Prolong using your outdoor space this fall

Ed and Denise LaKous’ new covered patio with a fireplace and wired for at least a 50-inch TV is an ideal space, they say, to use this coming fall and winter.

After having lived in a previous home with an uncovered deck that saw limited use once temperatures dipped, the LaKouses set about to create an outdoor space they could use year-round in their new home at The Courtyard at Auburn Hills in west Wichita.

They moved into the home in late July, and are still putting finishing touches to the space. But it has two features that local experts say are key to enjoying outdoor space into the cooler months – a fire feature and lighting. The LaKouses’ patio includes recessed lighting; Denise LaKous said she’d like to add some Edison cafe lights.

“You can really set a mood with lighting and fire so that you’ll want to sit outside,”said Kevin Payne, owner of TenderCare Lawn and Landscape in Derby, which helped design the LaKouses’ patio. Ron Cash, manager at Treescapes in Andover, agreed that those two elements set “an ambiance” for crisp fall evenings.

Other elements that make the LaKouses’ east-facing patio more usable year-round are that it is shielded from north winds by one of the home’s walls, and has partial stone walls on its east and south sides. The low walls on the east side can double as seating. The covered patio means they can still sit outdoors and Ed LaKous can cook on one of his two grills during fall showers.

While the LaKouses took advantage of a new build to create their ideal outdoor space, other homeowners can prolong using their outdoor space beyond summer with these tips offered by local outdoor living experts.

▪  Incorporate fire features. There are lots of types and styles of fire features to fit various budgets, ranging from a DIY fire pit fashioned from an old propane tank to movable fire pits or fire tables to custom-built stone fireplaces. Along with being a heat source, a wood-burning fire features sounds and smells that signal it’s fall.

Plus you have the added bonus of being able to roast marshmallows, Payne noted. Research local fire codes or home association rules regarding open flames before installing a fire feature, Cash advised.

▪  Add other heating sources. Just like fire features, patio heaters come in various shapes and sizes, from tabletop to stand-alone propane heaters. Some customers are opting for wall-mounted outdoor heat sources, Cash said. “They remind me of old baseboard heaters but they are mounted higher up to create a heat zone,” he said.

▪ Add lighting, which can range from an affordable strand of cafe lights to more elaborate lighting that includes both patio and landscape lighting of trees and other yard features. “What you see during the day is one thing, but at night with the lights and the shadows cast, it’s a 360-degree difference,” Cash said. A common mistake for DIYers is to overload transformers, Cash noted, so for more elaborate lighting you may want to call in the experts.

▪ Clean and condition your outdoor furniture, said Sally Martin, a landscape designer with Treescapes. “This practice will help extend the beauty of the frames, as well as the cushions,” she said.

▪ When your furniture isn’t in use, cover it with good-quality, sturdy, water-repellent covers, advised Martin and Cash. Have a nearby space where you can easily store the covers. “I even keep a cover for my woodpile for when it snows,” Payne said.

▪ Have flexible and versatile patio pieces to allow you to create different groupings and seating arrangements for fall-time patio use. Remember to keep a sense of balance and create a focal point and some intimate gathering spaces, Cash said. You can often find good deals on patio furniture during this time, too, if you need to replace or add more pieces, Martin said.

▪ Plant colder weather plants to enjoy some pops of color. “Fall mums and kale are great additions in landscape beds and pots,” Martin said.

With more homeowners investing in outdoor spaces, it makes sense to want to prolong their use, the local experts agreed.

“There’s no reason that when summer ends you should go inside and close yourself in,” Payne said.

This story was originally published September 1, 2016 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Prolong using your outdoor space this fall."