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Outdoor Pergolas – Create A Shady Oasis

Although lifestyle studies are conclusively proving that we are spending more time at work, they are also suggesting that we are using our recreation time more productively, which has to be a good thing.

One of the building trends that lends itself well to our increasing desire to enjoy our leisure activities with greater gusto is the outdoor pergola.

From architecturally designed entertaining rooms that flow from the indoors out to a hastily constructed patio, it seems that no matter what our budget allows, we all want to capture the essence of the great outdoors.

But outdoor pergolas do a whole lot more than simply provide a casual area for relaxing out of doors or entertaining family and friends, they also provide a cool, shady room that can result in quite an impact on the temperatures inside.

In Australia, where the long hot summers mean we often swelter for up to six months at a time (depending on where you live), a shaded oasis built with special consideration for the daily movement of the sun across the sky can create the cool comfort we crave when the temperature soars.


Where to Build Outdoor Pergolas

The positioning of your outdoor pergola depends on the way your home is designed and in which direction the main living areas face. Of course, it would make sense to construct a covered pergola on the west facing side of your home because the sun sets in the west, but that isnt always the most practical or viable solution.

When planning an outdoor patio that is also going to act as a natural air conditioner for your home, the most important consideration is where do you and your family spend the most time?

In most cases, the answer is going to be the living room, family room or kitchen. So it makes good sense to add a patio feature off these rooms to increase the size of your entertaining area.

By incorporating the same flooring and features in the outdoor area as you have indoors, the effect creates the illusion of the living areas flowing through from inside to outside and makes the whole area look much larger and more inviting.

Outdoor pergolas come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes so they can be integrated with the design features of your existing home. As well, you can choose from a range of roof styles that either deflect or draw the suns rays, depending on whether you want to heat or cool the room.

A useful feature that many pergola manufacturers are now incorporating into their designs is a series of shutters along the roof that can be easily adjusted to effectively shield or reflect the suns rays.

Homeowners who, by necessity, build their outdoor patio on the south side of their house find this shutter system invaluable by introducing minimal sunshine during the winter months to warm the surrounds.

Most major outdoor pergola suppliers offer an obligation-free design service to not only advise you on where your patio is going to fit most effectively, they can also suggest the best designs to perfectly integrate your new outdoor entertaining room with your indoors.

Once youve planned the placement for your outdoor patio and the design that most suits you, your lifestyle and your home, the next step is construction.

Whether you decide to do the job yourself or get a professional pergola installation team to do it for you, the process of building your patio shouldnt take long.

Once your shady oasis has been created, the only thing left to do is grab a cool drink, maybe a good book or perhaps a group of friends, and then relax and enjoy the great outdoors in the shade of your outdoor pergola.

About the Author

Install-a-Veranda is Australia's leading supplier and installer of verandas, patios, pergolas and carports. For a free consultation please visit Pergolas.

Outdoor Patio South Q&A

My daughter loves "flowers" tower (lupine) and want to plant some of his own. Any tips for potting them?

We have a very small 120 square feet of outdoor patio space. partial sun exposure, in the south. I have a wooden rectangular box about 4 - feet wide, 1.5 meters in width and 3-4 feet deep. I told my daughter that she could choose a plant to care for the 'garden' and now that she has chosen I hope that everything will lupins well in our space. Any suggestions welcome Thanks

From seed: soak in a bowl of water overnight to hasten germination. Cover only a little land, a cm or so. If you are buying the plants, keep in mind that they are perennials and bloom the first year. They prefer full sun, but with an orientation south and several hours of sunshine can do well. They have long roots and would like your deep pot.

Indoor or Outdoor antenna?

I moved to a new apt. (new apt. complex) and cable companies don`t service the building yet, I tried with Direct tv, but the apt. is facing North while the satellite is facing South so they said NO!. I have an LCD HDTV without antenna and I was wondering what do I need to know to buy an antenna so I can get HD channels? outdoor or indoor antenna? Do I need an amplifier? can an outdoor antenna be on the balcony (patio)?

Lotsa good questions there, but, without knowing where you are, it is hard to know how to advise you. Below is a link to AntennaWeb, which will help you get started.

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/info.aspx?page=indoor