Tag Archive: patio


Outdoor Patio Furniture – All You Need to Identify about

Filed Under: Uncategorized
Sep.07, 2011

Outdoor patio furniture is eminent furniture you want to bask in the sun. There is no other sort of superb thing than basking, as if the Gods are shining on you for a while. There are a range of outdoor patio furniture models you can decide out there.

If you have only tight budget then you may settle for just a blanket or towel out on the grass to bask. And if you had a little more money you could purchase a deck chair and cushions of some kind to stretch yourself on while tanning. Nowadays if you were more extravagant there is the wooden outdoor patio furniture or metal outdoor patio furniture that you could opt from.

Some of outdoor patio furniture such as Anti Gravity lounge chair and beach lounge chairs don’t come inexpensive either. Furthermore, the maintenance for the wooden outdoor patio furniture is little bit hard. The furniture would be brilliant but too much effort to preserve in continuously. That is why aluminum is likely the appropriate alternative.
 
Market is trying to limit the prices between at the present the wrought iron and aluminum. noticeably, there is a hell of difference in the weight alone, besides the cost. The market has grown significantly in the metal outdoor furniture, above all since aluminum is the longer lasting of the two.

Although aluminum is lightweight, it can damage easier than the other steels. Aluminum is a soft metal. Yet, it weighs a lot lighter, and is Thus easier to cart around if needed. You no longer need help to carry the bench or table around, you could do this solo and that makes for practical outdoor patio furniture.

Be Familiar Your Furniture
 
The aluminum, just like the wrought iron is molded into the form, and then tidied up for customer use. The main trouble for the metal outdoor furniture, the wrought iron ones, is that they have to be preserved a lot, due to the rust from moisture even in the air. It needs more attention than wood. It has to be protected completely.

Therefore, the most wonderful selection would be to choose for the aluminum outdoor patio furniture. Salt and acid are the only thing that corrodes aluminum. They tend to burn small little holes in the aluminum besides stripping the coating off them. Then it looks like it is stained lighter.
 
Still this aluminum outdoor patio furniture needs dusting to say the least. Nevertheless, it can also get some color. Aluminum is without doubt silver in color. On the other hand, the manufacturers have discovered systems of decorating all of them with extra color. Hence, they don’t look as uninteresting or plain. The colors added after being created and buffed up, are painted on and also then coated to look as if they are one with the metal, because they cannot add oxides immediately into the metal liquids while being in the moulds or before, it could prove to be explosive!

Hence, are you attracted to choose the aluminum outdoor patio furniture? Get the truthful catalogue on the furniture then to find out your beloved furniture.

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How To Prepare A Base For A Stone Or Paver Walkway Or Patio

Filed Under: Stones & Bricks
Oct.22, 2010

Building a nice place to walk or sit outdoors is a great project to do yourself. There is a lot of satisfaction gained because you see and use it everyday. For that reason it really pays to do a good job on the foundation of your project. You don’t want to wish later on that you had done a better job.


First steps are important. Some people want to just get it done and will bypass important considerations and preparations. So, here are a few situations you need to watch.


Determine where you want your walk or patio. Look for tree roots that will be difficult to remove, but worse, may come right back and disrupt your finished project. See if there is standing water or a low spot that gets runoff across it and will leave dried dirt on your stone. If so, you have to raise your project to accommodate that situation.


Once you have a good site you need to remove the top layers of soil until you get to the depth you have determined is sufficient. How deep is that? You can use a thinner base for a walkway or patio than you can for a driveway or parking area and the calculations are easy.


First, what is the thickness of your stone? You will need 1.5 to 2 inches of material to set your stone into. You can use sand, but I prefer limestone dust – sometimes called limestone screenings. You also need 3 to 4 inches of crushed stone as a base. So add those up and subtract a half-inch for settling.


For example, say your stone is 2.5 inches thick, your dust is 2 inches deep, your crushed gravel is 3 inches deep – that’s 7.5 inches – and subtract your settling figure of a half-inch – now you know you have to dig a minimum of 7 inches deep. It can be deeper if you remove a stone or root, and just fill in with additional crushed stone, but shallower is not good.


Once you have the depth you need, get a tamper and tamp the dirt down so it is very firm. Add your crushed stone, level it with a rake and tamp it. Add the limestone screenings but don’t tamp them yet. Use a screed to level your area and give it a slight tilt for rain runoff. About 1/16th inch per foot will be sufficient and not be noticeable when you walk on it or sit on it with your beverage.


Now you can lay your stones. Once you have them in place and all your adjustments have been made, tamp them down into the limestone dust base. Put a board or piece of plywood down first so you don’t crack or chip the stone.


If you placed the stone tight together you will have to use fine sand to fill the cracks to tie them together. If you have wider spaces, 1/8 inch or more, you can use more of the limestone dust. Using the limestone is preferred so you will have more stable finished project that will last longer.


You will hear people say to use sand so you have good drainage. You really don’t want water getting under your walk or patio though. It freezes in winter and buckles the stone. Water washes away your sand over time. Weeds will grow in the cracks. If you have a poured concrete walk or patio you don’t drill homes in it for drainage. My opinion is to make your project so the water will run off of it and very little actually goes under it. Make your base stiffer and you will have a project that will outlast you.


Good luck on your project and have fun!

C. A. Larson teaches how to do all sorts of projects. He also has the On Sale Blog to help you find good deals for the supplies and tools we all need.

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A Rustic Home Patio – 9 Handy Heritage Hints

Filed Under: Patios & Decks
May.17, 2010

There’s something about the rustic look that makes an area not only look but feel warm and inviting. Turn your outdoor patio or entertaining area into a treasure trove of yesteryear with some simple solutions to brighten up the dullest space by using some of these ideas.


1. Rustic outdoor furniture


Transform the area instantly with the use of wood or wrought iron furniture. Old and worn out timber pieces can be neatened up with a light sanding, followed by a rich stain and a coat of varnish.


Wrought iron benches, love seats and tables scattered around the patio provide additional seating for informal gatherings. Create your own rustic furniture with logs and leather.


2. Ornaments or plaques


Liven up the walls with some relics from the past. Wire candle holders will also add to the atmosphere for night time entertaining.


Get creative with those bits and pieces you were going to throw away. Take an old clock and put a timber or cane frame around it. Hang a weathervane or bird feeder from the rafters of the veranda.


3. Heritage colours


It is no accident that heritage buildings give a sense of stepping back in time. Using the accepted heritage colours on painted surfaces gives a genuine feeling of the past. Use colours such as clotted cream, mission brown or rivergum green to brighten up an old dresser.


4. Wind chimes


Wind chimes not only look appealing they have the added benefit of filling the outdoor patio area with sound.


Make your own with heavy pipes and wooden chucks or hefty hollowed out bamboo poles.


5. Straw and bamboo furnishings


Floor mats or blinds made from straw and bamboo are pleasing to the eye and have practical uses as well. Position a blind to protect from the afternoon sun. Use straw or cane matting as placemats or drink coasters on the table.


Fill some cane baskets with pine cones, pot pouri or other seed pods.


6. Plants


Plants in clay or terracotta pots or hanging baskets will remind you of your childhood holidays spent with grandparents or weekends in the country.


Train vines and creepers along a wrought iron trellis or arches. or hanging baskets will remind you of your childhood holidays spent with grandparents or weekends in the country.


7. Lighting fixtures


Keep it old with wrought iron frames that use iron cups for encasing the light fixtures or use candles in wire holders hung along the edges of the veranda. Scour the second had shops for others cast offs. You’ll be surprised what a quick clean and fresh coat of paint can achieve. Add a new shade in nostalgic fabric and tassels.


8. Garden Bridge


Wooden bridges over fish ponds can give any yard an instant rustic feel. Use recyled hardwood timbers for the hand rails and railway sleepers for the floor. Bridge kits can be bought on line if you want to build your own. Not only do bridges provide a walkway from one side of the pond to the other but they are aesthetically pleasing to the eye and create a focal point while looking out from your patio.


9. Handcrafted items


Nothing says rustic as well as handcrafted items. Use left over scraps of fabric or timber to create wall plaques and table ornaments. Line an old cane basket with a hand sewn placemat as a bread warmer or hand the drinks around on a tray made out of wooden triangular off cuts. The internet is a great source for ideas on hand made goods or head down to any charity fete if you’re not so handy yourself.


What about a timber or wrought iron wine rack hanging on the wall or ceramic statues on timber shelving? Don’t stop with these nine ideas to create a rustic look for your outdoor patio. The only limits are your imagination.

Install-a-Veranda is Australia’s leading supplier and installer of verandas, patios, pergolas and carports. For a free consultation please visit Verandas.

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Patio – How to Build Your Own

Filed Under: Patios & Decks
Oct.29, 2009

Before you start a patio or any other home improvement work, make sure you have the time and commitment to see it through. It might have only taken the builder 2 or 3 days to do your neighbours patio but he’s doing it for money. After a hard days digging its easy to think sod this, I’ll finish it next weekend. The next thing you know your garden spends the whole summer looking like a building site and your wife takes herself and the kids to her mothers!

Planning your patio. Keep it nice and simple, forget curves and other fancy shapes. Choose a paving slab that matches the colour of your house, you want it to blend in not stand out like a sore thumb. Plan the size of your patio to suit the size of your slabs so that minimal cutting is not required. Remember to allow 10mm for each joint when measuring out your area.

Tools required. A spade and shovel. A fork if grass needs to be removed. A rubber mallet. A spirit level. Lines and pegs. Wheelbarrow. Safety gloves.

From the hire shop. Small cement mixer and compactor (also known as a wacca) plate. If cuts are required an angle grinder or disc cutter with safety goggles.

Marking out. Use pegs and lines to mark out your area. To check your angles measure from corner to corner. The distance between corners 1 and 3 should measure the same as corners 2 and 4.

Digging out. You should dig down about 100mm (4inch). As your patio is going to butt up to your home you must make sure that the top of the paving slabs will finish at least 150mm below your damp course. Also, it is important that your patio slopes away from your house. 2.5cm for every 2m or 1inch for every 6ft.

If you are only digging out top soil you should be able to get away with dispersing it around your garden. Anything else and you will require a skip.

Laying the hard core. Spread the hard core approx. 100mm (4inch) deep. Run the wacca plate over the hardcore, adding more to any low points. Your hardcore should finish about 75mm (3inch) in depth and should be solid under foot.

Laying your slabs. Mix sand and cement without water at a ratio of 5 sand to 1 cement. If you are using a small mixer, 10 shovels of sand and 2 of cement is just enough for the mixer and gives you a good wheelbarrow full.

Spread out your sand and cement mix in a corner. If you are butting up to your house, start against the wall. Using a straight edge such as a length of 2×4 timber, level out the mix. It wants to be fairly firm but not so firm that you can’t tap down the slabs into place.

Place your first slab down and tap it in place with your rubber mallet. If the mix hasn’t been packed down too hard you should be able to position the slab. Use your level to make sure this first slab is bang on. All the other slabs work from this one so take your time to make sure its correct. It wants to be level following the brickwork of your house but with a very slight slope away from your home.

Always work off the hardcore. Don’t stand on your paving slabs for a few days while the sand and cement sets. Use a spirit level to check each slab as you lay them. If a slab goes down too easy, lift it and spread more sand and cement.

Once you have laid several square metres worth of your paving slabs, spread some mix on top and brush it into the joints. You may have to do this several times as the mix settles in the joints.

Alternatives. Consider using block pavers instead of slabs or building your patio in decking. If your patio needs to be raised because it finishes above ground level you will need to build a base. An alternative to raising in brick is to use railway sleepers.

For more general building advice visit building contract

Adrian Kinley is the author of the e-book “Builder Secrets Exposed”
Builder Secrets Exposed

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