The louvered roof solves everything that comes from above: sun, rain, heat. But anyone who uses their terrace often knows the other directions matter just as much — a cool evening breeze that empties the table by nine, low sun that blinds exactly at dinner time, a neighbour's window with a perfect view of your lounge chair. That is what side screens are for. They are the accessory that changes a pergola the most: the difference between a covered terrace and a genuine outdoor room. This guide covers how they work, the manual and solar-powered drives, sizing, and how to plan screens for wind, sun, privacy and warmth.
What a side screen actually is
A side screen is a retractable roller screen that mounts in the pergola frame between two posts (or post and wall). Pulled down, it closes off a side of the pergola with a taut technical fabric running in slim side guides; released, it disappears completely into a discreet cassette in the frame. Nothing about the pergola's clean lines changes when the screens are up — they are invisible until the moment you want them.
The fabric is the clever part: a tightly woven outdoor textile that tames wind and glare while keeping a soft, filtered view out. Standing inside, you still see the garden as a gauzy image; standing outside in daylight, the screen reads as a calm, uniform surface. Light comes through; weather largely does not. Under the closed roof with a screen down, the acoustic changes too — conversation gets that quiet, room-like intimacy that open terraces never have.
Manual or solar-powered
Both drives use the same fabric, guides and cassette — the difference is how the screen moves.
The manual version uses a spring-tensioned system: pull the screen down by the handle to any height and it holds; release the tension and it retracts smoothly into the cassette. No power, no installation beyond the mechanical mounting, nothing to charge. It is the natural partner for the manual Pergola Piano, keeping the whole installation wire-free.
The solar version raises and lowers by remote control, powered by an integrated solar panel on the cassette — which means even the motorised version needs no wiring at all. The panel keeps the battery charged through ordinary daylight, including winter daylight, and the motor sips so little power that the arithmetic works comfortably. If you have several screens, motorisation quickly earns its keep: closing three sides by hand is a small chore; doing it from your chair while the wind picks up is nothing. On the electric Equa, remotes are already part of daily life and solar screens slot straight into the habit.
Sizing is taken care of
Screens follow the pergola's dimensions, and our product pages do the thinking for you. In the add-on configurator on each pergola page, only the screen lengths that fit your selected size are shown — pick a 10' × 13' pergola and you are offered 10' and 13' screens for the respective sides, in colors matched to the frame finishes (anthracite RAL 7016, white RAL 9010).
Two sizing details worth knowing. First, the 19-foot side of a 13' × 19' pergola is covered by two 10-foot screens rather than one oversized roller — the fabric stays taut, the cassettes stay slim, and the configurator handles the doubling automatically. Second, the Equa uses its own screen series sized for its frame geometry, including the 11' lengths its in-between sizes need; choose them on the Equa's page and compatibility is guaranteed.
Planning screens: which sides, and why
Few pergolas need screens on every side — the art is choosing the right one or two.
- For wind: screen the prevailing-wind side (in most of the United States, the southwest). One screen here often doubles the number of comfortable evenings per year — wind chill, not temperature, is what usually ends an evening outside.
- For low sun: screen the west. The louvers handle high sun beautifully, but the low golden-hour sun comes in sideways, under any roof. A west screen turns blinding dinners into lit ones.
- For privacy: screen the sightline, not the whole pergola. Usually one side facing the relevant window or street does the job while the garden view stays open.
- For warmth: screens plus closed roof plus an infrared heater is the season-stretching combination — the screens hold the warmed air still, and suddenly October evenings are normal. More on that in our heating guide.
A wall-mounted pergola starts with one side already closed by the house — one or two screens finish the room. A freestanding pergola in open surroundings more often wants two.
Living with screens: small print that matters
- Partial heights work. A screen lowered halfway blocks low sun while keeping the view over it — often the perfect dinner position.
- Wind manners: screens tame everyday wind confidently; in genuinely stormy conditions, retract them — a two-second habit, and the pergola's structure rides out what the fabric shouldn't.
- Maintenance matches the pergola: none to speak of. The fabric shrugs off rain; retract it wet if you must and let it dry extended when convenient.
- Retrofittable, always. The frame is prepared — buy the pergola now, add screens next season when you know which side the wind actually comes from. Sliding shutters, the fixed-panel alternative for permanent privacy and architectural rhythm, retrofit the same way.
Where to see them
Configure screens directly on any pergola product page — the add-on cards show live pricing for your size — or browse the whole comfort range under accessories. Real installations with screens in place are in our projects. And if you are weighing which sides to screen for your specific garden, send a photo with your quote request — prevailing wind and evening sun are exactly the kind of thing we like to advise on.