At the end of winter we all have a little cabin fever. The warmer temperatures excite everyone to spend time outdoors, and a good start is a project. Building a terrace is the perfect choice to take advantage of the better weather. These five tips can help you create a beautiful and functional outdoor space.
Stay on the sunny side
As excited as you may be to see the sun, you are likely to have some very cool days ahead, especially if you go out to the new terrace to enjoy your morning coffee. Find it where the morning sun warms up the area quickly so that the area is not shaded when it can benefit most from this solar boost. You can put up some umbrellas or canopies to protect yourself from the sun if you don't want to.
Choose Great Spring Plants
You are probably thinking of your terrace as a construction project, but there is definitely landscaping. Spring is not spring without bright flowers, and your patio project fits the season much more naturally if you get an early color. Look for plants that bloom on the first warm days so that you have a complete overview when you're ready to use them. Just make sure you have a good plan for watering and take care of everything you plant.
Connect with hardscapes
You can place your terrace anywhere. However, you may need to connect them to your existing sidewalks or driveways. Spring is usually a humid, muddy time. That means damaging your grass and chasing dirt on your brand new patio if you don't invest in a solid tread to link it up to your house.
Manage drain
When you talk about all of these spring rains, make sure that they are directed away from your patio. A hard rain can wash mulch, grass clippings and mud onto your terrace. It is important to keep the surface elevated and to install waterways or drainage pipes to guide the water away from the terrace. Make sure you use sand or another porous surface under your patio.
Integrate into the landscape
The best built features of a house are those that blend in with the surrounding natural features. Your house itself is probably lined with bushes and trees to make it fit better. Your terrace should do the same. Tall grasses and flowers can be placed near the terrace so that they partially grow over them and buffer their appearance. Pots and planters on the terrace itself can keep things together. A house or bird feeder nearby will also pull everything together.
When you no longer have to hide under the covers on the couch to be at home, a new terrace sounds great. You want to design the room so that you can spend more time outdoors. With these simple design tips, you get a beautiful, long-lasting project when winter disappears from view.
About the author:
Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys nature and walks with her three-year husky snowball in the park.
