Just under one-third of the 903,000 houses built in 2019 had a patio. This number has been growing substantially over the past few years.
96,000 of the houses sold in 2014 included a patio. Last year, we built over three times that many.
With patios becoming such a trend, it’s important to know how to tend to them. We may even want to improve them at some point.
Even if you’re satisfied with your patio, you may not be so happy with your backyard. The good news is that there are many ways to spruce that up as well. We’ll give you some advice in the paragraphs below.
Do Some Cleaning
Sometimes it really is the smallest things that make the biggest impact. If you’re one of those who wants to keep your backyard looking great without adding to it, it may help to clean things up a little.
Backyards tend to get dirty and unkempt over time. Leaves fall off trees, grass grows, and a whole host of other natural processes carry themselves out.
Our advice is to start by washing the patio, mowing the lawn, and pulling some weeds. If you still think your backyard is missing something, you can take additional steps.
Add a Pergola
A pergola is a structure meant to provide shade. They consist of a grid of beams, often wooden, supported by a set of columns. In most cases, the grid is covered or decorated with something, such as fabric or plants.
This not only makes the pergola more visually appealing but also turns it into a place to escape the heat. Beneath a pergola is an ideal spot for lawn furniture.
You could build a pergola yourself, but unless you’re an experienced builder, you’re better off consulting a professional.
Patio and Lawn Furniture
The great thing about outdoor furniture is that there’s no shortage of options. Some of us want to give off the impression of sophistication and beauty. Others prefer a more laid-back atmosphere focused on fun.
There’s also the question of complexity. Do you want to create an entire miniature room outside your home, or are you content with a few wooden chairs, and maybe a picnic table, or a bench?
Classic lawn furniture, such as lawn rockers and hammocks, can also be a great choice.
Children and Pets
You’re also going to need to think about your living situation when choosing lawn furniture. Do you have children living at home with you? Is it likely to happen in the future?
If you have children, you’re going to need to get lawn furniture and toys for them. Kids tend to love the outdoors and are very energetic.
If you’re planning on spending a lot of time on your patio, you should have something for your kids to do. Also, keep them away from anything dangerous you might have in your yard or on your patio.
The same goes for outdoor pets. You’re not going to need much to keep them entertained, but safety is a more complex issue.
Unlike children, pets are vulnerable to many different backyard plants, so make sure you don’t have anything poisonous before letting your furry friends out. The good news is that a lawn care service should be able to help with this.
Outdoor Kitchen or Living Room
Some people love to go all-out when designing their backyards, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s considered trendy right now to build tiny ‘rooms’ outside the home to entertain guests.
We put rooms in quotes because these aren’t often rooms in the sense that most of us are familiar with. Rooms usually have four walls and a ceiling. Any open spaces they have are usually connected to a hallway or another room.
Outdoor rooms will have support structures and may have one or two walls, but they’re usually open on at least one side. Aside from their structure, they do have most of the other features of a room.
Many of them even have floors of various materials. These floors may be made of anything from wood, to concrete, and even chip systems.
Built-in Grill
Grilling or barbecuing outside on an outdoor grill is almost a rite of passage in this country. It’s considered par for the course that you attend at least one event in your lifetime where somebody grills the food outside.
Grills are a great feature to include in your backyard. They hearken back to a simpler time when all you needed was a sunny day, good food, and the people you love around you.
Fire Pit
If a grill isn’t your thing, you could also invest in a fire pit. Fire pits have the same simple, classic charm of a grill, while also bringing in a bit of mystery.
You can roast marshmallows on it, or just look at it and enjoy the heat coming off of it. There’s something humbling about watching a fire, or looking up at the night sky and realizing how big everything is.
You’re one person on a planet of 7 billion other people and trillions of animals. You live on a planet that’s rotating around one of over 100 billion stars in the galaxy, each with planets orbiting around it.
Furthermore, the Milky Way galaxy that we live in is one of billions of other galaxies. This universe is full of mysteries that we’ve been wondering about for millions of years, ever since we first sat around a fire pit and looked up at the stars.
Best Improvements for Your Patio and Backyard
Our patios and backyards are parts of our homes, so naturally, we want them to look great, and be a fun place to spend time. This means changing and adding features, at least every once in a while.
We’ve talked about some of our favorite ideas, but there are others out there. We encourage you to do more research on your own, even if for no other reason than to be impressed by what others have done.
For more information about flooring please visit our site. If you’re in the market for a new floor feel free to contact us.