The pergola is beautiful once put together. It has a small amount of light that filters through. It is incredibly sturdy and I believe it will hold up well against the elements. My 3 star rating is based upon the difficulty In assembling it. The instructions are confusing and don’t always fit with how it needs to be assembled. In addition, several is the predrilled holes do not line up and so if you feel comfortable rigging it yourself, then it will work fine. Having to do that will take you extra time and some frustration.