With summer right around the corner, now is the time for homeowners across Massachusetts and beyond to start getting their properties prepared. It’s much easier to enjoy the great outdoors and take advantage of everyone’s favorite season with a functional, fashionable, and comfortable patio for hosting backyard BBQs.
If you’re like most homeowners, you’ve been more or less ignoring the backyard and patio since last fall. After all, it’s hard to pay attention to a landscape that’s covered in snow. Now is the time to change all that. Read on to find out how to turn even the most neglected patio into the perfect place to host family and friends outdoors.
Create a Solid Foundation
Is your patio looking a little worse for the wear, with missing bricks or encroaching vegetation creating tripping hazards and unsightly eyesores? It’s time to schedule a patio makeover for summer with Masonworks LLC. There’s little sense in purchasing all the latest barbeque accessories and decorating to match the year’s top trends without first ensuring that the whole thing stands on a solid foundation.
In many cases, older patios can be refurbished. However, New England winters take their toll, and frost heaves can do some serious damage in just one bad season. If your patio is beyond repair, spring is the perfect time to replace it. Masonworks can use natural stone pavers, bricks, stamped concrete blocks, clay pavers, and other beautiful, long-lasting materials to create a unique outdoor living space that perfectly complements the rest of your landscape.
Do Some Kitchen Remodeling
Outdoor kitchens have been all the rage for a few years now, so chances are good that if you’re hosting BBQs, the patio is already equipped with a few basics. Why not take this lull between winter and the hectic summer months to do some remodeling? There are plenty of cost-effective ways to add functionality to an outdoor kitchen while simultaneously impressing guests at that first big summer BBQ bash. Try:
Adding Some Counter Space
If all you have right now is a grill on some patio stones, something as simple as adding a kitchen island with sufficient counter space to prepare food outdoors will make a big difference for whoever is manning the BBQ. Instead of having to shuffle prepared food, drinks, and other items between the indoor kitchen and the outdoor grill, you’ll be able to do everything in the same place.
Plumb In a Sink
Want to go the extra mile to make things easier for home chefs? Plumbing in a sink will make a big difference. Yes, it will require hiring a plumber, but that investment will pay off in the form of easier food preparation and less mess to clean up after each get-together. If space is of the essence, keep in mind that you don’t need a full-sized kitchen sink. A bar sink is usually sufficient.
Keep Refreshments Cool
It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning on hosting family-friendly get-togethers and need to keep a steady supply of pop on hand for the little ones, or the patio will be used to host adults-only parties with plenty of age-appropriate beverages. Either way, guests will expect to have access to ice-cold drinks on hot summer days. There are a few ways to go about meeting that expectation, the most popular of which are:
- Installing a built-in mini-fridge
- Bringing a free-standing mini-fridge outside for each BBQ
- Using an electric portable cooler to eliminate the need for ice
- Adding a permanent, full-sized stainless steel refrigerator
Most homeowners won’t feel that it’s worth the money to install a full-sized fridge in their outdoor kitchens. Adding a mini-fridge beneath some of that new counter space can make all the difference, though, and this minor outdoor kitchen improvement comes highly recommended. If the fridge is big enough, you can also use it to keep food fresh until it hits the grill.
Set the Scene
Hosting the perfect backyard BBQ isn’t just about providing tasty food and making sure that guests have easy access to ice-cold refreshments. It’s equally important to set the scene and create the right summertime ambiance. There are plenty of steps you can take that go beyond the basics, here. If you want that next big BBQ to be the talk of the town, consider:
Installing a Fire Pit
What could be better after an afternoon spent enjoying the summer sun with family and friends than sitting around a fire when the temperatures start to drop to roast marshmallows and reflect on an excellent day? Adding a custom fire pit on or near the patio will allow you to extend the festivities into the cooler hours of the night, add visual interest to the yard, and create more memorable backyard BBQs. Reach out to Masonworks LLC to discuss your options.
Saving Space for an Outdoor Bar
If there’s plenty of room on the patio, you might want to save aside some space for an outdoor bar area. Add some furniture like bar stools along the counters or outdoor couches, chairs, and tables for a more family-friendly atmosphere, and go from there. The sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing themes and decorations. As long as there’s enough space for everyone to mingle comfortably, the guests will be happy.
Installing Outdoor Lighting
It’s very common for daytime barbeques to evolve into nighttime backyard bashes. After all, it’s summer, and everyone wants to make the most of it. Creating a unique outdoor lighting design can make it more pleasant and safer to extend the party into the nighttime hours. Just be sure to hire an electrician to install permanent lighting fixtures and only plug temporary lights into GFCI outlets.
Get Ready for Summer With Masonworks LLC
Are you ready to start taking the family’s backyard barbeques to the next level? The possibilities for creating unique patios, hardscaping features, outdoor kitchen designs, and other improvements are endless. Give Masonworks LLC a call to discuss your BBQ needs and get help with everything from patio improvements to installing new backyard fire pits, and more.