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Design and Build Your Own Patio
by Jane Smallman
Jane.Smallman@homeimprovementideas.net
Senior Home Improvement Columnist
Are you tired of winter and already dreaming of summer days in the garden? Why not cheer yourself up by researching patio design. The right design will add value to your home, and for outdoor living a patio area is unbeatable.
Before your imagination gets carried away with ideas for your new patio, keep the following design tips in mind.
Good Design for Your Outdoor Patio Area
- Make sure you design an outdoor area in a style that fits in with your house and garden. The patio should harmonize with existing building materials and methods.
- If you are going to build it yourself, your patio design should be simple - a level surface, comfortable seating, and some shelter from sun or wind are the essentials.
- Remember that your design is for an outdoor area that will be exposed to the weather. You could extend your patio's usefulness by adding some sort of roof or cover.
- Keep in mind how much your patio is going to cost and tailor your design to fit your budget.
- Don't forget that you will have to maintain your patio, so design something that will be easy to furnish and maintain through all the different seasons.
Once you have your patio design, you need to think about what materials you are going to use to make your outdoor living area attractive and practical.
Choosing the Surface for Your Patio
Your main considerations should be climate, design and costs. Consider any of the following materials to see which one suits your purposes best:
- Poured Concrete
- Stone
- Gravel
- Concrete Pavers
- Bricks
- Outdoor Tiles
- Timber
Spend time on your patio design now and by the time the summer comes you will have an outdoor living area to be proud of - the patio of your dreams!
About the author
Jane Smallman runs a mountain guiding business with her husband. Her early training was in hotel management and she has worked in the hotel industry in France, Holland, the US and the UK. Following this she worked in an administrative capacity for a number of not-for-profit organizations in the UK, including the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the Refugee Legal Centre. While doing this she earned a degree in Social Sciences through distance learning with the Open University. After graduation she progressed to the University of Sussex as a full-time student where she was awarded a Masters Degree in Social and Political Thought.
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