Patio
The Garden Patio - A much overlooked entertaining and living space
A patio can provide an outdoor area for dining or relaxation, as well as enhancing the appearance of your garden. The overall design will be influenced by your intended use, so it is best to think about this first.
If you aim to use the patio for outdoor dining, then you need to make sure that you have room for a dining table and chairs, not only for your family, but also visitors. Would you like an area to display potted plants? What about other features, such as an outdoor fireplace, a fountain, or a built-in barbecue? Have you considered using bi-fold doors to access the patio area to make it feel like a seamless extension of your home?
If you build a patio big enough to incorporate all of your design features, how big will it be in relation to the rest of the garden? Will it be disproportionate, and will it leave sufficient space in the garden for other uses, such as a play area for children, or vegetable plots?
Garden Patio Resources
Design Ideas & Planning
Patio Furniture Suppliers
- Wyevale Garden Centres
- Gardens & Homes Direct
- Homebase Patio Furniture
- John Lewis Garden Furniture
- M&S Garden Furniture
Patio Awning Suppliers
Planning Your Patio
Another consideration is budget. How much will the proposed patio cost, not only for obvious expenditure like flagging, sand and cement, but also peripherals such as patio furniture, and a barbecue if you wish to cook outdoors? The cost of the patio itself will depend on whether it will be constructed from flags, bricks or wood, so it is best to price up materials. It will also depend on whether you have the skills required to build the patio yourself, or whether you will have to pay someone to do the job.
As well as cost, there are other factors affecting the choice of material. Wood, for example, is attractive in appearance, but not as hardwearing as bricks or flags. However, with wood you can accommodate design features such as built-in seating or under floor lighting.
You may prefer to use another method for lighting your patio, such as outdoor wall lights, or solar lights planted into the surrounding soil.
Heating and Lighting Your Patio
With the vagaries of the British climate, it might be advisable to have some form of shelter and outdoor heating. Patio awnings can provide shelter from rain as well as protection from the sun. For a company that supply, design and install awnings, try Thomas Sanderson at: www.thomas-sanderson.co.uk or Hillarys at www.hillarys.co.uk/awnings. The website also gives guidance on selection. Alternatively, you may find it cheaper to buy a removable gazebo. These consist of aluminium poles with a plastic cover, and are widely available from DIY stores.
When purchasing electric and gas operated patio heaters, you need to be aware of the effects on the environment, as they are believed to be very energy intensive. Some suppliers have stopped stocking this type of heater because of concerns about global warming.
However, there are alternative methods of garden heating using chimineas, garden fireplaces, fire pits and fire baskets, which utilise other fuel methods such as wood and coal. These are available from Wyevale garden centres at: www.wyevale.co.uk. When opting for one of these methods, remember to follow any safety advice.
If, after taking all of the above into consideration, you decide that what you actually need is an extra room, then you may decide to build a conservatory rather than a patio. However, this is a much more expensive option, and you may also need to seek planning permission, and adhere to building regulations. You can find out more about planning and building regulations relating to conservatories on the government planning website at: www.planningportal.gov.uk.
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