I have a 15’x24′ pergola over my deck in the back of the house. How do I refinish this thing? I pressure washed it and now I have to put some type of liquid protection on it. Do I spray it? From above or below? Either way I Imagine an almost uncontrolled mess. Rolling or brushing seem almost as bad and the overall surface area of this thing is enormous making either one a huge task. To make matters worse the last owner put spanners in between the beams, presumably to increase the shade, but in the process he managed to screw up the refinishing work flow making for a very difficult situation.

One of my other options is to use the thing as a skeleton for a roof, that way I won’t be facing this job again. There are  problems with that as well. First off it would be flat (is that alright?)  Secondly based on the material I use, shingles or whatever, at what point do I have to worry about weight?

I’m also considering tearing the damn thing down. Any thoughts would be appreciated.