Patio and Deck Materials

If you’re building a new patio or deck or updating an existing patio or deck, the most fun you’ll have will be choosing your patio furniture once your patio or deck is built. Your patio furniture is very important because it can make or break a patio. A patio or deck is a place to have parties with friends or just to sit back and lie in the sun. A patio or deck can be a really nice part of your home and that’s why its important that you choose your patio furniture carefully. In addition to patio furniture, you’ll want a good fence so that you have some privacy on your patio

Fences

Fences are great to have in your back yard for a number of reasons. Fences keep things you don’t want in your yard out, and fences also keep things you don’t want escaping from your yard in. If you’ve just built a new patio or deck, you’ll want some privacy to be able to enjoy it, and a fence is a great way to get it. There are many different fences to choose from to suit your needs, including aluminum fences, wood fences, electric fences, and bamboo fences. Things to consider when buying a fence are its aesthetic appeal, the price, security, and maintenance. Wood fences look great and a tall wood fence offers some security but wood fences require regular maintenance to protect the wood from rot and decay. You’ll have to refinish your wood fence about once a year, especially in a climate like Canada’s where the cold winters take a toll on wood fences. Wood fences, however, tend to be quite a popular choice for residential home owners, especially in the suburbs. Another kind of fence is the electric fence. Electric fences tend to be used more on larger properties, especially farms, to keep animals in or out. A farmer might surround an important crop with an electric fence to keep animals out. They might also use an electric fence to contain their livestock in a given area. Electric fences give you an electric shock if you touch them. Their effect can range from a mild to a fairly intense shock, depending on how the owner programs it. For animals, a mild shock is usually enough of a warning for them to back off. If you’re looking for a stronger more secure fence but don’t want to risk electrocution of children or pets, you should consider getting an aluminum fence. Aluminum fences are also lower maintenance than wood fences. Since we’ve already mined most of the aluminum in the earth that’s profitable to mine, the cost of buying an aluminum fence will surely increase beyond the means of the average consumer. A much cheaper option is a bamboo fence. Of course, it depends on the type of bamboo fence that you buy. You could buy some bamboo in Chinatown and build a rickety bamboo fence for no more than a few dollars. However, if you build a proper, nice bamboo fence, it will cost a bit more. Bamboo is actually very strong and is used in many new buildings in Asia for its structural strength. In addition, bamboo is better for the environment because it’s a renewable natural resource, unlike steel.

Patio Furniture

The best part of building a new deck or patio is buying patio furniture. There are so many options when it comes to patio furniture, that you’re bound to find something that works for you. If your patio is at a cottage, you’d probably get a different style of patio furniture than you would for a house in the suburbs. Two things to keep in mind when buying patio furniture is that it needs to be fairly weather-proof, unless you plan on storing it indoors for the winter, and it needs to be comfortable, or what’s the point of having a patio. You’ll likely need some patio chairs and maybe a patio table. You’ll also need some patio furniture cushions. Some patio furniture, especially wrought iron patio furniture, is designed to be used with cushions and would be very uncomfortable to sit on with out patio furniture cushions. Luckily, you can find patio furniture cushions pretty easily, but you’ll want o look around and compare patio furniture cushions. The most practical patio furniture cushions are usually those that tie onto your patio furniture and are machine washable. At the same time, you want to find patio furniture cushions that won’t get ruined in the rain and dry quickly in case they do get left in the rain. Sometimes its worth buying the more expensive patio furniture cushions if they’re really heavy duty because they’ll last you much longer. If you like to eat outside on your patio, a patio umbrella is also a good idea.

Patio Umbrellas

Patio umbrellas are great for those outdoor patio brunches on Sunday morning. While its nice to have a place to suntan on your patio, it’s also good to have an area where you can escape the heat during the day, especially if you’re entertaining. You can get patio umbrellas in a wide range of colours and sizes. In general, patio umbrella stands come in fairly standard sizes, so you don’t have to worry about buying your patio umbrella and patio furniture separately. Also be aware that not all patio umbrellas are water resistant. In fact, most patio umbrellas are only designed to provide shade from the sun, not protection from the rain. This makes sense because most people wouldn’t sit out on the patio under their patio umbrella if there were a storm.

Patio Doors

Patio doors are almost as important as your patio furniture. You’ll need patio doors to be able to access your patio. T’s a good idea to get patio doors that also have a screen door to keep the bugs out. That way, you can leave your patio doors open in the summer to let some fresh air into your house. The most common patio doors are sliding glass patio door, though there are a few other options available. My favorite kind of patio doors are French doors.