Here’s how to make the most of that deck, patio, backyard
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Necessity is the mother of invention — and that’s never been more true than during the pandemic, as people have ramped up their outdoor living and entertaining options.
From using what they had to building grand new spaces, homeowners and renters adapted to recommendations to avoid indoor gatherings.
With the arrival of vaccines and the easing of restrictions, it might be tempting to move the party back inside — but not so fast. Warm weather is upon us, so why not enjoy it?
There’s nothing like a little fresh air to invigorate a get-together.
Throughout the past year, Jean Brozack was often found visiting with a friend on the front porch of her Ligonier home.
“The front porch was our spot, even during the winter,” she said. “If it was sunny, we’d sit out there and have a cup of tea or coffee, just put on our heavy coats and sit apart from each other. And there were no hugs.”
She even used a backyard potting shed built by her husband, Vince, to host Christmas dinner for a small group of relatives.
“We set up a table and put a heater on. We could open the windows to keep the fresh air coming in,” she said. “It worked out really well, and we had such a nice time.”
While Brozack has been able to use what she already had, area builders say others are interested in adding new outdoor spaces or enhancing existing features.
“People have been at home more, and they’re putting more money into their homes than ever before,” said Don Tomlins, owner of Decked Out By Don, a custom deck company in Venetia, Washington County.
‘What can we do?’
“Since they’re stuck at home, they are looking at all of their (outdoor) space and thinking to themselves, ‘What can we do with this area?’” said Brody Aukerman of Greensburg-based Aukerman A+ Landscaping, whose work includes patios, fire pits and outdoor kitchens. “I believe most people are attracted to the outdoors and want to make their backyards an area to escape the craziness happening throughout the world.”
“People are thinking of their decks as an extension of their homes, like, ‘At least we’ll have an entertainment space we can use,’” said Buddy Pevarnik, owner of Custom Decks by Pevarnik in Hempfield.
“They’re investing in their property like they’re going to be spending more time at home,” said Josh Milan, owner of Milanscape in Greensburg, which designs and builds various outdoor spaces and features. “They’re saying, ‘We’re adapting. We’re going to have a good time while we’re at home.’”
It didn’t take his clients long into the pandemic to start thinking about outdoor living, Tomlins said.
“Normally, at the end of February-March, on the first 45-50-degree day, the phone rings off the wall,” he said. “For the first three weeks (of the shutdown), I was getting about five calls a week. I said to my wife, ‘This ain’t good.’
“Then April hit and it was like the flood gates opened,” he said. “I’ve been in business for 31 years and we’re always busy, but we’re getting more calls now than ever before.”
“We’re booked through March 2022, and people are willing to wait,” Pevarnik said. “It’s unbelievable, but we can’t keep up with the calls.”
Hot items
Clients even have signed off on increased prices on months-old bids that have been adjusted upward due to the recent rise in the cost of building materials, Tomlins said.
What are they spending that money on?
“People are going bigger now and using more outdoor space. Some of these decks are huge,” Pevarnik said, citing a recent $100,000 job.
In addition to new construction, “they’re augmenting and expanding what they already have,” Milan said.
Milan has seen a trend toward the use of natural materials, such as stone for patios and boulders for walls and accents, which is a specialty for his company.
“The tide is leaning toward affordable outdoor kitchens and pizza ovens,” he said. “Everything is becoming more usable and affordable.”
Anything you can light a fire in is trending, he said, including fireplaces and fire pits: “We built a fire pit on almost every job last year.”
“We have also had a lot of people asking for water features,” Aukerman said. “I think (it’s) because the noise helps calm people down. It’s just a soothing, constant background noise.”
More OUTDOOR trends
What else will you see if you peek over your neighbor’s backyard fence? Here are some other outdoor living trends for 2021 from forbes.com:
• Outdoor spaces enhanced for year-round use, with weatherproof seating, heating elements and weather protection features.
• Enhanced privacy, especially where houses are close together, including sheltered side yards, careful window placement and covered patios.
• Pergolas, an airy form of sun protection that is inexpensive and easy to install.
• Work-at-home spaces with direct access to the outdoors.
• Backyard cottages, sometimes known as she sheds or granny flats. Where local codes allow, the mini-dwellings can be custom-designed or built from a kit to provide for various needs, including office space, study areas, extra bedrooms, gyms or meditation areas.
• Outdoor showers, especially in luxury homes in warm climates.
For the little ones, furry or otherwise, wholemood.com says enhanced play spaces also are on trend. For kids, that includes climbing frames, sandpits, balance beams, blackboards and even miniature wildlife ponds. For kitties, there’s the “catio,” often constructed as a wooden frame enclosed with chicken wire or other mesh material from which the family feline can safely experience the outside world.
This might not be a trend, but it’s still a good idea: Create a doggy rest stop to keep Fido’s bathroom business confined to one area of the yard. Fromhousetohome.com says a sand-filled, fenced toilet area contains the mess and smell, keeps the grass healthy and keeps everyone’s shoes clean.
Simple DIY touches
Not everyone has the space, interest or budget for a big backyard renovation project. Extraspace.com has some suggestions for quick and inexpensive garden glow-ups:
• Lay down a large outdoor rug for a pop of color and a homey vibe.
• Create a path with stone or brick embedded in mulch, bordered by decorative touches like plants or solar lights.
• Circle a tree with a bench constructed of wooden pallets, paint and add decorative pillows for a comfy touch.
• Tuck a self-contained water fountain in a corner or on a table.
• Light up the night by stringing some lights or adding lanterns or tiki torches.
• Cool down in a stock tank pool, available online and at stores including Lowes Home Improvement and Tractor Supply outlets. Price depends on size, but a small, 2-by-4-foot tank can start around $100.
• Turn a wooden fence into a work of art. Drill some holes and use a mallet to pound in different sized, multi-colored marbles. Design and paint a mural, first getting some expert advice on how to prepare the surface and what kind of paint to use.