A Patio:
An extension of your home that is almost like adding an extra room to your house.
When you start thinking about extending your patio, there are a few things worth considering. Just think about the living room inside your home... What types of furniture do you want for seating? How many coffee tables? How many end tables? Do you have a recliner? Will you want a chaise lounge or more? What about lighting?
What is your WHY for wanting a larger patio?
Here are a few reasons we've found that people expand their outdoor living areas:
RELAXATION
ENTERTAINING
COOKING
SUNBATHING
ESCAPE FROM DAILY LIFE
MEDITATION
STUNNING THE NEIGHBORS
HAVING AWESOME PARTIES
RECONNECTING WITH NATURE
SWIMMING
MAKING A STATEMENT
LOVE BEING OUTDOORS
MAKING MEMORIES WITH FAMILY
Your reasons may be completely different than these, but it can be helpful to ask "Why do I want a new patio?" "How will I enjoy it the most?"
How large should your patio be?
This depends on how many people you plan on entertaining at one time, and how much furniture you want.
Using the list below, you will want to obtain the dimensions of each item you’ve selected for your patio or deck. Then add an extra 3’ to each measurement to allow walking room.
[For example, an Adirondack chair can measure 4’ x 5’. Be sure to add an extra 3 feet to each dimension.]
This means you need a minimum space of 7’ x 8’ for ONE of these if you want to walk comfortably around it. 45 square feet suddenly becomes 56 square feet when you want walking room around your furniture.
NOTE: A typical 42 inch round patio table with 4 chairs needs a minimum space of 10 feet by 10 feet (100 square feet). This will allow for a fairly snug sitting space around the table with limited walking room.
Your patio or deck with one of these table sets will feel more open if you plan on a 13 feet by 13 feet (169 square foot) area.
SOME COMMON TYPES OF FURNITURE:
PATIO TABLE & CHAIRS
UMBRELLA
CHAISE LOUNGE
ADIRONDACK CHAIR
SOFA SET
END TABLES / COFFEE TABLE
HAMMOCK
FIRE BOWL / FIRE PIT
OUTDOOR FIREPLACE
BISTRO TABLE SET
SPA/HOT TUB
FREE-STANDING GRILL
OUTDOOR KITCHEN
WATER FEATURE
RAISED PLANTER(S)
CANOPY/PERGOLA/ARBOR
What is the best surfacing or flooring material for my patio?
Inside your home, you may have linoleum floor covering in one room, ceramic tile in another, hardwood in the other, and carpet in the last one. Each flooring choice may be based on the appearance, required maintenance, color, or mood it gives the room.
The style of your home should especially be considered when planning your outdoor spaces. They should complement each other.
Outdoor living spaces may have varying “floors” as well. While concrete is the basic material used by many tract home builders for patios, some homeowners want a more polished look and ask for stamped concrete. While these may seem less expensive upfront, the ongoing maintenance and repair costs can far exceed other materials.
Many intelligent homeowners choose a flexible paving surface like interlocking concrete pavers. The upfront investment is usually a little more than concrete, but it lasts for many years to come.
Some common patio paving materials include:
CONCRETE
STAMPED CONCRETE
PAVERS (BEST)
BRICK
DRY-SET TRAVERTINE
FLAGSTONE
MORTAR-SET FLAGSTONE
CERAMIC TILE
PEA GRAVEL
Each of these materials will create a different “mood” for your outdoor living space which will also be affected by the colors selected.
How you want your patio or deck to “look and feel”, coupled with how much you are willing to invest in them will determine which material you should choose.
You may want to mimic the look or colors of something you have inside your home. This is a more advanced design secret that subconsciously unifies the interior of your home with the outdoor living area.
If you would like to discuss patio layout options or a complete design process, feel free to Schedule a Consultation with our Master Designer here at Grow Green Landscape!
Happy Outdoor Living!!
-Seth