Minimalist pergola with shade sail

Versatile sunshade

Author: Karl-Heinz Tesker, Steinfurt, Germany

Online since: 29/08/2013, Number of visits: 146223

I built a minimalist pergola with shade sail to protect us from the summer sun while enjoying our garden patio. Its big advantage: The shade sail is attached to the pergola with magnets. If needed, I can quickly take the shade sail down to store it during the winter months or inclement weather.

For the pergola, I used four pieces of square timber as corner posts. The simple roof structure consists of T-irons so the magnets will adhere. It would also be possible to construct the roof structure from wood. For the magnets to still hold, it would be necessary to screw-mount small metal plates with hole in the desired spots.

Construction details

The wooden posts of the pergola were bolted to the patio, and the T-irons were fastened to the wooden posts with screws. The entire structure is 6 x 4,5 m wide.

Material for the sunshade

Instead of the classic shade sail, I opted for awning cloth and bought it cut to size. This way, it has the perfect dimensions for my DIY pergola. The fabric is attached to the T-irons with the help of strong block magnets Q-46-30-10-N.

Side cover

The sides of the structures can also be covered as needed. The 8 m long fabric panels can be draped over the sides of the pergola if needed or folded up with magnets.

Versatile lighting

In addition, this battery-operated LED-light can be positioned anywhere. It hangs from a hook magnet BD-FTN-20 which adheres to a ring magnet R-27-16-05-N placed on top of the fabric panel.

Notes from the supermagnete team

Neodymium magnets will start to rust during prolonged outdoor use. Rubber-coated neodymium magnets are the only exception since they are completely water-resistant.
Instead of awning cloth, one could also use the product Alunet 3 x 6 m as a sunshade for the pergola.
A similar structure is shown in the customer project Mosquito tent.