Louvered Pergolas: reducing the size of your pergola

If you're thinking of changing the footprint of one of our pergola kits, its important to note that while you can make cuts to the material allowing you to reduce the overall size, it is not possible to make a pergola larger by adding parts and pieces.  We recommend looking for a standard size that is larger than what you need and reducing the measurements from there.

There are two ways you can go about modifying your louvered pergola and it will depend on the direction in which you want the louvres installed.  These methods are outlined below in addition to some important notes we would like you to be aware of:

1. The first option is to cut the individual louvre boards to make them narrower before you install them.  I have attached an image that shows you the key areas that will be modified, cuts should be made along the red dotted lines.

2. The second option is to remove complete louvre boards from the assembly which requires cutting of the mechanism that allows the louvre boards to open and close so please proceed with caution.  Should you choose this option, there is a flat insert cap on the end of the louvre bar assembly that can be removed and re-attached after making your cut. 

IMPORTANT NOTES:

1.  The warranty on your pergola covers material defects like warping, discoloration or cracking of the vinyl for 20 years.  It does not cover damage due to inclement weather, damage from external mechanical forces or damage as a result of incorrect or alternative installation methods.  The information we have provided today on modifying pergolas is designed to provide you with information and advice based on your chosen installation method but does not override the tested installation methods in our instruction manuals.  Vita always and only recommends the installation methods as written in your provided instruction manual.

2. We recommend when reducing the size of your pergola that you split the total reduction over the width of the structure. More simply stated, don't take everything off of one side you'll end up with a lopsided pergola.  It's better to divide the measurement you want to remove and reduce your pergola in even sections across the structure.

3.  All cuts should be made with a brand-new saw blade with a minimum of 60 teeth.

4.  It's a great idea to make your cuts near the joiners if you can that way messy or uneven cuts can be hidden inside the joiner once complete.

5.  While Vita does keep a small warehouse of spare parts on hand these are primarily used for customers that require parts for repairs and we cannot fulfill large parts orders to accommodate a pergola modification.  Please reach out to your local vinyl fencing company or hardware store to source similar parts.