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Category
Date de publication
June 2023
Mis à jour
octobre 10, 2025
Summary
7 tips for shading a south-facing terrace
The garden arbour
The pergola
The parasol
Awning
The shade sail
The canopy
The trees

7 tips for shading a south-facing terrace

Summer is already here. If you're lucky enough tohave a terrace at home, you'll be spending more and more time on it. Coveted by many homeowners for its maximum sunshine, a south-facing terrace can become a real furnace in midsummer. To keep it pleasant, we strongly recommendshading a south-facing terrace. If you'd like to know how to keep a south-facing terrace cool even during a heatwave, here are a few effective ideas.

The garden arbour

The garden arbour is a good solution for shading a south-facing terrace. south-facing terracebalcony or garden. Highly decorative, it's easy to install and remove. So you can use it as a temporary solution during the summer. All that's left to do is dismantle it when winter arrives, so you can enjoy maximum sunshine during this cold period! Arbors offer good value for money. It's the ideal solution if you're on a tight budget.

The pergola

Whereas an arbour is self-supporting on four pillars, a pergola is fixed to the wall of your terrace and supported by two legs. Apart from this major difference, the two solutions are equivalent in terms of solar protection.

A pergola is an aesthetically pleasing extension of your facade, giving it a certain cachet. Unlike an arbour, a pergola is not a temporary solution. The pergola for south-facing terrace can be made of wood, aluminum or wrought iron. It can be covered with wooden slats, double-glazed glass, Plexiglas, polycarbonate or canvas.

You can plant a garden arbour or pergola with a climbing plant such as :

  • Jasmine;
  • Honeysuckle;
  • glycine ;
  • the bignone ;
  • clematis ;
  • passionflower ;
  • the vine ;
  • solanum...

You can also choose a bioclimatic pergola for your apartment with south-facing terrace. This type of pergola is equipped with motorized, intelligent adjustable slats that change orientation according to the position of the sun. The bioclimatic pergola also has a ventilation system that will cool your south-facing terrace when it's hot, even in the shade. Finally, it is equipped with a wind sensor and a rain sensor. It will protect you from the vagaries of the weather, even in winter!

The parasol

To protect your south-facing south-facing terraceYou can also opt for a parasol, a very classic solution. An XXL model will cover a large part of your terrace. The disadvantage of a parasol is that its base takes up space and can get in the way. For this reason, we recommend an offset parasol with a 360° swivel. On a large south-facing terrace, you can install several parasols.

The parasol is available in a range of colors. Patterned models are also available! When it comes to choosing a parasol, rely on your personal taste and make sure it matches the style of your terrace.

For greater efficiency in hot weather, choose a model with a central ventilation shaft. This type of parasol filters the sun's rays, but does not prevent air from circulating. This prevents an undesirable greenhouse effect from developing, resulting in unbearable heat under the parasol.

Awning

Like the pergola, the awning is fixed directly to the façade. However, you can roll it up and down as you wish. For example, you can unroll your awning to shade your south-facing terrace during the hottest hours of the day. Then roll it up again to enjoy the late afternoon rays on your terrace.

An awning is essentially a large canvas stretched by two articulated arms. You can choose the color and pattern of your choice. It then adapts to the style of your terrace. It can be discreet in light gray, dark gray or black. But it can also be sunny in yellow stripes, like a beach umbrella.

In very sunny regions of France, such as Provence, it's often advisable to avoid using an awning to shade a south-facing terrace. This is because the acrylic fabric of an awning blocks not only the sun's rays, but also the air! But when the weather is very hot, it's better to opt for a solution that allows ventilation of the terrace. A bioclimatic pergola or sunshade with a central ventilation shaft is the ideal solution.

The shade sail

A shade sail is a stretched canvas, often triangular in shape, which is placed over a sunny terrace. Like an arbour, it is easy to install and remove. It can therefore be a temporary solution for shading a south-facing terrace during a scorching summer. Trendy, decorative and intimate, shade sails take up no space and are wind-resistant. With microperforated fabric, they are ideal for avoiding an undesirable greenhouse effect. With water-repellent fabric, they are perfect for protection from both sun and rain.

The canopy

Also a temporary solution that can be easily uninstalled, the velum is similar to an arbour or shade sail. It's a retractable sail attached to a wooden, aluminum or wrought-iron structure. It can be rolled up and down at will. Its characteristics are similar to those of a shade sail.

The trees

To protect yourself from the sun in the height of summer, you can opt for asouth-facing terrace. It's a natural and highly effective solution... but unfortunately, it doesn't work as well in an apartment. For optimum protection, you need to wait until the tree has reached a certain size. A tree will always grow better in the ground than in a pot. But you can always try, as long as you choose trees that do well in pots:

  • The fig tree;
  • Olive tree;
  • Cedar ;
  • The cherry blossom tree;
  • The palm tree;
  • The Mexican orange tree...

Trees provide shade and cool your terrace at the same time. What's more, deciduous trees will lose their foliage in winter, allowing you to enjoy the sunshine during the cold season.

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