INSPECT YOUR PATIO FOR ICE AND SNOW DAMAGE

Having just come through one of the biggest snow storms ever, most of the country is digging out and hoping for warmer weather. This has been a very cold winter across much of the United States and with snow and ice comes the possibility for damage to any kind of patio surface.

With snow comes freezing ice and that can do a lot of damage to concrete and any other kind of stone that your patio is made out of. All you have to do is go out driving your car to see and feel the new pot holes that expanding ice have created to realize just how powerful it is.

If you live in one the part of the country that has had a very harsh winter, there might be some damage to your patio that you need to investigate. Your patio might be made of flagstone, slate, brick, tile, or just regular concrete but it doesn't matter: when the temperature gets warmer and spring approaches you will want to get out and take a look. Hopefully your patio will have escaped any damage but it makes sense to survey the situation if it hasn't.

Ice that expands can do all sorts of things including raising some parts of the patio and creating new hazards. It can break off parts of concrete and stone and depending on the damage, you may need to get it repaired before you use the patio. You want your guests and yourself to be safe and you will want to make sure there is nothing protruding from the ground that could cause people to trip.

So, before you get all excited about the new year and all the backyard patio ideas you have, check everything for safety first. The sooner you catch things that need to be repaired, the easier it is to fix them anyway.

HOW TO BUILD A SIMPLE STONE PATIO

When you think of installing a stone patio, you probably think it has to be done by a professional. The truth is, anyone can build a basic stone patio and do it with just a few tools and a little know-how.

You have to make sure you make all the correct measurements and dig the hole so that it is level. Other than those two important steps, it can all be done over a weekend! The video below shows you how to do it.

PATIO FIRE PIT IDEAS

One of the best ways to make your patio more accomodating is to put in a fire pit. When the weather starts to get nippy at night, you can still get some use out of your patio if you have a nice relaxing fire going. Even in the summer, a patio fire pit provides extra light and just enough warmth when the sun goes down.

If you were going to build a fire pit in your yard, you might be able to make it yourself by digging a hole and surrounding it with bricks. However, that isn't possible on a patio and you will most likely need to invest in one of the commercial patio fire pits that you can find in stores or online.

Some of the ones I found online are listed below and you can probably find more at a store in your town that specializes in outdoor heating or a home and garden store.

Sojoe Fire Pit

Cobraco Hand Hammered Copper Fire Tub

Uniflame WAD820SP Firepit Table

Copper Fire Pits

Putting in a fire pit is one of those patio ideas that you will wonder why you didn't do sooner. In our neighborhood, there is only one house that has one and guess who's house is the most frequent gathering spot? With a fire pit on your patio, you can roast marshmallows and tell stories way past the time when everyone would have had to move inside after it gets dark.

BEST HOT TUB FOR YOUR PATIO

Without a doubt, one of the best patio ideas is to incorporate a hot tub into it. It is soon to be winter and many people enjoy their hot tubs more during the cold months because it is fun to get into the hot water while the air is cold outside. Sitting in a hot tub with snow all around is even better!

If you have a patio, you can go for the standard hot tub that will sit above the ground. This is the cheapest and easiest way to have a hot tub and most people can find a corner or good spot for it. The problem is, no matter how time you spend choosing a hot tub or how much you spend on it (and some of them cost a lot!), it won't look as good as it could while sitting above ground.

The best hot tub for any patio is one that is sunken into the ground or made especially for the patio like the one below in the picture. Custom sunken hot tubs are by far the best looking and the most expensive which makes them too pricey for most people. Depending on the value of your home and the design of your patio though, installing a custom hot tub in your patio might be something you want to consider.

Homes that are over a million dollars and up would customarily be the best candidates for this type of setup because they would typically have the best patios. If you have a great flagstone patio or some other design, installing a sunken hot tub is one of the coolest patio ideas you can have to elevate it to the next level.

CONCRETE PATIO FURNITURE IDEAS

Concrete is hard but it is sure durable and will last for years. It also withstands rain, wind, snow and any other thing nature throws at it. This is one reason that concrete is one of the simplest and easiest choices for patio furniture you can make.

Most people have patio furniture made of plastic, metal, or wood and in most cases they have to take everything indoors for the winter. The act of stacking up all the chairs and lugging in the patio table is not a fun one and then next year you have to take it all back out again.

Similarly, on rainy days, many people have to cover up their patio furniture just to protect it from the moisture. These are things you will NOT have to do if you own concrete patio furniture. You can have this kind of furniture attached to the patio so it doesn't move or you can have it sitting loosely but one thing is for sure, you won't have to ever worry about it getting wet, rusty, or warped like you would with regular furniture.

Concrete furniture is one of the patio ideas that not too many people think about but if you do it right and put some though into the process, it can look great. In fact, it can look just like the furniture is part of the patio. Most concrete furniture you will see is attached to the ground but you can work it so that it isn't if you want.

To counteract it being hard, you may want to desing cushions or pillows for the furniture that you can easily take in and out of the house. This is optional of course and the cushions should look like they fit and belong on the concrete patio benches or chairs.

TEAK OUTDOOR PATIO FURNITURE IDEAS

Is teak a good choice for your outdoor all weather furniture? Teak wood is from a tree most often found in Southeast Asia in the monsoon forests. This tree has very tall trunks and the wood is perfect for furniture that needs to be water resistant. This teak wood has an abundance of natural oils that take the place of varnish and make the wood free of splits and water damage. In short, Teak is indeed one of the best choices for all your patio furniture ideas.

Patio furniture should blend in with the environment and go well with the look of your patio design. If you have a patio where wood furniture would look great, then teak outdoor patio furniture should be on the top of your list to investigate. Teak patio furniture will have a touch of elegance and it is extremely long lasting as well.

One of the benefits of using Teak furniture is that you don't have to cover it or move it under cover every time it is going to rain. When you buy outdoor patio furniture that is made out of metal, no matter how well it is coated, it may eventually start to rust and decay. Plastic is an option for your patio furniture that will hold up over time but plastic just doesn't have the style and elegance that wood can provide.

Many Teak patio furniture sets have cloth cushions on them that you might want to remove when not in use. Only having to store the cushions, though, is much easier than having to move the whole tables and chairs undercover for protection. Whether you get Teak outdoor patio furniture with cushions or just the hard wood, they are a choice that you will enjoy for years. Once you get the furniture, all you need is the gas barbecue grill and you will be set to go.

GARDEN PATIO LANDSCAPING IDEAS

If you want your garden to look good, you have to do a little landscaping. The same goes when you landscape around a teak patio so there is always something new to show to your guests.

The materials that you will use for your patio will include both soft and hard materials. The soft ones are namely the plants, the shrubs and the trees. They can be placed on the exterior perimeter of the patio while you use hard materials such as brick, concrete, rock, stone and tiles inside.

So you have an idea what plants to buy later on, it is best to check the condition of the soil since this will determine what type of flowers will survive these conditions.

A general rule when landscaping around a patio is that you have to work on the inside first then work outwards.

When choosing an area for the patio, make sure that this will be done on a flat area of land. Once you have found it, you must first build forms to be able to add height to the patio perimeter. This is important to achieve the foundational support you will need later on. This work should be completed evenly up to the doorway.

To prevent any incidents of tripping, you should smoothen the edges and make sure that there are no nails sticking out from the sides of the patio.

Once the forms have been completed for the patio, this is the time that you can add curves by using a bender board made from plastic so it can be moved very easily. To keep these in place, you will have to add stakes every 12 to 18 inches.

When it is ready, this is time that you put the stones in. These should be placed one by one so everything will fit nicely into place.

Since the patio is now ready, those of you who want to make it look colorful should add flowers and shrubs along the walkway. You may choose to use one color or mix this among several. You can also add something like solar lighting around the perimeter for a cool effect. The important thing is that it looks good.

Those who don’t want to plant flowers around the patio can still add color by using potted plants. These pots can be purchased with various designs and colors from the store. The advantage of using this is that you can move them to different locations and during the winter, they can be placed indoors then brought out again during the spring.

For something to stand out all throughout the season, you may choose plants that bloom during different times of the year. Keep in mind the amount of sun required for each and every one of them.

You should also get plants of different heights so there is a smooth transition from the patio all the way up to the house. If there are budget constraints, get the smaller ones since these are cheaper. It will just some time before they mature unlike the older plants that are almost ready to bloom.

Landscaping around the patio is no different than fixing one section of the house. Once you have a plan, it will be very easy to implement. If you are not happy, don’t be afraid to make some changes and come up with new patio landscaping ideas so it will look better than it did before.

BACKYARD PATIO LANDSCAPING IDEAS

Most people get into backyard patio landscaping because they want to change the look and feel of their home. They want to make it a wonderful place where their family can feel safe and comfortable at all times and they want the patio design to blend with the backyard. Landscaping is a great way to add some more atmosphere to your patio and you will be able to create a sanctuary with your backyard that you have never had before in your life.

Backyard landscaping does not have to be drastic or hard. You can do do it all yourself or you can hire a contractor to do it all for you. The choice is yours but doing it yourself can be a lot of work, especially if you do not have any experience in this type of thing. There are all kinds of things that you will need to learn about before you start doing your own backyard patio landscaping. You might have to take a crash course in landscaping and this course will be jammed packed with all kinds of info that you never even knew was out there. You may be able to save some money on the work if you do your own patio and backyard landscaping but you might end up paying even more to get everything fixed if you do it incorrectly.

There are a couple of great places for you to learn some more about patio ideas and backyard landscaping such as the local public library, home improvement stores, and the Internet. You can get many patio landscaping books out of the library and these will help you to make the best decisions as to your landscaping needs. You can also get many do it yourself tips online.

WOOD PATIO AWNINGS

If you have a patio and are looking for an awnings, you might consider getting a wooden patio awnings. This kind of wood awning can be used over your patio or deck and maybe even over your jacuzzi.

If you design it correctly, you can use climbing plants over the top of your wood patio awning and that will help create shade in the hot summer months. Most people end up using the large umbrellas for their patio cover and while they can be nice and protect you from the shade, they cannot compare to a beautiful wood awning. The possibilities for design is endless with a wooden awning.

PATIO LIGHTS IDEAS

Any great patio is going to have fabulous lighting. Patio lights will not only improve the look of your patio but they will also extend the use of your patio into the nightime hours. For this reason, of all the patio ideas you can spend time and money on, patio lights might be the most important for the overall look.

Lighting on and around your patio can do wonders for accentuating the best parts of your patio and surrounding garden. If placed in the right places, patio lights can create some great visual effects and make your patio an exiting place to hang out at night during the summer months. Patio lighting can also make your patio safer.

When you are thinking about different types of outdoor lighting for your patio and garden, be aware that you can use the lighting shadows to your advantage. By placing lights in front of certain items such as potted plants, you can play around with the resulting shadows to highlight different aspects of your patio. Likewise, you can use silhouetting to create interesting effects as well.

If you have trees and bushes around your patio you can use them to create some stunning patio lighting displays. Experiment with placing patio lights facing up into the trees or bushes to see what types of effects this produces. Then, try the same thing by placing the lights pointing down to get a different effect. Patio ideas involving lights are what can seperate your patio from all the others so have fun experimenting.

Great Patio Ideas Book - Complete Patio

If you are looking for a book with some great patio ideas, this brand-new edition of Complete Patio covers everything you need. Whether you are making an addition to an existing patio or starting from scratch, you will learn all the do's and dont's to make the most of your outdoor area. By adding a shade structure, outdoor kitchen, or tranquil pool, you can learn how to make the patio of your dreams.

Complete Patio also covers important finishing touches like outdoor lighting, weather-resistant furniture, container gardening, and storage solutions. This book has more than 450 photos showcase a multitude of patio styles and elements which will give you numerous patio ideas. It also has more than 30 inspiring projects with step-by-step instructions and expert advice on designing your patio and creating working drawings and clear, concise instructions for drainage, watering, and lighting systems. It also has a comprehensive materials guide for todays many options, including flagstone, brick, concrete pavers, tile, and gravel. Get the best price right here for Complete Patio

Patio Furniture Ideas

No patio ideas is complete without the right furniture. Not only must it look right with your padio design but it must feel right as well. Furniture usually found on patios include chairs, tables, sofas, and benches.

The type of furniture you decide to put on your patio might depend somewhat on the weather in your area. Chairs and sofas with soft material cushions are not great choices for wet climates. Chairs and tables that are water resistant would make you life easier if it rains a lot. Likewise, if you live in a hot sunny environment, the sun will both fade and do other types of damage to any furniture you keep outside on your patio. In a sunny local, it is advisable to find furniture that will resist the sun and its harmful rays.


Wooden patio furniture is a good candidate to withstand most weather conditions but it has to be treated on a regular basis. Metal chairs and tables are also durable but you may find yourself needing to paint them after a year or two. The Internet is a good place to shop for discount patio furniture and you may find that some patio furniture is quite expensive in the stores.

If you don't want to shop on the Internet, most regular furniture stores have a section set aside just for patio furniture. If you shop at the beginning of the year there will probably be more selection available than if you do your shopping in the dead of winter.

As you shop and look for your patio ideas, you will find that certain styles apeal to you more than others. You will need to decide whether you want a more relaxed feeling to your patio or a more formal feel. Magazines are another great way to come up with lots of great patio furniture ideas and styles. Looking throught magazines and surfing the Internet should give you all the patio design ideas you could ever need. Once you figure out your furniture all you need is that stainless steel grill!

Patio Awnings Ideas

Having a retractable patio awning at your home allows you to have the best of both worlds. It allows you to enjoy the patio in the covered shade or out in the sunlight. Retractable patio awnings ideas add immensely to the value of your home.

Patio awnings can be mounted against your house wall, or on the roof above your patio or deck. They give you somewhere cool and shady to sit during the hotter spring and summer days, as well as a place to sit outdoors and visit with friends and family members. You can Save $200 on a SunSetter Retractable Awning for your deck or patio.

Patio awnings are one of the outdoor patio covers that make the porch a very interesting place to take short breaks or short rests on those days when you have a lot of work or a busy school activity. Most patio awnings are made from durable, hard-wearing fabrics and are rated for sun protection. They are an ideal way of protecting you from heat and harmful UV rays of the sun.

Patio awnings are available in a variety of styles and constructions to suit every requirement. Though patio awnings may be a bit pricier than other devices such as deck umbrellas, they are also much more durable in the elements.

If you are planning a patio area that you will sometimes want to expose to full sun, a retractable awning is a great padtio ideas. Retractable awnings are designed to be self-supporting and allow you to enjoy your view without unsightly poles. A retractable awnings guide will help you pick this kind of awning which is significantly more expensive than a manual awning.

A patio is one of the nicest things you can have for your house, allowing you to enjoy the immediate outdoors and adding space to your home. Your family will love you for being thoughtful enough to patio ideas such as install patio awnings.

Patio Ideas - Slate Patios

Patio Ideas don't have to be a dull slab of concrete. By using different kinds of rock and materials, you can build a beautiful patio. A slate patio is one of those that can look wonderful if constructed correctly.

Slate is a popular flooring material and it can work great for a patio too. Slate patios are made of this fine type of rock which retains its natural appearance and is smooth and flat. You can get slate in a variety of textures and colors and you can get it at most landscaping outlets.

Slate patios are usually used for entertaining and an outside place to congregate. Complimenting the style of slate you choose with the right surrounding features is important to make the patio look it's best. You don't want to waste this patio ideas with an area that is not made to look its finest.

Great Patio Ideas

Patios are a great place to hang out in the summer months. Great patio ideas make for lots of enjoyable times around the gas barbecues with good friends. If you want to have a patio that everyone loves, you have a lot of choices to make.

You have a large variety of patio designs and themes you can pick if you want that great patio. Choosing the size, shape, theme, exact location, and material of the patio are all things you will need to figure out. What type of weather you have is also important as the patio must be made out of something that is durable for the conditions. Do you have a pool or a nice garden? If you do, the patio ideas you come up with may revolve around them. Everything must look good together so you must consider the patios surroundings when you settle on a patio design.

If you live in a place where there is either extreme cold or hot weather, you may want to consider covering and protecting your new patio as much as possible. It is amazing how much damage both hot and cold weather can do to rock and almost any other material you may choose to make your patio design ideas out of.

You may want to add lighting to your new patio so that you can use it during the night in the summer. The lighting should blend in well with the patio design and not look like a spotlight. You need to provide subtle lighting that hightlights the features of the patio design and makes the patio more beautiful. You may also want to add something like a Palazzo Urn garden fountain near your patio to add some soothing sounds of running water and to give it that special look.

If you pick the right patio idea, your patio will become part of your home and actually an extension of it. Every patio has a character of its own and if you choose well, your patio design idea will increase the value of your home as it will be a wonderful addition that everyone can enjoy.

Patio Ideas - Brick Patios

A brick patio is one of those patio ideas that many people can do themselves. Brick is easier to work with than flagstone or concrete and many people already know how to lay brick.

Brick patios can be designed in many colors, textures, styles, and patterns. This is one of the advantages of brick and makes it very popular. You can use your imagination with brick to make your patio as creative as you want it to be. If ten different people set out to design and build a brick patio, they would inevitably come back with ten different patio ideas.


You do not have to be a professional to do a good job of designing and creating your brick patio. Great ideas can be obtained in home and real estate magazines. You can also find other design ideas on the Internet.

Brick can be found at most landscaping and outdoor supply companies. You can even go to big chain stores like Home Depot to order brick. When you are there you can ask for their advice on what type of brick would work best for your patio design ideas.

Patio Ideas - Flagstone Patios

Making your patio out of flagstone in one of those patio ideas that is becoming more and more popular. Flagstone has many attributes that make it an appealing surface to use.

Flagstone patios are very durable when exposed to the elements. It does not crack very easily and it is not easily damaged by termites or other such insects. Wood patios will have both of those problems. If you want to make sure your patio will last a long time, Flagstone is one of the materials you will want to consider.

You can get flagstone at outlets as both a natural stone or it can come as man-made flagstone as well. Flagstone for your patio is a good choice because it lets you use other materials to fill in the cracks. You can use bark, moss and sand and these materials can make your patio look more natural. You can experiment with this patio idea to make it look just how you want it to.

Flagstone will be a good choice if you live in an area that has severe weather. Some climates get very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer. In this case, flagstone may be the perfect choice for your patio material. Once you have built your patio just like you want it, all you have left is a charcoal grill to make it complete!

Patio Ideas - Where To Find A Contractor

Once you have sifted through all your patio ideas and decided on the right one. you might need some professional help. Where can you go to find some reliable reviews of contractors in your area?

Find thousands of unbiased ratings on services for home improvements, car repairs, and more. Try Angie’s List.

Angies List is a neat little website that can really aid you in finding the right contractor. You will be able to find the type of contractor you wish in your area and see the detailed ratings that other users have given them. Angie's List takes the guesswork out of locating a good service company by providing those unbiased ratings.

With the help of Angie's List, you can find the right service provider you need to do almost anything, including designing and building a new patio. Once you settle on that great patio idea, give Angie’s List a try.

Patio Ideas - Concrete Patios

Of all the patio ideas, most common material to make patios out of is concrete. The regular grey concrete slab is the easiest and usually the least expensive. It is however, lacking in the "wow" factor.

If you do decide on a concrete patio, you now have a choice of making the concrete texture a little more exciting than in years past. You can learn how to stain concrete floors and use a concrete dye to give the concrete a more worn look and to give it some variety of color. The patio is really just another room in your house and you should try to make it as interesting and exciting as possible.



You can also buy individual bricks of concrete that are made to look like other materials. This "stamped concrete" will look like brick or flagstone and may have patterns that are stamped into the concrete right after it is poured. By using concrete and making it appear like another kind of rock, patio owners are getting something that truly looks great and ultimately adds value to their home. Patio ideas that are fun add to your home and give it character that everyone can enjoy.

Patio Ideas - Stone Patios

This patio ideas has always been one of the most popular. Stone is one of the most durable materials you can choose to make your new patio out of. If you want a natural stylish look to your patio, stone is always a good choice.



Stone patios can be made out of many different kinds of stone. Flagstone, bluestone, fieldstone, and slate are just some of the choices you have. You can usually find stone for your stone patio at landscaping outlets.

Stone is very durable so your stone patio should be in good condition for many years to come.
It is also attractive and will give your patio a feeling of being substantial and sturdy. Stone compliments other design ideas and goes well with at variety of landscaping. Stone always looks nice.

A drawback to using stone for your patio idea is that it is both very heavy and hard to install. If time and money are not a problem for you, building a stone patio is one of those patio ideas that you will be glad you made and it will ultimately add value to your home.