Content Provided By Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (ARA) Four walls and a ceiling no longer define a living space.

Home and garden shows, popular in the spring and early summer, are full of ideas for building the perfect outdoor oasis. Low-maintenance wooden planter boxes with ornamental plants, basic and elaborate roofing systems, accent lighting, and patio heaters are among the additions helping homeowners enjoy their outdoor spaces well beyond the summer months.

Real estate and landscaping professionals offer a few considerations for creating that perfect outdoor getaway.

* Keep it natural. It is an outdoor space, so use natural materials. Woods and stones, whether used as primary materials or as accents, are durable and relatively easy to maintain.

* Make multi-purpose magic. Add a wide edge to a planter box or join two with a bench. Multi-purpose amenities can transform a space, add function to decoration and keep costs down.

* Have fun with the space. To add charm, salvage furniture and decorative pieces not currently in use around the house or incorporate the whimsical touch of second-hand finds. Personal style and creativity commonly found indoors are every bit as important outside.

* Use low-maintenance plants. Incorporate native and drought-resistant plants to save water and lessen the time spent maintaining the yard. Planter boxes make changing the locations and types of flowers and bushes much quicker and easier. Planters are also an inexpensive way to define an outdoor space and create privacy.

* Keep some of the lawn. Real estate experts recommend leaving at least some lawn. Green grass has a natural cooling effect on hot days and complements woods nicely. It can also be beneficial when reselling, especially for buyers with young children or pets.

* Consider your lifestyle. Be practical. Think about how the space is going to be used and how much time it will take to maintain. Beauty, durability and ease of care can all come together.

Outdoor retreats, whether for conversation or relaxation, can transform a yard, add hours of enjoyment, and cut down on maintenance demands. A little time and investment now will pay dividends this summer and for years beyond. Content by ARA

I don’t know about you but I am for sure going to take in some of the Home and Garden Shows near me and get some new ideas for my yard. Besides they are a lot of fun and the creativity of some people inspires me to do more and do it better. Just like “Outdoor Cedars” they do it better. Have you checked them out yet? They have a good selection of garden accessories and structures as well as Garden and Patio furniture.

Continually developing “ideas for outdoor living”

Homeowners who want to reduce yard maintenance, bring natural environments into their living spaces, and expand their houses are reinventing the “great” in great outdoors.

It started as a trend toward outdoor kitchens. Now it extends to great-room concepts and other ways to create outdoor retreats from simple to elaborate. Conversation nooks, pergolas, gazebos, arbors, trellises, raised beds, walkways and benches are all being used to turn back yards into tranquil retreats and havens for al fresco entertaining.

“Homeowners are reconnecting with their outdoor spaces, often in creative and imaginative ways,” says Perry Howard, president of the American Society of Landscape Architects. “It’s no surprise that people want to take elements that work so well inside their home and recreate them outside.”

Outdoor living spaces commonly feature natural materials, especially woods like Western red cedar. The wood’s beauty and durability make it a popular material for pergolas, decks, gazebos and other structures. It creates a natural outdoor feel combined with indoor comfort and design.

A movement toward low-maintenance landscaping is contributing to the outdoor living trend. Landscape architects anticipate yard maintenance costs will increasingly influence the size of the traditional grass lawn among cost-conscious consumers, according to a recent American Society of Landscape Architects survey.

Converting part of the lawn or garden to an outdoor living space reduces both maintenance and water usage. Experts recommend that natural materials play a key role.

“People find woods like Western red cedar allow them to spend a lot more time enjoying their surroundings, with minimal investment in maintenance,” says Paul Mackie, or “Mr. Cedar” as he is known in the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. …

I will share “part 2” next time. Western Red Cedar is also great for wood outdoor patio furniture as well as garden structures around the yard. If you are looking for some great Cedar wood outdoor and patio furniture why don’t you check out “Outdoor Cedars” where you will find affordable, quality made Western Red Cedar Outdoor Furniture. When maintained properly it will last you a lifetime.

Continually developing “ideas for living”

Caring for decks, gazebos and pergolas, often made of Western red cedar, should be a regular part of the spring cleaning checklist. Routine maintenance, like cleaning surfaces of dirt and other debris and protecting wood from mold and mildew, can be done easily in a weekend.

“Many people choose Western red cedar because of the natural durability (it contains natural preservatives that make the wood very durable and basic maintenance relatively simple) and the beauty of the wood,” says Paul Mackie, western area manager, or “Mr. Cedar” as he is known in the industry. “Preparing your outdoor living structure for a busy spring and summer is an important step to help maintain that beauty.”

Cleaning the Deck

We’ll start with the deck. Inspect it for buildups of dirt that may have accumulated during the winter. Begin by sweeping the deck to remove debris, taking special care to clean between the planks and boards of horizontal surfaces. This will help spring rainfall drain from horizontal surfaces and allow air to flow between the boards. Reducing standing water and increasing airflow will limit the amount of moisture that can collect and stay on the surface of the plank.

Get Rid of Mold and Mildew

Killing mold and mildew that may have grown during fall or early spring is another important piece of deck maintenance, particularly for materials that have rough textures such as composite decks. Mackie recommends a simple solution of three parts water and one part oxygenated bleach be applied with a garden sprayer. Rinsing the treated areas with clean water once the solution is applied should eliminate mold and mildew.

Skip Pressure Washing

Do not pressure-wash wood, says Mackie, because “you can make it look like your grandfather’s corduroy pants.” Pressure-washing also can disrupt Western red cedar’s natural moisture resistance by forcibly pushing water into the wood. If you just cannot resist using your pressure-washer, keep it below 800 pounds per square inch.

Elevate Planters

Many outdoor living spaces are decorated with planter pots and boxes, but setting and leaving planters directly on wooden surfaces can stain it. Planters should also be elevated from deck surfaces so moisture can more easily evaporate from wood planks. Adequate airflow keeps the area drier and allows Western red cedar’s natural preservatives to protect the wood.

Care for outdoor and patio furniture, structures and Siding

Check your outdoor and patio furniture, gazebos and pergolas, as well as any wooden siding on the house itself, for dirt, mold and mildew. Clean away any dirt, and treat the siding or structures with the oxygenated bleach solution if needed.

Water, dirt, pollen and mold tend to collect and sit on horizontal surfaces. Left alone, they become a harmful cocktail that can speed up the deterioration of otherwise healthy wood.

Preparing an outdoor structure for spring and summer use is simple and well worth the minimal time invested. Following these easy steps is a sure formula to protect your wooden structures and maintain their natural beauty for years to come. Courtesy of ARA content

That is some great advice and here is some more. If you are looking for some outdoor cedar garden furniture you need to check out our Western Red Cedar wood outdoor patio furniture at “Outdoor Cedars”. You will not be disappointed by the quality or price and it will last you a life time.

Continually developing “ideas for living”

ARA- A deck can be the perfect place to spend time enjoying the weather with friends and family. A well-built and maintained deck offers a safe haven for outdoor living. However, an improperly built or deteriorated structure can mean disaster. A deck collapse can cause unnecessary, and often serious injuries, and even death.

The number of deck failures and resulting injuries has been increasing at an alarming rate. Between 2000 and 2006, there have been at least 30 deaths reported as a direct result of deck collapses and more than 75 percent of people on a deck when it collapses are injured or killed.

Did you know there are 40 million decks in the U.S. that are over 20 years old. Mike Beaudry, executive vice president for NADRA states, “Our number one priority to the public is to ensure that the decks they and their families enjoy are safe.”

Reasons for a deck collapsing can range from age of the deck, poor maintenance and exceeding load capacity to improper building methods. Deck failures can be avoided. It’s a matter of making the consumer aware of the necessity of choosing a professional deck contractor, regular maintenance and inspection, and knowing the limits of the deck structure.

The North American Deck and Railing Association, Inc. (NADRA) declared May as Deck Safety Month in 2006. “May is a great time to make your deck-check,” Beaudry says. “In parts of the country where there’s a lot of snow and ice, your deck could have developed a trouble spot over the winter.” If you don’t feel confident in checking it yourself have it professionally inspected.

If you find your deck is not safe to enjoy, NADRA advises taking immediate action to have it repaired or rebuilt as necessary and recommends the following tips to choose a deck builder.

* Ask friends and family members for referrals and contact state and local licensing authorities and trade associations such as NADRA.

* Meet with and carefully evaluate all potential deck builders. Ask to see a portfolio and some samples of the decking and railing materials they prefer to use. Good builders take pride in their work and will be enthusiastic about the possibility of creating a relationship.

* Pay attention to the deck builder’s experience, licensing, insurance coverage and professional references.

A key element of enjoying your deck for years to come is making sure it is safe and code compliant. When hiring a deck builder, there is more to consider than just price. In addition to the tips above, NADRA recommends homeowners contact their city or county building department to speak with an inspector with knowledge in deck construction.

For more information on Deck Safety Month, the Check Your Deck program and finding a reputable deck builder, visit www.nadra.org. Courtesy of ARAcontent

Now that we know we have a safe deck, that perfect place to spend time enjoying the weather with friends and family, having the right furniture on which to enjoy it all, is also important. At “Teaks n more” you will find a selection of teak wood patio furniture that can complete your deck and make it the oasis you’ve been looking for. Most of all, be safe this summer.

Continually developing “ideas for living”

Organization and Order is a way to start Spring off right.

That is what I promised to talk about, getting organized. There are three places I am going to talk about, but we can approach any space the same way. The garage: I have been in some garages that even the homeowner couldn’t find things if they wanted to. The Shed: It can be even more important because of its size, often not very big, and the smaller it is the harder it is to keep organized, it seems. The yard itself: This is not as hard to get organized in the spring because most of the stuff is in the garage and hasn’t been put out yet, but unless you watch it doesn’t take long and it is full and not of the things that you want there either.

My approach is to get the yard ready first. Clean the flower bed and deck and anything else that needs it, fence, arbor, play sets, etc. I might talk about cleaning another time.

Next I would start with the Garage. We can now get out of the garage what is going to spend the summer in the yard. If we do this right we will be organizing the yard as we go by putting things where we want them. This can be reorganized later if we want to change things. The next step with the garage is to get everything else that does not have a home out of the garage onto the drive way. I hope you have given yourselves enough time for this step because before the day is done it all will need to be put away. To help with the organization of tools and stuff (we don’t always know what stuff is but we certainly have a lot of it) we can put pegboard up on a wall or walls or buy some sort of smart space organizer in order to give everything a place. These organizer helps are the key to really achieving your goal. An old dresser can sometimes be used to give drawer space. Drawers can be poor though as they seem to just hide what you want in the bottom every time. As we put things back in the garage things should always go where we can find them again. Sometime this might mean we need to use some labeling. Yes my memory is short and getting shorter every day so I need a reminder of where I put things and where they should be returned to.

After we have the garage back together we need to have the same approach with the shed as we had with the garage. This isn’t as big a job, as it is usually smaller but as I said earlier that means it is even more important for things to have their own space in order for the shed not to be cluttered and so we can find things when we need them.

Here are the steps again. 1. Make it empty. 2. Clean it up. 3. Use things to help you organize. 4. Put everything in its space.

Not least of all don’t forget to have fun as you get things organized as you will thank yourself all summer long.

Continually developing “ideas for living”

Now depending on where you live, if you are like me actually doing some work out side is still a little difficult to do unless you want to dig the snow out of the yard first. So I want to talk about tools first. This is a job that we can do and it helps getting ready for when the snow melts only two or three weeks from now.

First of all “Investing in durable, reliable home and garden tools is essential as it will help avoid inefficiencies caused by broken or faulty items. Proper care can protect this investment and prolong the life of the equipment for years to come.”

So what does proper care look like? Well I don’t know about you but after using my tools in the damp fall weather it can leave some moisture on them and then over the winter a little rust can start. So we need to get our cutting tools out and clean them up and sharpen them. Our trimmers, shears, hoes, even our lawn mower bade and cultivators, they all can use a sharpening I’m sure. How to get rid of the rust is another thing. If it is just a little rust then take some fine sand paper and give the surface a rub. This will get rid of the rust but to keep it from coming back you can rub it down with a little WD40 or light oil. If they need a little more work you can take a pail just big enough for the tools you want to work on and fill it with some sand and then put some motor oil in it and shove the tools into the sand oil mix. This will get rid of the rust and condition them at the same time.

For the tools that do not need to be sharpened just making sure they are clean and ready to go to work is great. The other thing is getting them organized so you can find them when you need them. I personally have a lot of tools and the thing that bugs me most is not being able to find them when I need them. I am going to be talking about that next time. “Getting them organized” whether it’s my tools, the garage, the yard I never have a problem with that or then maybe I do. Check in next time and find out what helps me.

Continually developing “ideas for living”

Comments in Quotes are courtesy of ARAcontent

Well that is exactly what I have been, away, away to a totally different part of the world. I didn’t go there to gain that new and fresh perspective but that is what I got. I went with my wife to Ecuador, into the mountains with a group of people to help a couple of churches with some work they needed help with on their buildings.

The different people, the different culture, their different perspective on life, and their values all made me realize we have so much and it made me value what we have a lot more. We did not go there as tourists staying in some ritzy hotel. We had a hotel at the bottom end of the scale but clean and comfortable. Yet for their standards it was above what a lot of them could afford.

When you are looking for ideas whether it is living outdoors ideas or just “ideas for living” periodically getting a fresh perspective is important. How you get that fresh perspective could be as varied as the number of people seeking it. Sometimes just walking away from the situation for a few minutes or hours and coming back to it is all we need to do. Sometimes it means talking to someone else and asking them what they would do. (I have had my own business for 25 plus years and sometimes while working I have asked someone who is first day on the job what they would do and even though their answer was not a good solution often it has caused me to see the situation from a different perspective and a good solution has come to my mind.) Sometimes it takes getting away altogether, like going to a different part of the world.

Are you stuck? Do you need a fresh perspective? How do you shake things up so you can get back in the groove?

As we approach the spring here in Canada we may need to start thinking about our outdoor living space and think of shaking things up, having a fresh perspective. If part of that fresh perspective is some new outdoor furniture try looking at our Outdoor furniture stores “Outdoor Cedars” or “Teaks n More”. You will find some great furniture that will give you that fresh look you desire.

That fresh perspective means nothing if you do nothing about it.

Continually developing “ideas for living”

I could fly south and make spring come early. Now that is the answer. It won’t change the temperature here but it will maybe change my attitude and my perspective. In fact that is what I am doing. I am on a plane right now headed for the mountains in Ecuador where I am told it is eternal spring. I am not going there to change my perspective but I am sure that is going to happen.

I love spring. I love it when everything turns green and things start to come to life again. I love the fresh air. It makes me want to be outside not just to run from car to house but to relax and stay a while. When I include living outdoors into my life style it refreshes me. It’s like a glass of cold water on a dry summer day. You see I don’t always take the time to do it. It is not that I forget how it affects me, I just get too busy.

So here is my idea. I resolve to not cheat myself this year. I am going to take the time I need to enjoy my outdoors Living space. To not only smell the roses but the tulips and daffodils and lilies as well.

Now I’m not sure whether this is going to be any different then a New Years resolution but it is going to be my goal. Are you with me? Sometimes we have to work at what we know we should do. No more excuses. So what we have to do now is plan for it. Set aside times and plan on taking advantage of our favorite space.

That is my plan. That is my goal.

Continually developing “ideas for living”  

Continually developing “ideas for Living”

Well here at “Living Outdoors Ideas” we are going to share some of our ideas and some that others have figured out. They are not going to all be original or necessarily new ideas but ideas by which we can help each other Live Outdoors.

For some of us right now it is kind of hard thinking about being outside sitting around enjoying the sun and our back yard. Winter in Canada is great for some sports and outdoor activities but not for sitting around having a coffee and enjoying the company of friends and neighbors. It’s just a little cold for that but are there some things we can do to get ready for spring and the summer to follow? Maybe it is so far from reality that you can’t even think about it but now is the perfect time to start developing some ideas and making some plans, or doing some maintenance, or making something for this coming season. What are you doing to get ready for spring, or is it “out of sight out of mind”?

Over my next few entries I am going to start developing some of those indoor activities that will help us be ready for spring when it arrives and it wont be long if the groundhogs are right in their predictions.

If you have any ideas I would love to hear them and we will certainly talk about them as we go along.

Continually developing “ideas for Living”