What Is The Best Tile For An Outdoor Patio?

There are a few factors to consider:

Durability

The first thing to consider is how durable the tile is. Let's face it; an outdoor patio is a great place to socialize. The patio will have to put up with abuse from kids, dogs, and the occasional piece of food that falls off the grill. Who wants to be on their hands and knees scrubbing? Be sure to pick out a tile that's going to stand up to abuse and is easy to clean up. You want to enjoy your patio without having to worry about hours of cleaning. In this case, the best tile for your outdoor patio is one that keeps your life simple.

Modular Patio Tile Installation - Quick and Easy

Resistance to Moisture

Chances are your patio is going to get wet occasionally. The last thing you want is a tile that is going to retain moisture. Trapped moisture can lead to all sorts of nasty problems, the tile could buckle and lift off the base, and it can become a breeding ground for all sorts of strain for nasty mold. The best way to keep your patio looking new is to put down a tile that sheds water. What is the best tile for outdoor patio? A tile that doesn't hold water.

Non-Slippery

Let's face it; you're looking for the best tile for an outdoor patio, not a skating rink. So be sure to pick out a tile that has a good non-slip surface when wet. There are some tiles out there that get really slippery with just a drop or 2 of water on them. That's the last thing you want to try and walk on when carrying a hot cup of coffee outside to enjoy an early morning? Instead, when choosing the best tile for your patio area, you want to make sure you think safety first and look for a tile that won't contribute to a slip trip or fall.

Design

The final consideration is your own personal taste. Choose a tile that fits in with the overall house design. If you have a southwest themed home a classic Italian marble floor might look out of place next to all that adobe. When it comes down to it you want a tile that works for you. Pick out something that you enjoy! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What is the best tile for outdoor patio? The simple answer is something that you like!

There are only a few small things to consider when finding the perfect tile for your patio. You want something that is safe, long lasting, easy to clean, and looks good in your home. You'll spend hours enjoying your renovated patio from early morning coffees to barbeques with friends and family. You might as well put down a tile that is not only attractive but also makes your hectic life a little easier.

Additional Outdoor Tile Flooring Information: http://www.outdoorfloors.net/

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of numerous niche online stores that offer customers not only products, but information relating to furnishing and decorating indoor and outdoor living spaces. Whether you want to renew your deck or patio with a garden bench or create the ultimate living environment with patio furniture that is perfect for entertaining, there is a lot of helpful advice to take advantage of to make it happen. Click today and indulge your senses. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Akre

How to Make Your Own Fire Pit in 7 Steps

Creating a DIY fire pit may sound tough to do, but it's actually easier than many people believe. Aside from some digging and lifting heavy object, you can create your own outdoor fireplace within a day. All you have to do is grab a shovel, Quick-Sand, cement stones, and follow these 9 steps to create a place to relax and stay warm for years to come.

1. Check Your Local Laws and Ordinances

Some places have certain requirements for DIY fire pits (diameter, depth, location, etc.) that you'll have to use as guidelines before building one. In some states or municipalities, certain fire pits are considered illegal and carry a hefty fine if you choose to ignore them.

2. Be Nice to Your Neighbors

It's best to notify or ask your friends next door if they'll mind the smoke you'll be producing when burning large amounts of wood (or anything at all).

3. Choosing the Right Location

It's best to pick an open area that not only is far enough away from anything flammable, but also a spot that give you and your family enough room to walk around a DIY fire pit. The best distance is 6 ft from the edge, but you may have to judge according to the size of the pit you wish to make.

4. Start Digging

Once you've determined where and how big you want it, dig a circular hole, at least 6" deep for the wood to sit in while it burns. Some use the rim of a tire tractor for measuring the depth, but it's up to you if wish to use one.

5. Create a Shelf

After you've dug to hole, take some of the left over dirt and make a shelf. You should pack it down tightly so that it's sturdy enough for the Quick-Sand that you'll be using later. This is to create a solid base at the bottom for the wood to sit on when burning.

6. Build a Wall

Using the cement stones of your choice, place them around the edge of your DIY fire pit to create a barrier around the fire inside. It should at least be 1' tall and with 2" between each stone.

7. Cover the Bottom

Mix and pour the Quick-Sand (the kind that dries fast) into the bottom of the pit and smooth it out until it's flat. If you want, create a dip in the middle so you can lay some newspaper down to start fires with.

That's all it takes to make a DIY fire pit. Once the concrete has dried in the bottom, you can use it to make as many fires as you wish. This is also easy to clean up after use. Just grab the garden hose and wash it off after you're done or when it needs to be cleaned out. You can also choose to create outdoor fireplaces in different shapes if you want something that others don't have.

Researching outdoor fireplace kits? Check out http://www.myoutdoorfireplacekits.com for more great information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Burns

How to Build Your Own Brick Fire Pit

It's exciting to cook outdoors now and then. Also, not only is it a pleasant change of pace to standard kitchen food preparation, there is something about cooking outdoors whjich makes the food taste even better.

Sure there is the easy way to do this with a simple store bought BBQ or hibachi, but to truly get a unique experience, a great taste and make the best culinary experience possible you should really consider trying to build a brick fire pit. This really is the best option for outdoor cooking.

And it's easy to build our own brick fire pit. So set an apt day to do some simple masonry work with the family and follow these seven easy steps.

1. First, we choose a site in our backyard for our brick fire pit. It should be a safe distance from the walls of the house, from the roof, from windows, and from trees. The site should be easy to drain.

2. Dig the pad. It should be 2 to 4 inches deep. As to its size, we decide according to our preferred dimension. Level the pad base of our brick fire pit.

3. We make the forms using 2 by 4 feet woods and screw them together. Screwing makes them easy to disassemble. Then we prepare quick-set cement according to specified mix proportions as indicated on the bag and pour into the pad foundation of our brick fire pit. Then set steel bars in a latus pattern into the concrete before it sets, put a key mark in the concrete and ready the brick fire pit wall plan.

4. Prepare the cement mortar. The usual proportion is 3:1, or 3 parts of sand to 1 part of cement. A stronger ratio is 2:1. The idea is to have a consistency easy to work with-like soft ice cream. Take care not to have it too watery. Mortar for our brick fire pit should be mixed well to attain a balance of components.

5. Build the brick fire pit wall. To lay the bricks, put enough mortar on our key mark including the underside and ends of the bricks. The bricks should steadily rest on the mortar. Adjust until they are standing upright and sturdily on the mortar. Do this level by level with the aid of a string for alignment.

6. The string should be perfectly horizontal and the top edge of the bricks parallel to it. We may also use a Leveler for this purpose. A brick should be on top another in an overlapping (not directly over) manner. Overlap should be half the brick size. This strengthens our brick fire pit.

7. For metal grills, insert them within the brick fire pit walls at a desired height. The top of the wall may be capped with special bricks or stones.

So there we have it. A day after the brick fire pit is constructed it's ready for use. We can start enjoying outdoor grills with the family and friends.

John Grant is a the author for a how to site where he is writing articles about how to build a brick fire pit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Grant