Newton Vineyards - Napa, California

Retractable pergola deck cover systems project specifications

Our original contact was from a contractor who requested two, back to back, free-standing retractable patio pergola cover systems that would meet local wind load requirements when in use and fully extended and when not in use and not extended. The contractor requested a contemporary and very clean aesthetic and a product that would dissipate rainwater from the deck (flow down the mountain) and meet the California Building Standards Code. To drain the water to one side, the fabric was cut at a slight angle between each of the left to right extrusions within the fabric, creating a V, thus allowing the water to drain to one side of the units. The location in St. Helena, CA is an impressive site in the middle of a vineyard at Newton Vineyards with expansive vistas of Napa Valley and beyond.

The contractor requested two adjacent 118” wide by 180” projection retractable canopy systems. Each of the units uses one continuous piece of fabric. The system frame and guides specified are made entirely of powder coated 6063 aluminum using the Qualicoat® powder coating process. Frame and guide color chosen by Newton Vineyards was Iron Grey. The stainless-steel components specified were Inox (470LI and 316) that are of the highest quality and have an extremely high corrosion resistance. In fact, the components passed the European salt spray corrosion test as tested by Centro Sviluppo Materiali in Italy. Fabric specified was Ferrari Precontraint 502 Satin Champagne 502V2-8341C, a fabric that is fire retardant meeting the NFPA 701 standard. An iron-grey hood was requested for the rear of each unit to prevent rainwater, grape leaves, bird droppings and debris from collecting in the folds of fabric when not in use. Manual operation via a detachable crank was requested since there is no electricity in the middle of the vineyard.

Retractable pergola deck cover systems purpose

The purpose of the project was to provide a “retreat” for vineyard tour guides and guests for shade, sweltering summer heat, sun, glare, UV and rain protection, thus the use of Ferrari Textiles 502 Satin Precontraint.

Retractable pergola deck cover systems complexity and uniqueness

The retractable deck pergola cover systems are the only ones installed in the middle of a vineyard in the entire Napa Valley. What made this project extremely complex was that the units, that weigh thousands of pounds, had to be hauled up the mountain where no electricity was available. A generator was used to charge the lift system needed to lift the fabric to attach to the guides and to charge the installation crews drills.

Retractable pergola deck cover systems results

The client was ecstatic with the results of both retractable patio and deck pergola cover systems. This area of the vineyard was dramatically transformed. This is truly a stunning example of an outstanding product, function, and aesthetics as can be seen in the pictures. All client requirements were met, including a contemporary, stylish and very clean appearance along with providing shade, sun, UV, glare, heat and rain protection.