Density of Timber TY
Subject: How Much Shade Does Your Pergola Actually Provide?
Hi [First Name],
Before you compare quotes, there is one number worth asking every company for:” what is the actual shade coverage?
ShadePrint™ is our proprietary metric for usable shade — the percentage of coverage a pergola actually delivers as the sun tracks overhead. Our standard kits average 80%+ ShadePrint™, comparable to standing under a mature shade tree. Most aluminum, vinyl, and light-frame wood kits land between 40–50%.
Your guests will not care how pretty the rafters are if the sun is beating through onto their backs.
Western Timber Frame
- 80%+ ShadePrint™ standard
- Dense rafter spacing
- Thick 2×6 shade planks
- Real thermal mass overhead
Typical Kit Pergola
- 40–50% shade coverage
- Wide rafter spacing
- Thin or narrow planks
- Sun beats through at peak hours
It comes down to two things: rafter density (more rafters = more shade as the sun moves) and shade plank width (2×6 planks close far more gaps than 2×4s). Both are design decisions we make before your kit ships.
Why the Shade Feels Different
Heavy timber absorbs heat gradually instead of radiating it. In extreme heat, timber rafters stay safely touchable while metal gets dangerously hot. That thermal mass makes the shade feel cooler, steadier, and more enveloping — like stepping beneath a living tree.
Ask any company you are comparing: What is the ShadePrint™ coverage? How many rafters, and what size shade planks? Those numbers will tell you more than any photo.
Questions about shade coverage for your space? I am happy to walk you through it.
[Name]
Western Timber Frame
[Phone] | [Email] | westerntimberframe.com
Western Timber Frame, Inc.
Winner — 2026 U.S. Small Business Administration
Utah Manufacturing Small Business of the Year
