Outdoor Environments Blog

Extend the life of your outdoor furniture this season by properly caring for it. Below are 4 tips on how to care for your outdoor furniture.

1. Properly clean your outdoor furniture several times each year. If you have wood outdoor furniture than you should buy specific cleaner so you don’t ruin the finish.
2. Make sure you protect your outdoor furniture with waterproof covers during the winter months. The covers will not only protect your furniture from the elements, but will prevent sun damage.
3. Re-stain, paint and seal your furniture when needed.
4. Check all the hardware on the furniture to make sure there aren’t any loose bolts or missing pieces.

Like anything you own, the better care you take of an item, the longer it will last. We’d love to hear any tips you might have for caring for your outdoor furniture, please leave your comments below.

Last week we highlighted some of our favorite outdoor décor ideas for Halloween, but with little ones getting ready to invade your home turf on Sunday night we wanted to help you prepare your exterior for the onslaught of visitors. Below are some tips for making sure your Halloween night is a safe one.

1. Make sure your home is well lit. Turn on your floodlights and porch lights to make navigating the dark night a little easier.
2. Do not use open flame candles in your jack-o-lanterns. Flashlights and battery operated lights are much safer and do not pose a fire hazard.
3. Make sure your driveway and walkway is free of any debris.

Hope everyone has a Happy Halloween this year and for more tips on how to keep your children safe this Halloween please visit The Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Halloween is ten days away and we wanted to help you get your outdoor living environment ready for the big night! From the sophisticated to the spooky the front entry is where all the action happens on Halloween night. See some of our favorite outdoor décor ideas to make your Halloween a memorable one.

From My Home Ideas

We love how the homeowners numbered the pumpkins to display their address.

From Better Homes and Gardens

Go ahead and hang a Halloween inspired wreath on your front door. This orange wreath from My Home Ideas is not only perfect for Halloween, but will look great for the rest of the fall season.

From My Home Ideas

Wheel out the pumpkins and gourds this Halloween.

From Better Homes and Gardens

This cutout of a witch stirring her witches’ brew will create some fright in your front yard.

From My Home Ideas

How do you decorate your outdoors for Halloween?

The weather here in Kansas has definitely turned colder. The evenings are producing temperatures right around 50 degrees so go ahead and light your outdoor fireplace or fire pit. Nothing is better than a warm, inviting fire on a crisp fall evening while you lounge beneath the stars.

If you are looking to purchase an outdoor fireplace or fire pit than let Outdoor Environments help find you the perfect match. We can take a look at your current outdoor living space and see which would work best for your home. There are many things to consider when purchasing an outdoor fire pit or fireplace. You’ll first need to check your local codes and laws regarding outdoor air quality. Some areas prohibit wood-burning fireplaces.

For more information call Outdoor Environments at 913-897-2706.

At Outdoor Environments we work with all types of materials when building outdoor living spaces for our clients. One option that we offer our clients is Trex, the country’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking, railing and fencing products. Trex products not only offer superior durability, but it helps eliminate plastic waste. Trex uses over a million pounds of recycled and reclaimed plastic and waste wood each year when creating their products. Trex alone recycles over 1.3 billion grocery bags annually.

If you decide to use Trex products for your outdoor environment you can relax in knowing that your deck won’t rot, warp or splinter. You can even rejoice in knowing that staining and painting the surface is no longer necessary, the product holds on to its great look.

Click here to see how we used Trex on this deck.

To learn more about Trex please give us a call at 913-897-2706.

We have reached the end of our “Backyard Oasis” series of posts. We enjoyed working on this project and we are very pleased with its outcome.

Please give us a call at 913-897-2706 if you’d like Outdoor Environments to create your next outdoor living space.

We’ve talked a little about the upper deck in our post earlier this week and now we wanted to move downstairs (by way of the spiral staircase) to the lower level deck. The lower deck features a dry living space for the family to enjoy.

Outdoor Environments would love to create an outdoor living space just for you, give us a call at 913-897-2706 or online at Outdoorenvironments.com.

Earlier this summer we talked about an outdoor living space we were creating that featured a two level deck and patio. We completely transformed our client’s backyard into an oasis complete with a water feature and even an outdoor TV. The project was so extensive that we are breaking it up into three parts. The upper deck, the lower deck and the patio.

There are many benefits to investing in an outdoor living space. So many people focus on the inside of their home, but the outside is just as important. The exterior is the first thing people see when they visit your home.

We put a lot of emphasis on the importance  of creating an outdoor environment for your friends and family to enjoy and now there is another reason why you should invest in your outdoors.  According to SmartMoney magazine, a new deck, patio or garden can help increase the value of your home by up to 15 percent.

So this fall let Outdoor Environments help you create a beautiful oasis outside. Give us a call at 913-897-2706 or visit us online at Outdoorenvironments.com.

Outdoor Environments

The Kansas City Parade of Homes begins this weekend, Saturday, October 2^nd and will run through Sunday, October 17^th.  The Parade of Homes has been providing the metropolitan Kansas City area with the latest in homes for the last six decades. Homes featured on the Parade of Homes have been divided into four markets to satisfy any home buyer- Urban, Kansas, Missouri North and Missouri South. There are 199 homes on this year’s Parade of Homes so visit KCParadeofhomes.com for the latest information such as price, location, builder, floor plan and subdivision. Below is some information from the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City about the Parade of Homes.

Features:

• 199 brand new homes ranging from single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums throughout the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

• Homes are open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. during this two-week event and admission to all homes on the tour is free.

• Free copies of the Parade Guide are available at each home on the Parade and at the Home Builders Association (after Sept. 30) office located at the northwest corner of Interstate 435 and Holmes Road on 103^rd Street.

• Look for the red and white directional arrows leading to each participating new-home community.