Patio Design - Expanding Your Home Outdoors
By Nicholas Webb

A patio can be just like another room in your house. Effective patio design can mean that your increase the floor space of your home, by adding an outside room that allows you to entertain like never before. A patio can just be a rectangular slab of concrete with some plastic chairs and griller, but it can also be so much more.

What comes to mind when you think of a patio?

Patio design gives you the opportunity to create an outside living area – an extension of your home – for entertaining and relaxing all year round. For instance, people who like to entertain may want to consider a patio with an undercover kitchen and dining area. By adding a barbecue grill, a built in fridge and some quality outdoor furniture, the patio can, in itself, become a feature of your home.

When commencing a new patio design, it is important to remember that your new outdoor entertaining area does not need to be expensive. There are a variety of different patio surfaces to fit a particular style or budget, including concrete pavers, natural clay stones and bricks. There is no need to stick to one type of paving or surface - experiment. Pebbles, gravels, bricks and tiles, can all be incorporated. A contrasting brick edge can also be effective. Similarly, patio shades need not be extensive, just enough to cover the main cooking and eating areas; after all, why block out the view of your gorgeous garden in the midday sun or the stars in the sky on a clear night.

Consider textures, colors, and materials before starting

One of the most important considerations of patio design is landscaping. Plants help to soften the hard surface of a patio floor by providing color, texture and fragrance and they set the mood for an outdoor living space. Further, you might also like to consider the use of a water feature and some soft low voltage lighting or candles, to create a stunning patio setting for night time entertaining.

Finally, selecting the right furniture is the key to the perfect patio design. There is no need to spend thousands of dollars on the right setting; more importantly you want to select items that are durable, basic in color and rich in style and sophistication. Consider resin coated wicker or rattan pieces that can be dressed up with different cushions and throw rugs. These items can be changed regularly to cater for a themed party or more simply, to match the changes in your flourishing flower beds.

A patio design can be as elaborate or as straightforward as you want it to be. Patios can be arranged in any shape and size and can be refreshed regularly just like the interior of your home. Outdoor entertaining is an increasing pastime – enjoy it with family and friends!

Nicholas webb is the owner of http://www.allabout-patio.com A site that providing user-friendly patio furniture and patio accessories consumer tips and buying advice for the outdoor lover. Check it out before parting with your money.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicholas_Webb

7 Must Do Tips To protect Your Patio This Winter
By Suzanne Hughes

If you haven’t already done so, it is time to protect your precious backyard oasis and patio furniture from the cold of winter. It seems easy enough to just let it go, but a little time invested today will provide you with a perfect patio environment come spring. And let’s face it; spring will be here before you know it.

1. Hoses – this is a must. Disconnect all hoses from the spigots. It is not enough to simply drain the water; you must actually disconnect the hose from the spigot. Roll the hose nicely and bring it in the garage or shed for the winter. While not ideal, it is ok to leave your hose out on a reel for the winter as long as it is empty and not connected to a spigot. Next, those hose spigots. In order to protect your pipes, simply cover your hose spouts and any water fountains with a winter cover.
2. Bring in all pots and potted plants. If you have bulbs planted in pots, simply move them in to the garage or shed to protect the pots from the elements. Empty pots should also be brought inside to avoid any excess wear and tear.
3. Barbeques and grills should be cleaned, covered, and when possible stored in a shed or garage. Disconnect any fuel lines and re-cap the propane tank. Keep the propane tank stored outside and covered with a small tarp. Take good care in cleaning your grill so it will be ready to go the very first time you want to spark it up again.
4. Now that you can put away your lawn mower for a couple of months, make sure it is cleaned and emptied. It is a good idea to bring it in for a tune up now and avoid the pre-spring rush.
5. Protect your patio furniture. Lightweight furniture should be stacked and stored inside when possible. Heavier furniture should be covered with approved patio furniture coverings. If you have any pillows, bring those inside. Stacking chairs before covering will help protect them and free up outdoor space so you and your family can play when the snow arrives. Be sure to collapse your patio umbrella and store it inside. Cover the table with patio furniture coverings.
6. Have your sprinklers blown out. Water left in sprinkler systems can freeze and crack pipes. This is a very costly and very avoidable scenario. Just be sure to call your sprinkler guy to winterize the backyard watering system.
7. Patch any loose stones or cracks in your patio. If you have any loose spots on your patio, get some cement and patch them up before the first big freeze. Any trapped water that freezes is sure to create a bigger mess. Patch it up now before it gets any worse.

This whole list shouldn’t take too long to get through. These seven simple tasks will ensure your patio oasis will be ready and waiting for you the very first day of spring. As for now, enjoy a hot cup of cocoa by the fireplace and have a great winter.

These tips were brought to you by http://www.myperfectpatio.com Where you will find more great ways to protect your Patio Furniture and other outdoor accessories.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Hughes

How to Keep your Brick Patio Weed Free
By Hans Dekker

Brick Patio Weed Control

In researching this article, I found one instance where a homeowner was so incensed by the weeds in her patio that she set fire to them with a blowtorch!

Luckily, several items provide better service as a weeding tool and there are several better alternatives for brick patio weed control.

Of course, the best method of brick patio weed control is proper installation of your brick patio.

Start with an under-layment of pea gravel, topped by a layer of sturdy landscape cloth and cover with it with a layer of sand.

This will give your brick patio a firm footing as well as cramp the style of any weeds in the area.

Nevertheless, if your brick patio is already installed and running rampant with weeds, here are some tips to help you succeed in to keep it weed free without a lot of agonizing work.

First, to make your brick patio weed control plan a success, implement your plan before weeds flower. This keeps weeds from going to seed and helps make a short-term plan last for a longer time.

For the following tip and other tips that involve weed dousing of one sort or another, use a piece of cardboard or scrap of Plexiglas to protect nearby plants.

One of the best ways to kill a vegetable of any kind is to cook it.

Boiling water is a natural and very inexpensive weed-wilter and works to kill most forms of annual weeds. It also kills or weakens many types of perennial weeds.

A teakettle is your weeding tool. Fill it with water and bring it to a boil. While you're waiting (because a watched pot never boils, you know!) go outside and cut the culprits down to their crowns.

When the water begins to boil, grab the kettle (using a potholder) and pour the water on the crowns of the weeds, holding the kettle high enough only to avoid splashing. Killing weeds with boiling water will also scald any biological organisms that get splashed, but more will return as soon as the soil cools.

Vinegar will kill most weeds. However, grocery store vinegar is normally a 5% solution and is too weak to do the job. Ten-percent vinegar will kill most weeds and usually is found where canning and pickling supplies are sold.

A 20% solution of vinegar kills really stubborn weeds, but is frequently more than twice as expensive as 10%. Try to control the weeds with the 10% before you make the investment in a stronger solution.

Spray the vinegar directly on the weeds, using the shield mentioned above and taking care not to inhale fumes. You may also want to wear gloves and eye protection as a further safeguard.

In my experience these measures will keep all brick patio's free from weed without a lot of back breaking work.

We love to share our gardening ideas and hear yours.

Hans is an enthusiast gardener, he loves to share his gardening ideas and hear about yours. He is one of the authors of : http://www.gardening-guides.com and http://www.patio-furniture-ideas.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hans_Dekker

Patio Tips

A patio can be a great addition to your home. It adds to the value, and provides a great recreational setting to host friends and family. A patio is also an area that allows for a lot of creativity and personal touch when planning. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when finding a contractor to install a patio for you:

• Planning your patio is crucial. Have a specific idea of what you want to do with the patio. Take the time have pictures and ideas written out to discuss with the contractor. Factor in things like the size, lay-out, expected use, and sun exposure when doing your design planning.
  
  
• Be sure to find out if the contractor offers a maintenance plan for the patio to help you with any maitnenance and cleaning issues that might arise after the completion of the project.
  
  
• Keep extra bricks or materials after completion of the patio in case something were to crack or break a few years down the road.  Having matching supplies on-hand for repairs can be a life-saver should your materials be discontinued.
  
  
• Ask the contractor if they have any visualization software when planning so that you can have a visual image of what you can expect your patio to look like.
  
  
• Go and see other work and patio projects that the patio contractor has done.
  
  
• Figure out based on your budget what types of material would be best to use. Also, determine how much material you need and obtain a price from your local home center or lumber yard. Ask the contractor how much s/he will charge for the materials before agreeing on a price for the job. The contractor may be including a markup on the materials as part of the quoted price.
  
  
• Inspect the work regularily as the project progresses.

Contractors that do this may also provide the following services:

• masonry
• decks
• stone work