Outdoor Living
Creating a great outdoor space can boost the square footage of your home and make living there an absolute delight. Wisconsin’s tough winters and short summers make an outdoor living space especially valuable to homeowners here. Such a living space needn’t be costly. It can be as simple as a patio or as exciting as a three-season porch.
Consider which features you want to incorporate into your outdoor room. Almost everyone wants a grill area, but you might consider a fireplace, fire pit, chimera, or a wood-fired pizza oven. Outdoor bars and kitchens mean never having to leave the sunshine, and some include running water, refrigerators, and even dishwashers.
Extend the seasonal life of your space by installing a freestanding or tabletop patio heater. Enhance your outdoor experience with sound systems, landscape lighting, swimming pools, spas, fountains, ponds, and even waterfalls. Shield yourself from too much sun, wind, and neighborly interest through the creative use of trellises, hedges, awnings, umbrellas, gazebos, pergolas, fences, and different landscaping options.
Want to maximize the amount of space you have to work with? Certain systems can be placed underneath your deck to create a clean and dry living space. A ceiling can be placed underneath a deck structure to catch any rain and debris falling through the deck boards, sending it out through the rain gutters and spouts. Now you can use that formerly dark, damp and dirty space for whatever you want: a hot tub area with a widescreen TV, a screened in porch, a relaxing spot with a porch swing, or maybe just storage.
Not sure what to look for in such a system? One professional recommends three things. First, it has to be able to handle any potential ice loads. Wisconsin winters can be brutal, so be wary of flimsy vinyl or plastic. Second, it can’t trap debris that falls through deck boards. Debris will act like a sponge and keep wood from drying out, so a good system needs to keep debris moving. Third, it needs to have good ventilation. If there is stagnant air, the wood won’t dry out and your deck will age prematurely.
