Wood Patio Covers - The Best Choice For Your Home
Wood patio covers can definitely add some real interest to your patio, not to mention functionality.
Besides mowing the grass and some light landscaping, when is the last time you spent some time making the outside of your home look better and more functional? If you’re like most homeowners, most of your beautification efforts are aimed at improving the inside. Here we’ll concentrate on making the outside better by simply improving your patio.
Most people would get a lot more use out of this area by simply adding a patio cover. And if you want one that looks great, and will increase your home’s overall value, then wood patio covers are definitely the way to go. Wood simply looks elegant and romantic, while providing many functional benefits as well.
But first let’s talk about why you need a patio cover. The shade it gives will let you sit outside even when the hot summer sun is beating down. And the cover will protect you from other elements as well. Now you can sit outside and enjoy a warm summer rain while not getting wet. You can enjoy a cool shower while staying dry in the evening. And of course we already mentioned it will add value to your property.
If all this sounds good to you, then you simply need to decide on what kind of patio cover to get. We think that although there are many choices, wood is best because it provides flexibility. You can create a cover that is unique. Wood, when treated, will hold up well in all the elements. And of course wood will always look good.
Start your project by choosing a wood that will compliment your the look of your home. If you want to paint it, pinewood is a good choice because it keeps paint nicely. The problem with pinewood is that it is not available with an anti-rotting agent. Other hardwoods however do, including cedar, redwood and cyprus. If you want to stain the wood, get a long grained wood. This will give you a continuous design that will not be hindered by knots in the wood.
Now let’s get creative. Add decorative accents and designs to your patio cover. It’s a little extra work but well worth it because you’ll be making your patio cover more stylish, and more valuable. You can use arbors and lattice. These are ornate, intricate and beautiful. Use them in combination to make something truly unique.
When you begin your project, you may be tempted to buy into one of those pre-made patio kits. Know up front that most are made with artificial wood. They are not durable and in fact, in many cases, you’ll need to add real wood for support. Why not do it right and use real wood for the whole thing.
Some companies are even marketing wood patio kits for people who like to do things themselves. If you’ve ever seen a wood floor being placed down, then you’ll understand how these kits work. They are made from tiles that interlock. The advantage to this is that they are easy to take apart and clean, and they are even easy to move to another location if that’s in your future plans.
But if you want to get the best cover for your patio, a solid wood patio cover is certainly a good way to go.
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August 24 2008 | Home Improvement | No Comments »