Building for Outdoor Entertaining
Who wouldn’t like to double the size of their house square meterage at certain times of the year or when the extended family comes around for good old BBQ? But when the fun is over closing up your space back into a nice cosy dwelling just makes sense. Enter the world of the indoor-outdoor space that can enhance and add flair to any house.
When designing a new house or renovating, don’t be afraid to create a nice big opening to bring the outdoors in and let loads of natural light. The tried and true go-to method to create this type of functional space is to install accordion style doors that can be completely opened up when required. Brio make a stunning range of bifold doors that use high quality timber in the frames and top notch door hardware in all hinges and rolling systems. They also make some of the best sliding door hardware in the business, which can work brilliantly in the right space.
A key is to make sure the floor level is consistent between inside and out to give a seamless transition between the two areas. The last thing you want is for guests to be tripping over when moving between spaces. Visually the key is to also use a similar flooring material in both spaces. It doesn’t need to be the exact same material as some just won’t work well outside. For example, consider a wooden deck if you have wooden floors to match. If you have polished concrete or tiles, you can simply extend the material to the outdoor area which looks fantastic.
Unless you live in a perfect weather world, and lets face it who does?, adding some sort of covering to the outdoor area is great idea. This way you can use the space in less than perfect weather conditions, essentially creating an outdoor room. The options for coverings range from a fully built roof, to a retractable structure, awnings, louvres or a simple shade sail. The humble outdoor umbrella is also a cost effective option with many good options now available.
Build the perfect deck
A deck will add living space, style and versatility to your home. But what size, material, structure and style to use? Here’s some handy tips to make sure the deck works for you and your lifestyle.
How large should you go? Even though modern composite materials require less maintenance than solid timber, they still need some scrubbing to remove grime and mould. It pays then to think about how much space you actually need as you may end up having to maintain space you don’t even use. Be truthful with yourself, we all like the idea of having loads of big parties lots of people, but realistically this may happen a few times a year. Small is beautiful as they say, and bare in mind that even adding an extra meter could mean having to add more concrete footings, seriously increasing the cost.
What material should you use? This really depends on a few things: the look you are after and the amount of maintenance you are prepared to do. Natural timbers like larch and teak look great and feel great under foot, however they will require staining or oiling on a regular basis to keep them looking great. Natural timbers have a roughly 30-40 year lifespan (less if you live in a very wet or humid climate). These days there are numerous composite decking materials that are a combination of plastic and wood that do not need any staining and will last a long long time. There is also the option of pressure treated timber which no longer contains the nasty arsenic of yesteryear but still does contain some chemicals.
Unless you deck is at ground level, you will need some sort of railing to keep it safe and comply with building codes. Choose materials that match you decking or classics like glass, stainless steel cables or welded metal railings the go with everything. No matter which material you go for the key is to make sure that the railing is secured to the supporting structure below the deck not simply bolted on top of the deck. This will ensure everyone is kept on deck and safe.