Patios are a wonderful way to improve the social area of your home. However, if you're not living in a warm climate, that wonderful patio only gets used for half of the year, or less. If you're one of the people with a patio in, say, Minnesota, and you want to have social events there throughout the year, here are some tips for bringing in the warmth of company to the near out-of-doors year round. You may even want to look into outdoor fire pits or outdoor fireplaces to make the social occasion warmer - and full of food!
The first thing to cut out is the wind; while summer breezes can cut the humidity and mugginess, cold blows across the snow are anything but. What you can do to make your patio more weather tolerant is getting shades or blinds in place, or perhaps the better word for it is 'wind blocks'. These can be made from natural materials, like wood or bamboo, or they can be made from fabric hung with tile mosaic so that they'll block the wind and add a pleasant sound.
Next, look for lighting that will warm up the place. While energy efficiency is a lovely thing, one of the secondary effects of good incandescent lights is that they warm the air around them. You can mix small light fixtures (to get rid of the harsh floodlight effect of most outdoor lights) with portable heat lamps to keep your patio warm in the fall and winter.
Also, the setting arrangement will matter. People who find themselves sitting on a metal bench will not last as long outside in the winter than someone on a wood seat with soft padding. Those well padded chairs need to also be waterproof. This will ensure that you do not get wet and end up extra chilly. In addition, remember, the standard lounge chair is not generally the best for seating during the winter.
Of course, besides good seating and good conversation for your patio, you will want to make sure that there is plenty of good food as well. By creating an outdoor fireplace, you will be ale to ensure that you are staying warm and getting your food cooked all at the same time. Whether you want to go with the Asian Smokers or the braziers, it is important to make sure that you are producing enough heat for everything.
Of course, if you're not into grilling (and a lot of foodies aren't), there's still good cause for an outdoor fireplace. These can be rollaway items on casters, or masonry built right into your patio. There are plenty of options, and most can fit with any home d?cor. Do check out the local ordnances for fire safety, and make sure that it has a proper chimney.
If an outdoor fireplace is a bit past your budget, or your local home owner's association doesn't like the idea of smoke coming from a chimney, there are other options for outdoor patio heaters; these can range from stucco covered 'floor heaters' to decorative cases for indoor space heaters. Make sure your patio has enough electrical outlets to run them, though, and always watch for frayed cords.
You want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to get the most out of your patio, even during the colder months. By making use of these suggestions you will be able to have a lot of fun and maybe even add a little resell value to your home. - 30228
The first thing to cut out is the wind; while summer breezes can cut the humidity and mugginess, cold blows across the snow are anything but. What you can do to make your patio more weather tolerant is getting shades or blinds in place, or perhaps the better word for it is 'wind blocks'. These can be made from natural materials, like wood or bamboo, or they can be made from fabric hung with tile mosaic so that they'll block the wind and add a pleasant sound.
Next, look for lighting that will warm up the place. While energy efficiency is a lovely thing, one of the secondary effects of good incandescent lights is that they warm the air around them. You can mix small light fixtures (to get rid of the harsh floodlight effect of most outdoor lights) with portable heat lamps to keep your patio warm in the fall and winter.
Also, the setting arrangement will matter. People who find themselves sitting on a metal bench will not last as long outside in the winter than someone on a wood seat with soft padding. Those well padded chairs need to also be waterproof. This will ensure that you do not get wet and end up extra chilly. In addition, remember, the standard lounge chair is not generally the best for seating during the winter.
Of course, besides good seating and good conversation for your patio, you will want to make sure that there is plenty of good food as well. By creating an outdoor fireplace, you will be ale to ensure that you are staying warm and getting your food cooked all at the same time. Whether you want to go with the Asian Smokers or the braziers, it is important to make sure that you are producing enough heat for everything.
Of course, if you're not into grilling (and a lot of foodies aren't), there's still good cause for an outdoor fireplace. These can be rollaway items on casters, or masonry built right into your patio. There are plenty of options, and most can fit with any home d?cor. Do check out the local ordnances for fire safety, and make sure that it has a proper chimney.
If an outdoor fireplace is a bit past your budget, or your local home owner's association doesn't like the idea of smoke coming from a chimney, there are other options for outdoor patio heaters; these can range from stucco covered 'floor heaters' to decorative cases for indoor space heaters. Make sure your patio has enough electrical outlets to run them, though, and always watch for frayed cords.
You want to make sure that you are doing everything you can to get the most out of your patio, even during the colder months. By making use of these suggestions you will be able to have a lot of fun and maybe even add a little resell value to your home. - 30228
About the Author:
When Toasty Joe isn't filling your orders for outdoor fire pits or answering your e-mails, he enjoys the cool Carolina evenings on his deck with a quality, affordable outdoor fire pit. Check out his inventory at ToastyJoes.com
