Giving your family more room to enjoy life is as simple as adding a patio that creates extended living space directly outside your home. You can keep it very simple by having your contractor level and stabilize the space, and then install pavers of concrete, slate or other materials for a flooring surface. To complete it, he can build up short functional and/or decorative walls. Or you may want to view the patio as a special kind of addition to your home designed to maintain the outdoor experience. This addition would have weatherproof flooring and walls that are either nonexistent or are see-through and can be fully retracted.  While personal preference for style is going to play a large role in your decision, you should take into consideration the level of maintenance or likelihood of damage required for each type of material.

Install Sliding Glass Doors Opening Out to the Patio

One of the easiest ways to create the illusion that your home is larger than it is along with an open feeling is to install sliding glass doors that open out onto the patio. If the wall is wide enough to accommodate a pair of sliding doors with a column in between, you can really maximize this area. You bring more light into the home, while providing an easy access point to the patio area. Walls of glass work just as well if you prefer to have a single panel door exit point for the room that opens to the patio.

Create Privacy

Incorporating seclusion into your extended living space is easily accomplished by installing a series of trellises with hedge plantings, wooden fences, or tall sculptures intermixed with tall shrubs or trees. The use of full or partial lattice walls provides another option that creates a sense of privacy around your patio. While you won’t receive full privacy with half walls and a pair of columns (or two pairs) supporting a keystone arch at one end of the patio, you will create a moderate sense of seclusion, especially if you locate planters atop the wall.

Optional Elements

Lots of options are available to create a welcoming and functional outdoor living space. Think about whether or not you need any of the following during your planning stages: enclosures, awnings, fountains, railings, or built-in seats, tables, and planters. You may want to consider having a ramp installed for handicapped or elderly individuals.

Check with us here at Westside Remodeling to see if a patio would give your family that extra room you are looking for. Our design team can work with you to integrate this new space into the existing look of your home. See a few examples of how we have done this for some of your neighbors. The possibilities are endless!