Scaping Capital

5 Helpful Tips to Keep Your Outdoor Patio Warm

Ever wonder how to maximize and maintain heat while enjoying your patio? Well, I came across an article that provides some helpful tips on how to retain the most heat you can so that you stay warm while relaxing in your outdoor living space.



1) Absorb and retain heat naturally. Utilize stone wherever possible, especially at the ground level because heat rises. Throughout the day stone, brick and masonry absorb and retain heat from the sun and will help keep your patio warm at night after the sun dips below the horizon and the temperature follows. Another advantage to laying stone as a patio base is that once its in place, you wont have to pay the stone to absorb heat; the sun is a free natural resource, and will save you money.



2) Wind. Block it out. And not by putting up a sheet or tarp. If you are going to enjoy you patio to the fullest, then really block the wind. Utilize box planters with thick shrubbery that will withstand and negate wind flow. Install glass or plexiglass panels with seams that completely block out the wind. Think about planting bushy thick small trees like Evergreen, Pine or Douglas Fir that will add a nice aroma while blocking those chilly breezes. Not only will you be blocking wind out, but you will be keeping privacy within as well.



3) Furniture. Wood stays relatively neutral in the heat absorption game, but will definitely retain more heat than metal chairs or tables which release the heat about as fast as it absorbs it. So once the sun sets, those metal chairs, benches and tables will be ice cold when you go to sit down. If you are outdoors for supper, metal table will cool off that hot meal in an instant, so again, utilize wooden seating and tables if stone benches arent an option. Also, fabric umbrellas are a great way to retain heat as well.



4) Heating units vs. Fire Pits. Outdoor heat can be produced several ways if you are willing to install a unit that best suits your patio needs. Portable heat lamps are available but tend to generate heat higher than the level you are seated at and need the most heat. They also tend to heat up the top of your head rather than radiate heat throughout the entire patio area leaving your guests and their body parts, cold. A better solution is a fire pit or hearth where the heat is radiated throughout the patio area and you can pull your chairs around it to engage in conversation. Sitting around a fire pit is a great way to enjoy company as well since because everyone is facing one another and everyone is involved. You dont have to shout across people like you would trying to talk to a friend who is at the end of a bar. Another nice thing about fire pits, are that they can create a complete feeling on a patio, where portable heaters feel like just that, portable, temporary, they dont blend in with decor and dont act like a "part" of the entire patio experience. Fire pits are a natural gathering spot for entertaining and conversation and can complete a patio.



5) Finally, utilize water. By creating a water storage unit on a rooftop or location above the ground, you can heat the water by day, then transfer the water to a pool or faux pond by night either manually or by a filtration system. Warm water will radiate heat in your patio and also adds another nice natural element to you patio experience.

If you have questions on how to complete your outdoor living room or patio, then please contact us and well be happy to help you with any questions you may have.