With summer approaching and hot weather already greeting most Australian cities and towns, it’s time to pose what for some people is a perennial question, “How can I keep cool in my outdoor living area?”
It’s a great question and one we believe needs an answer. After all, we reckon any tips for getting outside more often to enjoy outdoor living has to be a great idea.
So here are our 4 top tips on keeping cool in your outdoor living area this summer:
- First, and most obvious, is shading. If your outdoor living area doesn’t enjoy shade from a roof, shade sail, vegetation or other means, your outdoor living is going to be stinking hot. And that means on many summer days you’ll be heading inside as soon as the sun appears. While it might take time to grow a tree or bush large enough to provide shade, generally a roof or shade sail can be erected relatively easily and inexpensively. You’ll love your investment all summer long!
- While a roof or other shade will help for much of the day, depending on the aspect of your outdoor living area you may need extra protection on the sides. Again, this isn’t all that difficult to fix. These days, outdoor blinds are perfectly suited for the job. They’ll stop the sun, rain and wind from entering your outdoor living area, making it more comfortable all-year-round. Plus, even better, you can raise and lower them with a remote if you want to go to the extra expense. No need to leave your outdoor chair!
- While our previous two points will take care of most days, when the temperature starts soaring above 30 degrees Celsius even the hardiest among can get a little hot under the collar. That’s when some extra cooling should be considered. The cheapest option is a fan, such as an outdoor ceiling fan, wall mounted fan or even a simple pedestal or floor fan, which will help to move the air around. For some extra cooling, consider devices such as portable air conditioners, evaporative coolers and misting systems. They’ll set you back more but will often do a great job of cooling your outdoor living area, even on hot days.
- Install a water feature. Granted, physically a water feature will do little to keep you cool (unless your water feature is a plunge pool!) but psychologically any water in and around your outdoor living area can help.
From concept to clean up, you can rely on us. Give Outside Concepts a call on 1800 601 674 to organise a free quote.
