12 things to think about before building your patio

Building a patio can be a very rewarding project. It can make a great addition to your home and outdoor space. A patio can be any size and can be used as a relaxing place to enjoy your garden, a place to entertain guests or for kids to play. It’s a perfect environment for a family gathering and making a barbeque. Installing a patio may seem like a lot of work, but if you plan it carefully, you will have nothing to worry about. There are many factors to consider before building your perfect patio. Find below 12 things to think about before building your patio.

Position

If you don’t have much space, a patio should be adjoint to your house. But if you have room to spare, think about where the patient should look and feel the best. If the sun is positioned in a different place in your garden, think about placing a patio in that space. The position of the patio also includes for which purpose you are going to use the patio. If you are building a patio to host friends and family often, it’s best to position it close to your house for easy access. If your patio is more for relaxation and lounging, locating it in the garden may be a better option. For patio placements, it’s best to consult with skilled patio designers. Consider also where your furniture will be and if you will have amenities like a fire pit or barbeque grill. If you have a view you want to enjoy, locate the patio so you are taking the full advantage of the view.

Size

This factor is very important. The size of the patio is relevant to the size of your yard and the size of the furniture you will have. If you are planning on hosting multiple people, that means you will need more furniture for sitting. They should be big enough to host many people, whether they will be sitting or standing. You need enough room for everyone to move around and not bump into each other or the furniture. Another thing to consider is how much of the garden you want to leave untouched. Do you want a patio from side to side of your garden, or do you want to have greenery and landscaping? If you want to add amenities like an outdoor kitchen or a hot tub, you will need more space to be able to use all of it. You should also plan for outdoor storage if you need it. If you live in colder climates, consider space for possible heaters.

Shape

The shape of your patio can be decided on the size of your garden, and it doesn’t have to be just a rectangle. If you have a lot of greenery, maybe a curved or oddly shaped patio will look better and provide more space and comfort. You don’t need to cut any parts. If you have irregular edges that you want to hide, you can fill the space with gravel. Good advice is to follow the shape and proportions of your house. Make a good transition from indoors to outdoors. The patio should complement the architecture of the house and coordinate with the surrounding landscape design.

Materials

If you don’t have a lot of space to spare for a patio, for materials that you are going to use it’s best if you are taking inspirations from the architecture of your house. This will create a cohesive space. If you have a larger backyard you have more flexibility in designing your patio and choosing materials. If you go in a very different style selection, you should pick some details to incorporate in your patio materials to be cohesive with the house.

There are materials that you can often find in many patio designs. Natural stone is the most popular because of its durability and a range of shapes, sizes, and colors. They work with a variety of styles and they require very little maintenance. Other very popular materials are brick, concrete, and gravel. For any material you should take a sample and place them where the patio will be, to see if it fits. The paving is there to showcase and accentuate plans, furniture, and features.

Comfort

Patios are used mostly for relaxation. This means that the seating you choose and the comfort they provide are very important. If your seating arrangement is not comfortable, you will not enjoy using it. Built-in seating is amazing as it gives you plenty of space to sit down. It’s not the most comfortable, so you should maybe have some other seating options for everyone. There are many seating options to choose from. The furniture should be comfortable and easy to move if needed. The materials you choose are also important. You will need easily washable materials and that will withstand different weather without breaking. They should be easy to maintain in the long run.

Lighting

Decks are not only used in the day but also during the night. You will need proper lighting. It gives ambiance, but it’s also important for safety reasons. You need lights to make your patio functional. You don’t want to fall because you didn’t see a smaller piece of furniture. You should plan out where you need the lights and what type of fixtures you will use. Solar lighting is becoming more popular, but’s it’s not very bright, so you will need a lot of them. If you want LED light instead, you should call an electrician to install all the outdoor lighting. There are many shapes and types of lighting you can install. If your patio is next to the house you can put wall mounter fixtures. If you have a roof you can add overhead lighting. If your patio is far from the house, movable lanterns and post lighting is best.

Landscaping

Since you have a backyard, you probably want some plants and greenery to go with your patio. The right landscaping will be comfortable and bring a natural setting to your backyard. You should make sure you don’t make any landscaping errors. It also provides a peaceful atmosphere for relaxing and entertaining. You can even use greenery like trees, shrubs, and plants to create a patio border. It’s good for privacy and noise reduction. Having nice flowers and trees will add color and interest in your yard and patio. Landscapes need proper lighting. It will add beauty to your garden and make it an amazing place to spend your time in the evening. If you have a pathway, adding pathway lights will provide safety when taking night walks. If you have trees, you can add uplights and spots for soft light. You can add soft small lights on the edge of your patio to accentuate it.

Shade

Since your patio is outside and you will want to use most of the year if possible, adding shade and shelter is important. It will need shelter from the sun, rain, wind snow, etc. If your patio is located on the south or west side, and you don’t have any trees for shade, you will need some type of cover from the sun. The afternoon sun is very intense, especially if you live in very hot climates. This can stop you from enjoying your new patio. One structure you can add is a pergola or arbor. They are constructed from naturally rot-resistant cedar lumber. They can provide shade based on the size and spacing of the slats. A pavilion has an actual roof and is perfect for any weather conditions.

Maintenance

You probably want a patio that is easy to maintain year-round. You want to enjoy it and not spend a big amount of time cleaning everything. Cleaning your patio should not be a big job if everything is done correctly. An occasional sweep up is enough. If you plan on eating on your patio and having parties and barbeques, it’s important to choose materials that are spill-resistant and easy to clean up. Every outdoor patio material is durable, but not everyone is stain-resistant. It may need a sealer to resist stains. This is true for natural stones like marble, limestone, and slate. Consult with your designer or contractor on which patio materials are best for your needs. An important part is drainage. If you have a shady part of the patio and water stays there for too long, it can create a type of green slim, which is not easy to clean.

Permits

Besides the decorating part, there is a part where you have to get all the permits you need to create your patio. Generally, patio pavement doesn’t require a permit, because they are not considered a permanent structure. If you want to build a deck, you almost always need a permit and inspection during the construction process. If your outdoor space includes plumbing, electricity and other wood structures, a permit may be required. This part of the process can be intimidating for most homeowners who have to deal with there regulations for the first time. If you are willing to do things right, you will not have any problems. Most of the patio contractors will probably handle the permits themselves, This includes researching if and what permits are required, arranging inspections and handling the inspectors.

Pricing

One of the most important parts of building anything si considering how much money are you able to spend on the project. It’s best to discuss pricing on the first appointment with your contractor. The goal is to decide on the meeting what you want to create and how much it will cost you so you can decide if it’s doable. You don’t want any surprises down the line. How much a patio may cost is up to many aspects. It can be affected by any projects your contractor has done, financing, materials, and suppliers being used and what you are getting for your money. Make sure to understand that if you want to include all your wishes in the patio design, the cost may be much higher than you were hoping for. You should have a sincere talk with your contractor and see what is doable and what you can include in the patio. Don’t settle for unreasonably lower prices from different companies, as it can happen that after some year your patio falls apart, and you need to redo it all over again. This can create a much bigger cost than you can handle.

Think ahead

Before meeting with your contractor it can be very helpful to have a general idea of how you want your patio to look. There are many inspirational pictures on Pinterest and other websites for example. It’s good to have a handful of the picture you can show to indicate what you like and what you don’t. A properly designed patio that is made with your wishes can give you many years of good times with your family and friends. Decks can have very different shapes, sizes, and additions. A simple platform deck is very easy to construct, and it has a clean and classic look to it. But for some it can be difficult to access it, so you will need a railing. If your deck is in a hot place, you will need a roof or a cover of some sort. There are many types of wood used for building decks. Or maybe you want built-in seating. These are all the things to consider and search up before starting the plans with your contractor.

Having a deck is an amazing addition to your house. It provides a space for fun, lounging and gatherings. There can be many uses for a deck. It can be a dining space with a grill, a spa-type with a jacuzzi or a place to relax on your reclining chair or hammock. Whichever use you are going to have for your deck, the most important aspect is that it needs to be of great quality so it will last you a long time.