The Overlooked Outdoors: Oft-Forgotten Elements Of A Perfect Patio

Now that spring is inching closer and winter will soon be coming to an end, you might find yourself daydreaming of the glorious weather the summer months will bring. The arrival of spring usually sends people into spring cleaning mode and with the warmer weather on the way, why not start prepping your garden area for the summer season by adding or a patio or updating your existing patio?

There are some elements of patio design that homeowners often overlook when adding a patio or making upgrades. As we’ll all be spending more time socialising outdoors this coming summer, and for the foreseeable future, whether you’re sprucing up your home’s patio or looking to upgrade the outdoor areas of your business premises, additions like a gas wall heater are a great idea. This is a feature that you might easily overlook right now with winter coming to an end and the balmy Aussie summer fast approaching.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most commonly overlooked elements of a perfect patio so you don’t forget about them too.

So many people create the perfect patio and outdoor spaces with sunny days in mind and totally forget about the fact that those sunny days turn in to dusky evenings and sometimes a backyard barbeque might continue into the night. Keep this in mind and be sure to add adequate illumination to your patio.

It may be tempting to put your patio right outside the back door for convenience when bringing food and drinks in and out, however, this spot may not get the highest levels of light throughout the day. There’s no point in creating the perfect area to sunbathe and bask in the sun if your garden has trees or other buildings nearby that block the sunlight. When planning a patio area, take note of the sun’s trajectory over your property at different points throughout the day so you can set up in the perfect spot for sun-worshipping.

If you live in the countryside then privacy may not be as much of a factor in your patio planning. However, if you live in an urban environment and have next-door neighbours very close by then you will have to take your privacy and theirs into consideration. As well as that, if you plan to throw wild parties, or your neighbour already does, you’ll want to reduce the noise where possible. Planting a vertical garden with bamboo and or adding a trellis with climbing plants are great ways to add both privacy and style. Consider adding a water feature too as they can also drown out noises.

Another hugely overlooked element of patio design is having electrical outlets. Do you like to listen to music, catch up on some work on your laptop outside in the sunshine or maybe you just want a mini fridge out there so you don’t have to trek into the fridge every time you want a cold beer? If you want to power up your patio be sure to install a couple of power outlets from the offset.

The best part of your patio is that it’s outdoors, which is the whole point obviously. But it also rains outdoors so you need to pay attention to drainage. If rainwater pools on your patio, it can become waterlogged which means you’ll eventually have to dig it up and redo the groundwork. You’ll need to take drainage into consideration by adding run-off channels around the edge of your patio to carry water away as well as gutters around the roof if you have any awnings.

Once you have taken all these considerations on board, you are sure to have all the elements of a perfect patio. When it is all done and dusted, you can look forward to entertaining guests, hanging out and sunbathing, and enjoying your patio for years to come.