From patio maintenance to updating your outdoor furniture and lighting, early spring is a great time to start tying up loose ends left from last summer or to take care of any unwanted winter arrivals. With a quick outdoor assessment and a simple plan of action, you can be the first of your friends to open the patio and welcome the first days of warm weather with a truly put together get together.

START FROM GROUND UP
Fix any loose bricks or cracks in the concrete before a guest at your first outdoor gathering gets her stiletto stuck. Over time, the freeze and thaw process causes mortar joints to crack. "Using a good-quality sealer tends to help a lot with maintenance and quality of color," say Steve Apple of Eberly Masonry in Lancaster.

There area two typical types of repairs for two types of patios, explains Apple. For cement-based patios, Eberly Masonry can come out and grind out the old mortar joints in a process called re-pointing to fix askew stones and bricks. "In a stone dust base, bricks can sink down, but that just requires refilling," says Apple. Patio at Penn Stone in Lancaster carries crushed stone and sand to make those kinds of repairs. "Those are easy repairs that can be done at almost any time," says John McGrann of Patio at Penn Stone.

For homeowners planning to pursue a new patio, "Now is the best time to begin the process," says McGrann. "What typically happens is, the first warm day comes and people remember they were thinking of putting in a new patio. Now is the ideal time to start working with a designer and connect with a contractor." He adds, you'll get more of their attention and get the job done faster. "If you have the project done by spring, you can enjoy it all summer," says McGrann.

"If the ground is not frozen and you can excavate, once you have a hole in the ground, there's a lot do-it-yourself homeowners or contractors can do," says McGrann. Patio at Penn Stone will be offering a free seminar on installing retainer walls and concrete pavers for patios, walkways, and driveways on April 28 from 9 am - noon. Visit www.patiopennstone.com for more details.

Another approach to a new patio comes in the form of stamped concrete. Decocrete offers concrete options that capture the characteristics of stone, brick, tile, and even wood. Plus there are more than 75 colors from which to choose. The coloring is mixed throughout the concrete before it is poured and stamped, giving a "through body" effect. Samples can be seen online at www.decocrete.com.

Maintenance can be as simple as resealing your patio every two to five years. While concrete by nature does crack, Decocrete uses both fiber-mesh and wire-mesh reinforcement as well as "control joints" to control where cracks might occur.

"While we can start new patio projects around the end of March or beginning of April (as long as it's going to stay above 40 degrees), a lot of people are doing their shopping now," says Todd Turner of Decocrete. He suggests taking the time now to check out a showroom and pick out colors and patterns so they can get their blueprint and sketches laid out.

Turner suggest when installing a new concrete patio that the old one be removed unless it is perfectly level with no cracks. In that case, Decocrete can do an overlay or what they call "capping." "But 9 times out of 10, we don't recommend that," he says. "If you're a weekend warrior, we'll take two or three dollars per square foot off of the price for homeowners who tear out their own patios," adds Turner. And that's something you can get started on whenever you're ready. The actual installation, Turner says, takes one to three days, start to finish.


ECO-FRIENDLY MOSS ELIMINATION
"Most brick patios have a concrete paver, which doesn't generate as much moss growth as a natural stone or clay base," says Steve Apple of Eberly Masonry. But for those patios that do have unwanted additions to their landscaping - there are eco-friendly solutions to exterminating moss and fungi.

"Mosses grow in pores, while moisture allows moss to grow," explains Erik Morgan of Organic Approach in Lancaster. "The absolute, most eco-friendly way [to remove dirt and moss] is to use a pressure washer. You can make a 10-year-old patio look brand new", he says. Be sure to use the correct pressure as indicated by the pressure washer manufacturer. Morgan suggests, "Using a fan tip, start in one corner and work way from yourself." He says you will see the atmospheric dirt and mosses lift immediately.

Another option is to terminate moss with a naturally derived product called "Burn Out," which is carried by Organic Approach. "Burn Out' is one of the best products available," says Morgan. "It's a fast-acting nonselective herbicide derived from vinegar." Selective herbicides which kill only a particular plant have toxins that remain in the ground whereas natural products are easier for bacteria and fungi to absorb, adds Morgan.

Organic Approach has been maintaining properties organically and educating the public for more than 24 years. They offer consultation, landscape maintenance as well as an array of products that are safe to use and environmentally friendly. Visit www.organicapproach.com for more information.


REFAB FURNITURE
Still not sure what to do with that flea market find from last summer? Or, perhaps you're ready to update existing outdoor furniture. Give old pieces new life with powder coating and reupholstering.

Maybe you have a rusty old plant stand your grandmother gave you - or some chairs whose silhouette you love - but their finish has seen better days. For the table too sentimental to toss, there is another option to painting - powder coating.

The difference between giving old furniture a new paint job and getting it powder coated lies in the durability and hardness of the finish. According to Kyle Ingham, owner of Ingham's Powder Coating, paint has a hardness rating of 35, with your car being around 38-48, powder coating rates between 108-128.

"The coating is UV stable, so it won't fade in sunlight," adds Ingham who also says that powder coating is resistant to rust, cracking, chips and peeling. "If it's metal, we coat it," Ingham says is the saying around the shop. "This durable, corrosion-resistant finish can be applied to steel, iron, aluminum, copper and brass," he says.

The power-coating process begins with cooking off the existing paints and finishes, turning them into ashes. Then they are sandblasted to bare metal. An electrically charged spray gun adheres a powder similar to baby powder but made of resins and polyesters. The powder clings to the furniture due to the electrostatic charge. The coating is then baked on for about 30 minutes in an oven.

Powder coating is available in more than 400 colors and textures including veining and custom-matched shades. The average table costs about $100 to powder coat with chairs at about $65 each. It all depends on the size. "The average turnaround is two to three weeks," says Ingham. Of course, taking care of your furniture finishing needs before everyone else in the Susquehanna Valley will ensure you'll be sitting pretty come that first warm day.

If you dislike sitting on bare metal or wood, new and improved outdoor materials can add comfort and color to your patio. "The outdoor fabrics are softer now," says John Dorofee of Wicker Imports, "They feel like a cotton - they're that soft."

Wicker Imports re-covers existing cushions or makes new ones with fabrics you choose. They offer 65 outdoor fabrics in stock with more they can order, or, you can bring in your own.

While prices depend on size and fabric, a seat cushion is often about $50. An entire love seat (with back and seat cushions) will cost around $250.


EXCITE WITH LIGHT
While it is one of the last things we think about, lighting is one of the most important aspects to any design. Set the mood with a lighting plan what will be in place before that first warm evening outdoors.

Save the tiki torches for the luau. "While patios can be challenging areas to light, a more intimate method [than your standard overhead light] is to use landscaping like bushes and trees or, a trellis," says Craig Malesic, lighting designer for CM Squared, Inc. of Harrisburg. "Moonlighting that kaleidoscopes down through tree branches, uplighting bulbous bushes and dangling lanterns from tree branches or a trellis are just a few ways to brighten the nightlife on your patio. But in an understated way."

"It is also a good idea to light some other areas in the yard so you don't feel like you're in a bubble. But don't just spotlight the entire yard," he adds. Shallow profile lights can be built in or mounted to an existing wall, suggests Malesic. Meanwhile, "shining lights into a water feature give a glimmering effect," he adds.

Time to scrap spotlights that make your patio look like a helicopter landing pad? Malesic says now is the perfect time to start planning your perfect patio. "You can have a project designed, special orders placed and received, with everything ready to install the moment the weather breaks," he says. If you plan to add light where there is no electric, not to worry, Malesic says, "Any good electrician should be able to retro fit new lighting fixtures."

"One of the biggest obstacles is making a decision about how the space is going to be used," says Malesic. That's why the design period can take a month or two. After all of the fixtures have been selected, you can expect anywhere up to three weeks to receive them. The actual installation is the fastest part, taking just a few days to two weeks to complete.

Getting started with your patio plans now will have you out there enjoying it - instead of sweating over it - all summer long.


<-- Back to Press