Shod arbor - one of the most demanded elements of modern landscape design. A similar design will decorate the site year-round. If you combine it with forging on the windows, a fence and garden furniture made in a similar technique, you get a kind of garden set - decoration and a visiting card of a country house.
Types of structures
Shod arbors can be of two types. It:
- Massive enclosed structures set on a solid foundation. They are designed for use in the cold season. Mainly used for recreation in the fall and spring. In winter, at temperatures below -5 ... -10 degrees, no one will rest in such structures, since even a fireplace will not save from the cold.
- Lightweight openwork designs that don't need a solid base. This is the best place for gatherings with friends in the warm summer. The roof will protect from the hot sun or cheerful rain, and due to the absence of closed walls, the wind will cool the space in the gazebo. Typically, polycarbonate is used to cover summer structures, while for closed gazebos, the roof is made of the same material as the roof of the house.
Forged arbors are classified for giving and other parameters:
- Type of foundation. It can be made by hot or cold forging. Using the first method, you can get the most smooth, delicate and delicate products. If you want to reduce the cost of construction, then resort to the method of cold forging.
- Type of raw materials used. For work, craftsmen can use copper, steel, iron and other types of materials. The choice depends on the wishes of the customer and his solvency.
- In geometric form. Arbor constructions can be hexagonal or octagonal, round, square, rectangular, oval.
Scope of application
Shod arbors can serve as magnificent decoration of country plots, summer residences, cottages. Such structures look great both against the background of the building, and in the garden among the trees, on a green lawn, near the flowerbed. To emphasize the beauty of the structure, when installing it is supplemented with elements of plastic, wood, stone.
Currently, wrought iron gazebos are no longer just a place of family relaxation. In the closed version, heated by the fireplace, it becomes fashionable to celebrate the New Year: snow is falling behind a transparent polycarbonate wall or frost is breaking, the moon is shining brightly, and inside is warm (relatively) everything that is needed for a merry holiday. It is interesting, unusual, in a new way. In addition, garden pavilions can serve as a venue for corporate events, wedding ceremonies, anniversaries and other holidays.
Installation Features
Regardless of the price category and type of construction, it must be installed on a prepared surface. So, for heavy structures will require a more serious foundation. It is best if it is concreted, and then decorated with tiles, stone or brick. Thanks to this, the structure will not sink into the ground and will be preserved from corrosion.
If the gazebo is lightweight, it can be mounted on a gravel embankment or on embedded parts mounted on concrete supports. Sometimes structures are installed directly in the soil, but this is not the best option, since in wet soil metal parts will rust. This installation method is not suitable for too soft or wet soils. Since under its weight the structure will gradually sink into the soil, especially in the autumn-spring period, when the earth is saturated with moisture and becomes too soft.
Advantages of openwork pavilions
The obvious advantages of forged arbors include them:
- Durability. Unlike wooden structures, metal structures are almost not subject to weathering and decay due to precipitation.
- Fire safety. Metal does not burn and is not afraid of fire, so in such arbors you can safely install a barbecue or fireplace. In a wooden or polycarbonate structure, this is very difficult, so for lovers of barbecue and meat on the grill, forged arbors with barbecue are ideal.
- Strength. Forged products are not afraid of any winds, rains, hurricanes. The maximum that can happen during a hurricane wind is that the roofing material is damaged, but the structure itself will also stand firmly in place even after stormy winds and storms.
- Diversity. Such a number of options for creating garden structures is impossible from any other material. Starting from high-end models and ending with simple metal structures, all this can be done by the master according to the client’s order, taking into account all his wishes.
Things to remember
Like any other structures, wrought iron garden arbors have disadvantages. Many people believe that:
- The metal, heating up in the sun, will give off heat to the inside of the structure, which makes it very difficult to stay in the gazebo in the summer. This is really possible if the structure is covered with a metal roof. It is not difficult to eliminate it: you can plant trees nearby and they will create the necessary shadow. In addition, for a summer vacation, you can install the most openwork arbor, then it will be possible to relax in it even on a hot afternoon.
- Metal may rust. Yes, it will rust if nothing is done. However, modern materials for coating metals are just designed to prevent corrosion. Due to their durability, staining can be done not often, but once every 3-5 years, which is very convenient. It is not necessary to pre-treat metal surfaces, so the work will be much easier and faster.
- Products of this type are very expensive. These are complex structures made of expensive metal. If you use inexpensive material and choose a simple form of construction without ornate patterns, the design will be quite budget.
Model variations
Designers divided shod arbors into the following types:
- Belvedere. These are the so-called round-shaped structures, for the installation of which elevated places are usually chosen on the site. A distinctive feature of such products is the quick assembly and the presence of a polycarbonate roof.
- Pergolas. This design consists of several sections and arches connected by crossbars. Curly flowers and creepers are planted next to the structure so that they crawl and braid the trellised ceiling.
- Altanki. This is the most popular type of gazebo. They are intended exclusively for the summer season. Their installation site is a meadow surrounded by greenery. Altanki are compact, open or closed structures with a roof assembled from triangles.
Design and style
A shod arbor is not only a place where you can hide from the scorching sun or bad weather. This is a structure that can decorate a garden, a lawn near a house or a plot. To do this, you need to approach the choice of the type and style of the product correctly. If there is no idea what a metal structure should look like, you can see photos of forged arbors on the Web, then from the presented options choose what you liked the most.
But there is one important nuance: in style, the design should be in harmony with other buildings on the site. So, a product in the same style will suit a classic house, but next to a modern building it will look ridiculous. If there is no experience in this matter, it is best to seek help from a landscape designer. This is a guarantee that the gazebo will truly become an effective decoration of the site, transform it, add a touch of elegance and unusualness to the overall look.
Service
It’s not at all difficult to take care of a forged product (a gazebo or some other). To identify the condition of the structure, it is necessary to carry out spring preventive examinations annually. If destructive formations such as rust can be detected on the surface, appropriate measures must be taken. To do this, you need:
- Sand the metal surface.
- Using any suitable product, degrease this area.
- After drying with a special metal paint, paint the treated area.
Note: today there are a wide variety of coloring materials on sale, ranging from transparent varnishes to metallic refinishing products. Their use will allow you to create a special, not like other structures.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that beautiful wrought iron arbors are more expensive than wooden counterparts, the money spent will fully justify itself. Long-lasting attractive products will decorate the site for many years. Having shown a little imagination, you can order or make yourself an absolutely unique structure, made in a single copy.