no fabric wear parts, high-end appearance.
• Weaknesses: the highest price per running metre, professional installation, no ventilation with fixed panels, heat build-up in summer. Fully glazing a pergola can also change its status under local building rules — check with your permit office first.
• Price feel: several hundred euros or dollars per running metre; installed, easily four figures per side. Clearly the most expensive of the four.

2. PVC soft curtains (clear panels with zips or eyelets)

Flexible clear-PVC curtains, hung from a rail or fixed with clamp profiles, tied back or taken down as needed.

• Strengths: the lowest entry price, side rain protection, realistic as a DIY job, fully removable in summer.
• Weaknesses: clear PVC scratches and yellows over the years, goes stiff in cold weather, and untensioned panels flap and slap in wind. More utilitarian than architectural.
• Price feel: from the low hundreds per side; the cheapest immediate fix, with limited service life.

3. Fixed screens (permanently tensioned mesh, no roller)

Technical mesh fabric mounted permanently between the posts — as a framed fixed screen or with keder rails.

• Strengths: good wind and privacy screening while keeping air moving (mesh with an openness factor of roughly 1–5 % passes some air and so builds up less wind pressure), a calm modern look, no mechanism to wear out.
• Weaknesses: the side is closed for good — no opening up on fine days. Mesh only partially blocks driving rain. Walk-throughs need a door or frame solution.
• Price feel: mid-range; well below glass, above PVC curtains.

4. Zip-guided vertical screen (fabric roller shade in side rails)

A vertical roller screen whose fabric edges run captive in aluminium side rails via a welded-on zipper. The mechanics are covered in What is a zip track blind.

• Strengths: the only one of the four that does both — a closed side when you need it, a fully open pergola at the push of a button. The fabric sits flush in the rails: no flapping, no insect gap. Closed fabric doubles as side rain protection; mesh gives wind and privacy screening you can still see through. Motorised versions take remote control or smart-home integration.
• Weaknesses: costs more than curtains or a fixed screen, and installation demands accuracy — the rails must be parallel and plumb or the fabric binds. Very wide bays are split or shipped by freight.
• Price feel: per bay typically mid to upper three figures, motorised above that — depending on size, fabric and drive.

Side by side

Before you order: three measurements that decide the outcome

All four options are made or cut to measure. Three checks decide whether the result fits — covered with sketches in our measuring guide:

1. Measure the width at three points. Take the clear width between the posts at the top, middle and bottom. Posts are rarely perfectly parallel; for guided systems the smallest reading governs. If the readings differ by more than about 5 mm (1/4"), say so in your enquiry.
2. Check the posts for plumb. Put a spirit level or a level app on both posts, in both directions. A post sitting 15 mm further in at the top than at the bottom turns a rectangle into a trapezoid — rails can be packed out with spacers, but only if the deviation is known in advance.
3. Assess the mounting surface for the rails. What will the cassette and rails be fixed to — aluminium profile, timber post, steel, masonry? How deep is the usable face, and do cables or roof drainage run through it? One photo of the mounting situation saves a round of follow-up questions.

Motorised or manual?

Of the four options, only the zip screen raises the drive question:

• Manual (crank handle) is cheaper, needs no power supply and keeps working in a power cut. A sound choice for a single smaller bay and anywhere without wiring.
• Motorised (tubular motor) earns its cost with multiple bays: every side moves at the push of a button or on a schedule, and a wind sensor can retract the fabric automatically while you are away — on freestanding pergolas the single most effective measure against wind damage.

Rule of thumb: one bay, no power nearby → crank; several bays or an exposed site → motor plus wind sensor. Either way the hardware is built for daily use — our guide system is tested through more than 60,000 opening and closing cycles.

How to read wind ratings

With screens and shades you will meet three kinds of wind figures, and they do not mean the same thing:

• Wind class to EN 13561 — a standardised test with a defined pressure; class 3 (110 N/m², i.e. 110 Pa) is the top of the scale.
• Beaufort claims ("up to level 8/10") — a manufacturer's wind-speed statement, not a test procedure.
• Test pressures in pascals — lab figures for the load capacity of individual components.

For a sense of scale: our fabric-and-guide assembly has been load-tested at more than 1,200 Pa — ten times the nominal pressure of the highest EN class. Component figures show the reserves in the system but do not replace a classification of the complete installation; we will publish an EN 13561 wind class once the test documentation is in our hands. How to compare the numbers is covered in Wind resistance in outdoor shades. For fire pits, patio heaters and commercial sites: fabrics with tested fire performance to B1 and NFPA 701 are available for our systems.

Common questions

Do I have to close every side? No — in most cases the weather side and the privacy side are enough. Leaving one side open improves airflow and prevents heat build-up.

Can I combine options? Yes, and that is the most common route: fixed glazing or a fixed screen on the weather side, a zip screen where flexibility counts.

Does a zip screen work on a timber pergola? Yes, provided the posts are load-bearing, deep enough and close to plumb. Timber moves — check its condition and plan generous screw lengths before ordering.

From measurements to an estimate in two minutes

Once you have the width and height of your bays, enter them with your preferred drive type into the price estimator for an immediate price range. For multiple bays, non-standard sizes or questions about the mounting surface, send the measurements and a photo of your pergola through the enquiry form; we will come back with a specific proposal including a fixing recommendation.