Living greener may be as easy as spending more time outside. And spending more time outside may be as easy installing a new patio or deck or remodeling an existing outdoor space.
Creating New Space
If you are looking out your back door and you cannot think of any possibilities for expanding your usable space…think again. Think of it this way; if your home is 2,500 SF and you add a 250 SF patio or deck, you have just expanded your usable space by 10%! 250 square feet is 10’x25’, 12’x21’, 14’x18’; these are very workable sizes for either a new deck or patio. Who could not use 10% more entertainment space or 10% more seating area at parties? This type of expansion is not out of the question.
Start your planning by making a list of essentials. What are the priorities? Seating, grilling, hot tub, access, socializing, these are some common areas of concern that drive the overall design of an outdoor space. I suggest that you write the important components down and then prioritize them so if you need to adjust because of size or budget you can start eliminating from the bottom up.
You do not have to limit yourself what your neighbors have done or what your Uncle Lewis said he could do for you on a month of Saturdays.
Look around, collect ideas and do your “home work”. The options are limitless when it comes to the configuration, the usage, the materials and the colors of your new outdoor space.
Next Time…Recreating Outdoor Spaces
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