Things to Consider When Planning Your New Patio
A well planned patio can be an amazing addition to any home or business. The functionality of a properly planned patio is unmatched by any other outdoor feature. The planning process is an exciting and fun process, we're here to help you through this process and give you some idea of what questions you should be asking.
Asking these questions prior to having your patio built will ensure you have a patio with no after thoughts, wishing you would have changed something or made a different decision. It will also allow you to plan for future additions and save money down the road.
Let's get started!
1 - What Will I Be Doing on My Patio?
This first question you should ask yourself is what exactly will you be doing on your patio? Will you be lounging, relaxing? Eating? Barbequing? Using the space as an entertainment area? Using it for a place to sit next to your water feature? Knowing how you'll be utilizing the space will help you make the decisions coming up in this post.
2 - Where Should My Patio Go?
Next, we should be planning where it should go. If you're looking for shade, maybe closer to a tree. If you spend a lot of time in one area of the yard, maybe you should put it there. Or maybe next to the house is the best location. Taking time to think this through while considering some key yard locations to make your decision, will help ensure you're happy where it is, we can't move it once its in place.
3 - What Size Should My Patio Be?
Now that you know where it should go and what you'll be doing on the patio, you can plan it's size. A typical table with seating will take up at least a 12ft x 12ft area. You may want an area for a fire pit with chairs, which also requires a 12ft x 12ft area minimum. A patio around a hot tub may take up more, you can play around with the area its going by using a garden hose or rope to lay out the area on the ground. This will help you get a better idea of what it will look like.
4 - What Budget Can I Allocate?
Another important step, what can you afford? A simple 12x12 patio starts at around $4k in Canada (depending on your area), a larger patio can cost upwards of $30k or more. Once you add in other features, you may be over budget. This important step will help keep things realistic to your budget. Click HERE to get a better idea on what a patio costs.
Don't forget, you can almost always add on to a patio later.
5 - Curves or Straight Edges?
If you're going for a more modern look, a straight edge patio is a good place to start. If you're looking to utilize the space better or have a more natural flow, a curvy patio is what you're looking for. This essentially comes down to preference with some input from the rest of your yard design.