Adding an outdoor patio to a home is a great way to expand the entertainment possibilities of your backyard. There is not much that is better than having a barbecue with a group of friends and relaxing on a brand new patio on those summer days. Understanding exactly how to design and size a new outdoor patio can be intimidating. As long as you know what to think about, though, you can be sure that you will not be disappointed with the end result.

Function is Everything

We all have an idea as to what we want out of a patio. Do you want to use it to put a lounge chair on and sit in the sun? Perhaps you want to use it to have a table that seats eight or ten people? These are all things to consider before you even start to figure out a design or a size for the patio. Figure out exactly what you want to put on the patio and then from there leave yourself extra room even beyond that. By starting with what you want to get out of the patio, you are going to be able to design a patio that ends up being just the right size, not too big or too small.

Plan Out the Size

Now that you have figure out what you want to use the patio for, you can begin to size it out. You want to size out the patio in square feet. Take the length and the width of the patio that you want installed and multiply those two numbers. This is going to give you the square footage of the patio that you can then buy your materials based on.

And About the Materials

There are many different surfaces that you can go with when thinking about patios. One of the most common is the concrete patio. There are several other options out there though, from a variety of different stones, to bricks, or something else entirely different and out there.

Consult With an Expert

The design piece of the patio itself is going to be driven largely by the materials that you choose for it. Going with a concrete or a stone patio is going to look different and lead you towards that overall design or style your looking for. Consulting with an expert on the final design will allow you to visualize it before it is installed. Then, they will be able to execute your vision to get you the patio you desire.

Having a patio in your backyard is an excellent thing to add. It provides a lot of relaxation opportunities, entertainment options, and other functional activities. Properly sizing out a patio and designing it based on tens type you want is important. The more planning that you do beforehand, the better the chance that your end result will be a patio that looks exactly like you envisioned and is sized just right.