If you are planning to build a pergola you may have considered attaching it to your house. Depending on your architecture, this can give you a great old world look or a crisp and modern touch.It’s a great detail to have your pergola adjacent to your home. However, what if you have gutters? You may be wondering how to attach a pergola to a house with gutters. In this article, we’ll discuss a few options that you have with pergolas.
Pro Tip: Consider A Self Supporting Pergola
First there’s the obvious solution, don’t attach the pergola to your house. It’s not uncommon to build pergolas which are next to the house, but don’t attach. If you are planning on a wooden or cellular PVC pergola which has fixed slats and are always open to the weather, there’s no need to connect to the house.This way your pergola would be a self supporting structure, next to the house and the gutters and roof trim can remain independent like the photo below:
How To Attach A Pergola To A House With Gutters Via Roof Overhang
This method is dependent on your roof trim details. Although, you may be able to install the pergola under the roof overhang. In this situation, you’d be keeping the gutter in place.This depends on your house and only makes sense in certain situations like the one below:
How To Attach A Pergola To A House With Gutters Via Aluminum Kit Pergola
The next option for how to attach a pergola to a house with gutters is to build an aluminum kit pergola. There are two major manufacturers of these pergolas, Struxureand Apollo, but there are more coming on the market every day. The main benefit of using one of these pergolas is you have motorized louvers.This means you can have an open pergola when you want to be able to see the stars or let the sun shine in. Also, when the sun becomes oppressive and you need to escape, you can close the louvers and create a solid roof.
Aluminum motorized pergolas have built in gutters and drainage systems. This allows the water to run off the pergola louvers into downspouts built into the pergola posts. These built in gutters could handle roof runoff in addition to the rainwater landing on the pergola. However, you’ll need to provide the pergola manufacturer with the dimensions of the roof which will be draining onto the pergola. In doing so, you’ll make sure they factor in the flow rate when designing the drainage system.
How To Attach A Pergola To A House With Gutters Notched
Perhaps you don’t want to go the aluminum pergola direction. Additionally, you might not want to build your pergola separate from the roof or under the overhang. Luckily, there is yet another option. You could build a gutter notched into the pergola as it attaches to the house. See below for an example of this:
Pergola Gutter Attachment Summary
As with any construction project, it’s a good idea to consult an engineer early on in the project to make sure you are designing a structure which can withstand the elements. Also, don’t forget to get a building permit if required.Hopefully this article helps you decide how to attach a pergola to a house with gutters.
