Wood Patio Covers - Making Your Patio A Beautiful Place

Most people spend a lot of time and money making the inside of their home look great. Now think what that home would look like if the same effort were put into the outside. I’m not talking about general landscaping, but some of the more functional elements. Let’s look for a second at what is probably the most underutilized part of many homes…the patio.

Chances are you don’t use this area as much as you could or should, but adding a patio cover will allow you to spend more time enjoying this area. And if you want it to look great and add value to your home, then you need to look carefully at wood patio covers. We all know wood looks great, but it will add functional benefits as well.

A patio cover allows you to do some things you wouldn’t normally do. You can sit outside in the shade it provides on hot summer days. You can stay dry while enjoying a warm summer rain or a cool evening shower. The cover will protect you from these elements while, as we stated, increasing the value of your property.

Of course there are many options for patio covers, but we think wood patio covers are best for several reasons. Wood allows you to create something unique. And if treated properly it will hold up well against the elements which will constantly bombard it. And of course, wood just naturally looks beautiful.

Whatever wood you choose should go well with the look and feel of your home. Do you want to paint it? If so, consider using pinewood because it holds paint really well. But you can’t get pinewood with an anti-rotting treatment. If you’re not painting, you can use treated redwood, cedar or cyprus. And if you want to stain it, go with a long grained wood for a continuous flow and design.

And don’t forget to get a little creative with this. Yes it’s more work, but you’ll definitely want to add designs and decorative accents. Your patio cover will look better, and it will add more value also. By decorative accents we mean thinks like arbors and lattice. These are intricate, ornate, and just look great. Combine them to give your patio a unique appearance.

Beware however that pre-fabricated patio covers often being marketed are made with artificial wood. They are not nearly as durable and in fact often need to be supported with real wood. It seems silly to have to add real wood to something when you could just use it from the beginning.

You’ll also find the same companies putting out wood patio kits for the do it yourselfer. These kits use wood tiles that interlock, in much the same way they are used for wood floors. They’re good because you can easily take them apart, easily clean them, and even move them somewhere else if that’s something you may need to do.

But if you want to get the best cover for your patio, a solid wood patio cover is certainly a good way to go.