Wood is less dangerous when heated as compared to plastic or metal.  You don’t have to worry about summer play causing burns or discomfort if you choose wood. It can also deal with cold and moisture, which means that your child will face no problem with skin sticking to a cold metal swing set. Wood holds well in the long term with complete care and maintenance. In wood play sets, there is no danger of rust and mildew or mold can be easily removed.

With wood, there is no problem with peeling paint as it is with the metal structures that are painted with inexpensive paint as these get peeled and rusted later when comes in contact with the atmosphere. Small children might eat this paint and animals might get exposed to it.  Play sets that are made using wood do not require any paint as wood is weather resistant and is naturally very attractive. Wood only requires periodic splinters and this is a very simple process.

There are different types, sizes and styles of wooden play structures available, such as prefabricated tree houses, adventure playsets, slides & swings and many other options are also available. You can easily find the best playset or your children by searching on internet or consulting your nearest retailer. Wooden playsets are sturdy structures that can last for years and this is a good thing for families that have multiple children. A wood play set in your backyard or front yard can also be a good social area for kids from the neighborhood, though you should always make sure that any children playing on your property are properly supervised. Wooden outdoor playsets offers numerous options to your children, whether your child wants a fort, a pirate ship or a jungle hideout.

Before purchasing your wooden play sets, it is very important to do proper research. You can search over internet or you can consult your nearest retailer. You can purchase from your nearest retailer or you can buy online. These sets are easy to install, you can yourself do the job or can hire a local contractor to do the work for you. After installing take care of the play set as well as proper maintenance is also required to keep it in good shape and safe to keep your children entertained.

With the changing times, children’s playgrounds have changed from just monkey bars to swing sets. Modern playgrounds have rock climbing walls, wave slides, crawl tunnels, as well as steering wheels and telescopes. Playground creators keep in mind each and every aspect and then design the playgrounds for entertaining and satisfying a child’s curiosity.

One of the most important things that playground sets offer to children is the developmental benefits. In playgrounds, children can play freely, which will help their mental as well as emotional development. When children are allowed free play in a structured environment like a playground, they are able to use their imagination and be spontaneous, which is an essential tool for developing a strong sense of well being.

Parents and adults should feel comfortable about the safety of the playground sets that are installed in playgrounds. Commercial playground sets are passed through a test of industry before being displayed in the market. The sets that are available in the market are mainly used of steel as well as wood in place of soft plastic, rubber, and nylon ropes. Plastic posts and decking can help keep the playground from rotting or splintering. These types of playground sets can be used for a longer duration of time and with less maintenance as compared to the older models of playground sets.

Some of the points that need to be considered, when you are purchasing the playground sets for your children are mentioned below:

·      How many children will be using the playground?

·      Where playground sets are to be installed in the playgrounds?

·      How old will the children be who are using the playground?

Along with this, you also have to ensure that your playground is in strict compliance with the guidelines of ADA accessibility. Apart from this, you need to measure off an area and make sure the ground is leveled properly as playgrounds vary greatly in size and number of components. You should also check that the playground sets are constructed as per the safety guidelines, ensuring safety of your children. To do this you can check on the internet or you can consult your nearest retailer.

All these points will surely help you in selecting the right outdoor playground equipment for you and your family or for your business.

Christmas

It goes without saying that you should decorate your outdoor areas when you have a Christmas party.  With the warmer weather it is best to have your Christmas party outdoors, especially if you are having a celebration with a large group of friends.  It creates a more casual atmosphere, plus you won’t have lots of people crammed in your house, which is not nice on a hot day.  Decorate a live tree, or buy a real Christmas tree this year and set it up outside.  If your decorations are looking a little worse for wear, why not invest in some new ones? 

There are plenty of decorations available that don’t cost a fortune.  Instead of a mismatch of colours and homemade paper chains, choose a theme for your decorations, such as all blue and white with hints of silver.  Red and green is a great traditional choice or go for a classy look with purple and gold.  For a pretty feminine tree choose pink and white decorations or how about making a statement with black and silver.  Hang Christmas lights around your garden, putting them along tree branches and along the fence.

New Years

For New Years Eve it is likely you will still have your Christmas decorations up; but, instead you could take down the tree and go for an elegant theme of gold and silver streamers, with fairy lights dotted around your garden.  Set out trays of long stem champagne glasses and decorate your tray and table with gold or silver confetti.  You can buy rings to put on your glasses so that your guests can identify their own glass.  These come in sets and come in all sorts of fun, whimsical or elegant designs.

Casual party

The best thing about summer is having a casual get together with friends.  A barbecue is the easiest way to cook a meal, and sitting around outdoors under the patio with friends is a great way to spend the afternoon or evening.  Decorations are usually not needed when getting together with friends, but if you are having a birthday party or getting together for some other celebration you might want to choose a fun theme for your party.  For a summer party things like a Hawaii luau work well, or pick a colour and have everyone dressed in the same shade.  You could also choose a letter of the alphabet and have everyone come as a character or thing starting with this letter.  Choose your decorations to match your theme.

Put a little though into your decorations.  It helps create a fun atmosphere for your guests and gets everyone in a party mood.

Photo: Suman Chakrabarti

When it comes to entertaining outdoors, the time of day becomes very important.  If you entertain during the day, you will want to highlight the home in one manner.  At night, the effects are completely different.  The following are ways you can showcase your home from the outside in both the day and the night.

Use Creative Lighting (night)

There are a number of options when it comes to lighting your yard for an outdoor gathering after dark. Here are a few ideas:

• Brown paper sacks with tea candles
• Tiki torches
• Citronella candles
• Strings of lights
• Mason jars with sand and candles
• Landscape lighting, especially spotlights focused on the house

Colorful Landscaping (day)

The landscaping around your home can help accent the overall aesthetic appeal of your house.  When houses are for sale, buyers often judge the inside of the home based on what they see outside.  The same can be said about your outdoor party.  If the guests see a well kept garden with bright flowers in the landscaping, and tastefully placed accents, they will assume that the inside is just as pleasant and orderly.  Make sure all of the weeds have been pulled, and the grass has been mowed.

Highlight personal style with furniture (day and night)

If you have a defining style within your home, there is no reason you can’t bring that personality into your backyard and onto your patio.  Check out the Kingsley Bate outdoor furniture collections and choose furniture that fits both your style and your seating needs.  If you purchase furniture that features cushions, you may also want to utilize deck storage benches.  These benches can act as extra seats, but they are also good places to store the cushions during colder times or when they are not in use.  Since the cushions will likely be in use during the party, you can use the storage space for guest’s bags and other personal items that they may want to keep close, but out of the way.

Just because you are hosting an outdoor party, you do not have to give up the idea of showcasing your home.  There are plenty of things you can do to enjoy the party and show off your house at the same time.

About the Author

Stan Horst is a former cabinet/furniture maker who now enjoys sharing his knowledge on that topic and many others with the masses.  He also enjoys all things outdoors including activities he can share with his wife and two teenagers.

There isn’t one single wood appropriate for every use. For instance, garden bench wood comes in a variety of types. One kind may be used for poolside benches, and another to make patio storage benches. Picnic tables will be fashioned from a lesser wood than the teak bench that is the centerpiece of your deck. What follows is a brief description of some of the most popular types of wood used to make outdoor furniture so that you can quickly find what best suits your needs.

Acacia

This sustainable wood comes from the Australian outback. An abundantly available timber, it is more affordable than some other varieties. It is rot resistant, though it will discolor when in prolonged contact with soggy ground. Its susceptibility to termite damage makes it ideal for the porch, patio or deck.

Cedar

Cedar is commonly used for casual, lightweight outdoor furniture. Of all the hardwoods, it is one of the softest, which means that it will show the dings and scratches inflicted by daily use. The light gold color fades to silvery-gray, unless the wood is stained or sealed. This process should be repeated yearly to extend the life of your furniture. Resins within the wood repel insects and prevent decay.

Honduran Mahogany

This is one of the few types of mahogany that is suitable for outdoor use. It is a strong wood with a beautiful, rich tone and it repels water, thanks to the presence of natural oils. It is long-lasting, resisting both rot and insects. The trees are grown on plantations, making the wood an environmentally conscious choice. The one drawback to this wood is the tendency toward checking, which is the cracking and splitting that occur when wood dries unevenly. Furniture created from Honduran mahogany might best be used on a covered porch.

Shorea

A tropical hardwood that has many of the same properties as teak, but that is slightly less expensive. The wood is quite strong and needs very little processing during the manufacturing process. When harvested using best practices, this wood becomes an environmentally friendly product.   The wood’s attributes that make it suitable for outdoor use are its durability, rot resistance, insect resistance, and low maintenance requirements. A yearly application of teak oil preserves the wood’s natural luster.

Teak

The Rolls Royce of wood, Teak’s tight grain prevents the shrinking and swelling that cause checking. Teak is a long-lived wood that naturally resists decay and insect damage. The wood ages well, retaining its golden patina with no more than an occasional application of teak oil. Because the wood is very dense, the resulting furniture is much heavier than if it were made of cedar or acacia. A beautiful garden bench made of teak may truly become the anchor and centerpiece of your landscaping. Although it is an expensive wood, its longevity makes it sensible investment.

Once you have determined how you will use your outdoor furniture – whether it is next to a flower garden or a pool, on an open patio or a covered porch – then you can review the attributes of the various types of wood in order to select the right material to suit your needs. You may find that as you begin the landscaping process, the right choice of wood outdoor furniture is the perfect place to start.

About the Author

Stan Horst is the editor of www.betterbenches.com. As a former furniture maker himself, he understands what goes into a quality bench. He lives in Virginia with his wife, two teenagers, and a highly energetic rat terrier named Toby Jax. In addition to enjoying the outdoors with his family (hiking, fishing, camping), he rents out mountain cabins for vacationers to enjoy the Blue Ridge Mountains (www.cabincreekwood.com).

The “guest space” problem is pretty typical of older homes and new homes which haven’t had any planning for their exterior space. Modern living needs space, and that space is at a premium in terms of prices. The solution is to make the best use of that space, and maximize the functional areas, while allowing for good design and appearance.

Verandas and patios are the simplest answers, and they’re cheaper than renovation. They’re also good value-adders to the premises, adding dollar value, rather than ripping it out of your long-suffering wallet.

Case studies

The old house- The big veranda effect
An older brick home, built in the early 70s, was a nice place but typical of its era. It was just too small for a young family. Inviting more than two people around could get embarrassing, and the family really didn’t want to face the costs of major extensions. They had a mortgage already, and didn’t need any further long term financial commitments.

The family were looking at some of the new modern verandas as a space creating solution, and some number-crunching soon produced an interesting fact- They could add a lot of extra space around the house at about a quarter of the cost of a single room extension. With young kids, lots of friends and a healthy social life, it looked like the best option.

It was. The new gabled veranda added a lot of life and style to the appearance of the old building, and did a much better than expected job of dealing with the space issues. They also put in a garden around the pool, now covered by the big backyard veranda. The real payoff came when they started receiving offers from interested buyers of $100,000 more than they’d paid for the original home. They didn’t sell, but they were glad to see how well their investment had worked.

The new house- A patio makes the difference
A new home is a joy, but there’s always a bit of thinking to be done about “growing it in” to the environment. The owners of one new home decided they could do some landscaping and add an exterior feature, in this case a large covered patio, to improve the external space and add an entertainment area. This was a truly elegant designer/ straight off the blueprint home and the patio was the added touch it needed.

The patio did the trick. The minute they saw the plan, the family knew how they wanted to landscape the rest of the area. A pool and rose garden followed, complete with boundary trees. It was a beautiful, simple solution to their problems.

If you want space for your home, remember you can always create space with a veranda or patio.

Photo: mw1.414

• Fencing. Strong summer temperatures and winds can damage your fence just as much as the weather in Winter. The Autumn and Spring months are perfect for making the repairs and changes you need. This should be your first area of concern. Replacing parts and fixing any joints on your colorbond fencing once a year, will be much more cost effective than letting it go un-checked. If you are using any wood, it must be treated, or it will rot in a short number of years. Check your concrete foundations are steady and don’t need strengthening. There will always be the issue with neighbors, and who should pay. It is better you make an early agreement and commit to contributing equally each year. May be you will need fast cash loans.  If you don’t fix your fence now, you could have even bigger problems when Winter storms hit. Now the weather is cooler, and you have a little time, start looking at what you need to do and make a plan of action with your neighbors – this could be quite a task considering most people will have 3 fences, and 3 neighbors do deal with.
• Stone. Both Summer and Winter can damage your pavers. Natural items will be more flexible than kiln-prepared pavers and bricks. You will probably find you have some cracks and other damage after Summer. It is better to replace these items before Winter rains come. Those cracks will mean water can penetrate the foundations, and this can lead to considerable damage in a very short period of time. Replacing individual pavers is always an option. Make sure you replace pavers with other pavers that have been stored outside. You could have trouble again in Winter with bricks and pavers that have been stored inside. Bricks that have been stored inside, are typically very dry – drier than bricks that have been in the ground and under the hot sun. This will mean they can soak up incredible amounts of water and be damaged easily as we head into Winter. It is always better to have some of the original pavers you laid, stored somewhere in your back yard. You can use them to replace the few weak ones, and they will not look brand new.

As always, the more preparation and maintenance you do, will save you in the long run. If you and your neighbors have discussions well in advance, it is less likely you will have problems. If you have not spent the time, and there is suddenly an issue, all parties might not want the same immediate solution.

The cottage lifestyle is brilliant for a truly well developed excursion into graceful, rather than merely gracious, living. Modern cottages have the huge advantage of allowing eclectic, mature tastes to express themselves. There’s no “lifestyle dictatorship” of fashions in cottage living.  in The cottage itself is only part of the lifestyle, and the external space, particularly a garden area, is the other key component. That’s where creating external space becomes an art form, and where true creativity can have a ball.

Verandas
The veranda was originally a traditional way of creating working space around a house. It was like covered ship’s deck, useful for putting stores, and often a real work space, before the garage took over that role. It evolved into the porch, a far  more suburban, and somewhat more style-conscious, form in the late 19^th century before becoming an actual fixture in the 20^th century.

Traditional European and American cottage design tends to the freestanding building without a veranda or a minimal sized one, sometimes with outbuildings for functional reasons. In Australia, traditional bush cottages might have a single covered veranda, as distinct from the old colonial style all-round veranda for houses.

The Australian approach has one particular advantage- It creates a direct intermediary design function linking the cottage to the garden space. As all gardeners and cottage lovers well know, the gardening issue tends to create a “Um… Where do we do all this stuff…?” situation, with related clutter and mess. It’s just plain messy to have to do everything in the kitchen, and there are some very necessary gardening things you simply can’t do outdoors in bad weather.

The cottage veranda, therefore, covers that issue very nicely. What’s surprising is how much space a veranda can create. It can act like a porch, provide good working areas, and some people even partially enclose larger verandas as safe play areas for young kids, or guest rooms.

The veranda really comes into its own, though, as very versatile extra space for practically any imaginable use, and that space is priceless. A veranda can literally double available cubic space in a cottage. Think of it as doubling or tripling your space.

Pergolas
With verandas can come another invaluable aesthetic and practical asset- Pergolas. The pergola can operate as a covered walkway, a perfect frame for climbing plants, and as a great design feature for other outside amenities like barbecue areas, Jacuzzis, pools, etc. Pergolas can carry elegant vines, Bougainvilleas, climbing roses, and practically anything else which climbs.

Pergolas, like verandas, evolve with time and become part of the living environment. If you’re looking for space and ways of adding a dimension to your beloved cottage, consider your options.

Getting dressed in my work clothes and gathering up my tools instantly puts me into a state of peacefulness. I am no longer preoccupied with whatever has been stressing me throughout the day. I am now focused on the immediate tasks in front of me, the appreciation and improvement of my yard.

The first step to making your garden a special place is to envision what you want. After all, an architect can’t design a building without knowing what the finished project is supposed to look like. I’ve found that one of the best ways to figure out what I want my garden to be is to add a wooden garden bench. This provides a space where I can sit and relax with my garden, and let it tell me what I should do next.

Having connected with my yard in this way, I usually break down the tasks I have to do into the following three categories. Landscaping, planting, and weeding. This helps me organize my mind around what could otherwise look like a daunting task.

Establish your goals for the space. For example, most gardeners want to differentiate areas of the yard, add year-round color, and control weeds.

Landscaping tasks include creating walkways, defining the borders between lawns and beds, and creating a sense of balance between harder structures and softer plantings. Planting involves adding a variety of flowers that will bloom at different times to provide colors and adding shrubs and perennials to provide texture. Weeding is a continual process, and usually involves weeding by hand, treating weeds, and fertilizing the grass.

Remember that yard work is never done. You’ll always be discovering new ways to improve your space, and, in fact, that’s part of the fun. Walkways are a great example of this. You will often find yourself adding them at a later date depending on what parts of the garden receive the heaviest foot traffic. It’s rare that the most-used part of the garden is the part you expected to get the most use, and adding a sitting bench can drastically change which paths get used.  Walkways can be made with a variety of materials including wood chips, gravel, paving or concrete, depending entirely on the feeling that you are trying to create.

You have a choice when it comes to the borders between the different parts of your lawn. Some people use formal borders made of wood or plastic. Others, however, differentiate beds and lawns more naturally through the use of careful pruning and trimming. I even dead-head flowers regularly to keep things tidy. Sometimes the local fauna don’t agree with my choices, and I find myself having to clean up after a crow or a squirrel that decided that there was something worth digging for right next to my favorite flower bed!

Plant life can help hide some of that damage, and it also provides color and structure. Low-lying ground-cover plants keep down weeds, and cover fabric edges. I usually then work from the back to the front, using larger shrubs and perennials to create a backdrop for the more colorful beds of flowers I place in the foreground. Make sure to check with a local gardening supply store to figure out what your hardiness zone is before buying plants, and to assess whether your choices are giving plants enough light.

Weed control is one of a gardener’s constant tasks, but pulling small weeds between flowers is a simple task compared to many of the other jobs associated with your garden. Weeds will often proliferate nine months a year, but if you’re not fussy your grass can be kept in acceptable condition by cutting it regularly but leaving the length over three inches. Using fertilizer every couple of months will help keep weeds at bay, too.

I encourage people to be sparing with the use of weed killers. These can be a major problem when the runoff winds up in local waterways. Sometimes they’re unavoidable, however, because unless you are dealing with a small lawn, weed-pulling can become a massive task.

If pulling weeds isn’t your style, consider replacing some of your lawn with a low maintenance alternative like a play-area for children, an exercise space for pets, or maybe even a greenhouse for seed-growing. Sheds are also popular, but if your primary need is a place to store your tools, consider a patio storage bench, which can be much less of an eyesore. A third alternative is planting more trees and using mulch to reduce your grass area.

After you’ve done all of these tasks, don’t forget the most important job: pat yourself on the back for all your hard work, and treat yourself to the enjoyment of the space that you’ve created. Remember that a backyard isn’t a chore, it’s also a form of exercise. After all, where else can you be in touch with home, nature, and yourself, undisturbed by the rest of the world, while creating a lovely space for you and your family to appreciate?

About Stan Horst
Stan Horst is a former carpenter who shares his love of fine craftsmanship as the editor and publisher of BetterBenches.com. He lives in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife Deb and their two teenagers. His business renting vacation cabins allows him to share his love of camping, hiking, and the outdoors with people from around the world.

The job looks great for a short while, and we then start to find out what a mess we made. Problems of cracking and shifting tiles are common soon after someone has attempted to lay tiles for the first time. Here is a look at some of the most common mistakes you need to avoid.

• Adapting to your type of soil. The first step of layer your pavers is getting your ground ready. Clay surfaces may seem hard enough to walk on, but they are prone to shifting over time. If you are preparing for a driveway, you also need to think of the considerable weight that will be exerted. Compacting your soil is extremely important. If you have clay or are building a driveway, applying a special webbing that can be purchased at hardware stores, will give your ground surface some extra strength. Compacting your ground with the heavy tools required to do the job thoroughly, is always recommended. Not doing so will result in total failure at a later date.
• Compacting your sand. Your sand is the second phase of your foundation. You cannot spend too much time getting it right. Always spend that extra time to get your sand compacted thoroughly. A light watering can help your sand to settle and sure it up further. You can only begin installation when your ground is completely dry. If your foundation is not right, the rest will go wrong. Many first timers do not spend enough time getting their sand right.
• Drainage. With any form of landscaping and outdoor design, we must always think about water flow. If you are looking at a level surface, you will need to change that. Even our roads are designed with a camber. That means they are not level. Most roads will lean slightly to one side. Whether in a patio, walkway or driveway, you always need to be sure you are directing your water away. Any water that gathers on your tiles will soon destroy your handy work. Use a string and level to make sure your foundation is not level, and you are directing the flow of future water. Many first time DIY attempts result in a perfectly flat surface because the need for drainage was forgotten.
• The Edges. The edges of your paving are what keep it together. You will need to bond the edges with the appropriate material and make sure you have your surface held in tight. Over time your pavers may come loose, and so it is always a good idea to put some considerable investment into how you will do this. There are a number of solutions available from prefabricated forms, that are designed to dig deep into the ground, or you might want to go for a concrete retainer. Talk to your DIY expert to get advice on the latest options available.
• Filler. You must adequately fill even the tiniest of gaps in between the outdoor tiles. If there are differences in the amount of filler that have been used, or it is lacking, uneven pressure will mean your bricks will begin to crack. Filler needs time to settle. There is nothing wrong with going back a second time, to make sure you go it right.

As with most DIY projects, doing it right, is in the planning. When you are building anything that will come under considerable pressure, you need to get your foundations right first.