Taking Inside Comfort Outside

Extend the Use of Your Deck or Patio with a Patio Heater!

One of the biggest trends among homeowners today is building or improving outdoor rooms, such as patios and decks. According to a recent survey conducted by the Propane Education and Research Council (PERC), 50 percent of homeowners in the U.S. spend more time at home now than they did five years ago. Further, 80 percent of those surveyed thought that it was very important for a home to have a relaxing outdoor room. One of the top items PERC recommends for creating the perfect outdoor room is a patio heater.

A study conducted by the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association (HPBA) shows that 56 percent of all grill owners, and 69 percent of gas grill owners, now grill out on a regular basis year round. By using an outdoor patio heater, or perhaps an alternative such as a chiminea, many of those people could continue to enjoy the entire outdoors experience by also eating outside during cold weather.

Patio Heater Safety
Safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to home appliances. Patio heaters these days are very safe, and getting better all the time. Many gas heaters come with an electric starter, so there is no need for matches and no pilot light. Another common safety feature is an automatic emergency shut off. If a unit with this feature is ever overturned or even hit too hard, it will instantly shut itself off.

Fuel Types
Patio heaters are manufactured to run off one of three different fuel types: propane, natural gas, or electricity. Natural gas is used for permanent, stationary heaters. Propane, conveniently available in tanks, allows a heater to be moved about. Infrared heaters are often powered by electricity, though some are run by natural gas.

Choosing Between Various Options
New types and sizes of patios heaters become available regularly. Consider your specific needs when choosing a patio heater. Do you want a stationary heater, or a portable one? How large of an area do you need to heat? Asking yourself these kinds of questions will guide you to the heater best suited to your outdoor room.

Free-standing, table-top, or wall-mounted?
Free-standing heaters are larger (about 95 inches tall) and more powerful than table-top heaters. Table-top heaters, though, because they are lighter and smaller, are much easier to carry around. Infrared heaters are often quite versatile; they can be hung on a wall, on a pole, or even possibly overhead.

Portable or stationary?
Stationary heaters are advantageous because they hook up to your natural gas lines, and do not have tanks that need to be replaced or refilled. If you plan on moving the heater to different locations, though, you will need a portable propane model. Portable heaters can be either free-standing or table-top models. Many of the free-standing units come with hidden wheels to make movement easier.

How much heat?
The strength of a patio heater is rated in BTU's. As an example, a 45,000 BTU heater will produce a 20 foot heat diameter. Free-standing heaters are generally more powerful than table-top heaters, and so can be used for larger groups.

In conclusion…
Patio heaters are a welcome and useful addition to America's increasingly outdoor lifestyle. They safely and efficiently turn chilly nights into warm, comfortable evenings, perfect for you and your family to get together and relax. After all, relaxing is one thing we just do not do enough these days.

Source: www.backyardcity.com

Deck & Patio Furniture Maintenance

Getting prepared for winter can be a lot of work but pays big dividends when it comes to patio furniture. Properly maintaining patio furniture in the fall can extend its life span considerably. In itself, patio furniture maintenance is not a big job and can be done on a weekend afternoon.

Plastic Patio Furniture Care:

The type of maintenance your patio furniture needs depends on the material it is made of. Plastic furniture is easy to care for. Wash it with a mixture of soap and water, rinse it, and apply a thin coat of wax. The wax will help protect it from ultraviolet rays and should be applied about twice a year.

Patio Cushions Care:

If your furniture has cushions they should also be gently washed with soap and water and thoroughly rinsed and allowed to dry in the sunshine before storing. Wrapping them in plastic will protect them from moisture and keep them clean during the winter.

Aluminum Deck Furniture Maintenance:

Aluminum furniture is also very easy to care for. Like plastic, it simply needs to be washed and given a coat of wax. Take the time to inspect the finish -- if it is chipped or flaking, sand down the area and apply a couple of coats of enamel paint. This will keep your furniture looking great and protect the finish from further damage.

Cast Iron and Fall Maintenance:

Cast iron furniture is more prone to chipping and rusting, so it is very important to touch up areas which have been damaged. Cast-iron furniture often has ornate patterns which are difficult to sand down by hand. You would be better to use a wire brush attached to an electric drill to make sure you remove all of the rust from the metal. Touch up the area with a coat of primer followed by a high-quality enamel paint.

Taking care of your wooden garden and patio furniture:

While metal and plastic furniture can stand a certain amount of neglect, wood furniture will quickly deteriorate unless it is cared for properly.

Teak furniture is the most suitable for patio use because it has natural oils which prevent decay, but it still needs to be oiled twice a year to keep it looking good. Other types of wood should be inspected regularly to ensure that the finish is in good shape. Sand down any areas which are flaking, prime them, and repaint them. This will help your wood furniture last for years.

Store your patio-sets in the garage when possible. Contemplate getting a patio heater so you can start to enjoy the outside early next season.

Source: www.patio-furniture-ideas.com

Many homeowners and garden enthusiasts are so busy winterizing their decks, patios, lawns and gardens, that they forget about a piece of equipment that has served them well on all those areas of landscaping during the spring, summer and fall -- the garden hose. Our garden hoses lie around on their garden hose reels for so many months consecutively that they become a landscaping fixture that we take for granted. But northern gardeners pay a great price for this oversight when winter arrives, bringing temps in the teens. Bring garden hoses in for storage prior to winter! Also bring their reels in for storage, especially if the reels have any metal components. And more important than a garden hose being ruptured through freezing is what the garden hose is connected to -- your water pipes. Ruptured pipes are costly and inconvenient to replace.
So remember:

    * Drain your garden hoses, and bring them in for storage and...
    * Turn off the outside water supply.