Pergola notched around fireplace Pergola

Square columns have become very popular recently. In 2014 many of our customers requested square columns with recessed panels. It's a bit more formal and detailed. I think we all want to differnciate our style from anothers style. At Baldwin's we encourage that sort of thing.

Pergola notched around fireplace Pergola

I really like the beefiness of the 10x10 columns as they stand upon the stone wall. A pergolas job it to create a sense of security. The columns appear to be doing their jobs well.

Pergola notched around fireplace Pergola

Our client sent careful measurements to our designer and we were happy to customize the pergola top to accomodate the fireplace. Baldwin Pergolas are geometric. They only go together one way. The design stage is important.

Pergola notched around fireplace Pergola

Baldwin Pergolas started as an outdoor furniture company in 1986. We've sold about a thousand market umbrellas and of those about 950 were Hunter Green - like this shade system. The shades are available in almost a millions colors, so you get exactly what you setting calls for.

Pergola notched around fireplace Pergola

You design it. We built it. 30 days is all it takes.*

Pergola notched around fireplace Pergola

This is a different pergola, but was added here because of its similarities. In this case the rafter was severed and fit into the stonework to create the illusion that the rafter passes through the fireplace. Also notice that the top layer, the purlins, are cedar with a semi transparent white wash. These were also customized for the fireplace.

Freestanding Pool Pergola

These homeowners embody the American dream coming true. The gentleman is a retired banker who now builds homes for needy folks by way of the Habitat For Humanity organization. He created this patio then Called Baldwins for the pergola which we installed.

Freestanding Pool Pergola

A year later we went back and added an Easy Shade Overhead Canopy. The shade system is supported by a central aluminum rail with roller bearings inside. Because there is only one support, the shade cannot bind as it extends and retracts. The motion is fluid. We like that it can be locked at any point along the way by tightening the pull handle clockwise.

Freestanding Pool Pergola

There's a good feeling associated with selling high quality products. The customers are happy and the feeling spreads. We are blessed with rewarding, productive occupations here. We're happy to be a part of our customers successes. We didn't make this shade system, but we were careful to select the highest quality shade system to supply to our customers.

Freestanding Pool Pergola

The square columns with recessed panels are distinctive. The ones in the photo are 8" x 8". There is a boarder all around the recess which must always be considered and never overlooked. If this pergola were to be built on an uneven surface, then these columns would have to be special ordered and cut to exact lengths at the factory in Chicago. These cuts allow the perimeter around the recesses to be consist ant among the columns.

Freestanding Pool Pergola

Without the pergola, the patio would not appear nearly as inviting. Pergolas were all the rage during the victorian era of the late nineteenth century. Around the 1920's the "Naturalist" movement gained popularity among garden designers and most garden structures were removed. With all we've learned about the damaging rays of the sun, I don't think we'll be repeating that bit of history.

Freestanding Pool Pergola

Thank you in advance for allowing us to work with you and create beautiful backyard structures. It honors us to be a part of your project. Thank you, Max Baldwin and company.

Angled pergola, custom shade

Expert designer George Stumpf led the design process by meeting with us on site. We considered an attached pergola but ended up with a tall freestanding pergola.

Angled pergola, custom shade

The design is the fun part. Balancing all the potential pros and cons of each concept takes time, but the results are always worth the effort.

Anytime a pergola is taller than eight feet, we pretty much insist that you go with the 12" diameter or larger columns. Things need to be kept if proportion for appearance as well as for structural reasons. See our Spans section below.

Angled pergola, custom shade

We drew the location of each column on the stamped concrete patio. We set up our laser level and took elevations. We documented the overhangs and gutters then drew up a master site plan, on paper.

Angled pergola, custom shade

The challenge was designing the shade system to meet the clients criteria: All the patio must be shaded. We solved this problem with the triangular section of fabric. Our fabric shop did an amazing job.

Angled pergola, custom shade

Because of the height of the pergola and the scale of the job, we suggested using the massive 4" x 12" fiberglass beams. The cut is called Windsor. These are Tuscan style capitals.

Angled pergola, custom shade

Installation lasted two or three days. In the end, what matters most, is that the criteria was met and the clients were pleased.

Why Baldwin?

Our Planning and Design Team

Max Baldwin founded Baldwin Pergolas over 30 years ago and is considered a leading expert in the industry. With decades of experience you can count on Baldwin to get the job done right the first time! At Baldwin we care and we have an experienced design and sales team that is prepared to guide you through the process of creating your perfect pergola. Mike Hurlburt is our project manager and is ready to help you design and build your dream pergola TODAY!

Why Baldwin?

Our Materials

All of our columns are high density FRP fiberglass and will last for generations. Our competitors use high density foam or hollow plastic column capitals and bases. We do not. Rather, we use the same high density FRP that is found in our columns to ensure durability and longevity.

Why Baldwin?

Our Rafter Tails

Our rafter tails are precision crafted by utilizing cutting edge CNC technology.

Why Baldwin?

Their Rafter Tails

Many of our competitors employ a substandard rafter tail design. They achieve their rafter tails by attaching countoured block of foam to a square cut fiberglass tube. We epoxy high density polyurethane foam inside of our fiberglass pultrusions and then precisely cut our contours directly into the fiberglass with a CNC machine.

Why Baldwin?

Our Tie-Downs

Max Baldwin and company pioneered the industry standard column mounting system which uses threaded rods to tie down columns to slabs or concrete footings. We use 5/8" inch diameter stainless steel threaded rods that attach at the footing, run the length of the column and are fastened to a structural aluminum assembly at the top of the column. Each threaded rod provides approximately 6000lbs of downward force to prevent uplift.

Why Baldwin?

Stainless Steel Hardware

We use only stainless steel hardware in our pergolas because we believe in using the highest quality materials available. If it's not perfect, it's not a Baldwin.

Why Baldwin?

Notched Intersections

We carefully design and notch our pergolas to make the structure more beautiful, stronger and easier to assemble. You just match the notches up and it slides together. No measuring is required.

Why Baldwin?

More Shade

We offer a variety of options from canopy shade systems to vertical curtains.

Why Baldwin?

Concealed Wires

All of our fiberglass pultrusions and columns are hollow and act as conduit allowings us to conceal any and all wiring. Please be sure to coordinate your lighting, A/V and other electrical needs in advance with one of our design consultants.

Why Baldwin?

Color selection

We use PPG industrial grade exterior paints and we are able to match any color. In each case, we purchase screw caps to match your preferred color of paint. Our pergolas are built with a designers eye for quality and none of our fasteners are exposed.

Options

Attached or Freestanding?

Our typical attached pergola consists of a set of main beams running parallel to the house as well as a ledger that connects to the side of your the house. They require less columns, less footings and ultimately a lower price tag. Freestanding pergolas are more popular.

Options

Depth and width

Our pergolas are available in standard sizes for ease of pricing, but we can custom tailor the size of your pergola down to the exact inch you require. Our order form makes this simple, but you'll need to tell us exactly where you want the centers of your columns. The best way to do this is to place pots or plates where the columns will be. Measure. Custom drawings will be created for your review and approval. 10" inch round and square columns have 13" inch base trim. 12" inch diameter columns have 15 1/2" base trim.

Options

Height

We encourage our customers to design short pergolas because they provide more shade. A perfect height is seven and a half to eight feet. Many projects require taller columns for a variety of reasons. The taller the pergola, the more stress on the columns and footings, so we require any pergola over eight feet tall be built with 12" diameter columns and larger footings.

The pergola in this picture needed to be very tall to preserve the views from the house and the scale of the house was large, so this pergola was a perfect fit!

Options

Choice of column size and shape

Your columns can be round or square. Typically, if your house already has columns, the pergola is designed to share that architectural detail. In recent years, square columns have been gaining in popularity. Recessed panels are an option if you choose square columns. Flutes are an option if you choose round columns. If a pergola is larger then 180 square feet, large columns are recommended.

Options

Column Capitals

Almost all of our customers choose the Tuscan style capital and base as their preferred order of architecture because it has a clean, simple, somewhat modern look. On occasion someone might desire a more formal or distinctive architecture. Most popular among the many choices are the Ionic, the Corinthian and the Composite. The Composite combines the architecture of the Ionic and the Corinthian.

Options

Rafter tails

The cut on the rafter tail determines the architectural style of the pergola. Years ago everyone chose the Baldwin style. Last year everyone chose the Windsor style. Maybe 2015 will be the year of the Kensington rafter tail? If you would like a custom rafter tail, we can do that, just send a drawing or a photo. We'll design an proof and once you approve it, it's yours. We use diamond coated router bits and a computer controlled router to make the cuts, so they all come out exactly the same.

Options

Color

White is the default color for pergolas. White is the classic color. Look at the ancient temples of Rome and Greece: White. Banks, universities, courts, municipalities, churches: White, most especially white when examining the columns, capitals and bases. Above that you have beams, rafters and purlins which might be a color to match your home or trim colors. It's your canvas so you get to decide how you want your pergola. All fiberglass pergolas get painted at the factory. White is the default color and the cost of the paint job is included in the price. A custom color adds 5% to the project.

Options

Copper Flashing

Its the finer details that distinguish a fine home. Baldwin Pergolas allows one to make that distinction with subtle copper flashing. Historically the columns were made of wood and their tops required protection from rain and sun. A sheet of copper would be custom bent to protect the capital. Only a quart inch of flashing can be seen from ground level, but for people that care about architecture and appreciate craftsmanship, this flashing seals the deal.

Options

Installation

Our pergolas were specifically designed to make installation easy. If a task can be done at the factory, it gets done at the factory. After completing thousands of installations, we can confidently say that no job is every easy. Unexpected site conditions are the primary reason. We bring every tool known to man and use most of them during the installation. You will see installation service on the order form, but it is only available if you live within 100 miles of our factory located in 06457, excepting special conditions.

Options

Shade systems

Overhead fabric sun-shades have become more and more popular in recent years. Our preferred shade consists of one large sheet of fabric which extends and retracts. More information is available in our Shade Systems section of the web site.