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Questions to Ask Before Buying a Pergola Kit |
Backyard America's Potomac Pergola* |
Brand "X" |
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Is the vinyl American made?
This is not just a issue of patriotism issue,
but a quality issue. A lot of foreign made vinyl
is of poor quality especially in UV resistance
as well as having lead content. |
Backyard America only uses American made vinyl. |
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Are the beams 2 x 8’s?
This is important for strength and appearance. |
Yes the Potomac always has 2 x 8's for the
beams. |
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Are there two beams per column set or just one?
This also is important for strength and
appearance. |
Our Potomac and Aspen Pergolas use a double beam
system |
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Do the beams contain an aluminum insert?
Inserts are required to prevent sagging for
beams with a span greater than 10’. Aluminum is
used to prevent rust and corrosion. |
All Pergolas are quoted with aluminum. You can
order the kit without aluminum at a lower cost. |
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What type of insert is used?
Some manufacturers use a small aluminum or steel
tube which they will tell you will not prevent
sag in longer spans. (See comparison photos.) |
Our beam insert is an exclusive Backyard America
design that is the full interior height and
width of the beam. |
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Are the rafters and beams made with ribbed
vinyl? Ribbed vinyl prevents the use of an
adequately sized structural insert as shown
in photo above. Additionally, the ribs show through to
the outside of the vinyl for an unattractive
finish. |
Potomac Pergolas are only
made with open vinyl extrusions. |
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Does the seller manufacturer the pergola?
Your best price and service will come from a
seller who is also the manufacturer. |
We design and fabricate all of our vinyl pergolas. |
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Are inserts available for the rafters?
It is nice to have the option to order the
inserts with the pergola. It saves the time and
trouble of going to a home center to buy lumber,
but you also get a structural element
specifically designed for your pergola. |
Unless requested differently, all Potomac Pergola
kits are quoted with aluminum included
in the price. |
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Is engineering available for the pergola
structure?
This is obviously important for the structural
integrity and safety of the structure, but it
may also be necessary for the local building
department. |
Independent engineering data and analysis is
available for our Potomac Pergolas. We believe
that our Potomac pergola is the only vinyl
pergola that meets the 140 MPH Exposure C
building code requirements. |
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What kind of mounting
system is offered? The most critical issue
in the structural integrity of any pergola is
the attachment to the deck surface. |
Backyard America has
developed our exclusive TennsionRodTM
mounting system. It is similar to the threaded rod
system used by others, however we have designed and
fabricated new proprietary components which allow this
system to withstand hurricane type wind forces. |
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Are custom pergolas offered?
Your pergola should be designed for the space
that you have available, not the other way
around. |
Yes, more than half of the vinyl pergola kits
that we have shipped have been custom designs. |
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*
This comparison is based on our vinyl Potomac
Pergola model. The Potomac Model E and Dogwood
vinyl models have some variations. Please check
those models for specific materials and
configurations. |
