Awesome back yard of space

source : worthminer

Update your garden with a patio

Getting a nice garden with a house is a property-lottery. The house may be perfect but the garden may be non-existent or an eyesore. On the other hand it may be quite pleasant and healthy but not according to your taste. We’ve combined garden forces with Andi Clevely, whose book ‘Patios’ should pave the way for inspiration:

The new garden

Recently built housing and grassed–down or cleared gardens are clean slates on which to overlay a basic design.
You will need to keep an eye on balance in the garden and the impact a patio might make on the remaining space and any further plans.
But compared with other situations you have carte blanche to design what you like – even to turn the whole garden into a paved area or build more than one patio.

Even small patios can be inviting

© Debenhams

The established garden

More circumspection is needed here. A patio could supply the missing link between house and garden, but equally might obliterate favourite areas and compete with the rest if you are not careful. Rank the various priorities, list pros and cons, and manipulate your general conception to try to achieve the least disruption and loss.
Remember that a sensitively planned patio will often enhance the whole garden and can be sited anywhere on the plot – in its farthest corner, for example, instead of the more obvious position adjacent to the house.

The disaster area

With derelict and overgrown gardens you need to decide whether there are any features worth preserving – paths and structures, perhaps, a neglected shrub or tree, or an abandoned pond – or whether clearing the ground and starting again might be the more satisfying and cost–effective option.
Before choosing where to build, wait up to a year for an unfamiliar old garden to reveal any hidden or dormant treasures and critical information like the sunniest places or a seasonal frost hollow.

No garden

You might be starting with a concrete courtyard or basement area, a balcony or roof site, or even a houseboat or corner of an adjacent car park. Since a patio may be whatever size or shape you choose, it can be tailored to fit virtually any site or purpose, and provide you with enough room for at least a chair and a few potted plants.
You might have to cope with exceptional circumstances like high winds at rooftop level or the sunless damp conditions of a site below ground, but nothing is insuperable.
This is an extract from 'Patios' by Andi Clevely.

 
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Outdoor patio furniture cover, High grade outdoor furniture protection

Although we’d prefer to have some nice sunny weather all year round, we can’t afford not to have an outdoor patio furniture cover handy. Even though it might not be needed if you just have some cheap plastic garden tables and chairs, these outdoor patio furniture covers are an absolute necessity when you have high quality wood furniture that you wish to keep in perfect condition for many years to come.

These vinyl outdoor patio furniture covers will protect your patio furniture from the outside weather, ensuring a long lifetime with minimum maintenance and effort. No matter what you may have in your patio, there’s a cover for it: tables and chairs, fire pit, sofas, chaise lounges, barbeque grills, patio heaters, you name it.

If you don’t want to worry every time rain comes pouring down, "outdoor patio furniture covers" is your best medicine. Your high quality wood furniture will be just as safe outside as if it were under your roof. Now you just need to wait for the sun to shine once again, so you can remove those covers and enjoy your patio once again. Even though those covers provide a useful service, its one of those things we wish to use as little as possible.

How to Refinish Metal Patio Furniture

Instructions

1. 1. 1

      Remove rubber tips and cushions (if there

   
   rubber tips and cushions (if there are any).

2. Step2

   Wash furniture with a mild detergent (you'll probably need some rags or a scrub brush) and rinse.

3. Step3

   Use a wire brush to scrape off rust and loose paint flakes.

4. Step4

   Look carefully: if paint has bubbled (a sign of rust underneath) use a screwdriver or chisel to break the bubble and chip away the bubbled paint, and then scrape with a wire brush.

5. Step5

   Remove rust with commercial rust remover.

6. Step6

   Paint or spray with rust-resistant paint. If the furniture is very corroded, you may want to prime first with rust-resistant primer.

7. Step7

   Let dry. Plan on 12 to 24 hours for each coat, depending on weather and temperature.

8. Step8

   Replace any rubber tips and cushions.

How to Refinish Metal Patio Furniture

Instructions

1. Remove rubber tips and cushions (if there are any).

2. Step2

   Wash furniture with a mild detergent (you'll probably need some rags or a scrub brush) and rinse.

3. Step3

   Use a wire brush to scrape off rust and loose paint flakes.

4. Step4

   Look carefully: if paint has bubbled (a sign of rust underneath) use a screwdriver or chisel to break the bubble and chip away the bubbled paint, and then scrape with a wire brush.

5. Step5

   Remove rust with commercial rust remover.

6. Step6

   Paint or spray with rust-resistant paint. If the furniture is very corroded, you may want to prime first with rust-resistant primer.

7. Step7

   Let dry. Plan on 12 to 24 hours for each coat, depending on weather and temperature.

8. Step8

   Replace any rubber tips and cushions.

Teak Patio Furniture Use And Care

When the weather gets colder, many homeowners face a dilemma: to keep their patio furniture outside, with proper weatherproofing, or take it inside and try to accommodate in a basement or garage. But with teak patio furniture, you will no longer want to stash the patio set in the basement. Instead, you will want to flaunt it all year long.

Teak patio furniture is becoming more popular each day, with more designers exploring the timeless charm of teak wood. This wood, which grows in Burma, Indonesia and other exotic locations, is extremely durable, light and convenient, and it ages with a stunning grace.

According to historians, woven wicker furniture was first used in ancient Egypt. But since that time teak has become a favorite of garden furniture manufacturers only in the beginning of the 20th century, when white garden furniture has been labeled as boring and the prominent garden decorator Gertrude Jekyll claimed that gray- or green-toned garden furniture is more attractive. Since teak weathers to a beautiful silvery gray, it has soon become a popular wood of choice for many garden and patio furniture manufacturers.

Teak is one of the most valuable woods today. Teak wood grows in severe climatic conditions in Burma and Indonesia. Teak is a very hard wood resistant to wind, pests, sun, and humidity. In addition, teak does not splinter. For centuries, teak was used in marine building, which means that teak patio furniture can be easily left outside even in harsh climate conditions.

One of the most remarkable features of teak wood is its ability to change color with age. When new, its color varies from light to dark brown and over years becomes a light silver gray. The first ?gray hair? in teak furniture will be noticeable after three to four months of use, depending on how contrasting the climate conditions are in your area. For example, if you have cold nights and hot sunny days, teak patio furniture will turn to gray faster. Natural teak will become gray in about a year.

To preserve this beautiful taupe shade of gray, you can wash the teak patio furniture every spring with mild detergent and water. To prevent dust accumulation you may wash the furniture with your regular garden hose, keeping the water pressure at low.

Even though teak wood does not splinter, it may develop small cracks with time. Teak wood contains a high amount of natural wood oils, so it will not develop deep structural cracks. There is no need to treat teak wood with any kind of wood sprays or oils to protect it; however, the teak wood oil does create a pretty surface sheen. You may apply oil when you plan to leave the teak furniture outside for a long period of time, or when the wood starts to show gray.

Since in most cases teak wood is left untreated when used for teak patio furniture, you should avoid spilling food or drinks on the wood surface. If you do happen to ?leave your mark?, don?t use any harsh detergents to remove it. Any marks will eventually fade with time. When the stain is noticeable, you may scrub the area with mild sandpaper. Ultra-violet rays also damage the sheen of the teak furniture, and an annual treatment with properly labeled teak wood oil is recommended. Make sure that your teak wood furniture is clean and dry before treating, because you don?t want to trap any water under the coat of oil.

Enjoy Your Patio Set on Your New Deck

By Kevin Garcia

A friend of mine recently bought a new teak patio set for the new deck he had built. Normally this is a project he would have taken on himself as he is sort of a do it your selfer. But, for some reason he farmed this one out and seeing it I could understand why. I prefer an outdoor patio to a deck but his was a thing of beauty. The patio set sat right next to his combination smoker/wood fired grill and boy was it a gem.

I've always known this guy had a fine eye for quality but this time he had really outdone himself. The musky darkness of the teak furniture was subtle yet striking and went well with the overall design of his deck. The deck itself had sort of a Japanese zen feel to it and the teak fit in perfectly. If I had to estimate I would say that conservatively it added at least ten to fifteen thousands dollars to the value of his house. I was happy that he heeded my advice and got rid of the crappy aluminum stuff he had before. And I could tell by the look of pride on his face showing it off that he was just as pleased.

So look, whether you decide to call it patio furniture, lawn furniture, or outdoor garden furniture quality and durability are crucial to your choice. I don't care if are buying chairs, tables, dining sets, bar stools, or swings and hammocks, buying superior products is never the wrong choice. You just can never go too far wrong by buying the absolute best.

Let's say you decide to go all out and buy exactly what you have been pining for. You know that your patio set will outshine everything on your block. But make sure that you also buy a good quality covering for it. Don't skimp on this, especially if you don't have an outdoor garden shed to store it in during those long winter months.

I will assume that you are looking at your beautiful outdoor garden furniture as a long term investment. That being the case, make certain that you take into consideration your own particular climate when figuring out how to store your patio set. Do you live in a dry or moist climate? Will your outdoor furniture be in the direct sunlight? Are insects or rodents going to be an issue?