Aluminium or timber: which pergola wins?
Timber costs less, £1,500 to £4,500 against £2,500 to £6,000 for aluminium, and sits naturally in planted gardens and against older brick. Aluminium costs more, needs almost no maintenance and suits modern houses and exposed coastal plots. Neither is better outright: the choice is upkeep against budget, and looks against convenience.
The short version
If you want the structure fitted and then never think about it again, choose aluminium and accept the higher price. If you want a natural material, more size for the money, and you will genuinely give it a coat of stain every few years, choose timber and spend the saving on area. Everything else is detail on top of that.
| Factor | Timber | Aluminium |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost (3 by 3) | £1,500 to £2,500 | £2,500 to £3,500 fixed roof; £4,000+ louvred |
| Lifespan | 15 to 25 years, maintained | 25 years and up, minimal care |
| Maintenance | Stain or oil every 2 to 3 years | Wash down occasionally |
| Roof options | Open, sheet or canopy | Fixed, louvred, integrated guttering |
| Wind performance | Good when well jointed and anchored | Rated systems tested to 100 km/h and beyond |
| Look | Natural, softens with age | Crisp, matches modern glazing |
How each one handles Teesside weather
Wind first, because it decides more here than anywhere milder. A quality aluminium system arrives with a tested wind rating, and a louvered roof can open its blades to spill a gale, which is a genuine structural advantage on the coast at Redcar and Saltburn. A well-jointed timber frame on proper footings stands up fine, but it carries no test certificate, so the assurance comes from the joinery and the anchoring rather than a datasheet.
Moisture second. Teesside's wet weeks are kinder to powder-coated aluminium than to any timber. Treated softwood handles the damp well provided its end grain stays off the ground and its finish is renewed; neglected timber at the base of a post is where the rot quietly starts. On the coast, salt air shortens the refinishing interval for timber and leaves aluminium essentially untroubled.
The maintenance question, honestly
Timber asks for an afternoon every two to three years: a wash, a light sand of the weathered faces, a coat of stain or oil. Skip it and the structure will not fall down, but it silvers, the joints weather, and the lifespan shortens. Aluminium asks for a hose-down. The honest test is not which you prefer today but which you will still be doing in year five, and plenty of households know the answer.
Looks, which are not trivial
Against a modern rendered extension with anthracite bi-folds, aluminium looks designed-in and timber can look like an afterthought. Against a Victorian terrace, a Yarm townhouse or a planted cottage garden, the reverse is true, and a stained timber frame with a climbing rose over it is something no powder-coated system imitates well. Both materials take climbing plants, though timber wears them more gracefully as they thicken.
Which one for which garden
- Modern house, low maintenance wanted: aluminium, fixed or louvred roof.
- Older brick property, planted garden: timber, and enjoy the saving.
- Exposed coastal plot: aluminium, with a stated wind rating and matching fixings.
- Big coverage on a tight budget: timber, sized generously.
- Year-round outdoor room: aluminium louvered, with screens and heaters from the accessories page.
Both routes are quoted the same way here, in writing with the structure and fixings spelled out, so the cleanest way to decide is to have the same garden priced in both. The cost guide shows what each comes to on a typical footprint.