The Structural Pergola Systems design team has been using structural fiberglass on their shade designs for 20 years. Even as new synthetic material has emerged over the years, we have continued to use this high quality fiberglass material. The fiberglass beams offer an elegant and unique aesthetic while having the structural qualities that make it the best option for your pergola system.
The Pergola beams can be built using either 4 x 6 or 4 x 8 fiberglass rafters that are finished with a scrolled or square end. The SPS pergola system has the strength to support additional materials such as lattice, glass panels, canvas, and our fiberglass shutter walls. SPS has approved engineering/architectural plans for commercial purposes.
Structural Fiberglass Reinforced Parts (FRP) made by Shakespeare provides the best option for materials made for outdoor structural building product applications. If you combined the advantages of wood, PVC (vinyl), and aluminum into one product, you would have structural FRP. Our structural FRP beams have the warm natural look of milled painted wood without the disadvantage of rot or the continuous maintenance of wood.
Our structural FRP beams will not require substantial maintenance like PVC (vinyl) and it has substantially more strength than PVC (approximately 6X the stiffness) and substantially less expansion and contraction with temperature (1/6 the expansion/contraction). Structural FRP also does not lose its strength at high or low temperatures or become brittle as PVC is prone to do.
Our structural FRP beams are high strength like aluminum but are not prone to dents and dings like aluminum and are lighter in weight. The FRP beams readily accept coatings unlike aluminum and will better stand the test of time.
Structural FRP beams provide the best option for strength and longevity combined with a natural finish.
