Planning Your Patio
You should consider many factors as you plan your patio. Start by focusing on your family's needs and lifestyle. List all the activities for which you may use a patio. Rank the list in terms of priorities to help you determine where to place the patio. And how large it should be.
Also consider the potential of your yard. What does it offer in terms of space, views, and related activity areas? What are the local zoning requirements? Weather conditions, particularly sun, shade, and wind, are important factors too.
Also consider the potential of your yard. What does it offer in terms of space, views, and related activity areas? What are the local zoning requirements? Weather conditions, particularly sun, shade, and wind, are important factors too.
Finally, consider what textures, colors, and shapes will harmonize the best.
Choosing a location. Consider how you plan to use the patio and place it accordingly. For instance, if you plan on using the patio for dining and entertaining, it should be close to the kitchen. If you plan multiple uses, arrange access from two or three different rooms. You may discover that two small patios will serve your needs than one large one, or that a patio on the side yard or front yard will get more use than a backyard patio. Exposure to the sun and access play a large role in determining use.
Determining size. A typical patio is 15 feet by 25 feet -- large enough to accommodate a table and chairs, a small cooking area, and one or two lounges. As a general rule, outdoor spaces should be slightly larger than indoor spaces used for the same purpose, although the area of the yard and shape of the patio also effect layout. A large expansive patio can be uncomfortable -- better to break up space with planters, fences, or barriers, or to construct two or three separate patios instead.
Choosing a shape. Fit the patio to the available space. The shape of the patio should reflect the house, fences, and other prominent structures. Simple shapes usually work best, but that does not mean that all patios have to be plain rectangles.
Arrange several rectangular shapes together to create visual interest and define distinctive areas for separate activities. If you use angles, limit the variety.
Furnishings. An attractive, inviting patio is much more than a large slab of pavement. An inviting patio includes whatever amenities render the space useable and create unity. A list may include garden furniture, overhead shade structures, a barbeque, insect screens, or benches. Plan these additions carefully. Overhead structures provide shade. Some types, such as awnings or fiberglass roofing panels, protect the patio from rain,but they may also trap unwanted heat if the area is not well ventilated.
Privacy. Use walls, screens, fences, tall plants, and the house to create privacy and a sense of enclosure. Tall barriers are particularly effective in making a small patio seem larger, as long as the height is approximately one half to one third the width of the space. Terraced planters that recede from the patio and draw the eye upward also help make a small patio seem larger. Even where the need for privacy does not play an important role, low barriers may be necessary to create a sense of intimacy. Benches, planters, low walls, and perimeter plants provide attractive means to define space. They can also serve functional purposes.
A low wall can serve as a counter near the cooking area and benches may provide storage space. As you consider these factors you will begin to get specific ideas about location, size, shape, amenities, and paving material. Work these ideas into a preliminary plan, changing and refining as you go. Look for ideas in books, magazines, and in the homes of your friends and neighbors. When you have a completed plan, make a list of all the materials and the amounts you need in order to estimate the cost of the project.
Choosing a location. Consider how you plan to use the patio and place it accordingly. For instance, if you plan on using the patio for dining and entertaining, it should be close to the kitchen. If you plan multiple uses, arrange access from two or three different rooms. You may discover that two small patios will serve your needs than one large one, or that a patio on the side yard or front yard will get more use than a backyard patio. Exposure to the sun and access play a large role in determining use.
Determining size. A typical patio is 15 feet by 25 feet -- large enough to accommodate a table and chairs, a small cooking area, and one or two lounges. As a general rule, outdoor spaces should be slightly larger than indoor spaces used for the same purpose, although the area of the yard and shape of the patio also effect layout. A large expansive patio can be uncomfortable -- better to break up space with planters, fences, or barriers, or to construct two or three separate patios instead.
Choosing a shape. Fit the patio to the available space. The shape of the patio should reflect the house, fences, and other prominent structures. Simple shapes usually work best, but that does not mean that all patios have to be plain rectangles.
Arrange several rectangular shapes together to create visual interest and define distinctive areas for separate activities. If you use angles, limit the variety.
Furnishings. An attractive, inviting patio is much more than a large slab of pavement. An inviting patio includes whatever amenities render the space useable and create unity. A list may include garden furniture, overhead shade structures, a barbeque, insect screens, or benches. Plan these additions carefully. Overhead structures provide shade. Some types, such as awnings or fiberglass roofing panels, protect the patio from rain,but they may also trap unwanted heat if the area is not well ventilated.
Privacy. Use walls, screens, fences, tall plants, and the house to create privacy and a sense of enclosure. Tall barriers are particularly effective in making a small patio seem larger, as long as the height is approximately one half to one third the width of the space. Terraced planters that recede from the patio and draw the eye upward also help make a small patio seem larger. Even where the need for privacy does not play an important role, low barriers may be necessary to create a sense of intimacy. Benches, planters, low walls, and perimeter plants provide attractive means to define space. They can also serve functional purposes.
A low wall can serve as a counter near the cooking area and benches may provide storage space. As you consider these factors you will begin to get specific ideas about location, size, shape, amenities, and paving material. Work these ideas into a preliminary plan, changing and refining as you go. Look for ideas in books, magazines, and in the homes of your friends and neighbors. When you have a completed plan, make a list of all the materials and the amounts you need in order to estimate the cost of the project.
In A Hour.com
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