Building a patio

[WhoseHouse]

We just bought our first house in Austin (!!!) and it's perfect- other than it's missing a backyard patio (there's only grass). We want to add this on asap but are not sure what would be best. I personally like flagstone for the ground- does anyone have any opinions on this? Also, we can't figure out what we will do for the roof- we have seen some of those cedar "pavilion" type things that just have cross beams (not a solid "ceiling")- do these provide enough shade?

More importantly, does anyone have a recommendation for someone to call to do this? We are new to home ownership and are not sure what the best method is (general contractor, etc). So if you have a good recommendation for someone that builds patios that would be great.

Last but not least, any good recommendations for places to buy some nice patio furniture? We've looked at Home Depot and those places and they have some decent things but we thought there might be a better place with more selection or better prices.

Thanks in advance!

 

[l00p]

I predict four letters, a sport and a version of stone/precursor to roll....

 

[HornTillDeath]

WhoseHouse: Lots of things to take into consideration.

Roof/cover - depends on which side of the house, tree coverage, etc. A Patio on the East side of the house may take little or no roof. At the time the patio is most often used (afternoon/evening) the house may provide ample shade. On the West side of the house with no trees or shade in the backyard, may want to tie in a roof to your house and potentially even extend it beyond the patio so that you are sitting in the shade. If you choose to use a slatted roof, make sure it is horizontal east/west so that as the sun moves you get more shade.

Floor: Flagstone may be great, but it looks odd on a red brick home. Choose someting that blends and accents the home and doesn't look like it was just stuck on.

Furniture: Greenhouse Mall and Chair King have a broad selectino of outdoor furniture. When looking for furniture think about how it's going to look in a year or two after sitting outside in the rain and sun. Wood may look great in the store, but if you don't maintain it will look terrible after just a few years. If you want cushions on your furniture, make sure you can easily and affordable replace them, don't get something where you have to have custom pads made.

Contractor: Depends on the sophistication of the patio. If you're trying to tie in a roof to the main house, you'll need someone with more experience than a handyman. A simple patio with no roof will require less.

Gotta run to church. Congrats on your first house and good luck.

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

I t hink I saw the Bat Sign go up & it was coopted into a cowboy hat shape...

I have a few names of "general contractor" types but they aren't merely the "arrange it all" versions; they are the hands on / doing work with & for you" types.

I would suggest you look @ the possibility of a concrete patio (stained) or a wooden deck. You'll like the idea of getting up off the grass & having a bit of elevation to stay away from mud & dirt.

Depending on the height of your 'roof' beams (in the idea of a pergola), you will get some angular shade but when the sun is in the approximate 4 hour range of it's zenith, you wouldn't get much benefit unless you had some kind of a fabric swagged along (think Romanesque draping).

Furniture: Georgetown Fireplace & Patio has a good selection & there are a lot of other spots to consider... there's a place on 620 between 2222 & 183 (don't recall the name).

I can PM you with info & if you'd like, send me your contact info & I can stop by to see what your back yard looks like to toss out some preliminary suggestions.

I think what you're most looking for is something that isn't a full on roof covering, so it's doubtful I would be involved in the physical process unless you went to a solid roof of some sort.. I'll also look @ your roof line, tree issues, grade, etc.

 

[SAChick]

A lot of places have patio furniture now a days, Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Garden Ridge, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn. What I've discovered lately is that everything patio related is going to cost $$$. We've been in our first home for three years and we were finally wanting to work on the backyard. I thought I could get a nice patio extension done for under two grand, but that ain't going to happen.

 

[B]

we bought three sets of nice wrought iron patio furniture through craigslist and saved a ton.