What's Underfoot? A Quick Guide to Patio Surfaces
Patios and terraces have always been popular outdoor spaces. Whether a Parisian courtyard or a rooftop alcove, only porches and sunrooms beat out these paved (or semi-paved) retreats in a recent survey of my readers as the most ideal outside living space. Let's examine some of the wide variety of patio surfaces. Patio StonesSomteimes called flags or slabs, patio stones are flat square or rectangular blocks of pressed concrete. Standard sizes generally include 2' x 2', 2' x 2?' and 2' x 3' (60 x 60 cm; 60 x 75 cm; 60 x 90 cm), with a 2" (5 cm) thickness.
They are a very well-known and popular choice for both homeowners and home builders and are favored both for their ease of installation and low price. Once only grey or greyer, patio stones are now available in a range of colors. Choose a color that blends with your garden or house, or make a patterned floor with two different colors. Patio stones are especially attractive when combined with an edging of a contrasting material. On my web site, I have some suggested patterns combining them with bricks, but you can use a rot-resistant wood such as cedar, landscape rocks, or even aluminum.
You can also purchase patio stones with different surface textures, including those with exposed aggregates. Although these often retain the characteristically consistent thickness that makes for their ease of installation, they are usually somewhat pricier than plain stones. Stone and SlateStone and slate, also called flagstone, are natural materials whose availability is often driven by local resources. They are also usually cut in standard widths and lengths, but the thickness of the pieces will vary with the stone and the cutting. The variable thickness makes the material more challenging to install.
Natural stone and slate pieces are more expensive than manufactured patio stones. Often, people think of flagstones in terms of "crazy paving," that is broken pieces of stone set in attractive, random patterns. This type of patio surface is the most difficult to lay properly. Because the mortar joints of a patio are the weakest point, the stone pieces must be as tight as possible to each other. This requires breaking and trimming the irregular shaped pieces.
Experienced installers can break stone by hitting a piece of rebar or pipe that they've placed along the desired break line. I recommend you don't try this at home, boys and girls! BricksBricks are a popular building material for patios and terraces. A standard brick used to measure 2?" x 3?" x 8" (5.7 x 9.53 x 20.3 cm), and be red or yellow. There are many variations these days. Your choice is really personal except for the weather rating.
If you live in a cold climate, be sure to get SW (Severe Weather) rated bricks that won't crack in the cold and snow. They cost more than MW (Moderate weather) and NW (Nice Weather -- well, it's officially Negligible Weather, but I think not having freezing cold five months of the year would be very NICE.) GravelGravel is frequently disparaged as the poor cousin of outdoor surfaces, but gravel courtyards can be not only inexpensive but comfortable and very charming as well. As with other paving materials, gravel also is available now in a range of color choices and textures. You can edge the patio area with rock slabs, bricks or pavers to give your yard a more finished look. Poured ConcretePoured concrete surfaces are the most popular professionally installed patios.
They're usually less expensive than natural stone, brick or tile to build, are extremely durable when properly installed and treated, can be shaped to any pattern, and can be finished in a wide variety of colors, textures and styles. Proper installation of a concrete surface includes laying rebar or ?" steel rods in a cross-hatch pattern in the body of the concrete. Once the concrete has hardened, it should be sealed to resist weather and stains. With such a dizzying array of patio surfaces available, how can you choose the right one for you? Of course, budget will play a large part. But also consider the style of your house and garden, and the use you'll make of the space.
It's harder to place furniture on some of the rough textured surfaces. If you have children riding tricycles, or elderly friends or family who might trip, be sure to avoid anything that might produce an uneven surface, even after some years of settling. Whatever you select, be sure to spend time on your patio and make happy memories in your outdoor space!.
Debbie Rodgers, the haven maven, owns and operates Paradise Porch, and is dedicated to helping people create outdoor living spaces that nurture and enrich them. Her latest how-to guide ?Attracting Butterflies to Your Home and Garden? is now available on her web site. Visit her at http://www.paradiseporch.com and get a free report on ?Eight easy ways to create privacy in your outdoor space?.Patio Covers
The patio is an extension of the house. With a little bit of enterprise one can transform it into a snug haven with colorful and snazzy Patio Covers, furniture, pool tables, grills, plants and curios reflecting individual styles. The reason being that in the present ambiguous conditions, especially after 9/11, many of us prefer the comfort of home for celebrations or unwinding.
Patios with covers serve another purpose. Very often we are too lazy after a barbeque or a lazy afternoon to stack chairs and tables inside or fold the umbrella.
Patio Covers do the work for us and furniture can be left where it is, protected from rain and sun. There is a choice in Patio Covers depending on the natural environment and construction of the house. Wood is preferred by people who want a natural look gelling with landscaping or the interior of the house. Wooden Patio Covers are at a disadvantage when compared with aluminum or acrylic Patio Covers. The latter are maintenance-free...
Patio Covers
Patio furniture > Patio Covers
Teak Furniture - The Ideal Furniture for Lifelong Outdoors Use
The Natural Beauty of Teak
Teak wood is beautiful, durable in exposed conditions, so teak furniture is in wide use as outdoor furniture. In addition to its wide use as teak furniture for outdoor use, teak wood is also used for making boat decks and indoor flooring.
Old teak wood, being harder and more durable, is best for making teak furniture. If the teak furniture is made of heavy sections and with mortise and tenon construction using brass fittings and brass screws, it will last more than a lifetime and can become part of the family inheritance. Teak furniture made from new teak is somewhat more vulnerable to splitting and water damage.
Teak furniture, particularly if made in heavy solid designs, has an elegance that is hard to match.
Teak furniture is maintenance free for all practical purposes because teak wood contains deophosphate of lime and oleaginous saps that make it immune to fungus and termite attack. Because adverse weather...
Teak Furniture - The Ideal Furniture for Lifelong Outdoors Use
Patio furniture > Teak Furniture - The Ideal Furniture for Lifelong Outdoors Use
How To Use A Living Room Sofa For Maximum Space Utilization?
Sofa in a living room is a very special way to occupy space for a special purpose. The main purpose of any sofa unit is to not just to provide seating, but create a secured environment where the home owner and his family can enjoy moments of togetherness.
That's why sofas come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In most cases sofa units come in a category of "number of seats".
3seats in a row, 2seats in a row (commonly called as a "love seat") and a single seat sofa are available today in the furniture market. Apart from these special designer sofas for placing in corner on the living room are also popular.
These designer sofas are sometimes in the form of a letter "L" in plan, with the longer side of the "L" has a back rest with 3 seats in a row.
The most preferred arrangement of sofas in a living room furniture unit is making use of one 3seat sofa along the longer length of the sofa and two single seat sofas with an end table in between...
Patio furniture > How To Use A Living Room Sofa For Maximum Space Utilization?
How To Use A Living Room Sofa For Maximum Space Utilization?
Sofa in a living room is a very special way to occupy space for a special purpose. The main purpose of any sofa unit is to not just to provide seating, but create a secured environment where the home owner and his family can enjoy moments of togetherness.
That's why sofas come in a variety of shapes and sizes. In most cases sofa units come in a category of "number of seats".
3seats in a row, 2seats in a row (commonly called as a "love seat") and a single seat sofa are available today in the furniture market. Apart from these special designer sofas for placing in corner on the living room are also popular.
These designer sofas are sometimes in the form of a letter "L" in plan, with the longer side of the "L" has a back rest with 3 seats in a row.
The most preferred arrangement of sofas in a living room furniture unit is making use of one 3seat sofa along the longer length of the sofa and two single seat sofas with an end table in between...
Patio furniture > How To Use A Living Room Sofa For Maximum Space Utilization?
Buying Furniture Online Will Save You Buckets
Hassle free shopping for furniture without taking the pains of going from store to store could be achieved by surfing the Internet. Just keep the following step-by-step guide at the back of your mind to get the best bargain available: - Use the popular search engines like Google or Yahoo and search by typing in "Furniture". Using specific words like patio furniture, whicker furniture, could also be done to search for specific furniture. - Go to the Google or Yahoo site and write 'furniture'in the search bar. You may be more specific and if you are looking for something special like 'whicker furniture', 'patio furniture' or 'modern furniture'.
- If you have not made up your mind about the furniture you wish to buy, you might want to know how much discounts and sales the site is offering. If an item is available at high discount, it may help you in making your decision. - If you have decided what you want you may click the category and get more information. - Make use of the tools...
Buying Furniture Online Will Save You Buckets
Patio furniture > Buying Furniture Online Will Save You Buckets
Let's Have a Barbeque Party
"A wonderful way to entertain family and friends in an outdoor setting is with a backyard barbeque party. With proper planning and the right environment people will be talking about your party all summer. Important factors to think about when entertaining are things like the barbeque grill, seating, lighting, and of course the menu planning."
Today's barbecue choices have never been greater. The designs and options are wonderful, there really is a barbecue that fits your individual barbecuing needs. Barbecues come in both natural gas and propane grills.
Barbecues are available in portable fire pit models excellent for a patio or backyard, giving the feeling of being around an actual fire pit. Other barbecue designs include charcoal-wood grills, portable grills and outdoor stoves. Weber makes some of the most durable and reliable quality grills, using stainless steel burners to provide long- wearing even heat and burners with spider and insect screens to keep the...
Let's Have a Barbeque Party
Patio furniture > Let's Have a Barbeque Party
What's Underfoot? A Quick Guide to Patio Surfaces ira Patio furniture
skirts What's Underfoot? A Quick Guide to Patio Surfaces Patio furniture
financial planning What's Underfoot? A Quick Guide to Patio Surfaces
Love Your Wedding Preparation at MyBridesmaid.com
London, United Kingdom (ContentDesk) August 14, 2006 -- MyBridesmaid.com has researched thousands of products presenting only the finest, most special items, taking away the stress and helping brides, friends and family, select exciting and unique must have bridal accessories,
financial planning What's Underfoot? A Quick Guide to Patio Surfaces
Patio furniture > Love Your Wedding Preparation at MyBridesmaid.com
financial planning What's Underfoot? A Quick Guide to Patio Surfaces
Orange Perennials For Your Garden
Perennials are wonderful because, they bloom year after year. Sometimes, I forget that I even have them planted and then they spring up to my surprise and delight! I like to add some zip to my garden with flowers that are orange in color. They add a vibrant touch and the brilliant colors attract birds and insects.Here's some of my favorite orange perennials:Butterfly Weed ? This flowers in summer and can get as high as three feet. It has compact clusters of flowers and as the name implies, it...
flower Orange Perennials For Your Garden What's Underfoot? A Quick Guide to Patio Surfaces
Patio furniture > Orange Perennials For Your Garden