SHADE.MTBook a survey
A white louvred pergola on a pale limestone roof terrace, striped shade falling on an outdoor sofa, the sea and an old limestone town beyond

Home / Pergolas

Louvred and retractable pergolas

Aluminium pergolas whose roof you control: rotate the blades for shade and air, close them against rain, or slide the whole roof back to open sky.

Request a site surveyHow louvres work

Two kinds of roof

Louvred or retractable

Both are aluminium frames made to measure for your space. The difference is what the roof does.

01 / Louvred roof

Rotating louvre pergola

The roof is a row of aluminium blades that rotate together, usually by motor. Turn them to follow the sun through the day, open them to let heat out, or close them flat when it rains. Water runs off the closed blades into a gutter built into the frame and down to drainage.

It is the most flexible way to shade a roof terrace or garden, and the base that side screens, glass, lighting and heating are added to.

  • ControlMotor with remote, wall switch or app
  • Sensors (options)Sun, rain and wind
  • Lighting (option)LED strips in the frame or blades
  • Heating (option)Infrared heaters
  • Frame colourRAL powder-coat colours
  • MountingFreestanding or fixed to a wall
  • SidesAdd zip screens or sliding glass
02 / Retractable roof

Retractable roof pergola

Instead of rotating blades, the roof itself slides back and stacks at one end, leaving the terrace open to the sky. Run it out again for shade, or when a shower comes over. Depending on the system, the roof is a tensioned fabric or folding panels.

A good choice when you want open sky most of the time and cover only now and then, or where a fixed-looking roof is not wanted.

  • RoofFabric or folding panels
  • ControlMotorised
  • Sensors (options)Rain and wind
  • Lighting (option)LED in the frame
  • Frame colourRAL powder-coat colours
  • SidesZip screens or glass

Installed

Louvred and retractable roofs in use

Finished projects, photographed by the manufacturer. Yours is made to measure for your space.

A louvred pergola roof lit from below at night over a tiled terrace with dining chairs and a city view
Looking up through open aluminium louvres over a covered terrace, with a garden pool beyond
An aerial night view of a louvred pergola with LED lighting beside a lit pool
A dark grey pergola with a sliding roof over sun loungers beside a villa pool
A dark louvred pergola over outdoor seating at the end of a pool
A dark-framed pergola with a white retractable fabric roof over a garden dining table
A pergola with a pleated white fabric roof over a deck and lounge chair at dusk
A white retractable fabric roof over sun loungers and a hot tub, with a zip screen lowered at the far end
Photos: SUNC

Before you choose

Questions to ask about any pergola

Whoever you buy from, these are worth asking in Malta.

What is the wind rating?

Open and closed, and with screens down. Ask for the certificates for the exact size and system you are buying, before you order.

Is it finished for sea air?

Ask for a marine-grade powder coat and stainless-steel fixings, especially on the coast.

Where does the water go?

Closed blades send rain into the frame’s gutters. Make sure there is somewhere for it to drain on your roof or terrace.

Does it need a permit?

A closable roof on a visible roof or terrace may. Read the guide and ask a perit.

Questions

Common questions

What is a bioclimatic pergola?

It is a pergola with a roof of aluminium blades that rotate. Open, they let light and air through; angled, they block direct sun while letting warm air escape; closed, they shed rain into gutters built into the frame. The name refers to how it lets you manage sun and ventilation rather than to any one product.

Louvred or retractable: which should I choose?

Choose a louvred roof if you want fine control over sun and air and a roof that closes for rain. Choose a retractable roof if you mostly want completely open sky and only occasionally need cover. The survey is a good time to talk it through.

Can I add screens or glass later?

Often yes, if the frame is designed for it. Tell us at the start if you might want side screens, glass, lighting or heaters later, so the right system and cable routes are chosen from day one.

Can a pergola be fixed to my roof slab or wall?

Sometimes. Wall-mounted pergolas save posts but need a wall that can take the load, and roof fixings must not damage the waterproofing. Where the structure is unsuitable, a freestanding frame or weighted bases may be the answer. The survey checks this.

Next step

Thinking about a pergola?

Send photos of the space and rough measurements. We will arrange a survey and quote in writing.

Request a site survey