1. Lights for Ambience

Unless you only use your house patio for afternoon teas, chances are the bulk of time spent on your patio will be at night. A bit of thoughtful planning can have the area bathed in a soft glow emanating from cleverly placed lighting.

Instead of traditional lights it is well worth looking into the cheaper and easy to install alternatives. Solar lights along paths leading to the veranda are cost and energy efficient and easily installed. Freestanding lamps can be found at flea markets and garage sales. Spruce them up with a new shade and energy efficient light bulbs. Stand them either side of the entrance to your pergola or veranda for an instant lift.

Is there anything warmer or more inviting than candle light? Candle holders can vary from recycled glass (think honey jar or wine bottle) to clay lanterns. Use citronella candles and you have protection from mosquitoes as well.

2. A Firepit for Cooking or for Warmth

Why not move away from the traditional barbecue that you see on other verandas and use a fire pit for cooking? A built in firepit can also be the focus of the area with seating strategically placed for cosy gatherings around the fire on those cooler nights. Add a grill plate or rotisserie and you can have your guests helping to cook their own meal.

Imagine slow roasting one of the larger joints of meat or a whole fish in the ground in the Polynesian fashion or vegetable packs wrapped in foil and hidden in the coals. The possibilities are endless.

3. Landscaped Areas on the Verge of the Patio

Not only do you want the patio area to look good it is important that the surrounding areas are inviting too. Pergolas are the perfect spot to introduce some greenery. Train a grape vine and in a couple of years you’ll be eating the fruit as well as providing a shady spot in summer when you need it.

Build a rockery and garden beds around the edge of the veranda and plant them with marigolds and petunias for colour and vibrancy.

4. Add Some Awnings or Blinds to Keep Out the Sun

If the budget allows, installing awnings or blinds can be a great investment, are a stylish addition to verandas and keep the area protected from the sun.

Bamboo blinds are a cheaper alternative and may lead you on to creating a tropical theme. If you are keen enough you can even make your own. There are plenty of web sites providing instructions. Source the materials from your local hardware store and you’ll be shaded in no time.

5. Create a Water Feature

For so many of us living in suburbia the cooling sound of a rippling brook is out of reach. This is easily remedied with a simple water fountain. Incorporate a fish pond in to your plans before you build a veranda or make it an additional feature if the veranda is already established.

By using a little imagination and creativity your outdoor area can come to life in a weekend providing a relaxed atmosphere for family and friends.

Australia is a vast, sparsely populated land with plenty of room for the traditional home; complete with large back yard, a Hills Hoist clothesline and all the accessories needed to take advantage of our great weather.

And for most Australians, a house wouldn’t be a home without the traditional shady patio. From chic inner-city terraces to grand outback homesteads, a pergola either encircling the house or attached to one of the walls is an integral part of our cultural landscape.

Pergolas or patios serve a number of extremely worthwhile purposes, which probably explains their popularity. Here are just a couple:

• Pergolas provide a shady, cool spot to relax during the heat of the day. You will often find pergolas built on to the side of the house which catches the most sunlight, so they act to reflect the harsh sun away from the home.
• Australia is famous for the ‘great Aussie wave’, or the movement made to swat flies and other flying insects away from our face. That helps explain why many pergolas have lattice work features or are covered by fly screens to keep the annoying creatures away.
• Aussies love to entertain, so it’s hardly surprising that one of our famous tourist slogans is “Throw another shrimp (replace that with the more acceptable Aussie colloquialism ‘snag’) on the barbie”.

A casual stroll down any suburban street on a Sunday afternoon would undoubtedly uncover at least one in every two households lighting up the barbecue for a Sunday feast. And most of those barbecues will be strategically placed under the pergola to shade the host as he ceremoniously burns the chops and sausages to a crisp.

• More urbane Australians are opting for an indoor/outdoor environment in their designer homes, which frequently results in an attached pergola which provides a general entertainment/dining area and a focal point for household activities.
• Nowadays, pergolas are designed as an additional room, with overhead shutters that can be adjusted to either deflect or catch the sun’s rays. Some homeowners design their outdoor patios to be fully enclosed while others prefer to leave this area exposed to the elements – and the cool afternoon breezes that drift in off the ocean.

Throwing a Pergola/Pool Party

A pergola/pool party is an integral part of ‘coming of age’ in Australia.

Whether it was the postage-stamp sized Clarks rubber above-ground pool you waded in as a child or the latest in cutting edge designed pools that mould themselves into the horizon and look like they go on forever; everyone is familiar with the pool/pergola party.

Traditionally, the kids play ‘Marco Polo’ or any pool game that requires frequent, high decibel screaming and shouting, while the adults mill around under the shady pergola to sip from plastic glasses laden with pineapple pieces laced with cheap rum and masquerading as ‘fruit punch’.

Occasionally you may find one adult who is game enough (or in the majority of cases has over-indulged in the fruit punch) to jump into the pool, fully clothed.

However, it should be pointed out that most adults who attend pergola/pool parties arrive with their swimmers carefully concealed under their party outfit in the event they should be unfortunate enough to find themselves unceremoniously tossed in the pool. This tends to occur when too many guests have indulged in too much fruit punch.

What usually follows is a free-for-all, where the guests either take it upon themselves to jump in the pool or are unwittingly thrown in, along with towels, rubber rings in the shape of giant tortoises and any garden furniture that’s not nailed down.

In the majority of cases, you’ll find that once the initial shock has subsided, most guests have a jolly old time splashing around while trying to discover if Aunt Marjorie is really wearing a wig.

Following the frivolity, the sodden guests retire to the safety of the shaded pergola area to try just one more of those delicious fruit punch refreshments and the host’s charcoal grilled steaks and sausages.

And who said they don’t want a pergola or pool in their back yard?

One of the building trends that lends itself well to our increasing desire to enjoy our leisure activities with greater gusto is the outdoor pergola.

From architecturally designed entertaining rooms that flow from the indoors out to a hastily constructed patio, it seems that no matter what our budget allows, we all want to capture the essence of the great outdoors.

But outdoor pergolas do a whole lot more than simply provide a casual area for relaxing out of doors or entertaining family and friends, they also provide a cool, shady room that can result in quite an impact on the temperatures inside.

In Australia, where the long hot summers mean we often swelter for up to six months at a time (depending on where you live), a shaded oasis built with special consideration for the daily movement of the sun across the sky can create the cool comfort we crave when the temperature soars.

Where to Build Outdoor Pergolas

The positioning of your outdoor pergola depends on the way your home is designed and in which direction the main living areas face. Of course, it would make sense to construct a covered pergola on the west facing side of your home because the sun sets in the west, but that isn’t always the most practical or viable solution.

When planning an outdoor patio that is also going to act as a natural air conditioner for your home, the most important consideration is where do you and your family spend the most time?

In most cases, the answer is going to be the living room, family room or kitchen. So it makes good sense to add a patio feature off these rooms to increase the size of your entertaining area.

By incorporating the same flooring and features in the outdoor area as you have indoors, the effect creates the illusion of the living areas flowing through from inside to outside and makes the whole area look much larger and more inviting.

Outdoor pergolas come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes so they can be integrated with the design features of your existing home. As well, you can choose from a range of roof styles that either deflect or draw the sun’s rays, depending on whether you want to heat or cool the room.

A useful feature that many pergola manufacturers are now incorporating into their designs is a series of shutters along the roof that can be easily adjusted to effectively shield or reflect the sun’s rays.

Homeowners who, by necessity, build their outdoor patio on the south side of their house find this shutter system invaluable by introducing minimal sunshine during the winter months to warm the surrounds.

Most major outdoor pergola suppliers offer an obligation-free design service to not only advise you on where your patio is going to fit most effectively, they can also suggest the best designs to perfectly integrate your new outdoor entertaining room with your indoors.

Once you’ve planned the placement for your outdoor patio and the design that most suits you, your lifestyle and your home, the next step is construction.

Whether you decide to do the job yourself or get a professional pergola installation team to do it for you, the process of building your patio shouldn’t take long.

Once your shady oasis has been created, the only thing left to do is grab a cool drink, maybe a good book or perhaps a group of friends, and then relax and enjoy the great outdoors in the shade of your outdoor pergola.

These wide, shade filled verandas are an integral part of the Australian landscape and are seen on as many homes today as they were in the days of our ancestors.

The reason why they remain such a popular design feature in modern homes is easy: outdoor verandas or covered pergolas are easy to erect, they create a wonderful, relaxed outdoor environment for casual entertaining and they provide welcome shade from the harsh summer sun.

Stratco outback verandas have long been associated with premium outdoor patios and are probably the most well known and highly regarded name in veranda construction.

Their product range is enormous and they have a style, shape and colour to suit every type of home design in Australia.

From a heritage inspired veranda with gable roof and wide awnings to the latest in cutting-edge design for chic inner-city dwellers, Stratco have a product to suit.

Choosing The Right Home Patio Style

Whether you wish to call it a veranda, patio or pergola, the choice is yours. And so is your choice of product.

The two most important factors to consider are style and budget. Budget we can’t help you with, so let’s focus on style.

Outdoor patios come in such a large variety of styles and shapes, it would be impossible to list them all here. Suffice to say that if you have a style in mind, Stratco outback verandas are likely to supply it.

Another factor to take into consideration is the intended purpose for your outdoor patio. Is it going to act as a casual entertaining area? Or do you want a private retreat off the main bedroom? Maybe you are looking for a wide return veranda to shade the whole house and keep it cooler during the hot summer months?

Planning where you want your outdoor pergola to be constructed is as important as how you want it to look.

Nowadays, many designers and homeowners are opting for a flexible indoor/outdoor entertaining area where the living or family room flows seamlessly into the outdoor patio area. This is a clever way to bring the outdoors inside and create the illusion of a much larger space.

The style of home patio you choose is best suited to the style of your home, so the overall effect is that of a natural extension. By integrating existing elements like a similar roofline and flooring, the illusion of one large space is highlighted and enhanced.

Outdoor pergolas can also act as a natural form of air conditioning by cooling your home in summer and warming it in winter. Generally this is achieved by careful placement of the patio, usually on the southern or western side of the house.

If the afternoon sun streaming through the windows is a problem, then an outdoor pergola with a wide awning is most appropriate.

On the other hand, homes that are designed with the central living areas facing south are frequently much cooler, especially during the winter months. An outdoor patio with a series of movable shutters across the roof line enables the shutters to collect the sunlight and reflect it into the pergola area and thus into the home.

Manufacturers like Stratco outback verandas can arrange an obligation-free assessment of your home and its surrounds and advise you on the most effective design and structure to best suit your lifestyle and needs.

And then, much like our country’s ancestors, you can end your busy day by kicking off your shoes and relaxing in your very own outback oasis.

Building a patio is a job you can make as simple or as complex as you like, depending on what type of materials you use and how ornate you want it to be.

So let’s assume you know how to hold a hammer and what a nail looks like and go from there. Here are 10 of the top time and labour saving tips you can use to build a patio you’ll be proud to show off.

1. Without careful planning, your perfect patio could turn into a nightmare.

Consider exactly where the patio is going to be located and the dimensions, and then measure it out using builder’s chalk or a small stake and tape at each of the boundaries. Add an extra metre to allow for roof overhang.

Is the ground level? And what lies beneath? Remember that you may have to dig down at least a metre (3 foot) to secure the corner posts.
Make sure there are no obstructions that can’t easily be dealt with.

2. Decide on the type of materials you plan to use and then go out and price them. You may find that the relatively inexpensive holiday or weekend project you had planned is going to go way over budget.

Think outside the square. If you’ve got your mind set on granite pavers that you believe will offset the colours you’ve used indoors, then opt for recycled wood from old constructions as support beams.

If you intend enclosing your outdoor patio, concrete masonry blocks are a relatively inexpensive option – particularly if you use a masonry chisel to split each block in half. A cheerful coat of paint or render can make all the difference.

3. Design and plan your outdoor patio with low maintenance in mind. This is an area for relaxation, so you don’t need to spend every weekend battling to keep it clean.

4. If your outdoor pergola is going to be attached to the house, work out how you are going to do that. You may need to consult a builder or patio specialist before you do any damage to your home’s exterior.

5. Research, research, research. Visit your local library for as many DIY building manuals as you can lay your hands on, or look for magazines that specialize in outdoor patios and pergolas. The more you know, the easier your job will be.

6. Consider carefully what furniture you intend to use and measure the dimensions, and then add least one metre to allow enough space to move around. For example, a sofa that measures 250cm x 120cm needs at least another 150cm to 200cm around it so you can sit in comfort.

The best idea is to grab a piece of graph paper, outline the intended dimensions in pencil, and then draw to scale the pieces of furniture you want to include.

7. Decide if your outdoor patio room is going to include electrical equipment. If you intend adding a TV or stereo unit, plan where these items will be placed and have a qualified electrician install the wiring.

8. Lighting is another major consideration if you want a covered pergola. How much lighting does the area need and what type of lighting is appropriate? Once again, you will need to call on the services of an electrician to install the wiring.

9. To allow for adequate drainage, most builders suggest a site slope of 0.5cm per 30cm away from the house. You also need to consider guttering if the roof is flat so that water drains away from the patio.

10. When all else fails, call in a contractor. Sure, we all start with the best of intentions, but sometimes the best laid plans come unstuck for reasons beyond our control.

Don’t persist when you know you’re in trouble –- although a qualified builder is going to cost you more than you may have originally budgeted for, trying to overcome an issue that is beyond your capabilities and knowledge can cost you a heck of a lot more.

And when your carefully considered and brilliantly executed outdoor pergola is built, take the time to congratulate yourself on a job well done and toast your success with a well-earned beer!

There are several other designs as well. The sunroof design enables you to benefit from the sun when you wish. The louvered design is ideal for those who don’t want to be shaded from the sun all the time. You can open and close them using a remote unit. And if it starts to rain, they will close even if you aren’t there to do it yourself. This is because the louvers have a sensor that enables them to close if the weather turns nasty.

Some people believe these verandahs are designed only for larger properties. But this is not true. Verandahs can be created in different sizes to suit the properties for which they are intended. Even if you have a small property and a small garden the right style of verandah can enhance what you have.

Making the most of a small space

You may be slightly restricted if you have a small property. Some styles of outdoor verandahs need a certain size to work properly. For example an outback gable veranda with flat sections either side wouldn’t look good if you tried to squeeze it onto the end of an extension measuring two metres wide.

Small spaces generally require simple designs to enhance them. A flat roofed veranda is ideal. A simple design doesn’t draw too much attention and yet it offers the required shade you need. The verandah should blend with the house and not overshadow it.

Consider a pergola if you want a minimalist design. Simple and unfussy, it can also be made as a freestanding structure. If you move house, the pergola can move with you.

Discussing the ideal size

You may have ideas for what you want, but the best way to get the best result is to discuss your needs with an experienced company. They can advise you which structures will work in the space you have. If privacy is an issue, you may be able to have side screens fitted as well.

No two properties – or owners – will have exactly the same needs. But a verandah is no less important in a small garden than it is in a large one. You will want to connect your small property with its garden in a sympathetic and stylish way. An experienced and knowledgeable company can help you do that.

A veranda can also enlarge a small property. By making the garden space more inviting, the property also becomes bigger. This is an advantage when it comes to selling, as more people will see the advantages of having a veranda as part of their home.

When a lot of people think about having a bigger veranda they think of extending it out into the garden. This is a viable choice but it does take up a lot of garden space and you might not be willing to give up such a big part of your lawn.

But is there any other alternative?

Fortunately there is, and it can really enhance your home beautifully as well. The other method is to extend your veranda so that it runs along the whole of the rear of your house. In fact it can be over six metres in length if you wish. It can also extend around the side of your home, perhaps incorporating a carport for extra versatility if you don’t have a garage in which to keep your car.

There is nothing quite like the look of a long veranda in this style. The middle section can be curved if you wish to make it appear even roomier and more inviting, and yet it will still keep the sun and the rain off as you relax underneath it.

An extended veranda will also be very appealing whenever you invite friends and family over for a barbecue. Instead of having everyone huddling under one single area of roof, the feeling of space offered by an extra long roof allows everyone to relax and spread out. It also works well if you have a small back garden and you don’t want your veranda to impose too much on it.

It is also more practical when you are gardening. You can keep the entertaining area at one end of the veranda, while practical tasks can be done elsewhere. If you normally have to stop gardening and putting plants in pots when it is raining, you won’t have to do that once you have a veranda like this attached to your home.

As you can see the possibilities of having a full length veranda are endless. And you can have an extension added to part of the length if you wish as well. This means you could allocate one specific area for dining and relaxing in, which would only extend part of the way into your garden.

It is certainly important to sketch out some ideas on how the extended veranda would work best for you. Some people even extend it round the side of their house, but this does obviously depend on how much room you have to do so. If you have a side door it can be a real benefit though.

So think carefully before you decide on what you want. The extra time you take will be worth it.

The trick is to design what you would ideally have and then confirm whether it is possible with whoever is going to build it for you. Sometimes there may be limits on length or size that need to be borne in mind with verandahs, so adjustments may need to be made.

Before you get to that stage though, it’s good to think about your needs and what you think you will use the veranda for. Do you often use your garden for entertaining and you would like to enhance it in some way to make it even more practical? While we would all like to have a garden which constantly has the sun on it, it can be a disadvantage too if you have no shade at all to make use of during the summer months.

Think about shape too. Your veranda doesn’t have to be a boring square shape! Do you have the room to run it the whole length of the back of your house? Perhaps going for this idea, along with adding an extra large section in one particular area for entertaining, would work well in your garden? Sketch out some ideas and give yourself – and your family, if appropriate – some time to decide what would work best for you.

You should also think about the size of your garden as a whole. How much of that garden are you willing to give up to building a veranda? This is more relevant if you have a small garden, since a big one will be able to take a larger section of veranda jutting out into it if that is what you want.

And of course you shouldn’t forget style. A simple flat roof might be just what you are after – something understated and simple, and yet elegant at the same time. But if you still want the choice of getting some sun and air through to your veranda, you could choose a sunroof instead which lets you open the roof up whenever you wish. This model also closes whenever it starts to rain, so you don’t need to worry about staying nearby if the clouds start to roll in!

But of course if you fancy a more elaborate design you may decide to opt for a gable end roof that adds more style to your home. It’s entirely up to you but certain designs do tend to look better on verandas of a certain size.

The moral here is to think about what you want and then take the practical advice of a professional as well. That should enable you to end up with the perfect design that you have always wanted.

But you don’t have to follow this pattern if you plan for the winter with a little more thought. There’s no doubt that you won’t want to be outside on a particularly wet and windy day, but you can use your outdoor pergola or whatever space you have more often than you might think.

For example, you might find you can still enjoy some time sitting outside with a good book when the weather allows it, even if it is still quite cold. Plan your time outdoors to coincide with the better breaks in the weather and stay wrapped up to get a good blast of revitalising fresh air.

And even when you don’t go outside you can make sure your verandah still looks stunning by adding a number of winter plants to the area. Find out what plants and shrubs will flourish under these conditions and plant them at just the right time to get the best effect.

We tend to think of bright flowers and colourful borders as being something that is unique to the summer, but it is quite possible to have a colourful garden all year round once you know what plants to use.

You can also enjoy your verandah in other ways as well. For example, why stick to having dull plant pots everywhere? You could use outdoor paint to give them a fresh lease of life. A good mix of colours will allow them to add interest even when there aren’t too many flowers blooming. Basically, if the plant is green and has no flowers, balance out the look by putting it in an eye catching pot instead!

And don’t forget the possibility of buying a patio heater as well. These are relatively inexpensive and if you like spending as much time outside as you can, then it will definitely be worth the investment. You may still find there is less time to spend outside during the winter months, but you can certainly make the most of the time you do have.

Another option is to set up a chair next to the window or doors that lead out onto your veranda, and spend some time thinking about how you will revitalise it when the weather gets warmer again. Research those summer plants and plan a timetable so you can get outside and start planting out some new shrubs as soon as the weather allows for it. Even this activity is surprisingly enjoyable and you can do it even if it is raining all day!

So you see you can still have great fun with your outdoor space even when the weather doesn’t allow it. You might just need to change your perspective a bit, that’s all. But it’s certainly worth the effort!

If you have decided you want to add some flowers and plants to your garden, the best way to start is by visiting your local garden centre. There will always be helpful staff on hand to give you the assistance you need, so don’t be afraid to ask for help. Just let them know you are a beginner and you want something that is easy to maintain.

It is no secret that a veranda or other outdoor space can look sensational when various different plants are added to it. They certainly soften the overall look beautifully. Don’t aim for too much to begin with though; start with just two or three plants and see how you get on.

The best plants to try will vary depending on several things, including where you live, the type of soil you have in your garden and what type of weather you generally get. You also need to bear in mind which direction your garden is facing in, since this will affect how much sun it gets during the day in the summer months.

A good idea is to write down the answers to all these points and take them along with you when you go to buy some plants. That way the staff at the garden centre will know what to recommend.

Alternatively, you may want to liven up your patio with a number of pots instead of trying to fill an entire bed with plants. This is probably the easiest way for the beginner to get started. You can always move the pot if you need to in order to give your fledgling plant a better chance of finding the spot it really likes in your garden. In this case you can buy the type of soil your particular plant will like the most, instead of relying on what your garden can give you.

Think about choosing perennials if you can, because they will last longer and be more fulfilling for you initially. A good perennial may be a part of your garden for three years or more, whereas an annual will only be there for a few months. Perennials will give you the chance to tend to them and nurture them, improving your gardening skills and making your fingers a little greener than they would be otherwise!

Any garden is a learning experience, and you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself if your first few plants wither away and never really come to anything. Avoid going for the hardest tasks first and don’t try and grow anything from seed; there will be plenty of time later on for that!