Patios
Why Combining Designs Can Be The Best Idea Of All
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Adding a verandah or patio area to your house can completely transform your home. But how do you decide which design to choose?
It’s true to say that you may be limited in some way depending on the size of your property and the way it is designed, but for the most part you will have plenty of choice in the final structure and how it looks.
Most people assume that they can only have one structure and they need to decide between them, but this isn’t necessarily the case. For example the Heritage design can equally well be used for a carport as it can for a covered entertaining area outside. So if you have the room, why not get a carport added to the side of your home and a separate verandah added to the rear?
This can give you an extremely versatile space to use. While the carport will obviously be used to park your car (or cars, depending on the size) in for most of the time, if you decide to hold a party or celebration of some kind you can park your vehicle on the street and then use the carport for part of the celebration as well.
A home pergola is another great example of how to utilise one area of your home in a more cosy and private way. Let’s suppose you have room at the side of your house as well as at the rear. You could have a small pergola added to the side to give you a private area for relaxing in on your own – perhaps potting some plants, reading a book, or simply laying back on a sun lounger and enjoying a few stolen moments of peace and quiet.
Types Of Patios
If you are looking to build a patio in your back garden you will need to decide what kind of patio you want to go for. The type you choose will make a big difference to how the finished patio will look, so it pays to think about the kind of environment you are putting it into and how it will weather over time.
Patios can be made from several different types of material. Brick is a good choice if you want your patio to have an elaborate design, because you can make many different kinds of patterns with them. Herringbone designs in particular can look very effective.
Flagstones also look extremely good and you can get these ready made in specific designs as well if you wish. They also have a classic feel to them that can look good in any garden.
Alternatively you can opt for crazy paving patios, although these are somewhat out of date at present. Another option is a concrete patio, which takes away the need to lay lots of bricks or tiles, but can take a while to set – during which you don’t want it to rain, or to have a cat walk across the middle of it!
Differences Between Patios And Verandahs
Everyone likes to make the best of their back gardens, but there are a number of ways to do it and some of these involve having a permanent structure added to your home.
Some people get confused when faced with whether to go for a patio or a veranda, since the difference isn’t always that well known. An outdoor patio is made of a hard material such as brick or tiles, and can range in size from being quite a small area to a very large one depending on the amount of space available and the needs of the owners.
Outdoor verandahs differ from patios in that they are always covered areas which are attached to the building. By contrast a patio can often be uncovered, but a veranda will always have some kind of roof – possibly fixed or sometimes with retractable sections so that you can still enjoy the sun if you want to.
If you are in a position of trying to decide which one you would prefer, you need to think about what your individual needs are to be able to make the right decision. For example a veranda will be attached to the rear of your property and can extend round the side as well if you have the room. It is also ideal if you like to stay outside but don’t like the sun too much, as you can sit in the shaded areas all day. You will need to determine when and where the sun falls on the rear of your property before you decide how far out from your house the veranda should extend.
Cleaning Patio Awnings
Awnings are a great addition to any patio, whatever size or style you may have. You will notice the benefits particularly if the area is in direct sunlight for much of the day, since the awning will help to keep it shaded and more usable for longer.
But just as with any other external fixture to your home, an awning will need cleaning from time to time and if you want to keep it looking at its best you will need to do this on a regular basis.
The first step should be to check the instructions given on the packaging that came with the awning itself. Different products may have different requirements so if the instructions give you specific steps to follow then you should certainly go along with these.
However most awnings have fairly similar needs and they are not complicated either. The frames should be wiped down with a soft clean cloth which is slightly damp, to remove any dirt that the wind kicks up during the day. If you do this regularly there shouldn’t be any need for any hard scrubbing.
Awnings do differ in their design and structure, so make sure you use the right method for your particular design. If you have a fabric awning then soap and water is the best way to clean it. If you don’t keep on top of this job you may find that more stubborn stains will develop, and if this is the case you may need to call out a professional cleaner to get rid of them. This is one particular point which goes in favour of you cleaning them regularly yourself to make sure no build up occurs.
Adding Onto An Existing Patio
Not everyone starts from scratch when it comes to adding a home patio onto their property. If you have moved into a property which already has a patio in place, it can sometimes be easier to add another section onto it, rather than ripping up what is already there.
But before you do anything you should take some time to work out what you would like to do. Make a start by sketching out a rough plan of your entire garden to scale, and mark in any features that you would like to keep in place, or that are permanent anyway.
Lightly sketch out your existing patio and then work out what you would do if you added a section onto it. Would you need to extend it in a certain direction? Would that affect any features you already have, such as flowerbeds and perhaps part of the lawn?
It’s also a good idea to think about how you will use your garden, mainly because you will have to work out how much bigger the patio will be once the addition is in place. If you need lots of room to entertain people, a barbecue area might be a good idea. Conversely you may not be prepared to lose a lot of your lawn if you have young children, so bear this in mind too.