Tag Archives: custom decks in Kansas City

outdoor design

Bad View? Smart Landscaping Can Help!

outdoor design

Source: Pinterest

Your Kansas City house is perfect. Ideal amenities, layout and furnishings. Unfortunately, the view out your windows is anything but perfect. Exterior remodeling ideas featuring great landscaping and hardscaping create a view everyone can enjoy. Breathe some new life into your property with some imaginative view fixes.

To deal with small, unsightly things ruining your view, such as propane tanks, electrical boxes and central air units, you can use some clever landscaping tricks to hide them. A strategically placed trellis or a decorative retaining wall covered with climbing plants is enough to hide a propane tank or electrical box. Central air units need space around them so landscaping needs to draw attention away from them rather than covering them.

Dealing with an unsightly view of the neighborhood requires more inventive exterior remodeling ideas. Rather than putting up a tall fence, add in large hardscaping details. Constructing a large wall featuring a cutout creates a frame for the tall trees and sky-reaching plants behind it. A corner waterfall with full, flowering trees bring the eye down from utility poles and power lines. These combinations of hard and soft elements camouflage undesirable views.

Need more ideas to alter an undesirable exterior view? Contact our experienced landscaping experts for planning ideas and inspiration.

 

decks in Kansas City

Hide Your Hot Tub for a Versatile Deck Design

decks in Kansas City

Source: Houzz

You love your home’s hot tub–it is a great place to relax, a perfect spot to enjoy a starry night, and a good gathering spot for family and friends. But it may take up a significant portion of your deck. What could you do with this space if the hot tub wasn’t there?

If you’re hoping for more space on your deck but you don’t want to get rid of your hot tub, we have a unique solution for you. We have a strategic design that allows you to maximize space and extend the function of your design. Hiding the hot tub is simple with help from our professionals at Outdoor Environments when the deck is essentially built around the sunken hot tub. The hot tub is positioned below the majority of the deck, but you would retain access to the mechanics and the tub from the lower point of the deck.  When the hot tub is not in use, sturdy wood panels are secured over the covered hot tub, creating a new space that is the perfect spot for guests to mingle and the party to begin.

If you’d like to learn more about versatile decks in Kansas City, contact us at Outdoor Environments. We have solutions for all your decking needs!

outdoor dining area

Enjoy Comfortable Picnics in Your Own Backyard

outdoor dining area

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Enjoying your summer meals outdoors is healthy, refreshing and fun, and it helps to have a designated space to enjoy them. If you add a backyard picnic area to your home, you may find yourself spending mealtime outdoors this summer more often than you do inside.

Lattice fencing is a great option for separating your dining area from gardens and other flora while still feeling natural and letting in the sunlight. Try adding bamboo furniture to complement the welcoming, natural style. Other, more high-end designs incorporate marble for tabletops and fine materials like flagstone for flooring.

Many outdoor remodeling trends involve placing your dining area within the garden, creating a cozy lunch nook canopied by leafy trees or surrounded with lively flowers. To pull off this sense of liveliness in an area with less vegetation, try lining the perimeter or overhangs with hanging garden arrangements, like planters with flowers or leafy ferns. Remember, the amount of shade your outdoor dining area receives is completely up to you. The idea is to make your outdoor dining area suit you, so there is no wrong choice between chic and compartmentalized or earthy and integrated.

To get started today or to learn more about outdoor remodeling trends, visit us at Outdoor Environments online. We would be happy to help you design your ideal picnic area!

deck-style

Choosing the Style of Your Deck

A deck can accent your home and add value when done right. There’s a large variety of decks to select from and hiring a professional to assist with your ideas can help you achieve your goal. For Kansas City homeowners needing exterior remodeling services, consider Outdoor Environments where you will receive expert advice and assistance on the right deck for your backyard.

deck-styleDecks in Kansas City range from platform to multi-level decks. At Outdoor Environments we can help you decide which one is best. For the simplest style consider a low to the ground, platform deck.

It’s built on leveled ground and doesn’t require railings. Pressure treat the wood and give coats of protective sealer to preserve the deck for many years to come. A freestanding deck isn’t connected to the house, requires little expense or work.

A raised deck is higher off the ground, needing railings and stairs for added safety. You can hide exposed posts with vines and plants. A two story deck allows you to enter your backyard from the second floor. A multi-level deck is connected through stairways and walkways and is ideal for uneven lots. Become creative on how to hide exposed posts with decorative boards and skirting.

Consider these options when choosing the right deck for you. Contact us if you’re looking for professional help.

outdoor living spaces

Enhance Your Outdoor Storage With Beautiful Built-in Solutions

Finding enough storage space for all of your things can prove to be quite the chore sometimes. Perhaps the best solution is to get creative with some storage solutions for your patios, decks, outdoor living rooms and kitchens. So here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

  • Deck Space: The most obvious place, start storing things underneath your deck.
  • Storage Bench: Why not make your seating double as storage for gardening supplies and toys?
  • Mesh Bags: A must have for pool toys. The mesh helps them dry off and avoid mildew, putting it in a bag means that you can hang it from a wall too.
  • Recycled Tires: It sounds a little odd, but stacking a few recycled tires together makes a great storage area for kids toys. Just paint the outside to match the play area.
  • Milk Crates: These make an excellent storage place because not only are they stackable, but they’re easy to organize once the crates are all labelled.

outdoor living spaces

Source: Outdoor Environments

What kind of creative storage have you come up with to maximize your free space? Tell us below or come join the discussion on Facebook.

outdoor design ideas

Create a Yard That Will Keep Kids Playing Outside This Summer

outdoor design ideas

Source: Pinterest

When everyone has phones, computers, and console gaming systems it can be a bit difficult to get your kids to go outside and play during the summer. If you can create adventurous landscapes in your own yard, however, they’ll jump at the opportunity to use their imagination outside. Here are some little exterior remodeling ideas that can can help.

  • Risky Business: Being able to assess risk and overcome challenges is a key part of childhood development. Usually this means choosing whether or not to climb a tree. So be sure to include some trees or small rock walls to give your kid a challenge to overcome without any serious risk.
  • Pathway to Play: Having multiple play areas in your yard is important, but you should also try to make sure the paths connecting them are entertaining as well.
  • Sticks and Stones: We try to keep our yards as neat and stick free as possible, but natural debris is what kids use to invent their own imaginative narratives. Try to construct a landscape that embraces nature and all it has to offer.

For more information about designing outdoor areas & living rooms, please visit our website or call us at 913-897-2706.

custom patios decks Kansas City

Deck or Patio: Which is Better for Your Home?

custom patios decks Kansas City

Source: Outdoor Environments

For Kansas City homeowners who are thinking about remodeling the exterior of their home may consider having a patio or deck built. Compare the maintenance that is required for each one, your needs, and the type of landscaping it will be built upon to determine which works best for you.

Patios require little maintenance depending on what they are made of. For concrete patios you will need to glaze it over a period of time as it can start cracking. Wooden decks will need to have periodic sealing and staining. Some floor planks may need replacing along with railings.

If you barbecue often and throw many parties you may consider having a patio where it can hold more weight. A grill can be driven into the patio whereas on a deck it’s best to use a portable grill. Landscaping is another important aspect to consider as patios tend work best on flat surfaces and decks can be built on hills as well as be raised higher for storage down below.

For patios in Kansas City or decks, contact Outdoor Environments where we can provide all the essentials of your outdoor needs.

outdoor design ideas

Flagstone: Versatility and Beauty for Your Kansas City Yard

Flagstone is such a versatile workhouse.  From garden paths to patios, flagstone is a material that can bring style and longevity to your outdoor projects.

outdoor design ideas

Source: Pinterest

Flagstone is usually sold by the ton or the pound, with differing price tags depending on what type you choose even the budget savvy can find a nice style in their price range.

Here are some ideas on where to use flagstone in your outdoor spaces:

  • Patios – Depending on what you are looking for you can fill in joints with gravel for a casual feel or if you are looking for something that will last through the years then you will want to mortar the joints.
  • Seating areas – Stacking and mortaring flagstone can create a beautiful seating area.  Think the outside of your patio or even surrounding a flagstone fire pit.
  • Steps – Flagstone is an excellent choice for adding steps into your garden.  Its natural look and feel keeps with the flow of your garden.
  • Paths – Narrow or wide pathways look great in flagstone.  Your imagination is the only limit to building garden paths with this versatile stone.

Contact the outdoor living rooms and kitchens experts at Outdoor Environments for more great outdoor living ideas.

outdoor design ideas

Add a Pond for Reflection and Relaxation in Your Backyard

outdoor design ideas

Source: Pinterest

While backyard pools and barbecue spaces offer great ways to enjoy the summer with family and friends, your exterior spaces can also yield a soothing and calming sanctuary if you take a little time to create one. Foremost on this list is a water feature that combines the cooling effects of running water, its soft gurgling sounds and the view of it is simply tranquil. We mean, of course, the highly regarded backyard pond.

For the most part, backyard ponds are remarkably easy to install and require a minimum of infrastructure to run. In most cases, a professional landscaping company can do all the work in one day. Afterwards, you will have created an excellent focal point for your garden, a place for birds to congregate and a naturally soothing place for yourself.

Downtime is as important as activities for a healthy and stable family life. Do not overlook this simple fact when considering plans for your backyard. For more information about outside spaces in general or outdoor living rooms and kitchens in particular, please visit our website or call us at 913-897-2706.

deck safety

How Safe is Your Kansas City Deck?

deck safety

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Summer barbecue season is on its way, and this means decks in Kansas City need to be prepared for the throngs of party guests. Deck Safety Month is nearly over, but if you have not checked your deck yet, now is the time. Here are common safety issues you may encounter during your investigation.

  • Cracks: Cracks deeper than ¼ inch mean the board needs to be replaced. The crack will only grow worse as the deck is walked upon, and the board may eventually break.
  • Rotting wood: Rotting wood is not always obvious. Look for soft, spongy spots in the wood.
  • Loose Hardware: Bolts and screws can loosen over time, or may pull away from wood if the wood is rotting or the ground has shifted. Check all bolts and screws for tightness.
  • Loose Railing: Rails should move very little. If they are easily jiggled, they need to be tightened or replaced.

Deck maintenance should be part of all your annual outdoor maintenance. We at Outdoor Environments can examine your deck for all safety issues. We can tell you how to take care of these and how to best prepare your deck for the season.