Renovating for Toronto Summers

This year as you are looking through different ways to spend your Summer, you might consider staying home and enhancing your yard or patio areas instead of trekking across country to Edmonton or Vancouver. The money that you save on not traveling will likely pay for a great deal of the work that you intend to do on your home. At the same time, Toronto is very close to many day or weekend trip vacation spots on the lake, in wine country, or in cottage country- making it easy for you to use your home as a base and enjoy both worlds.

Here are some ideas for outdoor home improvements that can help you enjoy your Summer in Toronto:

Extend your patio

A lot of homes come with a set patio that lets you enjoy the Summer weather. But for entertaining, it is nice to have either enhanced materials as a surface or a larger space to be able to host your guests. Adding brick, flagstone, or other natural rock to your backyard patio area will make it a very popular place for you and your guests to relax in. Extending that look and coverage to create paths in your backyard or double the size of your patio can allow you to manage your yard more easily and add to the allure of coming home.

Build a deck

Whether you are interested in a ground floor deck or one that extends from an upper floor, decks are an attractive way of creating outdoor living space that allows you the convenience of creating an elevated view of your yard. They also can be constructed to give you privacy when your home is visible from the yards of neighbors.

Add an outdoor kitchen

Summertime is for having barbecues. Yet if you want to enjoy your yard like they do year-round in California, adding an outdoor kitchen with all-weather cabinetry and counter tops can make using your backyard seem like second nature. With a gas stove or barbecue and the space to create your famous BBQ meals, your project money will be well spent.

Extend your season

Although summers are great in Toronto, they never last as long as you want them to. By adding an awning and/or heating elements you can create a space that allows you to continue to enjoy your backyard well into the fall. Awnings are typically made from metal or cloth. They provide shelter from rain and can be extended to add temporary walls that will keep wind gusts from interfering with your time outdoors. Retractable awnings make for one of the best solutions in a climate like Toronto has. And then of course, adding a fire pit or a gas heat lamp will make your evenings very comfortable.

Toronto has a lot to offer year-round. By enhancing your home this Summer, you will be able to enjoy the outdoors longer and better- adding value to both your house and your experience.

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