I would find out if it would be considered a porch. Ask the question but DON'T tell them who you are.

If it would not be considered a porch, I would put a tinted
polycarbonate or fiberglass roof on it.

are you asked for help on how to do this or whether you should do this?

Even if you use clear panels, the 2' x ?' sections will overlap and be somwhat unsightly. I am assuming you are using the wavy fiberglass panels you get at HD or Lowes. Have you thought of using acrylic/plexi flat panels? Is the pergola sloped or flat? You would have to consider snow loads in the winter either way.

I would think that the city would consider any covered outdoor area a porch, if it is attached to the house. I don't think that the material used for the roof would matter.

we had the same problem with our deck. We used the 2x6 wavy panels-they were grey, but the sun frosted them. We did have them on a slope to the yard (not house) and used the wavy wood supports, and just used caulk and overlap to make them 8' long. the sun still came through the side on the south side, so put up a cheap horitontal blind, and lowered it when sitting outside. it becameour favorite spot to see the yard in comfort & read the paper.

I'd also recommend you go with polycarbonate (lexan). Fiberglass will cloud pretty quickly. Polycarb is what most greenhouses go with when they want a rigid structure. My solarium has polycarb panels and it's five years and running, and still is clear as a bell. (easy to work with, as well)

Polycarbonate!!
It is a little more expensive, but fiberglass will cloud and break in hail. PVC is a little better than fiberglass, but will also break in small hail. Trust me, I've had all three...
Polycarbonate is best.
-Taylor

wait- I thought that the whole purpose of a pergola was to train a wisteria over to provide shade? or a trumpet vine, since you're trying to cut down on the shed debris- and wisterias are MESSY during blooming season!

but a living roof- even morning glories- would provide shade, some protection from your neighbor's tree debris, and look a whole lot better than fiberglass.

Can you post a picture ? That would really help.

Hi-
Me, again. In response to the post by chinacat...
I have a concrete floored porch with a clear polycarbonate roof. I also have vines climbing up the porch poles. With a clear polycarbonate roof, you can have the best of both...a living roof and a water proof roof. I let the vines climb over the top to offer shade and the clear roof allows the sunshine to come through to get the vines growing. The roof itself, protects us and the porch furniture from getting wet. It is a wonderful spot to sit in, especially when it rains!
-Taylor

If you just need something to keep the leaves etc off the patio area, why don't you just cover the top with the mesh you use for screens. You can buy it on a roll. It will not really give you any shade as such, or keep you dry, but is probably the least expensive way to solve the leaf problem

Thanks to all who have suggested ways to accomplish my idea of covering my pergola. When thinking of what I want most out of this space, I would say being able to sit out back in any weather (rain or shine)along with not having to contend with neighbor leaves constantly.

I did intend to grow some old fashioned wisteria over the pergola, but somehow I misplaced the seeds.

Using both the fiberglass along with the vines sounds like an awesome idea and would certainly hide the fact that it has a cover on it at the same time. And if covered, it would not matter that the fiberglass was discolored.

As for whether it will slope or not: as of now, the pergola is actually flat on top, but we would definitely have to find a way to rais up the side attached to house in order to allow for run-off.

Thanks again everyone!

Oh, and I will certainly take a picture of the pergola to post.

These are some great ideas for making use of this awesome feature on our deck. Taylor TX: Did you grow the vine over the polycarbonate roof or just underneath it? And to anyone - how long does it take for the Wisteria to grow up and actually cover the pergola enough to doe some good? Finally, how much does the polycarbonate cost? Thanks!!