How to Use Your Patio All Year Round
According to statistics, industry experts say homeowners were more willing to invest in outdoor living spaces after the pandemic than before. Whether they have a newfound appreciation for time at home or simply desire to spend more time outdoors, more homeowners want to maximize and enjoy their outdoor spaces than ever before.
That’s where Rollac can help. With various types of patio covers and deck shading options, we have the experience and product range to help you enjoy your patio 365 days a year. So, whether you’re considering adding window shading to extend your patio area or debating installing an awning, canopy, or pergola, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn how to start using your patio every day of the year.
Why Use Your Patio Space Year-Round?
It might seem obvious that the most significant advantage of using your patio year-round is that you can enjoy your outdoor space in summer, fall, winter, and spring, regardless of the weather. But there are other benefits, including the following:
Increasing Usable Living Space
Whether you opt for a retractable patio awning or a louvered pergola, utilizing your outdoor space automatically increases your usable living area without the hefty price tag of adding to your home. Though this space isn’t enclosed, you can appreciate the outdoors more often with a few adjustments, such as adding warming accessories in the winter. This area will be the perfect place to enjoy a morning coffee in the fall or watch the snow dance across your lawn in the winter.
Health Benefits
Spending time outdoors can improve mood, stress, and physical health. Natural light is particularly important in northern climates, where winter days are short. While sunnier regions like Arizona prioritize controlling light and shade, northern climates need more light. Limited winter sunlight can contribute to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), causing low energy and moodiness. An all-year-round patio helps maximize light, combat SAD, and support overall well-being.
Increase Your Home’s Value
Making your patio a year-round space can improve its enjoyment and increase the value of your home when you sell. Year-round patios are often a draw to potential buyers for the same reasons you created them: they improve the quality of your life and the enjoyment of your home. Additionally, when you choose low-maintenance materials and features-including an awning that’s easy to clean, this will ensure your outdoor space remains functional and beautiful.
Ideal for Entertaining
One of the most significant advantages of having an outdoor seating area that can be used year-round is its suitability for entertaining. Whether hosting a BBQ, birthday party, or having holiday guests, an outdoor seating area provides a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Guests can comfortably mingle, enjoy the fresh air, and appreciate the beauty of your outdoor setting. It also eliminates the need to keep everyone indoors, making gatherings more enjoyable and spacious.
How to Make Your Patio Usable Year-Round?
Whether you envision enjoying summer BBQs, roasting marshmallows in the fall, or gathering around a fire pit in the winter, your well-designed outdoor space must meet your needs, which can be accomplished in the following ways.
Climate Control
Consider your climate if you’ve decided to create an outdoor space you can use year-round. If you live in an area of the country that drops below freezing, you’ll likely deal with snow for a good portion of the year. Purchasing a retractable patio awning makes sense. Regardless of whether you choose a half-cassette or full-cassette enclosure, being able to retract your awning when there’s inclement weather will not only help it last longer by limiting potential repairs and replacement but you’ll also avoid common mechanical or structural problems.
Conversely, if you live in a hurricane-prone area such as the Texas Gulf Coast, hurricane shutters, in addition to a patio covering, are a wise investment. While there are steps you can take to prepare your patio for the storm, nothing is more comprehensive than installing residential rolling shutters over your home’s windows and doors. Even once the storm has passed, this type of rolling shutter will provide an added level of security from vandals and looters, who tend to appear once the storm danger has passed.
Retractable Awnings
Adding a retractable awning is a great way to enjoy your patio all year round. This type of patio cover is highly versatile and can be offered in various styles, colors, and designs. You can customize your retractable awning to make your outdoor living area stand out. Able to lower the temperature on a hot summer day by as much as 20 degrees, Rollac retractable awnings are also automated. You can sit back and push a button on the remote control rather than getting up from your comfortable chair or sofa to manually adjust your awning.
Fire Pit & Space Heater
A blanket may not be enough to keep you comfortable if you’re tempted to use your outdoor living space on a glorious spring or autumn day. Turn to space heaters and fire pits to solve this problem. They allow you to continue using your patio to comfortably entertain guests in the fall and even in the dead of winter. Similarly to our other retractable shading products, fire pits, and space heaters are available in various styles and sizes. Best of all, they are affordable and stylish, allowing you to position them wherever you want and have them complement your decor. Together with your awnings, they will give your outdoor space a luxurious feeling.
ZipShades
If you’ve got a west-facing patio and you’re searching for shade ideas that combine protection from the sun with protection from the wind and bugs at the same time, look no further than Rollac’s ZipShades. They are easily installed on any type of outdoor patio area and blend well with the existing design of your home. Along with the aforementioned benefits, ZipShades will also help prevent damaging UV rays from working to fade your outdoor furniture and other accessories.
Pergolas & Camargues
When privacy is the name of the game for your year-round patio, a luxurious outdoor structure such as a Camargue can be the finishing touch. Offering shade and protection from the elements, your Camargue will transform your patio area into an extension of your home. Once a Camargue is in place, you’ll hardly realize you’ve gone from inside your home to your outdoor living room. Camargues offer many benefits and can be customized to include built-in lighting, glass panel enclosures, and surround sound.
When exploring patio cover types, another option is a pergola. Available in different shapes and sizes, pergolas can be free-standing, attached to your home, arched, louvered, or contain an awning. Like the Camargue, a pergola can be customized to include mood lighting and even Wi-Fi. Your options are endless! In addition to enhancing your outdoor space, if the pergola is directly attached to your home, it can provide much-needed energy savings by offering shade that reduces indoor cooling costs, noise reduction by buffering outside sounds, and solar protection by protecting its users from the sun’s harmful rays.
MakeThe Most of Your Outdoor Space with Rollac
If you’ve dreamed of using your outdoor space year-round, now’s the time. We offer many types of patio covers and have the inventory and expertise to help turn your dream into a reality. Stop envisioning your outdoor space every time you look out the window and make it a reality! What are you waiting for? Contact Rollac, and let’s start creating together!