How to Add a Fabric Roof to a Pergola

Measure the roof of the pergola to determine how much fabric you need. Add 25 percent or at least 4 feet of extra fabric to both the length and width measurements. This addition ensures excess fabric to work with.

Select an exterior-grade fabric to cover your pergola. Try a soft fabric that has a slight drape -- or consider a shade cloth that you can pull tightly across to filter the sun.

Climb a ladder and place once corner of the fabric at one corner of the pergola's roof. Attach it to the roof beam using a staple gun with 1-inch staples.

Set your ladder at the opposite end of the roof and pull the fabric across. Adjust the fabric so the length is smooth and in a straight line. Attach it at this point with staples.

Move to the other side of the pergola and stretch the fabric across. For a soft look, let the fabric drape slightly in the center, to create a bubble-look between the beams of the pergola. For stiffer fabric, like the shade cloth, stretch it tightly across, and staple it in position.

Finish attaching the fabric in the fourth corner by pulling it across and holding it in place with staples. Ensure that it's smooth and straight.

Reinforce the fabric by stapling along the circumference, smoothing the fabric as you work.

Trim excess fabric using a sharp utility knife. Cut the fabric about 1 inch from the edge of the beam, so the cut edge isn't visible from the ground.