Category — Patios & Decks

Are you wondering how you could make your pool deck more appealing and more vibrant? Do you want to impress your friends with a beautiful pool deck? That’s easy, with these easy tips that you can do to improve the appeal and functionality of your pool deck at the same time.

If you have an above ground pool, having a pool deck really adds to its appeal and it also provides you enough space where you can relax but without spending too much. You can have a deck built around your pool and this can provide you a place to put a few lounge chairs for you to relax in. It can also give you a place where you can just relax after having a dip in the pool. One thing you need to think about though is whether you’d like to put a gate in the deck. If you have a lot of kids who are always up for a swim, having a gate would help with their safety. It also helps to keep your pets out of the pool area and just let them have fun in the backyard.

Pool decks generally look good with lots of plants around the area. But you can’t pick just any plant to put around it. Pick the plants which don’t absorb water easily, and those which don’t grow too fast. You don’t want to have wilted leaves floating in your pool or trim the branches of the plants all the time. Put little flowery shrubs in pots to put around your deck because they are low maintenance and they instantly add color and a nice aura to your yard.

Another way you can make your deck area more attractive is by having decorative concrete designs. If you have the time and money to have this made, it’s a great investment. Decorative concretes are basically what the name suggests. Different designs are either molded or painted to the concrete to achieve a specific look. There are several ways you have this. Either you do it yourself or hire a professional to do it for you.

To have a really nice deck, all it takes is some creativity and having a general vision on how you’d like it to look. If you want it to be natural, having plants around it are a cheap way to make your area more attractive. If you’re opting for a classier look, the decorative concretes are perfect, especially if you have a big budget for decorating your pool deck. Just remember that the first thing you should do if you want to make your pool deck attractive is to plan it carefully and properly.

For years people have had to suffer with Ugly patio Furniture. The only thought that went into patio furniture was functionally, temporary at best, and not beauty. The selections have been limited to and patio furniture either came in a cheap plastic version or a more upscale wood or metal design. These designs have no “wow factor” and look just like your neighbors, as though it was a “cookie cutter pattern.” Either way the furniture either started out ugly or uglied out over time. Well now there is a cure for Ugly Patio Furniture.

Research shows that people replace their patio furniture every five to seven years. For the most part that isn’t because it does not function anymore, it is because it has uglied out. Plastic starts as an eyesore while other patio furniture may begin its life looking good, weather, time and the elements takes its toll. Wood rots and splinters, metal rust and fabrics fray and rot. It doesn’t, matter if the furniture was a bargain or an investment, most patio furniture isn’t built to withstand years of wear and tear. Until now.

The solution to Ugly Patio Furniture is Stone. Stone is a natural element that withstands the elements, looks great year after year and compliments the environment. Stone furniture is durable because it has already passed the test of time. It is beautiful by design (Mother Nature’s handy work) and it fits in with the natural surroundings it is placed in.Stone furniture is low maintenance: a rinse with the hose from time to time is all it takes. It won’t rust or rot. In fact stone furniture only gets more beautiful with time. Even if your neighbors had a set it would not look just like theirs. Each piece is different and has uniqueness of its own.

When people see the furniture for the first time they are amazed at how beautiful it is. But question if it is comfortable. Unlike plastic, metal, wood and fabric, stone furniture is not only beautiful, it it comfortable. People are amazed the first time they sit in a chair or lounger. It is very common to hear someone exclaim, “This is so comfortable!” And as a bonus the stone will warm up in the sun making for a relaxing sojourn for sore muscles and a wear soul. This is in contrast to other materials that either become too hot in the sun for comfortable seating or one sticks to the furniture making for an uncomfortable experience. Let’s not even talk about splinters one can get from wood furniture.

Although traditional patio furniture will ugly out over time making it a costly investment, Stone Furniture will only become more beautiful over time. In fact Stone Furniture will last a life time making it a beautiful investment as well.

Importance of Maintaining Decks and Porches

While log home owners enjoy living within the warmth and beauty of logs, many also enjoy outdoor living which is why a large number of log homes are designed and built to accommodate decks and porches. It is equally important to take the same care and attention you give to your logs to maintaining your decks and porches. Decks are especially vulnerable during the long winter months, weathering due to pooling rain water, direct sunlight and large amounts of traffic. Annual or possibly seasonal inspections should be performed to help keep maintenance to a minimum and avoid costly repairs.

Inspecting Decks and Porches

When performing inspections of your deck, walk around looking for obvious signs of peeling stain, blistering or weathering. Look for green areas which are a sign of algae. Algae by itself are not harmful to the wood cells but are a sign of excessive moisture which can eventually cause decay. Black areas are a sign of mildew which is especially evident when the deck is wet. These areas can be cleaned with percarbonate bleach followed by a light power washing. Many log homes have porches in which the roof is supported by posts. The bases of these posts are often hidden below the deck floors and are in ground contact keeping them continually wet and vulnerable to insects. As decay sets in, these posts shorten with the weight of the roof and deck above. The roof eventually sags and expensive repairs are the result.

Protecting Lower Log Courses above Deck

Deck surfaces cause water to splash back onto adjacent log surfaces. These areas require more frequent inspections, cleaning and staining. Gutters should be installed to prevent rain water from contacting the deck closest to log walls. In addition, metal grating installed in the deck floor directly beneath roof overhang will help reduce backsplash. Flashing the lowest log course will also direct water away from the log. These lower log courses at deck level are very problematic for many homeowners and these simple steps may save expensive log replacement in the future.

Protecting Decks and Porches

Protecting your deck and rail with a quality finish is an important factor in the maintenance process. The most common sources of deterioration are standing water and direct sunlight. With proper cleaning and a quality deck finish, these situations can be greatly reduced. Many log home stain manufacturers offer environmentally friendly products to safely clean and protect your deck. Most manufacturers offer a wide range of color choices and will provide sample colors upon request.

Log Rail – A common place for log decay is at the base of the deck rails. Water tends to pool where the log rail meets the horizontal supporting log. This can be avoided by drilling “weep holes” in the bottom of the rail to allow rain water to pass through the support log and allow drying.

Supporting Deck Posts – Supporting post bases are especially vulnerable to decay because the ends tend to draw moisture up into the post. Be sure your posts sit on cement or stone footings well above ground level. Some post bases are equipped with metal risers which help keep water from being drawn into the post end.

Rail Support Posts – The top of your deck rail support posts also absorb moisture and over time will begin to decay. Post caps should be installed to eliminate this problem. Often these caps are made of copper but can be other metals or even wood.

Stairs – Deck stairs are exposed to the elements even if you have a covered porch. Stairs always end at ground level and this is where most problems occur. Make sure that the bottom of your stairway sits on a cement slab or stone base and is not in ground contact. Even with this precaution it is susceptible to backsplash. For this reason stairs require more frequent inspection, cleaning and staining.

Conclusion

Decks and porches are aesthetically appealing, provide extra living space and are great places to relax and entertain. Safely enjoy your outdoor living with continual maintenance and care using quality products and implementing these cost effective measures.

Article written by Tom Tydeman, Owner of Log Options, LLC. We network with quality log home professionals throughout the country and help connect log home owners to log professionals. Contact us for a free consultation or DIY information. Visit our web site for more articles, useful information on how to care and maintain your log home and photos regarding details on the above article at http://www.logoptions.com

Your garden patio is the one place that can offer you, at the same time, the feeling of home and the joy of being surrounded by the clean, pure environment and beautiful nature. Garden patio is that place that can have multiple roles, the place that can, at the same time, gather the entire family or provide a quiet moment of relaxation for you.

A Space for Relaxation and Quality Times in Your Garden Patio.

Nowadays, people tend to have busy, even overwhelming lives with a multitude of daily activities, both professional and personal activities that can be quite tiring. In this context, people like you need a place where they can relax and enjoy the quietness and peace that nature can provide – and the perfect place is the garden and patio. But in order to fully benefit from actual relaxation sessions in your garden patio, you need to furnish it and to decorate it in an optimum manner, trying to create a welcoming outdoor patio space.

Efficient Tips on How to Create a Private and Welcoming Space.

How can you create a place of relaxation, a place of calmness? First of all, you need to find a corner of your garden patio that can provide the privacy and intimacy you need. A shaded corner is the best choice, a corner surrounded by trees or flowers – you can also find such a place in case you have an orchard. In case your garden patio has a water source, try to create your private area near the water, since it is a known fact that the sound of water has a calming, relaxing effect. You can also consider building a fountain or a patio design and landscape that includes a fountain, in order to fully benefit from your relaxation sessions in your outdoor patio.

As a next step, you need to opt for a patio floor or deck. When choosing the materials in order to create that desirable ambient, you should mainly focus on the natural materials, such as massive wood or stone pavers. All types of natural, non-fabricated materials induce a positive energy that can help you find peace and calm in your garden patio.

The same rule applies when choosing the patio furniture pieces, regardless is talking about patio sets, patio tables or patio chairs: the materials should be as natural as possible, in their original natural colors. In order to create a welcoming private space, you should choose a patio table as a central piece – a low, round table with massive wooden legs is ideal in order to create the outdoor patio space you want. You can also choose multiple small coffee tables that you can place near your lounge chair or near a swing chair. But in order to enhance this entire decor, you need colored patio cushions, cushions that you can place on the patio chairs or even on the patio deck.

In order to create an even more welcoming environment, you can add various flower pots with green plants or vases with spring, wild flowers and place them on the small tables or on the patio deck. Candles and torches are other useful accessories that can induce a state of calmness and peace and that can help you relax in this beautiful outdoor decor. Enjoy!

Location. Many people assume a patio should butt up to the back of their home but a stand alone patio, perhaps in the middle of the lawn or tucked away amongst the flower beds has the distinct advantage of all day sun. If the back of your home is in shade during the afternoons you should consider a stand alone patio, especially if sun shine is your thing.

Size. At the moment your idea might be to create a small patio that you can retreat to from indoors. If there is a possibility though that you may put your home on the market sometime in the future you should build a patio as big as your space and budget allows. People live longer than ever before and with much more leisure time available, it is the garden we head for. The patio is now an outdoor living room with cooking appliances, comfy seating, perhaps a built in bar or even an outdoor fireplace. A large, well designed patio will give your home extra desirability when it goes on the market.

Style. Your patio wants to blend in with both your home and your garden. Blue tiles might look great with a white washed villa in the Mediterranean but will it at your home? Choose a color that blends in with the color of your home. If your garden is formal with straight edges then go for pavers. If your garden has a random landscape, consider natural stone or crazy paving.

Design. Even if you are having your patio built by a builder you should still be able to convey to him what you require with sketches or better still, a scaled drawing. If you are going to build a patio yourself, avoid curves. Try to make the final size match the size of your chosen paver so that as few cuts as possible are required.

Plan Ahead. An excellent idea is to buy all your patio furniture before the build starts but AFTER you have chosen a style. Set up your furniture where you envision it will go once the patio is built. By doing this you will be able to make sure you have designed a patio with enough room for your needs.

Finishing touches. Gone are the days of fold up deck chairs. Patio furniture has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years due to demand. It is comfy, hard wearing and fashion conscious. Choose a color that suits your chosen paver. You could also consider an outdoor fireplace or chiminea as a focal point. A water feature brings tranquility to the patio and they come in all shapes, designs and sizes. One other thing I would recommend is a patio heater for when the party is in full swing but the sun is setting fast.

Let me tell you about a friend of mine who I believe was a full blown wood deck building addict. It all began when he moved into his new home and I don’t know where he first got the inkling from but he built his first wooden deck.

Now let me tell you it looked really good and I’ve got nothing against wood decks as they provide a great area for the family to kick back and relax and enjoy some quality time together.

But – my friend got hooked on building the things. I know he must have got some great feeling of achievement from doing it himself but not long after he finished his first deck he was off to the hardware store with credit card in hand and returned with more timber ready to go again.

I’m not kidding you when I say every weekend for years he was building a new deck. He started out at the front of the house and I must say he was very good at building them. But he kept going with deck extensions, and even had deck pathways all around the house.

Then he moved out to the back of the house and started there. His first backyard deck was a really good one built up high as a sort of verandah or balcony set up. This wood deck was his best in looks and practicality as it worked like an extension on the kitchen. With great outdoor dining furniture all they had to do was open the outside sliding door from the kitchen and they could walk directly out onto the deck.

It was an ideal place for breakfast in the mornings, or to have a cuppa while reading the paper and was also excellent for barbeques. These guys were also in the fortunate position of having great views as they were in the country surrounded by trees and lots of birds.

Anyhow, my friend still had the itch and continued building outdoor wood decks all over the place. There were upper decks and lower decks and to my untrained eye there seemed to be decks on decks. He had a magical system of steps between decks and I must say it was all cleverly done but even to the most casual observer you could see he had gone totally over the top.

The one thing that impressed me more then anything else was that at least the decking was taking up a lot of space and cutting down on his lawn mowing.

Anyhow, sadly my friend fell on hard times and after about 5 years of wood deck building in his new house he was forced to sell the property. And I bet you can guess what the new owners did almost immediately after moving in. Yes – they demolished every wood deck he had built. All of those hours of work for nothing.While I could understand them doing so it was upsetting for my friend to see and even I couldn’t believe they demolished the good one off the kitchen. They literally ripped out the whole lot.

My friend hasn’t built a deck since and I think he is no longer a deck building addict however he is living in a rental property so maybe we’ll never really know unless he gets his own home again. So if you’re a bit of a do-it-yourselfer by all means go for it but please don’t go overboard in your deck building.