Where we work

Bioclimatic pergolas in Frosinone: snow loads and winter use

A bioclimatic pergola in Frosinone carries snow up to the load declared by the manufacturer for the chosen model and size: the load the site requires depends on the municipality and altitude, and is checked before anything is ordered. Michelessi, stone specialists in Aprilia since 1976, sells and installs bioclimatic pergolas, retractable-fabric pergolas, awnings and enclosures by Gibus, KE Outdoor Design and Pratic in Frosinone, Anagni, Alatri, Sora, Cassino and Fiuggi. The free survey also checks permits, restrictions and the outdoor stone kitchen.

Bioclimatic pergolas in Frosinone and its province: what we install

A bioclimatic pergola is an aluminium roof with adjustable louvres that controls sun, air and rain: open, the blades let the breeze through; closed, they keep the water out. Michelessi, stone specialists in Aprilia since 1976, sells and installs bioclimatic pergolas, retractable-fabric pergolas, awnings and enclosures by the Italian manufacturers Gibus, KE Outdoor Design and Pratic in Frosinone, Anagni, Alatri, Sora, Cassino and Fiuggi.

Winters in the province of Frosinone are colder than on the coast and some towns see snow, so the design starts from snow, wind and frost before it starts from colour. The models are on the Gibus, KE Outdoor Design and Pratic pages; the general guide is Bioclimatic pergola: what it is and how it works; the whole department is under Pergolas.

Bioclimatic pergola and snow load: the values declared by the manufacturers

A bioclimatic pergola carries snow up to the load declared by the manufacturer for that model and size: there is no single value for all. KE Outdoor Design states a snow load of up to 350 kg/m², as a maximum value not tied to a specific model; for individual models the value is requested from the manufacturer and written into the design before ordering.

Brand	Snow, frost and wind: what the manufacturer declares
Gibus	Snow melt system, blade heating that prevents snow from forming and building up (for Varia and Twist); sun, rain and wind sensors.
KE Outdoor Design	Snow load of up to 350 kg/m² and wind resistance up to class 6 (EN 13561, about 88 km/h) on some products. Kedry Skylife, Kedry Prime, Kedry Plus, Keplan, Isola 2, Gennius Vega and Xtesa: class 6 declared; Kedry Neos class 5; Hydra class 3. Kedry Plus also has wind, snow and rain sensors.
Pratic	Rain, snow and wind sensors that close the blades of the bioclimatic pergolas automatically in bad weather.

The design snow load depends on the municipality and the height above sea level, under the Italian technical standards for construction: it differs between a town on the plain and a higher one such as Fiuggi. At the survey we note municipality, altitude and exposure and ask the manufacturer for the declared values for the chosen model. In snow or ice the instruction manual applies: as a rule the blades are closed or the fabric is retracted, and frozen parts are never forced (guide on wind, snow and winter).

Bioclimatic pergola in winter: screens, glass walls and heating

In winter the pergola is used with side enclosures (Pergola enclosures: glass walls and zip screens): transparent zip screens, sliding glass walls and, where needed, some heating. The enclosures shelter from wind and rain but do not turn the pergola into a heated room, and a pergola permanently closed on all sides must be checked with the Comune.

Transparent zip screens. Gibus: Click Zip screens with a transparent winter fabric; KE Outdoor Design: Vertika vertical enclosures in transparent, filtering or blackout fabrics; Pratic: Raso vertical screens and others with zip guides.
Sliding glass walls. Toughened glass of 10 or 12 mm in the Gibus VEPA, in KE's Line Glass and in Pratic's Slide Glass 60: they shelter from wind and rain, but do not insulate against the cold.
Heating. Gibus lists heaters among its accessories; KE Outdoor Design the MORE FTA-e radiant underfloor heating, which can be combined with Kedry Skylife, Kedry Prime and Isola 3; with Pratic, heat lamps are by other brands, to be chosen in the design.

Wall-mounted or free-standing pergola for a house with a garden

In houses with a garden the choice is between a wall-mounted pergola and a free-standing (island) one. The wall-mounted one is fixed to the wall and extends the French window; the free-standing one stands on four or six posts and covers a dining area set apart from the wall, the poolside or the parking space. The differences are on the page Wall-mounted and free-standing pergolas.

Each brand offers both versions: Gibus with the Isola 4 gambe and Addossata frontale 2 gambe configurations, KE Outdoor Design with the A variants such as Kedry Plus A, Pratic with bioclimatic pergolas that are free-standing or fixed to a wall. For sloping gardens KE declares, for Keplan, columns adjustable in height. KE Outdoor Design documents on its website a wall-mounted Kedry Prime beside a pool in a villa in Atina: an installation by the manufacturer and its dealer, not a Michelessi job.

If you are also considering a pergotenda, a canopy structure (tettoia), a gazebo or a veranda, the guide Bioclimatic pergola, pergotenda, gazebo or veranda explains the differences; if you would like the roof to produce energy as well, see Photovoltaic pergolas.

Awnings in Frosinone and its province

Awnings shield terraces and glazing from the summer sun and are retracted in bad weather: folding-arm cassette awnings for terraces, drop awnings for glazing, canopy awnings (KE and Pratic) for windows.

Among the models: Gibus TXT and Nodo (folding-arm cassette), KE Outdoor Design Quad and Qubica Plumb, Pratic T-Hide (folding-arm) and T-Zone (drop, with zip guides). An awning is not designed to carry snow: in winter it stays retracted, and a cassette protects the fabric. Types and condominium rules on colours are on the page Folding-arm, drop and cassette awnings.

Bioclimatic pergola with an outdoor stone kitchen

Under the pergola the outdoor kitchen is stone furniture: a structure in refractory stone, steel or treated wood, with a worktop in granite, quartzite, sintered stone or marble. Michelessi draws the pergola, the paving and the kitchen in the same 3D design, so that posts, drainage and levels do not clash.

The roof protects the metal and wooden parts from rain; smoke and the distance from blades and fabric are studied in the design. In the province, where it freezes in winter, paving and worktop are chosen in materials suited to frost; if the plan is to close all sides and fix permanent services, we recommend the opinion of the municipal technical office. See Outdoor kitchen under a pergola, Outdoor kitchens, Barbecues and ovens in refractory stone, Paving and Pools.

Permits for a pergola in Frosinone and its province

In many cases a bioclimatic pergola attached or annexed to the house, with a movable roof and no permanently enclosed space, falls under free building activity (article 6, paragraph 1, letter b-ter, Presidential Decree 380/2001). Each municipality in the province has its own building regulations and some areas are protected: a free-standing island pergola set apart from the house, or one permanently closed on all sides, is checked with the Comune, and in a condominium the regulations and the neighbours count too. We tell you at the design stage, before anything is ordered.

Conditions, side enclosures and distances are in the guide Permits for pergolas in Italy; for apartment blocks, Pergola on a condominium terrace.

Anagni, Alatri, Sora, Cassino, Fiuggi: what we check town by town

Each municipality has its own building regulations, altitude and sometimes protected zones, so the survey is done on site.

Town	What we check first
Frosinone	Houses with gardens and apartment-block terraces: island or wall-mounted pergola, condominium regulations, drainage.
Anagni	Historic centre and residential districts: restrictions, appearance, colour of the structure.
Alatri	Historic centre and houses with gardens: landscape restrictions, altitude, snow load.
Sora	Snow and frost: the model's snow load, transparent enclosures, heating.
Cassino	Houses and villas with gardens: declared wind and snow values, zip screens, a pergola for the car.
Fiuggi	Higher altitude and tourist resort: snow and frost, holiday homes, pergolas for restaurants and hotels.

How we work in the province of Frosinone

The method (survey, 3D design, installation by our own team) is described in Bespoke pergolas. In the province of Frosinone the order of the questions changes: at the survey we start from municipality, altitude and exposure, because the snow load to check and the winter enclosures depend on them; then the model is chosen among Gibus, KE Outdoor Design and Pratic using the snow and wind values declared by the manufacturer, and permits and restrictions are checked before anything is ordered. The design is prepared by the technical office in Aprilia, with an in-house architect.

What the price depends on is explained, without figures, in How much does a bioclimatic pergola cost; tax deductions in Tax deductions for awnings and pergolas in Italy.

Other areas

Survey, design and installation are available in the other areas we cover too:

Our base, with workshop and showroom, lies between Rome and Latina: Michelessi SRL, Via Pontina km 45.350, Aprilia (Latina); phone and WhatsApp +39 06 9275383. The survey and the quotation are free throughout Lazio: quotation form.

More from the pergolas department

Frequently asked questions

Does a bioclimatic pergola carry snow in Frosinone?

It depends on the model: it carries snow up to the load declared by the manufacturer for that model and size; there is no single value for all of them. KE Outdoor Design states a snow load of up to 350 kg/m², as a maximum value not tied to a specific model; for individual models the value is requested from the manufacturer and written into the design before anything is ordered.

Which snow load applies to a house in the province of Frosinone?

It depends on the municipality and the height above sea level, under the Italian technical standards for construction, and it differs between a town on the plain and a higher one. At the survey we note municipality, altitude and exposure, then ask the manufacturer for the value declared for the chosen model and compare it with the one the site requires, before ordering.

What happens to the pergola when it snows?

It depends on the model and is set out in the instruction manual. Bioclimatic pergolas with snow, rain and wind sensors, such as KE Outdoor Design's Kedry Plus and the Pratic models, react to bad weather; Pratic declares automatic closing of the blades. For Varia and Twist, Gibus offers blade heating called the Snow melt system. Parts that are frozen stuck are never forced.

Can a bioclimatic pergola be used in winter?

Yes, with side enclosures: transparent zip screens and sliding glass walls shelter from wind and rain, and some heating makes the space more comfortable. Glass walls are not thermal insulation, though, and a pergola permanently closed on all sides must be checked with the Comune: we tell you at the design stage, before anything is ordered.

Can awnings stay fitted in winter?

Yes, but retracted. Folding-arm cassette awnings and drop awnings close up and the cassette protects the fabric; they are not designed to carry snow or to stay open in strong wind. Motorised versions with wind sensors retract by themselves, but before a snowfall it is wise to check that they are closed.

Do I need a permit for a bioclimatic pergola in Frosinone?

In many cases a pergola attached or annexed to the house, with a movable roof and no permanently enclosed space, falls under free building activity (article 6, letter b-ter, Presidential Decree 380/2001). But each municipality in the province has its own building regulations, and landscape restrictions, the condominium and seismic rules must be checked: that is why the survey starts from the Comune. We tell you at the design stage, before ordering; the full picture is in our permits guide.

Do you survey and install in Anagni, Alatri, Sora, Cassino and Fiuggi too?

Yes. The survey and the quotation are free throughout Lazio, the province of Frosinone included. The technical office in Aprilia prepares the 3D design and installation is done by our own team, the one that lays the stone. We sell and install pergolas, awnings and enclosures by Gibus, KE Outdoor Design and Pratic.

Can an outdoor kitchen go under a pergola in the garden?

Yes, as outdoor furniture: pergola, paving and stone kitchen are drawn in the same 3D design, with drainage, levels and the distance of smoke from the blades. If the plan is to close all sides and fix permanent services, we recommend the opinion of the municipal technical office.

For a sloping garden, is a wall-mounted or a free-standing pergola better?

The choice is made at the survey. The wall-mounted one rests against the wall; the free-standing island pergola, on four or six posts, can stand apart from the wall, but if it is far from the house we check it with the Comune. For sloping ground KE Outdoor Design declares, for Keplan, columns adjustable in height; fixings and stone paving are drawn together.

Does a pergola qualify for tax deductions?

It may qualify as solar shading if it meets the ENEA requirements; it is not automatic and the certification is made by a qualified technician. Current requirements, rates and deadlines, with the date, are in our guide on tax deductions.