If you own your own home and have a backyard deck area you might consider adding some lighting effects for entertaining purposes. The types of patio lights you can purchase for use with holidays or entertaining are vast. You will find some more traditional styles such as the lantern shade type, which come in a few assorted colors. There is the traditional square lantern or the oriental round lantern shade. These lights come on a string or wire which can have as many as 10 to 12 lights on one string. If the deck has a rail, it is easy to hang these lights around the whole deck by attaching them to the rail.
For a patio area which does not have a rail unit around it, you could purchase some lantern lights which are designed to be set on the ground. These are larger items which are sold separately and use a candle to light them rather than an electric bulb. There are also other styles of ground candle lighting which are appropriate for use outdoors. The type of light you choose to use will reflect the atmosphere you want to create. For a soft romantic setting you could use a few subtle decorative lanterns.
A large two person hammock can also add to the romantic mood of the patio. These pieces are roomy and comfortable for two people to sit or lay in side by side. The various styles are available in a few color choices and also come with different types of stands. A hammock can be hung from a tree or used in conjunction with its own stand to be set up anywhere. You might also use the chair style of the hammock design. Using a few well placed lights and some comfortable seating will allow you and your family to spend some time in the evening enjoying your backyard area.
Adding lights to your garden is a great way to cheaply add some interest to your garden. By using different types of lighting you can create a superb ambience that you can enjoy all year round. As side from safety issues there are two very important points that need to be considered when choosing how to light your garden, these points are; how much will they contribute to light pollution and will they deter any nocturnal wildlife. When looking at each of the below suggestions be sure to consider there environmental impact. Here are four suggestions of lights that could be used together or individually:
Post Lights
Lights that are suspended from at waist height or less are generally referred to as post lights. The evolution from traditional lanterns stakes in to the ground is clear, they are however available in a range of formats from the more traditional to contemporary designs. Unless you are intending on concreting the post lights in place they are not ideal for a garden that has boisterous dogs or children than like to play outdoors, but if this isn’t an issue they make ideal patio lights.
Brick Lights
Brick lights as their name suggest are usually place within walls at the time of building the wall. With a bit of elbow grease they can easily be fitted afterward by chiselling out a brick and inserting the light. Brick lights tend to have baffles which point the light down on to the ground and consequently the ambient light they produce is very appealing. Other forms of brick light feature low power LED so that the bricks emit a soft glow which is ideal for not discouraging wildlife or contributing to the issuer of light pollution.
Ground Lights
Similar to decorative lights, ground lights are sunken in to the ground and point light upwards. They will however look stunning, highlight step edges and illuminate specimen plants and tree’s beautifully. It does have to be noted that ground lights do contribute greatly to light pollution, so please think carefully before you use them.
Decorative Lights
This sorts of lights are great for adding some interest in any garden. Lights classifieds as decorative lights are generally reserved for those that don’t give out a useable light. Lantern string lights and other types of string lights are a good example of this sort of lighting. Decorative lights definitely should not be discounted though as they can add a real depth to any garden without deterring any wildlife that may visit.
I would highly recommend solar powered decorative lights as they offer greater flexibility as to where you can position them.
If you have a nice, modern patio, and you wish to enjoy it even in cold weather, investing in an outdoor propane heater makes a ton of sense. These units are easy to operate, provide effective heat, and are available in a broad selection of styles, making them easy to incorporate into your patio in a visually pleasing way. Read on to learn how a outdoor propane heater will enable you to make the most of your outside areas.
How Do Outdoor Propane Heaters Work?
Outdoor propane heaters contain heating elements, sometimes known as burners, which are heated by igniting liquid propane. The heating elements need to be able to absorb and radiate heat, therefore ceramic is often used, as it is a material with these properties. Outdoor units typically utilize only radiation heat, unlike indoor heaters which often use a fan to distribute the heat. This means that outdoor heaters has a smaller heating radius, but also that the heat won’t be blown away by wind.
In What Ways Can an Outdoor Heater be Used?
The primary function of outdoor heaters is to enable homeowners to enjoy their outdoor patios even in colder months and seasons. It thus extends the amount of hours during the year that can be spent outside. But this is not the only way to use these units. If you have a jacuzzi installed outside, placing a heater between the house and the jacuzzi, will make walking between the two much more comfortable, when the weather is not as hot as you would like. Finally, if you are throwing a party in your garden, strategically placing heaters will make the guests more comfortable and can make the party go on longer.
If you have spent time, money, and energy on your outside areas, extending how much time you will be able to spent there will make this effort even more worthwhile. For this purpose, nothing beats outdoor propane heaters.
Harsh sunlight can damage house paint, furniture and anything else in its path. In some states, the sun is so strong it would be unthinkable for homes not to have patio covers of one kind or another.
Several types of shades are made from the simple to the extravagant, and there is one perfect for any home. Individual needs and tastes will determine whether a partial shade, lean-to awning, fully covered patio, motorized awning, or lattice work shade will be most appropriate.
A partially shaded outdoor space can take many forms. When a lattice work cover or pergola style shade is employed, light is filtered through a pattern of wooden slats. These work well as four post (or larger) structures which are attached to the wall, or can be even simpler with two posts on the floor and the rest leaning against the wall. Another commonly seen version of this utilizes large beams instead of intricate latticework.
Lean-to awnings can be purchased as a temporary or permanent, partially enclosed or fully enclosed patio shade. They attach to the existing building, and will form an angle towards the ground, much like an A-frame roof. This allows rain and snow, should the conditions arise, to slide off and prevent damage to the awning or disruption of an event.
Yet another option is the awning which only comes out when it is needed. Installing a retractable motorized awning is a convenient way for homeowners to have substantial shade when they need it, and push a button to roll it out of sight when they don’t. This style works well in areas such as the Southwest where the sun changes positions throughout the year, becoming much more intense during the summer; but it is equally useful in colder climates where a permanent awning may get damaged during the winters.
A poorly made patio shelter will need to be replaced in a relatively short time, so always buy the best quality available.
When it comes times for the holidays, outdoor Christmas lights are the way to go. Impress all your neighbors with your amazing light show. They will love what you have done.
Outdoor LED Christmas lights are the new thing. They look so amazing and don’t burn out easily either. If you purchase these, you will be able to use them for years to come. The icicle LED lights look amazing hanging from the side of your roof. Put them up all across the front. I like to buy outdoor Christmas rope lights also. These look good wrapped around a pole or draped over something. Net lights now come in LED also. We place these over our shrubs.
Add a little bit of flare to your yard by purchasing something for the front. The snow globes that blow up look great and last a long time. When you purchase one, it will come with everything you need to blow it up. You just have to make sure you plug this in nightly and unplug it. You won’t want to leave this one going all night long. A nice LED animal of some kind always looks good too. Reindeer are fun and a good attention to any light display. We have a snowman that is wire and LED also. These are perfect to add to your show. And you can pair your LED lights with some low voltage landscape lighting for a dramatic look that sips energy.
Make this a tradition every year to put out your lights. Your children will look forward to it and so will the neighborhood. They will think to themselves that is the holiday season once they see your amazing lights shining at night. A timer is always a nice addition so they come on even if you forget or go out of town for the night. Get started this year. You will be amazed with what you find.
April 18
Care of Outdoor Patio RugsWhen you first hear about rugs for the garden, the whole idea seems strange. After all, you know how difficult it can be to keep an indoor rug looking good when it has muddy feet and heavy foot traffic to contend with. How on earth, are outdoor patio rugs supposed to survive with all the dirt from your garden so close at hand and so easily trodden in by careless kids (and adults!)? It does not seem like outdoor rugs could be useful for more than the few days (or hours) they will stay looking good.
But outdoor rugs have been designed so stay looking good whatever (literally) you throw at them. If they get covered in mud, no problem. If they are outside in the baking sun (something which would fade other rugs very quickly), they will stay true in color because they are designed to be fade resistant. If they get wet, they will not rot unlike ordinary carpet left outside for any length of time.
You do need to care for your outdoor rugs, however, if you want them to stay looking good on your patio from week to week as well as last for years and years in your garden.
The main thing to do is to hose them down regularly with the garden hose to keep them looking clean. You can make this a fun game for the kids until they catch on that you are really getting them to do a little chore! Once they are clean, lay them out to dry (or better still hang them over a line for quicker drying if you can).
The only other thing that you could consider doing is to take your rug indoors over winter after it has had a good clean and is dry. This will spare it from getting particularly battered by the harsh weather and it will keep it clean so that you do not have a nasty cleaning task in the spring. You can simply roll it up and store it. Alternatively, use it indoors as many of these rugs are attractive enough to be used inside your home too.
Creating the perfect outdoor living space on your patio takes a little thought and a good deal of research to find the right components. One thing that you will really need to get right if you are to be successful is the patio cover you choose. There are so many different designs available which all use different materials that it can be tough selecting the one you are going to buy. Its not particularly that any one type is going to be so much better then the other, but you might be so bewildered by the choice that you are paralyzed with indecision and end up putting the job off.
TO make the whole process easier you might just want to opt for an aluminum patio cover right off the bat to make the job a whole lot easier on yourself. Aluminum is actually the most popular material amongst home owners for this purpose, and for good reason. Outdoor patio covers made from it offer great protection from the sun, but also from all weather conditions which are unfavorable to using your outdoor space. No matter what you want to use the space for you will find the aluminum models will do a great job, as long as you find on that goes with th existing exterior of your property.
The main advantage of aluminum is that it requires almost no maintenance. You don’t have to paint it continuously like steel to prevent it from rusting, and it won’t eventually rot like the wooden alternatives.
How to Choose The Right One
Obviously the size of your patio is going to dictate to a certain extend which design you get. No matter which you like though you will want to ensure you get one that is constructed with a high quality aluminum. Remember that you are making a large financial outlay here and you will want to purchase something that will give you many years of service. Not only that, but if you choose a wisely you will find that you will add a nice amount of value to your home when it comes time to sell.
