Archive for October, 2008

Add A Room To Your Home With A Patio Awning

Friday, October 31st, 2008

Do you need a patio awning for your lovely patio off of your backyard that only gets half the use it could because of rain or far too bright sun? Installing a patio awning to shade and protect it can be almost as good as adding a room to your home!

When choosing a patio awning, you’ll need to consider a number of things - the area that needs to be covered, the structure on which the awning will be installed (usually your house), the weather conditions in your area, the cost and the aesthetics. There are many types and styles of patio awning available to suit your needs - once you’re certain what your needs are.

The most often stated reasons for installing a patio awning are:

- Protection from Weather

A patio awning provides shade from the sun and cover from rain, to extend the usability of your patio and make it more comfortable at all times of the day.

- Protection of Your Investment

Patio furniture and wood floors or patio carpets are a substantial financial investment. A patio awning helps protect that investment from the damaging UV rays of the sun. In addition, if your patio has full glass sliding doors, the patio awning will also help protect the carpets and furnishings inside your home from those same harmful rays.

- Energy Efficiency

Besides shading the patio itself, installing a patio awning can reduce the heat of your home’s interior by as much as 70%, which can be a major savings in electricity if you’re paying for air conditioning.

- Low construction costs

Patio awnings - even fancy retractable ones with built-in lighting and heating - cost far less than adding a full room to your home, but in many cases, the effect is almost the same - expanded living and entertainment space.

- Aesthetics

Patio awnings come in an almost limitless array of colors and designs. A well-made patio awning can add beauty to your home while providing shade and comfort for you.

What type of patio awning is best? That depends on your patio, where you live, and how you use your patio. Some of the most popular styles and their best setting are listed below.

- Fixed Patio Awning

Fixed awnings are not usually recommended as patio awnings. They’re designed to withstand extremes of weather conditions, and cannot be rolled back. If you’re planning a patio area that you’ll sometimes want to expose to full sun, a retractable awning is a far better choice.

- Retractable Patio Awning

Retractable patio awnings are designed to be retracted during extremes of weather to prevent damage to the awning. They can be retracted via a hand crank or a motorized pulley, and some of the latest styles even feature automatic wind and rain sensors to close the awning whether or not you’re there to push a button. You can choose patio awnings that retract completely into a compact ‘cassette’ frame, that have installed lighting or heating, as well as patio awnings that are specially constructed for windy areas or for full tilt-angle control to adjust your shade precisely.

A consultation with a professional dealer and patio awning installer will give you the best idea of what sort of patio awning will suit your needs best.

Garry John has contributed to several home improvement sites including http://www.uk-awnings.org.uk/awnings with details of http://www.uk-awnings.org.uk/patio.htmlpatio awnings

Tags: patio awning

Make A Statement - (Other Than I Want To Keep Dry) With A Designer Umbrella

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Umbrellas come in a wide variety of shapes, styles and colors to meet many needs. From the basic bolt on beach chair umbrellas to fashionable designer personal umbrellas and the large ones for your backyard. They all make a statement about your personal style.

Everyone knows that an umbrella is extremely useful in a rainstorm or when the hot sun is beating down. Heck, most of us have several just because carrying one around in case of a downpour is inconvenient. If you live in an area with a high number of precipitation days during the year, you probably have a small collapsible umbrella, one in your car, one at work and at least several at home. From a practical standpoint, an umbrella in one of those standard utilitarian tools that are practical and necessary.

Those of us in high heat places where the sun feels hot and burning due to the intensity also benefit from an umbrella or parasol to deliver some much needed shade. The umbrella has been a popular accessories for the stylish person for thousands of years due to it’s utilitarian usefulness.

Still, with style at an all time premium in our society, it just makes sense though to consider a custom umbrella. One that would not only compliment your style but also deliver a statement about you as a person. All with the addition of a specialty or custom designer umbrella.

Umbrellas typically are designed for a single person and unfortunately, if there’s any wind, doesn’t keep you completely dry either. They’re just not large enough to accommodate someone moving and carrying several things with them.

The answer here is the oversized umbrella. These are much larger and can comfortably accommodate 2 people comfortably. And unlike the older style umbrellas with the metal ribs, many of the larger units feature lightweight plastic or even bamboo like wood materials. So although much larger, these units are not heavier and are actually more fun to use because you’re not worrying about getting wet all the time.

Umbrellas can be customized with logos and offered as premium thank you type gifts for employees and customers. They also are available in a wide variety or designer colors and designs. These designs include jungle scenes, beautiful tropical flowers, bold geometric lines, multi-colored rainbows natural scenery, jungle animals and much more.

These stylish umbrellas are available for not only personal use but also come in larger sizes for cabanas and backyard decoration. Don’t be satisfied with just the plain and ordinary when you can have something that is not only just useful but also beautiful.

Abigail Franks writes on a variety of subjects such as home, family, and health. For more information on Umbrellas visit the site at
http://www.umbrella.primo-living.com

Tags: patio umbrellas, rain umbrellas, red umbrella, shade structures, stroller umbrella, sun garden umbre

5 Backyard Patio Ideas

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Thinking of creating a new patio in your backyard? Need a few backyard patio ideas? Let us help. After a quick brainstorming session, we came up with these five backyard patio ideas that will be sure to please.

Combine Patios and Decks

A common, yet still exciting backyard idea is to combine a patio built of stone, brick, concrete or other typical patio materials with a traditional wooden or composite deck. Or try building a patio with a wooden decked gazebo or observation area. This effect makes for a great private area to set up a dining or conversational enclave, really setting your patio apart from the rest!

The Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen

While not one of the cheapest backyard patio ideas, creating a gourmet outdoor kitchen will be sure to impress everyone! Think about the perks and advantages of being able to entertain exclusively outdoors without even having to go inside. For the cook, there’s a huge variety of grills and ranges specifically designed for permanent patio installation. We’re not talking your ordinary everyday charcoal or gas grill here (although there’s certainly nothing wrong with that either).

How about an outdoor built in refrigerator or wine cooler? Or design a built in ice pit to chill your favorite beverages on a warm summer night. Oh, and for those cool nights, to get some extra life from your patio, don’t forget to add an outdoor patio fireplace. They can be had to burn wood or propane, or you can go all out and have a pro install a gas line for you.

Old Fashioned Style and Charm

Bring back the Victorian age with a patio that is designed to fit the time period. Porch swings and old fashioned rocker chairs can help to evoke the feeling of a bygone era. Or perhaps you want something a little more modern, but still with a funky retro vibe. Find some old metal rocking chairs at an auction and build in an area for shuffleboard. Eclectic, yet fun backyard patio ideas!Soothing Water Garden

The idea for a backyard patio water garden can be simple to accomplish or can be taken to any level of extremes you desire. Put in a simple patio fountain to create the atmosphere of nature that only trickling water can do. Or combine that with a full blown water garden including a fish pond with a water fall. You decide how far to take this idea

Nothing Wrong With Turf

For another unique backyard patio idea, think about inverting the whole layout. If you have a small back yard or area for your patio, install edging for your patio made of common backyard patio materials like brick or stone. This will define the patio.

Then fill in the useable area of the patio with a thick and dense grass turf. This idea is sure to give you the feel of a traditional patio without giving away the luxury of still having grass in your backyard.

Does one these backyard patio ideas appeal to you? If not, don’t be discouraged. You can make your backyard patio fantastic in so many ways. Just be creative and the right idea will come to you!

http://www.patio-ideas-guide.com

Tags: backyard patio ideas, backyard patio idea, patio ideas, patio idea


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