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Saving Money on Patio Furniture

06 Jun

Once you install your new patio cover, the first thing you want to do would be to settle down underneath it and relax.  Well, you won’t be able to maximize that experience without some quality patio furniture to lounge and entertain on.  When looking for new furniture, realize that it is probably worth splurging for higher quality material because it will last many more years and look better.

Deciding to buy a high quality patio furniture set could easily cost nearly $2000.  This would equate to a whole set.  You could choose from many materials, including PVC, wood, aluminum, iron, teak, or adirondack styled.  Fortunately, a patio cover should be able to keep your furniture healthy for long periods of time because it is shielded from the rain.  But if you make the mistake of buying cheap furniture, it could break down much quicker even with a cover on your patio.

You will need to look around and play the system to discover the best deals available.  The best deals are generally found online.  Make sure to search major shopping hubs including Ebay, Amazon, and craigslist.  Craigslist can surprisingly give you some great deals if you look for a good amount of time.  Ebay is very trusted and gives consistently good deals.  Amazon may be a little more expensive and you may have to buy individual furniture pieces rather than a set, but they have a wide variety and a good amount of quality reviews so you know what you are getting.  Also, be sure to search our recommended retailers for good deals and quality furniture.

You can also look geographically by finding small local retailers who may offer online deals and installation at your house.  You can either search through the internet or through classifieds or the Yellow Pages to find groups like these.  They would cost a little bit more but you could possibly get customized furniture that wouldn’t be available elsewhere.  They could also deliver directly onto your patio, which is sometimes worth a little extra cost for the hassle.

Be sure to try and shop in the off-season for patio furniture.  Try and avoid shopping in spring and early summer when most other people do because they realize the weather is about to get nice again.  You can also get better deals in the winter time because stores will look to be capitalizing on wintery items instead.  Common sense like this can consistently acquire you some good deals with a little patience and knowledge.

 
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Posted in Shopping

 

First Steps to Purchasing a Patio Cover

04 Jun

One place to find valuable information on patio covers is on the internet.  You will have a lot of work ahead of you searching for the perfect patio cover seller, though, so hopefully I can be of some help for you by reviewing some of the most popular patio cover websites.

Patiocoversonline.com is a major patio parts retailer, serving the entire country out of Nevada.  Their covers have been featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, showing that experts trust their products.  They offer information on how to acquire samples, how to measure your patio for a potential cover, and testimonials from past customers.  The company is available to install a cover for you if you live in southern Nevada, and sell covers through the mail for self-installation to everyone else.  Most of their covers are made of “Alumawood”, an aluminum product made to look and feel like wood, but they offer covers made of other materials also..  Take a closer look at this site when browsing the internet to make the most of your investment.

Other websites offer custom patio cover services to a local region.  Affordableshade.com is the URL of Custom Patio Covers, a Houston-based custom patio cover company.  The company has created over 130 different patio projects to the Houston area.  They offer many pictures of their work online, showing that they are proud of the work they have done.  This company offers some higher-quality options, also, including metal patio covers and siding.  The owners encourage you to call immediately, as they do not offer much on their website.  If you are from the Houston area, this company is definitely one to consider if you are looking for a custom patio cover.

Americanpatiocovers.com is another large patio cover dealer that operates nationwide.  They stress the fact that their patio covers help to protect you from harmful UV rays, which is an important advantage of having a cover and a common reason why people get them.  This company operates through local dealers, who you will end up in touch with by calling the company for dealer information.  This company is one of the few that actually lists estimated prices on their site without getting a full quote, which is a nice feature for casual browsers.  They are a very large patio company so they are worth calling to receive good advice and a list of local dealers.

If you do not want to look online for patio covers, browse the Yellow Pages and talk to friends who have installed covers on their patios.  You are bound to find a quality dealer or maker that will happily help you out with your project.

 
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Posted in Shopping

 

Building a Custom Patio Cover

02 Jun

For the adventurous bunch, it is easy to build your own custom patio cover to save money versus purchasing a cover from a company.  Be aware, however, that this is a dedicated process that will take a good amount of time to complete.  With a good set of instructions and a positive mindset, you can create a cover that exactly fits your needs.

The first step to take is to determine what type of patio cover you would like to create for your patio.  Basic materials used to create a cover include canvas, wood, aluminum, or PVC.  Each material is used to create a completely different style patio cover, so be aware that this is the most important decision you have to make before buying materials.  Remember that you can create a cover that is fully shaded or not fully shaded, depending on your preferences.

The next logical thing to do is to find a detailed plan for a cover made of the material you have chosen.  You can search online for patio cover plans and should have no trouble finding a great assortment of ideas.  If you choose to do so, get in touch with a professional for his or her advice on your situation.

Another option to think about is if you would like your patio to be insulated or not.  This would generally depend on your climate.  Insulated foam panels are available to buy at most hardware stores and could be used in your patio cover construction.  Using insulation would help to create a de-facto roof over your patio that requires less maintenance than a permanent roof like the rest of your home’s.

Be sure to have all of the tools needed to begin your project.  Your detailed plan should list the tools required, but if it does not the general items needed to create a patio cover include drill bits, measuring tape, screwdriver, hammer, saw, socket, wrench, shank, ladder, carpenter’s square, nuts, and bolts, amongst other items.

When creating your own patio cover, know that it is easier and more cost-effective to utilize one side of your house, if available.  If you create a free-standing cover, you would need to fit all four sides as well as create a stronger support structure to keep it standing.  The help of a structured wall as a side of your cover makes the process a whole lot easier.  Regardless, follow your instructions meticulously and you should have no problem creating a professional-grade cover that will last for years to come and be a great investment.

 
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Posted in Construction

 

You Have Many Choices When it Comes to Patio Covers…

01 Jun

When purchasing a patio cover to protect your patio from inclement weather, you have many choices.  The most basic choice you have to make is whether you should install a permanent cover or use a removable cover.

Permanent covers include arbors, gazebos, and pergolas.  These are all structures that would be expensive to build and are generally custom covers but would do a great job of blending into your patio and improving its looks, something that many people worry about when deciding whether or not a patio cover is right for them.

A great example of how an arbor can improve your patio

Removable covers include patio umbrellas, fabric canopies, and retractable awnings.  Canopies are often the best aesthetically investment of these options because they come in an array of designs and can be sized to fit your patio’s shape and dimensions.  They may also come with side panels that could be utilized when it is raining or very windy for added protection.  A patio umbrella is generally your least expensive option, but it may not fit your entire patio.  Retractable awnings vary in size and protect very well from the sun.  However, they are attached to one side of your house and do not have side panels to keep rain from blowing onto your patio.  They are very easy to retract when not in use, however, making them easier to use than canopies in most situations.

A classic canopy with side panels

When shopping for a patio cover, you will also have a choice of the type of material used.  Most covers are made of either wood, aluminum, or vinyl.  Wood is generally considered to be better looking than aluminum, but it is prone to rotting over time if exposed to a lot of rain.  Wood covers also require more maintenance and are more pricey to install.  Aluminum appears to some as cheap-looking, but it is better at withstanding the elements compared to wood.  I recommend picking the material that best fits with your house so your cover blends well.

You will also encounter a wide range of styles and colors of patio covers when shopping, both online or in stores.  You should pick a design that matches your house well that is made of quality materials that you can expect to withstand a great variety of weather.  It is up to you if style is more or less important than amount of space covered and overall ease of use.  Know that regardless of your purchase, you are making a smart investment by installing a patio cover that will improve your patio’s life span as well as your quality of life.

 
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Posted in Overview

 

Why You Should Invest in a Patio Cover

01 Jun

Although some people don’t consider it to be, a patio should be treated like any other room of your home.  Many people choose to neglect it because it is outdoors and can easily be ignored.  A well-maintained patio can become the hotspot of your home during good weather, used for cooking, relaxing, entertainment, and soaking in the sun.

With a quality patio cover, whether custom or not, your patio can become a place only used in perfect weather and destroyed by rainstorms to a rain-or-shine home hotspot.  If you were planning on entertaining outside for some friends and rain unexpectedly begins to fall, a patio cover will protect your space from the rain, saving your guests and patio furniture from getting soaked.

Other times when entertaining it simply becomes too hot outside for people to be comfortable.  In this case, a patio cover provides a nice blanket of shade so that the weather can be enjoyed more reasonably.

Some people may be worried that use of a patio cover would detract from the outdoor feeling the patio is supposed to provide.  With today’s advanced technology, some covers have a clear top with options as to how much sun be let through the cover, all while providing UV protection to the people underneath.  These covers can be adjusted deepening on the weather: 80% shade can be activated when it is very sunny outside, and 30% shade can be activated when you want more sunlight entering through the surface.  There are also many different cover materials to choose from so you can find the one that best fits your needs and tastes.

Many patio covers sold today can be folded up and expanded, so that they are used whenever their owner needs them rather than permanently in place.  With a cover like this, you can use it only when it starts to rain and fold it up when you want to bask in the sunshine.

Patio covers have been proven to improve the quality of life in your home and make the outdoors a more feasible environment to spend time in.  Don’t let your next outdoor party be ruined by inclement weather – a quality cover can erase the need to worry about the weather all while keeping your patio and its furniture safe from the elements.  Start your patio cover search by browsing online retailers.

 
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Posted in Overview

 

Hello world!

31 May

Welcome to Your Patio Covers!  Whether you are in the market for a new patio cover or found this site by chance, enjoy browsing.  I hope the information on here will be resourceful to you.  I will be posting about patio covers, strategies for buying covers, and high quality covers you should consider buying.  Enjoy!

 
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Posted in News