A Guide to Outdoor Patio Heating

A Guide to Outdoor Patio Heating

Having a patio at home means you really love spending time outdoors. Whether you use it to entertain guests or simply enjoy unwinding in the open air, your patio is a very special area in your home. As such, it should be comfortable at all times in any weather.

Comfort isn’t an issue during the summer, which is the ideal time to enjoy the outdoors in the comfort of your home. If it gets too warm, strategically-placed fans can keep everyone comfortable. You can even install a misting system for a more efficient way of keeping cool.

The colder months of the year, however, means less patio time for most homeowners. After all, who would want to spend time outside when temperatures are dropping?

Colder weather, however, shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love. With the right patio heater, you can enjoy your outdoor area all year round.

Should you go for an electric outdoor heater or a gas-powered one? Let’s take a closer look at your patio heating options to see what is best for your needs.

Fire pits

Let’s start with fire pits, which keep you warm the old-fashioned way.

Whether it’s dug into the ground or built into a stone, brick, or metal structure, a fire pit can provide plenty of warmth for your patio. With the contained flames, you and your loved ones can have a grand time roasting chestnuts and marshmallows while keeping warm. Fire pits also won’t cost you much since it uses inexpensive wood and coal as fuel.

A fire pit is a great heating option for your patio, but there are safety issues involved. While it’s true that the flames are contained, it’s still possible for bits of burning coal or wood to jump off the pile and out of the pit. There’s also the health risk posed by exposure to the smoke your backyard fire produces. If you’re going for fire pits, burn the wood or coal in a way that promotes total combustion to minimize smoke. Precautions like telling your children not to stay too close to the fire pit would also work.

Gas patio heaters

Unlike fire pits, gas patio heaters produce clean flames. You can use either natural gas or liquid propane to power your gas patio heater.

If you go for natural gas patio heaters, know that they will be connected to your natural gas line. That means they will be located and installed in one place permanently.

Liquid propane patio heaters, on the other hand, offer more flexibility in terms of location. Since each propane heater requires its own tank, they can be placed anywhere you want in your outdoor area.

Gas patio heaters put out plenty of heat quickly, and they’re great for bigger outdoor areas. The flames are also easy to control. One turn of the knob will get you exactly the perfect amount of heat you need to stay warm.

Whether you’re using natural gas or liquid propane, a gas patio heater will always be a more environmentally-friendly outdoor heating option.

Electric patio heaters

Some people don’t like the idea of flames burning brightly a few feet away from where they’re sitting. If you’re one of them, then the best possible outdoor heating option for you is an electric patio heater.

Electric patio heaters energize an emitter to produce infrared heat. It’s an effective and efficient way of outdoor heating, as it sends out heat to people, walls, furniture, and other objects directly around the heater. The heated objects, in turn, create ambient heat to keep the air warm.

One great thing about electric patio heaters is that they come in designs that allow you to place them just about anywhere. Aside from tabletop and free-standing models, electric patio heaters also come in space-saving designs like hanging and wall and ceiling mounts. With such electric patio heaters, you get the opportunity to save a lot of patio space.

Whatever type of outdoor patio heating you go with, make sure that you consider other factors such as the size of your outdoor area and your budget for the equipment and its operation before making your decision final.

Guest Contributor: Anna Fox

Top 8 Spectacular Outdoor Living Spaces

Top 8 Spectacular Outdoor Living Space

When Summer rolls around, most of us like to spend it outside. You will want to have an outdoor area that is perfect for entertaining, or the perfect space for you to spend outdoors with your family. The last decade people have started to put a lot of effort in their backyards, or what we would rather call it, outdoor living space. When you live in or around Chicago, you’re use to having bipolar weather year round. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t spend your time and money on your outdoor living area. The perfect outdoor area would be usable Spring, Summer and Fall. Let me show you some great ideas, that will make you want to run out and start working on your perfect outdoor living space.

Outdoor fire pit with sitting area in between the pool

Outdoor kitchen with swim up bar

Outdoor kitchen with breakfast bar

Outdoor grill station

Outdoor bar and grill station

Outdoor fireplace and sitting area

Outdoor kitchen and dinning area

What did you learn? Your outdoor area should have good seating, fire pit, bar, kitchen, grill station, and cover. Start utilizing your backyard. Make it a living space. Not only will you enjoy it, it will bring up the value of your home.

Easy And Simple DIY Tips To Upgrade Your Bathroom

Easy And Simple DIY Tips To Upgrade Your Bathroom

Source of image: Pexels

Your bathroom is probably the second most personal area in your house next to your own room. This is where most of your self-care routines take place, and it is also an area that is often considered when it comes to selling a house aside from the kitchen. That’s why it’s important to make it a space you actually like spending time in.

Upgrading your bathroom actually doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have a major overhaul. You can also improve your bathroom yourself. All you need is to allot time to do it.

Do-it-yourself bathroom makeovers have an advantage because they cost less than typical remodeling, which normally involves tearing down and removing a lot of stuff. If you are interested in making this project happen, then this article can help you out. The following are easy and simple DIY tips to upgrade your bathroom.

Update fixtures and hardware

In the grand scheme of things in your bathroom, something so disproportionately small as hardware and fixtures are so important for providing that chic finishing touch. And it will only cost you less for something that has a major impact.

You can start by replacing your bathroom faucet by installing something that’s sleeker and more functional and/or more contemporary. You may also swap shower fixtures if you’re planning to remodel your shower anyway. Another option is to install new wall hooks where you can keep your towel and clothes from falling to the bathroom floor.

There are plenty of options for these upgrades that can be found in a quality hardware store like Magnificent Marketing.

Stylish bathroom lightings

It may sound intimidating, but most people can switch out a light fixture safely and successfully by being careful and following instructions. Fresh lighting also makes a huge difference for your bathroom. This is another simple DIY bathroom upgrade that you can do in just under an hour or so.

For people who have large mirrors inside the bathroom, installing a light directly onto the bathroom mirror is a unique and useful idea. Since your mirror occupies space, most of the time you won’t be able to get lighting directed to your face. By installing a light directly onto your mirror, you will be able to see yourself clearly and do what you need to do in front of the mirror much quicker.

Maximize storage space

Maximizing storage space in your bathroom includes utilizing underutilized areas to store items. One area of your bathroom that you can use for storage is the wall. Take advantage of your wall space by mounting ledges, shelving, or racks to achieve this.

You can put your hygiene and vanity items such as your toothbrush, toothpaste, perfume bottles, and your comb on racks above your sink and below your mirror. Using the wall for storage space will help avoid clutter inside your bathroom.

Maximize the mirror

Mirrors are beneficial particularly in upgrading small bathrooms. They reflect a lot of light and make the tiniest feel a bit more spacious than it actually is. Aside from ensuring that it is well-lit, your bathroom mirror should be large enough to see at least your entire head when you stand in front of it.

Wrap up

These simple DIY tips are exactly what you need for your bathroom. Something simple, but will have a great overall effect on how it looks and how comfortable you feel when you use it.

Author’s Bio:

Rosette has a knack for anything DIY. She spent her younger years learning about the different hardware tools and equipment in the hopes of establishing a hardware business in the future. Her career options may have changed, but today, she continues to write so passionately about her first love.