Tips for Choosing Patio Furniture

Warmer days are just around the corner, and if you want to feel the fresh breeze and sunbeams on your skin while chilling with your family at your home, maybe it is time to get your patio ready for the season. Here are some tips for choosing patio furniture for those who have just moved to a new house or those who like to rearrange their home exterior. After reading these, you will not consider patio arrangement a home improvement you should never do by yourself.

Measure your patio before you go furniture-hunting

Arranging your patio is definitely one of the home improvements to make before you move in. So, the best time to hit the stores is now! When you find yourself in a store selling garden and patio furniture you might not be able to decide what would fit the space you have at home. That is why it is always good to have the exact measurements of your patio. If you are not really sure what you are looking for, it will be easier for the sellers to recommend some pieces when they know the dimensions and the shape of your patio.

Know what you are planning to use your patio for

You need furniture that will suit your needs and your lifestyle. Why would you buy a large dining set if you are not fond of entertaining? On the other hand, if you plan to invite guests and enjoy meals with them on your patio, you definitely need such a set. The bottom line is - choose what you really plan to use!

Choose something like this only if you like to entertain

Go for comfort

A patio should be all about comfort. After implementing the landscaping ideas for your garden, it is time to think about the place from which you will enjoy looking at that garden. Before you buy any piece of patio furniture, you should try it. Take a seat and see whether it is comfortable enough and whether you can envision yourself relaxing in it. Even though that is pretty much the same as you would do when buying a sofa or a couch for your living room, when it comes to garden and patio furniture, many people would make a purchase without assessing the comfort factor.

Choose good quality patio furniture

If you do not want to waste your money buying a new patio set every two years, you should think about investing in top-quality pieces. Our advice is to go for the best that you can afford, and you will not regret it. Even if you decide to move any time soon, it is better to relocate just a couple of furniture pieces (the really good ones) than to buy some new low-quality items all over again.

The materials your patio furniture is made from will determine its quality and the way it is supposed to be maintained. Now, let's see what your options are.

Furniture made of wrought iron

Pieces made of wrought iron might be a good choice for windy areas since they can be rather heavy. They are easy to maintain in terms of cleaning, but they do tend to rust if exposed to excessive moisture. Furniture made of wrought iron can be rather stylish and consequently, it is not cheap at all.

Patio furniture made of iron can be rather decorative

Aluminum pieces

If durability is what you are looking for, then you might opt for patio furniture made of aluminum. It can look great, and it is the best choice for those who cannot be bothered with high maintenance. The material does not rust, so it is great for wet and salty areas. There are two options to choose from: aluminum framed furniture and solid cast aluminum patio furniture. 

The first one is much lighter, so you'll be doing the guys from homegrownmoving.com a favor when the time comes for you to relocate. It is also less expensive but can be rather light which is not a good thing if you live in a windy area. The second one seems to tick all the boxes, but it can be very expensive.

Wooden patio furniture

Let's start with pros of choosing wooden patio furniture. It does not hold the heat from the sun so it is rather comfortable to use on a sunny day. Wood is durable and can hold more weight than plastic or some aluminum pieces. But, this furniture can be heavy and it is not really the best choice for patios that are exposed to direct sunlight. Wood also requires various treatments in order to be resistant to water and discolorations.

Items made of wicker

Wicker furniture is usually very comfortable and resistant to fading from sun exposure. These pieces are usually not so expensive but they do have some shortcomings. For instance, they cannot stand the moisture, and they become sticky when exposed to it. They can even start rotting and falling apart if left in humidity for too long.

Plastic patio furniture

What's great about plastic patio furniture is that it comes in many colors, it is light, and usually quite affordable. But it tends to fade in the Sun and if you go for very cheap options, the chances are that it might break easily. So, it is not really the safest choice.

The furniture you choose should be easy to store

If you live in the area where winters are harsh, you will have to store your patio furniture until springtime. Foldable chairs are the best choice for those who do not have much storage space. Consider yours before you make the purchase.

You need a place to store your patio furniture during winter

The colors matter, too

Patio furniture is not only meant to be practical. Nowadays, you can find so many decorative pieces. The colors that you choose should be inviting, but think about maintenance too. Surely, all-white furniture looks great in the magazines, but it gets dirty and stained quicker than beige or grey colored materials.

We hope that you will find our tips for choosing patio furniture interesting. Now, all you have to do is make your final choice and hit the stores.

How to Remodel Your Backyard

Times like these offer a unique chance to pull a break on everyday hectic routine and dedicate some time to your own backyard, literally. Due to the global pandemic, avoiding social interaction and staying at home is the best way of staying safe, and what better way to use that extra time than to do some backyard remodeling. I felt quite inspired to do this but I didn’t want to mess things up so I talked to Pacific Dreamscapes and they were kind enough to share some ideas:

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Add Sprinklers

Groomed green grass looks beautiful no matter what, but that involves regular work and care if you want to maintain the out-of-magazine looks. One way to make that job easier is to install a water sprinkler to regularly water your grass and keep it green. This little chore can be time-consuming and sometimes you feel just too lazy, even if you are at home all the time.

Patio Time

May is here and it’s getting warmer outside which is the perfect time to spend more time in your backyard and basically move some activities from the house to the outside. A patio is a great opportunity to organize your entire family to dine outside which can be a great change of pace from your daily routine and can even elevate the experience of dining to a new level.

And with some high quality stone pavers, you can get to any part of your backyard, including the next item on the list.

The Pool is Always In

If you have extra space in your backyard but you never really knew how to use it, or if you ever considered a pool but never really had the courage or will to do it, now is a perfect time. Summer is approaching and with the current state of the world, going on a vacation can be risky. Staying at home actually is a valid option especially if you can spend long hot summer days by your pool without anyone disturbing you.

Add a Fireplace

You don’t need to go inside when the sun sets, you can stay warm outside and keep the party going. A fireplace will ensure you can keep warm and it also adds a nice note to the exterior design. It can be a focal point of your backyard where the entire family can gather and spend some time together. Evening hours by a fireplace in your backyard sounds amazing, and building it can also be an adventure in itself.

Room for Kitchen

If you are going to have a fireplace then why not build an outdoor kitchen to add an extra flavor to the backyard and create interesting and fun activities which would allow you to spend the entire day in your backyard, if the weather allows it. The kitchen would also allow the entire family to gather around and do something, it would be a far cry from your normal indoor kitchen where only mom or dad are stuck cooking.

Build a Vegetable Garden

There is something special in growing your own vegetables, they kind of taste better and the satisfaction of you eating what you made is also magical. It is also not as expensive as previous ideas and you might even discover a love for this hobby you never knew existed. You can grow whatever you like, focus on flowers to make your backyard look even more beautiful or simply grow food, and have fun with that.

A Treehouse

A fun activity for your kids or you. What better way to tell your kids to go out and help you build a treehouse for you all to play. There’s a lot of fun involved in just building it and there is also the charm it would add to the overall appearance of the backyard.

How to Make Moving Out Less Stressful

Hopefully, changing homes is a good and positive event in your life. However, it is rarely stress-free as you have to think about so many things at once, and oftentimes you are pressed by moving out deadlines along with your daily obligations.

So, why not try and make your life a little bit easier during that turbulent period. If you are planning to move soon, you might want to start thinking about the logistics and reducing the stress to a minimum, it is never too early for that. Stress and excitement are the essential parts of this process and it is not likely you are going to get rid of them completely, so it is better to accept them as such.

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Mentally prepare for what is ahead, don’t make too much fuss about it and go with the flow. Just think about what comes after all that mess – your new beautiful home which you can decorate any way you want. So, take a deep breath and start preparing. Here are a few tips from logistics and moving professionals from Move Central on what you can do to move out of your old home as smoothly and painlessly as possible.

Start Small and Start Early

As soon as you find out you are about to move out, start doing something about it. Start grouping things, throwing out the unnecessary stuff, and slowly packing the things which are not indispensable in your everyday life at the moment, like the out-of-season clothes and the likes.

You can also go with the books you are not reading at the moment or using daily. There are decorations, photos, and many other items which you do not use or need all the time, so you can start packing them as well. Dishes you do not use often is also a good idea.

Normally, when the “big” packing starts, it is way better to go room by room, but in these initial baby steps, you can shuffle a bit, and pack bits and pieces from every corner of your home.

Get Organized

Once you’re ready to start packing in earnest, it will be a lot easier for you if you make a good plan on how to pack and unpack, so think this through. Get enough boxes and try labeling them so it will be easier for you to unpack.

Also, get plenty of duct tape, newspapers, and other materials convenient for wrapping stuff. Make a packing list so you know all the things you need to take care of. It will also help you determine the order of packing. Mind you, make sure you don’t immediately pack the things you still might need in the process of moving, like documentation and contracts, but also the equipment for cleaning the apartment.

Stay focused, stay organized and try to think in advance in what order you should pack, where and how you should pack certain items and how to proceed further with them once you arrive at your new home.

Hire Professionals

Sometimes, people just get paralyzes by the moving stress and don’t know where nor how to begin. If this additional cost is not too much for you, hiring a professional moving company could be a lifesaver for you. In this way, you do not have to think about the transportation of heavy and bulky items as they will take care of them.

Also, there are probably some sensitive and fragile items in your home which require careful wrapping. They can help you with that as well. Having someone with a cool head and nothing else on the agenda except for your moving out can really make this process so much easier for you.

How to Deal With Common Plumbing Mistakes to Prevent Future Breaks

Moving into a new house or apartment is not the easiest task, but if you perform several checks you will know whether this is the right place for you. You don’t have to be an expert in plumbing to be able to see a few important telling signs and understand if the home is ready or if there needs some work to be done. In order to learn more about what is important to know when trying to understand the basics of plumbing I talked to OneStop Plumbers. Here’s what I learned:

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Know Your Valves

You never know when you might need to shut everything down in order to prevent the water from flowing if something breaks. When you move into a new home the first thing you want to find are the main water valves. They are usually placed outside if it's a house, and sometimes apartments are built without access directly from inside and you’d have to find it in the building.

It is also important to know where sewer line access points are if you decide to conduct occasional cleaning. Even though you are not expected to work on them in any capacity, it can still be very useful to the plumbers if you can tell them outright where to look.

Think Before Flushing

The easiest way to get rid of a number of nasty objects is just to throw them into the toilet and move on with your life. By doing so you might do more harm than good because a toilet only works with a very limited amount of different objects it can ‘digest’ and if you decide to throw whatever, then you might deal with frequent clogging going forward.

As with many things in life it is best to prevent the accident from happening and limit what you flush to only toilet paper or tissues only. Otherwise, you may find yourself looking for an emergency plumber in the middle of the night.

Kitchen Sink Is Not a Garbage Can

Similar to your toilet your kitchen sink shouldn’t be taken for granted as it will not be able to swallow everything you decide to throw either when you do dishes or just have a nasty habit of throwing stuff there instead of the trash bin. Coffee, grease, peels from vegetables or fruit should not be cast into the sink because it will clog eventually.

Fix Leaks

Annoying as they are the amount of money they waste if ignored is much bigger. You shouldn’t turn your head and expect them to go away. There is some problem and it needs to be fixed by a professional. If you leave a leaking sink unattended it might waste around 10 gallons of water per day which is basically burning money.

Use Plumber’s Tape

It’s a white tape made of Teflon made to prevent leaks when connecting joints. Since you are not supposed to tighten joints too hard as they might work as intended, you need to make sure there’s no space where water might go through and this is where the tape comes in handy. Wrapping it three times around threads will suffice.

Job Is Done if There Are No Leaks

Water has the tendency to find even the smallest of spaces and slowly work its way through and create a problem later on while you are sure everything is ok.

Professionals might also miss something while working and that’s why it is important to perform a thorough checkup after the job is done to ensure there are no leaks. Let the water run through for a few minutes, close and open valves, and pay close attention because even a few drops here and there show a potential leak in the making.