Patios / informal sitting area

A patio can be a great addition to any home. It provides a place for the family to gather on warm, sunny days, for barbecues and glasses of lemonade. A well-designed patio fits in with both the house and the yard. Before you start building a patio, there are a few things you should consider.

There are a lot of different materials that can be used to make a patio. Brick is a popular option, as it allows for interesting designs to be created. Some people choose to use flagstone. Both brick and flagstone are ideal for areas that get a lot of rain, as they allow water to run between the bricks or stones. Paved concrete patios are easy to make, and last a long time, but it is more difficult to make a creative design when using concrete. Concrete also takes a while to dry, which might be a problem in rainy weather or if you have pets or children that may try to wander through it.

Before building a patio, consider what design elements you would like to work into it. A patio does not need to be just one solid area. It can have round holes in it, for planting. It may also have more than one main area, connected by paths. Consider the landscaping around the patio, and how you might be able to work everything in together. Planting shrubs and flowers around the outside of the patio can add definition, while ground covers can add a more subtle appearance.

Be sure that you have all of the supplies you need before you begin building a patio. This will prevent you from having to run back to the hardware store for more supplies halfway through the project. Use posts or other marking materials to plot out your design before you begin, so you can make sure it will look the way you want it to.

Patios are great for entertaining your friends or just relaxing in the summer sun after a long day at work. If you’ve got a nice patio, you might find yourself spending more time on your patio in the summer than anywhere else in your house. Patios are great because they function as so many different rooms. If you have a barbecue on your patio, you can cook on your patio instead of in your kitchen. Cooking in your kitchen in the summer can be miserable because having an oven on in the summer can make your house very hot. A patio is also like a lounge and dining room in one. In the summers, my patio also becomes my home office. I bring my laptop and my phone outside and do all my work from my patio. The key to having a fantastic patio is to have a patio design and to get the right patio furniture. Decorating your patio is like decorating any room in your home