Hi Mtn, we are contemplating same project and have come to no conclusions. I have similar options in that we could add pergola to part of our deck and then screen in, convert part of deck to screened porch, etc We are planning now for next year’s enjoyment.

I will add I love the look of shade sails!

We have a large pergola at our vacation house and it is covered with wisteria, which provides shade. We dine there and lounge there. Luckily there are very few mosquitos there. A mosquito magnet has worked wonders at our home here, where the bugs love to ruin out outdoor living. We also have a 3 season room, built over 25 years ago when our deck needed replacing. First it was going to be a screened porch, then we added insulated windows and heat. We use it year round for parties and overflow at the holidays.

I would enclose the pergola. Screened in areas get filled fast - sitting area, dining area. A swing bed or wooden swing would take up a lot of space, and are so enjoyable.

1. It seems most people think we should just build out a room; but I can't see where that would work. Excuse the messiness, but I mocked up our architect's drawings to illustrate. Everything in pale green is stone patio or walkway, most of it at grade, most of it surrounded by low stone walls; the blue dot is the koi pond. There is not a logical place to build an addition imho.

2. Enclosing the existing pergola in some fashion, but it is quite large for what I think we need.

The pergola is on the patio all the way to the far right in the drawing above, ie the rightmost pale green rectangle. It is almost at the opposite end from the kitchen, so that is an issue. Also, it is held up by columns covered with vines. So if i make it a shade structure, i will kill those off and they are a fave (pic below)cy

ETA just measured this pergola. It is a 42ft x 14 ft pergola resting on a 48feet by 22 feet patio.

3. Put a new pergola somewhere else - they make them designed to be covered and enclosed. The first photo below shows one with a retractable cover, they can also be fitted with panels for mosquito netting, as in the photo below. (for discussion purposes, ignore style and size)

4. Put an awning off an existing wall and add drop down sides. Something like this: (for discussion purposes, ignore style and size)

5. Do a stand alone cabana-type thing either on the stone or yard somewhere. (for discussion purposes, ignore style and size)

Has anyone done options 3,4 or 5 and if so, how do you like it?

Thx

I have something similar to #3 for providing shade over our back patio. We have no screens as there are no issues with mosquitoes in our area of Los Angeles.

I wouldn't trust drop down netting to do a great job of keeping bugs out. I would want something more permanent and bug proof.

I live in a rural area and mosquitos and blackflies make sitting outside virtually impossible for much of the summer. Blackfiles (so thick you can inhale them while breathing) in late spring, mosquitos at dusk.... etc., etc. Forget lounging or eating outdoors. That's what drove our desire to have a screened porch. I like your options 3, 4 and 5 but I'm not sure how well they'd work for serious insect protection if that's what you need.

If you do need something more significant to get out of the bugs, what about an independent screen 'porch', a separate structure, maybe built on the opposite side of one of your patios?? I saw some pictures showing this idea when I was looking.... for example if a person wanted a screened area closer to the lake.

These are a few sample pictures I quickly found online:

SMH,

My in laws have something like that. I think the issue is that our house already has so much going on. Varied roof lines and shapes and all cobbled together. On top of that there are also two stand-alone garage structures, a stone house, a well house. Also the house is oriented to look over the pond (see below), so not sure how something that pops up in the way would work.

The primary issue for me is shade, but it only makes sense to think about insects, too. It varies a lot from year to year as to whether the mosquitoes are bad. Sometimes it is not an issue.

Chispa,

I am looking at this company's products, which are "marine grade quality mosquito netting", whatever that means. They seem to be highly regarded. In reading their site, I think I need to do more research. For example, they claim that a pergola with mosquito curtains does not need netting over the top, because mosquitoes do not know enough to go up and over. Considering they would sell more netting if they did NOT make that claim, I am guessing they at least believe it to be true.

https://www.mosquitocurtains.com/application-pergola-screen-panels

ETA - this video describes the product well. It also comes in white and ivory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqDZc9WCr2Q

PS I just measured the pergola and it is really much too large to enclose I think. It is attached to a stone patio that is 48 feet by 22 feet. The pergola covers most of the patio, and is 42 feet by 14 feet.

Now that I see your pergola, I wouldn't enclose it with screen. Just doesn't make sense. I do like the photo shared above of structure that goes over water just a bit, connecting them. But pond is not that close to the house, and like you said, there is a lot going on already.

Yes, Allison, I think I need to do something that does not interrupt the elevation facing the large pond, maybe tuck something in where the koi pond is. That area is sort of hidden, with house on 2 sides, garage on one side, and the fourth side is stone wall/fence. I need to measure the area. It is also next to the K/breakfast room.

Bonnie, love the wisteria on the pergola, so pretty. Meant to ask you, what is a mosquito magnet?

FWIW it is worth to those looking at the options like Localeater.

Did some research today. A 10x14 pergola starts at about 4k (pine) and goes up based on material and features. We like Walpole (have bought from them before) and they make a nice one in Azek (looks like wood but wears better ... we used it for new steps at our beachhouse) for 10k. The retractable sun shades for the top are another 2k. 8 weeks delivery, alas. Then of course we need the mosquito curtains, another 1k or so. We would also need to dig up our stone patio to put in a foundation, then the put the patio back and drill through it. Meh.

An awning with Sunbrella is about $3200 for a 9x16 (that size would nestle in nicely near our koi pond area). 6 weeks plus. More expensive if it is retractable, but that kind cannot accommodate mosquito nets. The awning vendor had a product that was like a screen that came down at a push of a button, hidden up under the awning. That was another $10k though. Alternatively, you can use mosquito curtains.

Not crazy about any of these options so far ... we might start simple with mosquito curtains for our french doors off the MBR in Maine and see how the y work. I like that we can get them in white...

The Mosquito Magnet is a great option to consider.

Is there any outside walled room in your home that you could give up and have it transposed to a walk in sun room with screens on three sides? We did that to our two homes and have never regretted it. We have two small guest houses on the property so we could give up one of the rooms. We've never regretted it. I can have my coffee in my robe in the morning without the bugs and sun pouring on me and watch the lake and mountains.

Bonnie, do you find it effective? I have never heard of it or seen one. How interesting. How long have you had it.

Yayagal,

Yes and no.

It's long and hard to explain, but in my impatience (and realizing we are too late to get anything done this summer), I moved the wicker furniture I had in the indoor pool area to my ... wait for it ... dining room. The room is almost all windows on one side, and at the end where I set up the furniture, there are screened french doors. I am sitting in my new "screened porch" by those doors right now. Because the room is about 10'x 30', and all it had in it was a table and chairs, I could sort of divide it up. It has me rethinking the whole room now!

Mtn, Thanks for posting that information for me and others like me, very thoughtful. We did have a landscape architect come out this week and talking through our thoughts with him was very helpful. We are meeting with two others to bounce around ideas before we make any decisions.

How exciting, local. We get a lot of enjoyment out of our landscape and your setting sounds wonderful!

I see you've already thought of it, but it seemed to me like tucking a shaded area between the garage and house near the koi pond would not be too intrusive. You could use something like shade sails for sun protection, though that wouldn't address the bug issue.

Yes, cawaops, that would be the least intrusive and it is also very pleasant and close to the K. Trying to find the right blend of awning/netting.

Your home & grounds are just beautiful!!!!

I will 2nd the mosquito magnet. We use one here -south &humid & in the country--the mosquitoes could take us away if we didn't use the mosquito magnet. Ours plugs into an outlet &DH gets large cartridges of CO2. You can definitely tell when the CO2 runs out &they are back with a vengeance