As the saying goes, winter is coming, and for Calgary residents, it can feel like it never truly leaves. Even in the middle of summer, you’re looking around your backyard working out how to keep everything safe from the inevitable snowstorms. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to keep your patio safe and covered in the winter with a high quality patio cover.
A Winter Under A Patio Cover
The idea behind a Desert Sun Patio cover brings up the idea of shade from the sun, but the same blocking features are going to keep you and your outdoor lifestyle going all winter long. An unprotected patio next to your home becomes effectively unusable when the first big snow storm arrives, with all the furniture covered and the floor becomes a slippery mess of ice and snow. A sturdy patio cover will keep the worst of the winter weather off your patio, allowing you to keep warm and dry all through the season.
Adding Warmth To Winter
With a patio cover over your head, you’ll find yourself wanting to spend more time outside on your deck or patio even as the temperatures start to plummet. This is when you’ll need a little extra warmth for seasonal comfort.
Get Fuzzy
A simple way to keep warm under a high quality patio cover is to stock up on fuzzy blankets and throws. There’s nothing like snuggling up on a comfy outdoor couch under a blanket with a cup of something hot in your hands watching the winter sun slowly set across your backyard. You can keep these extra layers of warmth inside, or invest in an outdoor storage chest for easy reach, making sure of course that it’s waterproof for the inevitable blowing snow.
Just Add Fire
Another easy way to keep warm under your patio cover this winter is to install a fire pit or chimney. If you have ready access to burnable wood, then a wood burning fire pit is probably the way to go as you’ll get the lovely smell of wood smoke, as well as being more environmentally conscious. If you’re looking for ease of use and instant heat, then a propane fire pit is going to be a better bet. In either case, make sure your furniture is moved so the firepit is at the centre of your patio and you have a ready supply of hot drinks to enjoy all evening long.
Electric Heat
A final option for enhancing your backyard patio cover is to install electric heaters. The beauty of this option is that you have a lot of flexibility about where to place the heaters. On the lower end of the budget is a simple stand up heater that will give you heat in a small radius, while a mid range option will be a full stand up heater which will flood your patio with warmth. The high range are heaters that attach to the exterior of your home and will keep you and your family warm all winter long under your patio cover.
