6 Ways to Make the Most of your Outdoor Space this Winter Season



Do you consider your outdoor living space to be an extension of your home? If so, you and your family are likely to enjoy it all year. Perhaps entertaining friends out back is one of your regular weekend activities, even during the winter. After all, the cooler months don’t have to signal the end of outdoor fun, and summer isn’t the only time that’s ideal for lounging outdoors. Your backyard patio and yard may offer a cozy space for eating or simply relaxing with the right accessories and some advanced preparation. Check out these 5 ideas for preparing your outdoor space for winter entertainment. 

Firepit

Firepits offer many advantages aside from just the visual factor. When it comes to functionality, firepits are unrivaled. They provide lighting that adds a festive glow to a sizable gathering or enhances the ambiance of a romantic evening. Either way, you have another light source. Furthermore, when you add a grate on top of the firepit, you get an instant grill. You can use pots, pans, trays, heavy-duty foil, and skewers to cook a complete meal over the open fire. Or you can simply toast marshmallows for s’mores or roast franks for hot dogs. Regardless of the dish, the firepit makes a great cooking space.

Outdoor Kitchen

A fully equipped outdoor kitchen adds the convenience of having everything in close proximity while you prepare a meal. Plus, your guests can relax and visit in an area with plenty of space as opposed to the indoor kitchen, which can feel crowded rather quickly. Being outdoors allows everyone to spread out comfortably.

Furthermore, when cooking outdoors, you can decrease your utility bills since you’re spending more time outside of the house. Additionally, if your food conjures up any odors, you won’t have to worry about running a vent or plugging in an extra fan with the windows open because the odors will quickly dissipate outdoors. Best of all, an outdoor kitchen increases your home’s resale value as it is one of the most coveted amenities that buyers look for.

Fireplace

Another must-have for your outdoor space is a fireplace. An outdoor fireplace not only adds warmth to a seating area on a patio. It also creates a divide between the patio and the rest of the yard, especially if the hearth is tall and wide, like a partial wall. This gives the space a sense of intimacy and coziness as opposed to feeling completely exposed to the weather. Moreover, this type of fireplace ties the patio’s setup and decor together by adding a focal point.



A fireplace, whether it burns wood or gas, is another feature that raises the value of your house. A fire table or chimenea are two other fireplace options that may add value and additional warmth to your outdoor environment.

Heat Lamps

While pyrotechnic features are excellent sources of light and heat for a backyard space, heat lamps can also help with the comfort factor during the winter. You might be familiar with the tall, lamp-like apparatus that not only heats its surroundings in the winter but can also ward off mosquitoes in the summer. You have the smaller version of the stand-up heat lamps that are suitable for tables, or you can select a long, narrow model that can be mounted flush to the wall. And some heaters fit just below the ceiling of your covered patio.



Although you might need two or three lamps to gain a substantial amount of heat, these gadgets prove to be quite effective in illuminating and heating the area. Plus, you get a choice of electric, propane, or natural gas fuel.

Covered Patios

To effectively retain heat in a sitting area, your patio should have some overhead protection. A large canopy or awning might help, but those options don’t usually work well if you have a fireplace or heat lamps, as they can be highly flammable. Thus, you might consider adding a covered pergola, which would retain the heat. Even an uncovered pergola gives some degree of protection from the elements.

In addition to a pergola, another option for rain protection is to install an attached or detached patio cover. These solutions are more permanent, but they prove to be useful year-round since they provide shade from the sun and shelter from wind and rain.

Barbecue

If you don’t wish to opt for a complete kitchen on the patio, you can simply add a barbecue grill or a smoker. Some models also have both features, where you can grill on one side and smoke the meat of your choice on the other. Furthermore, newer models come with many different features, like a side burner for pots or pans. Most types are a combination of a stove and an oven. Thus, they provide an excellent option for outdoor cooking. 

The winter season is as ideal for grilling as the warm weather months. Even during the holidays, you can roast a delicious turkey, ham, or some steaks on the grill. Additionally, when you use your barbecue grill, you won’t have to be concerned about the kitchen and surrounding area feeling uncomfortably warm from the oven’s heat. 

As you can see, your outdoor space can still be put to full use during the winter. With the help of the previously mentioned amenities, you can comfortably utilize this extension of your home for a nice evening meal with your family or entertaining friends. You can gain a lot more utility from your patio throughout the year, whether you bring in a free-standing grill or install an outdoor kitchen complete with a fireplace. Easter Concrete Contracting is a team of experienced concrete contractors in San Antonio. If you have any questions about transforming your outdoor space, contact us right away.