7 Ways to Beat the Heat Outdoors

Beat the Heat on Your Porch or Patio with these 7 Solutions

 

What are the best ways to stay cool and enjoy your outdoor space in the warm summer months? There are many ways to effectively beat the heat on your porch or patio, from strategic design to home pergolas, fans, misting systems, and water features.

 Color Scheme

Many people are surprised to discover how much color scheme can impact outdoor comfort. Color selection is an important consideration when constructing a new outdoor space or redesigning your existing one. Light colors reflect the sun, while dark colors absorb it, causing temperatures to rise. Choosing light colors and furnishings, and investing in building materials that don’t absorb heat, help you keep your backyard cool.

 

Home Pergolas

The bright, intense sun of the Denver mountain region can make your porch or patio nearly impossible to enjoy on hot, sunny days, making patio shade an essential addition for a functional outdoor space. StruXure pergolas provide shade on demand without the commitment of a permanent shade structure, making you feel up to 15 degrees cooler than standing in direct sunlight. When evening comes or the summer season progresses to fall and winter, it’s easy to adjust your StruXure aluminum pergola, opening louvers to enjoy the night sky or invite the warmth of the sun on colder days.

Ceiling Fans

Pergola accessories like ceilings fans, built into your pergola system, are a must-have for the summer use of your outdoor porch or patio. The cool breeze of a fan creates a “wind chill effect,” helping you feel up to 8 degrees cooler.

 

Motorized Screens

Motorized pergola screens provide multifunctional protection. They keep you cool, reducing glare, and offering protection against sunburn when the sun beats onto your porch or patio space from an unfavorable angle. Easily rolled into place, they amplify the effects of ceiling fans, trapping air and deflecting it throughout the room. 

 

 Misting Systems

Carefully installed around the perimeter of your pergola system, misting fans are another fabulous way to keep cool. Featuring perforated tubes, when connected to a water supply, they release a fog-like mist that absorbs heat from the air. On your skin, the mist works like perspiration, cooling your body as it evaporates. Ceiling fans amplify this effect.

 

Evaporative Coolers

 If fans alone are not enough to keep you cool and comfortable on your porch or patio, consider an evaporative cooler. Evaporative coolers draw in hot air and cool it by blowing it through a wet filter or pad, without creating a mist. They need fresh, dry air to work efficiently and ample clearance to prevent the recirculating of cooled air. The open design of a louvered roof makes an evaporative cooler an excellent cooling solution. They come in a variety of sizes and are easily rolled into place whenever needed.

 

Water Features

Water features such as pools, fountains, and splash pads are a great way to keep cool in the summer heat. The simple addition of an outdoor shower can be a great way to refresh yourself on the hottest Denver days.

Feeling the heat? Don’t let the sun banish you from your backyard. Take back your outdoor living space with the addition of a well-outfitted home pergola from Denver Pergola System today.

This article was previously published at:https://denverpergolas.com/patio-ideas/7-ways-to-beat-the-heat-outdoors/

Turn Your Backyard into a Resort-Style Retreat

Are you stuck at home, wishing for a setting that was a little more interesting? Turn your backyard into your dream destination, creating a relaxing escape in the comfort of your own backyard. Gain inspiration from your favorite vacation spot, turning your outdoor space into an inviting, resort-style retreat.

Tips for Creating a Luxury Escape

 

1. Decide On a Theme
   Most resorts have an underlying theme to create a cohesive feel throughout the property. From mountain lodge to tropical paradise or Mediterranean escape, the options are nearly limitless.
   
   
2. Set the Stage with a Luxe Spot for Lounging
   Recreate your dream vacation cabana with a StruXure adjustable louvered pergola. Outfit your pergola system to match your resort theme with faux-wood wrap, architectural columns, or corbel ends. Create a backdrop where you can relax in comfort beneath the cooling spin of built-in ceiling fans or a patio misting system. Integrate premium pergolas accessories like motorized screens and curtains for a private, high-end feel. Adjust louvers to revel in the sunlight, dial-in the perfect amount of shade, or seal out the rain, making the most of every season.
   
   
3. Set the Mood with Landscaping and Lighting
   Choose dimmable or color-changing programmable LED bulbs for your built-in pergola lighting scheme, enhancing the mood with fairy lights and string lights.  Illuminate water features or backlight plants, setting the mood with lush foliage and a low-lighting theme. Vary plant sizes and varieties, including big, bold options and those with bright colors.
   
   
4. Don’t Skimp on Seating.
   Encourage extreme relaxation, including multiple seating options where guests can put their feet up, relax, and take in the ambiance. Think beyond standard fare, opting for a row of cushioned Adirondack chairs or plush sectional with enough space to fit your family, or an outdoor swinging daybed or luxury floor hammock in smaller areas.
   
   
5. Add a Fire or Water Feature
   Warm flames and cool water ooze a vacation vibe, transforming any porch or patio space into a relaxing retreat. These come in many shapes, sizes, and price points, from large pools and built-in fireplaces to portable fountains and gas fire tables. 
   
   
6. Play Up Your Pool
   Furniture with colorful, decorative cushions and throw pillows, and pool lounges design for half submersion in the water, can turn even the blandest backyard into a resort-like retreat.
   
   
7. Splurge on an Outdoor Shower
   Taking a shower outdoors can be both relaxing and invigorating – a prime reason this feature is rising in popularity.
   
   
8. Add a Few Luxe Accents
   Just a few high-quality accents will make your space feel more luxurious, such as rugs, outdoor cushions, pillows, throws, pots, lanterns, and other décor. 
   
   
9. Don’t Forget the Drinks
   Refreshments are a vital part of the vacation experience. Set the stage with a mobile drink cart, keeping your favorite beverages, fancy shatterproof cocktail glasses, and umbrellas on-hand for impromptu backyard getaways.
   
   
10. Incorporate Your Favorite Activities
    If you have space, consider the addition of your favorite outdoor activities, such as a miniature putting green, bocce, or gaming table beneath your motorized louvered pergola system.

Turn your backyard into an oasis designed just for you. Contact Denver Pergola Systems to learn more about our premium, feature-packed home pergolas, or schedule a complimentary design consultation today.

This article was previously published at:https://denverpergolas.com/adjustable-residential-pergolas/turn-your-backyard-into-a-resort-style-retreat/

Create a Backyard You’ll Love to Spend Time In

 

How can you create an outdoor space you and your family will want to spend time in? Many homeowners dream of enjoying their Denver porch or patio space, but find themselves uncomfortable, bored, or overwhelmed by the burdens of an area they perceive as unusable. The design professionals at Denver Pergola Systems know its possible to reinvent even the smallest, most bland space. To transform your backyard into a glorious retreat that beckons your family outdoors, follow these steps.

Consider How You Want the Space to Function

How would you prefer to use your outdoor space? The elements you include in your porch or patio design should entice you to use your backyard. The options are nearly limitless. Popular choices include:

●       Outdoor kitchen and dining

●       Poolside cabana or bar

●       Quiet reading/relaxation space

●       Gardenside retreat

●       Outdoor game room

 

Ponder a Zoned Outdoor Space

If you want to fill multiple needs and have space, a zoned design will allow you to add multiple features without overwhelming a single area. With a zoned design, you can create outdoor rooms (much like the layout within your home) featuring multiple spaces such as an outdoor kitchen, formal dining area, fireside relaxation space, and grassy area for play. This can also allow you to stage construction if you don’t have the budget to add all your preferred features at once.

Decide on Essential Elements for Your Design

After you decide how you want to use your space, what will you need to bring it to life? These crucial features are must-haves for any successful outdoor design:

●       Shelter
The brutal sun of the Denver mountain region makes shelter a must-have addition for a functional outdoor space. StruXure aluminum louvered pergola systems help you make the most of every season, adjusting to the perfect amount of sun, shade, or rain protection. Paired with integrated ceiling fans and infrared heaters, you can ensure comfort all day and all year long. 

●       Privacy
For most homeowners, privacy on their porch or patio is a big concern. With customizable pergola accessories, you can outfit your custom aluminum pergola to meet the unique needs of your space, incorporating motorized privacy curtains or screens, sealing out nosy neighbors and flying pests.

●       Key Features
Be sure to leave room in your budget to purchase key features like a grill, gaming table, fireplace, or pool. Comfortable furnishings you and your family will enjoy relaxing on, such as a plush sectional, cushioned chairs, outdoor daybed, or floor hammock, or also a must.

Consider the Strengths of Your Yard

Can you capitalize on an existing mountain view by clearing shrubbery or trees, or remedy a lackluster view with the addition of privacy wall, fencing, or landscaping? The more inviting and lovely the setting, the more you’ll indulge in your space.

 

Choose Landscaping with Care

 

Greenery will provide ongoing enjoyment, but maintenance and function depend on your selections. Native plants require less water and care than non-native varieties. Varied sizes and species, moving from low plants on the interior to tall shrubs and grasses along the perimeter, better showcases plants and makes your yard feel larger.

 

Décor

To avoid an overwhelming feel, minimize your materials selections to two hardscaping choices and a single wood finish, choosing a harmonious color scheme that reflects the theme of your space.

Get the help you need creating a beautiful, functional outdoor space. Contact Denver Pergola Systems to learn more about our cutting-edge motorized home pergolas or schedule a complimentary design consultation today.

 

This article was previously published at: https://denverpergolas.com/adjustable-residential-pergolas/create-a-backyard-youll-love-to-spend-time-in/