Year-Round Enjoyment: Heating and Shelter Options for Your Outdoor Living Area

There are a lot of ways that you can add heating and shelter to your deck or outdoor living area to make it more inviting during the shoulder seasons or the winter. In today’s blog, we are going to go over some of these options. However, keep in mind that every option is not suitable for every deck.

Shelter

By shelter, we mean either shelter from rain and snow or shelter as in protection from noise or improving privacy. An umbrella is an easy solution for rain and snow, and there are very large umbrellas with a span of over 10 or 12 feet. You will have to remember to put the umbrella down when high winds are expected.

Overhead shelter can also be achieved with an awning, canopy or even a pergola. There are plenty of ways to cover a deck, but you may be limited by an HOA or local bylaws.

Privacy can be enhanced with a privacy screen. Screens can be wood, fabric, or even shrubs or trees can be used for privacy as well as shelter from noise and wind.

Heating

There are also many options for heating. A fire feature will add heat and visual interest. There are space heaters such as infrared ones and propane ones that come in all shapes and sizes.

An outdoor chimney and fireplace could give you plenty of heat, as well as give you a place to roast marshmallows or be part of a larger outdoor kitchen.

Whatever you choose to add, just make sure that you are not breaking any laws, that your addition is safe, and if it is on a deck, that your deck can support the weight.

When you need some help building or rebuilding your deck and outdoor living space, give us a call on the Lower Mainland at (604) 626-7100. This is our area of expertise. We can help you design and build any custom deck you want.

Deck Experts, based in Surrey, BC, are professional deck builders with a long track record of success. We offer free estimates and long warranties and can build or fix any deck around. If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about decks, please call us at (604) 626-7100.