Pergola lighting, heaters & screens
The extras that turn a pergola into somewhere you’ll still be sitting at ten o’clock at night.
What can you add to a pergola?
The frame and roof give you shelter. Accessories make it comfortable. The main ones are LED lighting for the evenings, infrared heaters for the cooler months, zip screens or glass sides for wind and privacy, and sensors that look after the roof while you’re not there. All of them can be built into a new pergola, and most can be added to an existing one.
Pergola lighting, heaters & screens at a glance
- Lighting: Dimmable LED strips in the louvres or frame, plus downlights
- Heating: Electric infrared heaters, wall or frame mounted
- Screens: Zip screens in shade fabric, insect mesh or blackout
- Glass: Frameless sliding glass sides in toughened safety glass
- Sensors: Rain, wind and temperature sensors
- Control: Remote, wall switch or app
Lighting
LED strips set into the louvres or around the inside of the frame give a soft, even light without glare. Dimming lets you go from cooking-bright to dinner-dim. Colour-changing strips are available if you want them, though most people end up leaving them on warm white. Downlights suit insulated roofs. All lighting is low-energy and rated for outdoor use.
Heating
Infrared heaters warm people and surfaces directly rather than heating the air, which is the only approach that really works outdoors, where warm air just blows away. They give heat within seconds of being switched on, so you only run them while you’re sitting there. They’re electric, so there’s no gas bottle to change, and they mount neatly on a beam or the wall. Running costs depend on the heater’s rating and your electricity tariff. We’ll give you the rated power so you can work it out.
Screens and sides
Zip screens are fabric blinds held in side channels, so they don’t flap. Use them for shade from low sun, as insect mesh on summer evenings, or as wind and privacy screens. Sliding glass sides keep the view and block the wind. Both are covered in more detail on our enclosed pergolas page. For privacy that stays put, add fixed slatted privacy screens.
Fitting accessories to an existing pergola
Most accessories can be retrofitted. Lighting and heaters need a power supply, so the main question is how to get cable to the pergola neatly. If you’re buying a new pergola, plan the ducting now, even if you add the extras later. A registered electrician makes and certifies every electrical connection.
Pergola accessory ideas
These are illustrations of design ideas, not photos of specific Brega Glazing jobs. See more in our ideas gallery.
Typical uses
- Evening dining and entertaining under a louvred roof
- Taking the chill off spring and autumn evenings
- Blocking low westerly sun and wind on exposed patios
- Insect mesh around hot tubs and outdoor kitchens
Pergola accessory FAQs
Can I add lights and heaters to my existing pergola?
In most cases, yes. It depends on the pergola system and how power can reach it. We’ll look at what you have and suggest the neatest way to run cables and mount the fittings.
Are infrared patio heaters expensive to run?
They’re efficient because they heat you directly and work instantly, so they’re only on while you’re using them. The running cost per hour is the heater’s power in kilowatts multiplied by your electricity price per kWh.
Do zip screens work in the wind?
Yes. Their edges are held in channels along the full height, so they stay taut in breezy conditions. In storms, they should be retracted, and motorised screens can be linked to a wind sensor that does this automatically.
Can pergola lighting be dimmed?
Yes. LED lighting can be dimmed by remote, wall control or app, and lighting in different zones can be controlled separately.