# Forum Home Renovation Pergolas, Gazebos, Strombellas & Rotundas  Types of Pergola Roofs - pros and cons

## Mrness

Hi all 
Various traders are suggesting various roof types, from laserlite (the plastic type), to colorbond, to powder coated Al, to insulated roofs (don't know what material).  
What are the pros and cons?  
We initially thought laserlite because we like the feel of openness and lightness it creates, but the pergola would be exposed to north / north-east, meaning very hot. The pergola would be attached to the house only on one side (south-east), ie. 3 sides are fully open.  
Is laserlite still OK for that scenario?

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## Cecile

Personally, I am not a fan of clear roofing on pergolas.  I find it tends to get filthy too easily, so you might as well have a solid roof. 
If you truly like the openness of a clear roof, why not use transparent sheets and use a blind of some kind that draws across it in really hot weather. 
For insulated, use colorbond/zincalume to match your existing roof and install insulation blanket under the roof sheeting.

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## Mrness

Thanks, Cecile. I like the idea of trasnparent/opal with a blind under the roof! Do you have any actual examples of that? A bit hard to imagine how could we operate that blind  :Confused:  when it's so high ..

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## r3nov8or

If you do go for laserlite, you are on the right track with Opal - most reflective (coolest) and most light of the standard (non-metalic) polycarbonate colours. 
Thre are concertina hanging blinds available for the undersaide of verandas. You could also put up some shade sails if you wanted more shade in summer (we have done this - we chose the grey and it gets too hot. The Opal may not need it).  
Being open on all sides you will have enough natural light underneath if you chose colorbond.

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## woodchip

Personally I would go for a total sun blockout option either colourbond or the insulated colourbond stuff, 
considering the aspect.... it would easily be light enough under the pergola, if your worried about losing some light into windows, adding a strip of the opaque/opal type roofing above windows can be very effective.

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## olfella

+1 for the insulated roof.  I have just done this at home and it looks great!  Another BIG factor is no noise when it rains.

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## Mrness

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. 
Still undecided (but it's good that we still have lots of time). 
We'd love to be able to have a completely transparent roof (to be able to see the blue skies at all times from the house), but we know it would be unbearably hot. So, in trying to "compensate", we'd still probably go with the laserlite style, like Suntuf and go for a colour with one of the lowest heat transmission (probably Diffused Ice).

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## boo

Hi Mrness, 
So ... what did you end up doing, and are you happy with it?? 
I'm going to do the blinds underneath too  :Smilie:

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