Randy Beckwith here. I’m thankfully retired. But, my career included graphic designer, copy writer and marketing professional. Now I live with my wife in Roanoke, Virginia enjoying time relaxing on our patio that was a necessary addition to our home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I love to cook fun, simple but tasty food. When enjoying an adult beverage on the patio it’s usually a vodka martini. And I do simple DIY projects to enhance our home and outdoors. We’ve had great fun building an outdoor living space on a “reserved” budget and want to share our experience with anyone who wants the same without breaking the bank. I hope you enjoy reading our blog. And remember, every day is Friday on the patio!
How big should a patio be? Or, conversely, how small? Could a patio be classed as “petite” meaning little or small? Those are the questions. And that is the theme for this blog post. If you live in a small space — a small house or an apartment — can you say you have a patio even if it is a porch or a balcony? Absolutely. You have a petite patio. And we have proof!
We have a friend, Darla, who lives solo and is an apartment dweller. Darla is a creative problem solver. Given our interest about living on the patio, Darla decided to apply this idea to her apartment balcony. And with great results. Here is her guest post on how she developed her petite patio.
Greetings Living On the Patio Community!
Darla Dolph, Guest Contributor
Being able to create your own little oasis in the privacy of one’s own backyard is the ultimate in home ownership. The smooth planks of the deck, comfortable patio furniture, flowers, a garden, some string lights, and, holy cats . . . is that an outdoor kitchen I see? Ahh yes, the epitome of a great get away without leaving your own home.
But what if you don’t have your own home, and are constrained to the typical 6×8 foot (or smaller) concrete pad found in most apartment patios and balconies? Well, I am here to tell you that not only can you make that small space your own special escape from the world, but you can do it on a budget too! Let me show you what I did in hopes of inspiring you to create your private retreat!
I live in a high-rise apartment in the city on the third floor, so being sandwiched in between other units, the trick was to make my space as quiet, comfortable, and intimate as possible. Fortunately, there is a large tree just off my balcony that creates a sense of being out in nature, rather than just being in the concrete jungle.
Step One: What Size is Your Petite Patio?
The first step is to figure out how much space you have to work with. I know this sounds obvious, but it is so easy to get caught up in buying really cool stuff only to find out it doesn’t all fit. The most important thing is to not overpower your space. You want the sense of spaciousness which creates peacefulness.
Here is what I started with — my balcony measured roughly 6×10 feet.
Step Two: What Material is Your Petite Patio Floor?
Start with your base, in this case the concrete pad or wood slat flooring. Decide if you want to leave it as is, put down an outdoor area rug, or lay down interlocking patio tiles. Whatever you choose, make that the “artwork” on the floor. My balcony was badly stained so I opted to go with a really cool area rug found on Amazon for about $24. It is made of recycled outdoor plastic straw, so no problem if it gets wet!
Step Three: Petite Patio Furniture
You want to look for furniture that is designed for small spaces. Again, my friends at Amazon didn’t let me down with a 3-Piece Patio Dining Set with Round Glass Metal Table and 2 Stackable Rattan Chairs for about $135. The chairs needed seat cushions which I found at Walmart for $5.00 each in a clearance bin.
Step Four: Add Color to Your Petite Patio
Bring some color in with flowers and other decorations that are pleasing to you. I decided to go with blues, yellows, and oranges for my color palette up against the grey in the area rug, bistro table set and chair cushions. Where I live we have Big Lots, Ross, and Dollar Tree where I was able to pick up blue ceramic pots, faux flowers, and candles. I spent about $50 on these items. So if you have been doing the math while reading this article, excluding sales tax on my purchases, I created my balcony design for less than $220! I can actually seat four people out there, but it’s usually just me in the morning with a cup of coffee and a meditation session before work and in the evening with Mr. Cosmo Martini watching the sun go down.
Patios Are Made for Eating
Thank you, Darla, for illustrating how an apartment dweller can enjoy the benefits of living on the patio even if that patio is petite. But Darla, your story doesn’t end there, for you understand that one of the primary activities of patio life is cooking and eating outdoors. Livingonthepatio.com is testament to that fact given the number of foods and recipes posted there for patio aficionado to enjoy. And Darla, you show us how to do that on your petite patio with a darn good looking cut of beef you grilled in the outdoor space you created. Here’s Darla’s steak dinner experience.
A Petite Patio Produces Well-grilled Beef
Not to be denied or dissuaded because she has a small outdoor living space (we prefer “petite patio”) in an apartment that, presumably prohibits the use of gas grills, Darla turned to a portable electric device to provide her the heat she needed to cook outdoors — the Techwood electric stove.
Next, being the foodie that Darla is, she acquired the correct pan for grilling meat outdoors, the Vinchef Nonstick Grill Pan for Stove tops. If the meat doesn’t have grill lines on it then it wasn’t cooked outdoors . . . period!
And here is the end result. Yum!
So, What’s the Point?
Do not discount your ability to enjoy an outdoor living space even if you live in an apartment. Darla has just showed you how to do it. Every day is Friday on the patio regardless of the size of your patio. So get inspired. Release your creativity. Have fun. Get out on that petite patio of yours and join Darla, in spirit, by drinking a cosmo while grilling a steak and watching a phenomenal sunset. How could it ever get any better than that? Enjoy!
Darla’s Bio:
Guest contributor, Darla Dolph, is a long-time friend of Randy and Julie — over 40 years kind of friends, through thick and thin!
Personally, Darla dabbles in interior decorating, cooking, martini making on the patio, and mosaic art creation. Her artwork has been exhibited in the Loveland Museum in Loveland, Colorado, and has a permanent mural art piece installed at the Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora, Colorado.
Professionally Darla is an education nerd and holds three Master of Science Degrees: one in Psychology, one in Sociology, and one in Higher Education. She currently works within Higher Education for a private nursing college in Colorado as a Personal and Professional Development Coach, is certified as both a Life and Career Coach coaching students and clients with business and personal relationships, and helps people maneuver today’s job market using tools such as career exploration, resume and cover letter preparation, and instruction on interviewing techniques.
Please welcome Darla to the LivingOnThePatio community as she provides ways to enjoy your apartment balcony/patio living.
Petite Patio FAQs
What is a good size for a small patio?
For a dining area for four people, you’ll need about 10×10 feet. For six to eight, make it 12×12 feet. To accommodate a typical round table with six chairs, provide a circular area with a diameter of at least 9 feet.
How do you maximize a small patio?
Choose pieces of waterproof patio furniture that have a smaller footprint and leave more open floor space. Use tall, narrow planters to draw eyes up from the patio floor. Hang a mirror to create the illusion of a larger space.
How can I jazz up my patio?
Upgrade an Outdoor Rug.
Mix and Match Dining Chairs.
Make a Canopy Bed.
Create a Conversation Space.
String Up Lights.
Hang Sheer Panels.
Paint the Patio.
Please Leave a Comment
Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. Do you have a “petite patio”? What have you done to your space to make it comfy; make it your own? Please attach a photo to your comment so we can see your cool your patio is. And tell your locale — we’re in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. Where are you?
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Whether you’re flower gardening or vegetable gardening or both, given how hot and dry the growing season has become over the years, water can be a scare and sometimes expensive commodity. So when it rains, we are getting free water to nurture our gardens — that which falls directly on our plants and that which we hope to capture for watering when it doesn’t rain. To “capture water” we need rain barrels.
Rain Barrels: Where Do They Come From?
That’s what my wife told me — we need rain barrels — as we drove to meet the person from whom we bought used food-grade barrels from a seller on Craigslist. These barrels had been used for syrup to make flavored carbonated drinks. (When I was a kid we called it soda pop.) And they were a great solution because we paid just $40 for two barrels.
An alternative is to check with any soda bottling facilities in your community. We received two free barrels through a local non-profit rain catchment program (clean valley.org) who got barrels from a Coca Cola plant where we live. At minimum, any rain barrels you get to DIY your rain catchment system should be “food-grade” meaning that they were used for material safe for human consumption and not from barrels containing material for industrial use.
Cleaning Used Barrels
Our barrels were “sealed” meaning that the top was fixed and was not removable. But there were two bung holes with threaded plugs in the top of each barrel. So I squirted a small amount of Dawn dishwashing liquid in each barrel and filled them about a third full of water. I put the plug back in the bung hole and rolled each barrel around the yard to get the inside throughly coated to remove any remaining residue from the syrup. After giving them both a good flush with water to get the soap completely out of the barrels, they were ready to install the necessary hardware.
Also, see the cleaning instructions below as recommended by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, an integral component of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
Brass Spigots for Rain Barrels
I wanted brass spigots because I had read that plastic spigots can get brittle in the sun after several seasons and tend to crack or break off of the barrel. So I settled on the Rainpal RBS024 Brass Rain Barrel Spigot. It feels beefy and gives the sense that it will perform for years to come.
When installing the spigot on the wall of the barrel near the bottom, they recommend keeping the spigot about three inches up the wall from the bottom. After drilling the hole make sure you use a knife or file to clean off any plastic shards that might prevent a water-tight seal around the valve you’re installing.
Now, you may be wondering, as did I, how are you going to get the inside part of the valve inside the barrel when the top won’t come off? After all, it’s a “sealed” barrel! I could explain it but I found a one-minute video on YouTube that shows you what to do. Click here to watch the video. It’s amazing what you can do with a piece of string, right?
Rain Diverter Systems
I also did some extensive research on rain diverter systems. Many of them require the cutting out of a section of the downspout to allow a space to install the diverter. That wasn’t practical for my downspouts. So I decided to use the Flexfit Universal Diverter System. All that it requires is the drilling of a hole in the broad side of the downspout to insert the rain diverter plug. What’s cool about this system is that water flows into the barrel until it is full and then the excess flows into the downspout and out wherever you have it directed, usually into your yard. This system requires a “closed” or “sealed” barrel which is a benefit because you don’t need to have an overflow tube running out of the top of your barrel — the Flexfit Universal Diverter System is designed to do that for you inside your existing downspout. And this System comes with both drill bits you need to drill into your downspout and into your rain barrel to connect the diverter hose.
Connecting Rain Barrels to the Downspout
Think about where you want to position your rain barrels so that the downspouts will work for you and that the location is as close to your garden as is practical. I built some barrel stands out of pressure-treated 2x4s to get the barrels at an easy height to fill up my watering cans.
OK, you have the valve installed, now the rain barrel needs to be connected to the downspout. I won’t go into great detail about this installation because the Flexfit Universal Diverter System has good installation instructions in the package. It is a quick and easy install. BUT, pay attention to making the hose connection to the downspout and the rain barrel as level as possible. Water has to flow both ways and can only effectively do that if the two connections are fairly level. This is explained in the Flexfit instructions.
Downspout Extenders for Excess Rain Runoff
I want to talk real quick about these cool, flat downspout extenders to funnel the excess water away from your rain barrel if it is in a spot that doesn’t allow you to use a regular piece of downspout for rain runoff. I needed to get the excess water about 8 feet away from my rain barrel and under a fence with almost no clearance. I had to keep the downspout extender at the ground level so the water wouldn’t pool on the outside of the fence. This system came with a transition piece to go from a dimensional downspout to this flat version. It works great, looks good, and just barely tucked under my fence. Check it out at Home Depot.
Rain Barrel Success!
Here is my first rain barrel connected to the downspout near my carport.
Alternative Locations for Rain Barrels
Initially, I had another rain barrel out in our yard near our raised vegetable garden beds for easy watering. I had connected two large funnels to the top of the barrel with the expectation that, in a good, steady rain, the barrel would fill up, albeit at a slower rate than the barrel connected to our roof downspout. Bad idea. It hardly captured any rain water and I ended up filling the barrel from our garden hose several times over the growing season — water I had to pay for!
Alternative Locations for Rain Barrels Connecting to Downspout
We have another downspout that I wanted to connect a rain barrel to but there are complications. The downspout has another downspout piggy-backed to it which carries vented radon gas from our basement up and out beyond the roof line. (Radon gas mitigation is an interesting and very necessary process but I won’t go into detail here. Contact us if you want the value of our experience.) There wasn’t enough open space where just the rain downspout was available to install a rain diverter with the barrel standing upright. I didn’t want to move the radon exhaust pipe because it is a sealed system and I was worried I wouldn’t get it sealed back correctly — and I didn’t want to pay a vendor to do it.
So, after some research, I found a way to use the same Flexfit Universal Diverter System with the barrel laying on its side versus standing upright.
I used the same wooden stand that I had built when the barrel was standing upright out in the yard and added a curved cradle on both ends for the horizontal barrel to lay in.
I turned the valve around that we’ll use to drain out the water so it pointed in the correct direction.
I drilled out one of the bung hole covers to fit the water tube and then installed the diverter system to the downspout just like the other rain barrel I have.
I have an overflow valve on this barrel because it was a stand-alone barrel in the yard. I didn’t remove it and patch the hole closed because I can just leave it in place and keep the valve closed at all times. Hence, this barrel is now a “closed” system.
Added Bonus
Recently we snagged two free rain barrels from clean valley.org that I plan to connect to our existing rain barrels to double our capacity. And I did that today! Here’s how I did it:
Horizontal Rain Barrels So, I built another stand like the first one with a cradle on each end to hold the round barrel. I used pressure-treated, ground-contact 2x4s to withstand the four seasons.
I was worried that the distance from each barrel was too long for a flexible tube to carry water from one barrel to the other without sagging, hence impending the flow, so I used PVC pipe instead.
The holes in the top of the barrels are called bung holes. In the center of the bung hole cover there is a 3/4″ threaded hole that is sealed with a pop-out. So I popped it out and inserted a threaded PVC adapter to receive a 3/4″ piece of PVC pipe. I feel more confident that this will hold up better for the water transfer from the main barrel to the secondary barrel.
In my research there were some examples of connecting the barrels at the top and some connecting at the bottom. If I had connected them at the top I would have had to install another valve on the second barrel to siphon out the water. By connecting them at the bottom, the existing valve will draw from both barrels evenly, so no need for a valve on the second barrel.
By the way, the device on the right connected to our house foundation in the above photo is the fan that runs 24/7/365 for radon gas mitigation.
Vertical Rain Barrels For the vertical barrels I also built another stand and connected the two barrels, also at the bottom, with another product from Earthminded through Amazon. Given the short distance between the two barrels I thought the flexible tubing should work just fine.
Now, we can’t wait for all of that free water to start flowing from the sky!
Special Note:
I recommend you connect with whatever town or city you live in to learn if there are any regulations or restrictions on residential rain barrels. Here’s why:
Although my research indicates that the regulations in Denver, Colorado have since changed for the better, when we lived there back in the 1980s and 1990s, if the rain water hit your roof, it belonged to the City of Denver by law. Water is a premium in that part of the country and the city was going to keep every drop it could that fell from the sky. So rain barrels catching water off roofs from the gutter and downspout was illegal.
In contrast, we now live in a town adjacent to Roanoke, Virginia which highly promotes the use of rain barrels (rain catchment systems). Being in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Roanoke has a flooding problem during hard rains. Roanoke has a program to get rain barrels in the hands of residents for rain catchment purposes to redirect rain water for other uses and ease the burden on their stormwater system.
So check on any regulations in your community to ensure you are legally setting up your rain barrel system.
Maintaining Your Rain Barrels
Cold season storage We’ve only lived near Roanoke for the last five years and the winters have been pretty mild. Last winter each tank was about half full when it got cold but with room for expansion as the water froze, I didn’t feel the need to empty the barrels and lose the value of that water. And the barrels, with that water in them, came through the winter issue-free. Just use good judgement regarding where you live as to whether you think you should empty them when your growing season is over or not.
Algae growth Also, you will likely have some algae grow inside if the barrel is in direct sunlight for most of the day. If your barrels are translucent, allowing sunlight to penetrate to the water, you might consider painting your barrels a dark color to block the sun. Other ways of mitigating algae growth is by following the directions listed below.
Best Practices for Making Rain Water Safe: These are recommendations for pathogen treatment and best practices for utilizing collected rain water to irrigate vegetable/herb gardens from the website of the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, an integral component of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey:
Cleaning the barrel Rain barrel users should make sure to clean the barrel with a 3% bleach solution before collecting water to irrigate a vegetable/herb garden. Household, unscented bleach with a 5–6% chlorine solution can be added at the rate of 1/8 teaspoon (8 drops) of bleach per gallon of water.
Sanitizing the rain water A typical 55 gallon rain barrel would need approximately one ounce of bleach added on a monthly basis. During periods of frequent rainfall, bimonthly treatment may be necessary. Wait approximately 24 hours after the addition of bleach to allow the chlorine to dissipate before using the water. Note that household bleach is not labeled for use in water treatment by the Food and Drug Administration although it is frequently recommended for emergency disinfection of drinking water (USEPA, 2006b).
Rain water use for vegetable gardens When using harvested water to irrigate a vegetable garden, care should be taken to avoid getting water on the plant itself. Harvested rainwater should only be applied to the soil, possibly through drip irrigation. A watering can may be used, as long as the water does not get directly on the plant.
When to water Water should be applied in the morning only. Produce harvesting should not take place right after watering in order to benefit from leaf drying and ultraviolet light disinfection.
You Can’t Beat Free Water
So I hope this outline of how we got our rain catchment system started will be of value to you and help you get started with setting up your rain barrels. Once that is done you’ll want to sit back on your patio and relax, observing the fruit of your labor. And what better way to do that than by enjoying a fruity adult beverage created by our resident mixologist for warm weather patio enjoyment. Check out these options: Lavender Lounger, Patio Bourdon Sipper, and/or Blue Colada. And chase any of these cocktails with a tasty snack from our Patio Food recipes such as Sausage Wonton Cups, Homemade Egg Rolls, or a rendition of the classic Creamy Onion Dip with potato chips.
And remember, every day is Friday on the patio.
Rain Barrel FAQs
Are rain barrels worth the money?
Outfitting a house with a rain barrel does more than collect and conserve rainwater: It saves money, too. Well-placed rain barrels help cut utility costs by collecting free water for gardening, lawn watering or even washing the car.
How big of a rain barrel do I need?
The size of rain barrel you choose depends on how much water you want to store and the size of your roof. Common sizes for residential use are 50 gallons to 90 gallons. Rain barrels can fill up very quickly.
Why do rain barrels need to be elevated?
Typically, rain barrels are elevated 12 to 36 inches above the ground. This creates enough pressure to move water through a spigot to fill a watering can or hose or use drip irrigation. For every 1 foot of elevation, you gain approximately 0.4 pounds of pressure (PSI).
How to sanitize rain barrel water?
Water in a typical 55 gallon rain barrel should be treated with approximately 1 ounce of bleach. Do not use any scented bleach. Wait approximately 24 hours after the addition of bleach to allow the chlorine to dissipate before using the water.
How do I keep my rain barrel mosquito free?
Mosquitoes can breed in as little as 10 days. In rain barrels that allow mosquitoes to enter, therefore, rain barrels should be emptied in less than 10 days. Another potential solution is to screen the rainwater inlet so mosquitoes don’t enter in the first place. Finally, a sealed or closed rain barrel system will prevent mosquitoes from using a rain barrel as a breeding spot.
Why does algae grow in my rain barrel?
Algae are microscopic, photosynthetic plants.
Rain barrels with open or screened tops or that allow light to penetrate will provide more light inside the barrels. Therefore, open and/or light colored rain barrels would be more likely to contribute to algal growth. On the other hand, rain barrels with openings limited to the size of the downspout or gutter tube would allow less light to reach water stored inside. Therefore, partially closed and/or darker rain barrels would be less likely to contribute to algal growth.
Water temperature may be relatively high when rain barrels are placed in full sun, thus increasing the risk of algal growth. Placing rain barrels in shade can reduce this risk.
Please Leave a Comment
Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. Do you have rain barrels? Did you buy them pre-made or did you DIY? How beneficial do you feel having a rain barrel is for you and your garden? Please share a photo of your rain barrel so we can “Wow” at your rain catchment system.
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Enjoying a cocktail on the patio is definitely a past-time worth doing well. Fortunately, we have a friend we’ve dubbed a master mixologist. His name is Nate. While not a bartender by trade, Nate has a wealth of knowledge regarding cocktails and how they go together. He can be a perfectionist which, when mixing an adult beverage, is an exceptional trait to make sure the cocktail will yield the best flavor possible. Given his level of expertise, we asked Nate to design some custom cocktails just for our readers who so enjoy living on the patio. We hope these refreshing drinks please you as much as they please us. Bottoms up!
Lavender Lounger
2 oz vodka or gin
1 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 oz lavender simple syrup
Soda water to top
2 cucumber slices
Garnish: lavender flower Garnish: cucumber slice
Lavender simple syrup:
Mix ½ cup sugar with ½ cup water in a saucepan on the stove.
Heat on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins dissolving.
Add 5 or 6 lavender sprigs. (fresh is better, but dried will work)
Simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until the flavor of lavender is thoroughly infused to taste.
Strain out the lavender, then store mixture in the fridge.
Do this:
Add the gin or vodka, lemon juice, and lavender syrup to a Collins or Highball glass.
Fill glass with ice, top with soda, give one good stir.
Slide the 2 cucumber slices into the glass. Then add the garnish of lavender flower and cucumber slice.
Express* the lemon twist over the cocktail then add it as a garnish.
* Per the website casualmixologist.com: “While a curl of citrus may appear to be merely decorative, perhaps even an afterthought, it plays a key role in the composition of the cocktail. With a quick twist of the rind, the bartender expresses fragrant essential oils and releases a rich citrus perfume onto the surface of the cocktail. This adds a distinctive top layer of complexity to the cocktail, enhancing its aroma without adding sweetness. Expressing citrus correctly is an art-form, though, and it requires a light touch. To begin, use a sharp paring knife to slice a thin oval from the peel. Take care not to cut too deeply into the pith, which is too bitter for our purposes. Twist the peel over the surface of the cocktail to add a thin float of essential oil. Before dropping the peel in the glass, if that’s your plan, rim the glass with the peel for an added punch of fragrance.”
Add the rum, Blue Curacao, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and lime juice to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Or, blend all ingredients in a blender instead of shaking for an even better experience.
Strain into a chilled Hurricane or tall glass with ice (pebble ice if possible).
Garnish it with a maraschino cherry and pineapple leaf.
Note: Cream of Coconut can either be purchased or made at home — it is a simple process. Here’s the recipe from the website thecoconutmama.com:
1 can full-fat coconut milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
Pour all the ingredients into a small pot and heat over low heat.
Stir until the sugar and coconut milk dissolve
Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. The coconut cream will keep in the refrigerator for 7 days. Freeze any leftover for future use.
Relaxing is what living on the patio is all about. What a better way to relax than with tasty, colorful, custom cocktails. And adult beverages are frequently enjoyed with a patio snack. Since eating and drinking are primary activities on the patio, we encourage you to take full advantage of our section on Patio Food to add great value to the time you spend on your patio. We hope one or all of Nate’s custom cocktails will soon become your favorites. Finally, always remember, every day is Friday on the patio!
Please Leave a Comment
Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. Did you make any or all of the cocktail recipes above? If so, how did it/they turn out? If you tried more that one recipe, which is your favorite? Or, do you have another favorite patio cocktail recipe? Will you share? Attach a photo to your comment so we can see how yummy your cocktails look. And hey, if you live in the Roanoke, VA area and you have a favorite “watering hole” for when weather on the patio is uncooperative, let us know where you like to be chill’n with a cocktail.
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We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post at no extra cost to you if the affiliate links are utilized to make a purchase. Click this link to see all our disclosures.
Here’s an important question: If every day is Friday on the patio, do we really need any other reason to enjoy an easy margarita while relaxing outdoors? The answer is clear — no other reason necessary. But we do like it simple and easy, right? Well, it doesn’t get any easier than Randy’s Eat Shop Easy Margarita. Simple, easy, and very yummy!
Easy Margarita Recipe
1 1/2 ounces Tequila
1 ounce Triple Sec
3/4 ounce Lime Juice
1/2 teaspoon Maple Syrup
Coarse Salt
Lime Wedges
Let’s Talk Tequila
I am not a connoisseur, but it makes sense to me to use a middle-of-the-road tequila if you’re going to use it in a cocktail — with mixers. The cocktail needs to taste like tequila, but unless you’re sipping straight tequila or doing shooters, I wouldn’t spend the money for a top-shelf brand. But that’s just me . . .
What About Lime Juice?
Yes, fresh squeezed is the best. But then you need a citrus juicer (which I have). And you need to not be lazy, which at times, I can be. When being lazy, I use lime juice from a bottle. So either way works. When you’re trying to impress a special someone, fresh squeeze your lime juice. If you’re just hang’n with your friends, bottled lime juice will fit the bill.
Make the Easy Margarita
Prep your glass(es) for this easy margarita. I use what’s called a rocks glass. It’s also called an old fashioned or lowball glass. The rocks glass is short and wide with a sturdy bottom.
Now, cut a lime into wedges and rub one wedge around the rim of your glass. Sprinkle some coarse salt on a hard surface like a piece of wax paper on your countertop or use a salad plate. Dunk the rim of the glass in the salt and then add a few ice cubes to your glass without disturbing the salted rim.
Take your cocktail shaker and fill it about a third full of ice. Then measure your liquids into the shaker. No “free pouring”. Measure to get the best flavor in just the right amounts. If you don’t already have one, get a jigger with measurements clearly marked. Remember to add the 1/2 teaspoon of maple syrup to the liquids in the shaker — it really matters. Put the top on your shaker and vigorously shake your cocktail about ten seconds. Pour the mix over the ice in your salted glass and garnish your easy margarita with a lime wedge on the edge of the glass.
Are You Ready to Relax With an Easy Margarita?
That was pretty simple and easy, right? Now grab that cocktail, and a snack, and head out to the patio for some serious relaxing because . . . every day is Friday on the patio.
Both tequila and orange liqueur have strong bitter notes that can easily overwhelm every other flavor that surrounds them. Salt interferes with the way our taste buds process bitterness, so by adding touch of it to every sip, additional flavors are able to shine through in the drink.
How do you wet a margarita rim?
It’s super simple. Start with a plate or shallow bowl of water, lime juice or lemon juice then dip in the rim of your glass. Alternatively, you could cut a lime or lemon wedge and moisten the rim with it; it’s totally up to you.
Why are margaritas shaken and not stirred?
Shaking creates this effect by breaking up the ice and chilling the cocktail, while also sloshing all of that delicious boozy mixture around. It makes for a frothy sipper rather than a velvety one. Importantly, shaking mixes certain ingredients together that, if stirred, would separate by the time you drink them.
Please Leave a Comment
Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. Did you make the recipe above? If so, how did it turn out? Do you have another recipe you like to make your margaritas? Will you share? Attach a photo to your comment so we can see how yummy your easy margarita looks.
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If you were asked to quickly name some classic summer foods, you’d probably say hamburgers and hot dogs, then name some other grilled meat. But very near the top of your list you’d probably say “potato salad”. And you’d be spot-on! What’s a summer meal on the patio without potato salad? Wrong, that’s what it is!
Now, much like barbecue ribs, I’ve learned that how people make potato salad can be very personal. Almost everyone has a specific recipe for potato salad, some with unique ingredients, and the maker can be unyielding to any variations. I’m good with that. We want to enjoy what we like, right? Sure. But I like simple things. So I don’t mean to be persnickety, but it’s called potato salad. Perhaps only a few simple ingredients are necessary. Nothing fancy. But yummy to the tongue and tummy.
Let me tell you how I make potato salad and you tell me what you think in the Comments section below.
Potatoes
I use golden potatoes because I like the flavor and the skins are thin, since I leave the skin on when I make my version of potato salad.
I like my potatoes soft but firm in the sense that I want them to hold together when I toss my salad and not get mushy and fall apart. But I don’t want them firm as in “not completely cooked” — hard versus firm. To get them to this consistency, I steam my potatoes whole in a pressure cooker the day before and chill them overnight in the refrigerator. I do this for two reasons:
Cold Potatoes
I feel that potatoes should be “refrigerator cold” when cutting them and mixing them in potato salad. They hold up as you mix the salad and they taste better when chilled.
Resistant Starch
By cooking potatoes and chilling them in advance they release what’s called “resistant starch”. Resistant starch is a carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and gets fermented in the large intestine. It feeds the good bacteria in your gut and stabilizes blood sugar levels while increasing feelings of fullness. As potatoes cool, their resistance starch rises. So reheating and eating potatoes from the fridge a day or more later is more heathy (and less fattening) than eating them just after cooking.
Finally, in the recipe below it specifies certain measurements of the ingredients. These measurements are NOT finite. Your tastebuds drive the amount of the ingredients. If you cut up two pounds of potatoes and it doesn’t look like it is enough, add more! If you mix up the dressing and it doesn’t bring your salad to the consistency you desire, add more! You are the creator of the salad. Use the recipe as a starting point.
Potato Salad Recipe
Potato Salad
2 lbs. potatoes (5 to 6 medium) — steamed, chilled overnight, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup sliced green olives with pimentos
Dressing
We like our potato salad “wet” — lots of dressing. And we like it tangy.
1 heaping cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, preferably unfiltered
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
Make the Potato Salad
Add the cut-up potatoes, celery, and olives in a large bowl. The celery gives the salad some “crunch”, the olives add to the “tang”, and the pimentos add color to the salad.
In a separate bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and mix with a whisk. Taste the dressing. Does it need more of any of the ingredients to get the flavor you want? More mustard for increased tang? More sugar to sweeten the dressing? More pepper (or even some cayenne) to add a little zing or heat? If so, add them to the dressing now and whisk again.
Look at the salad ingredients in the large bowl. Look at the dressing in the smaller bowl. Does it look like the volume of dressing you’ve just mixed up will make your salad the way you want it — dry or wet? If you want it dry, add a little dressing and toss the salad. Keep adding the dressing in small amounts until you get your desired consistency. If you want it wet, dump it all in and start tossing. If it’s not wet enough, add a dollop or two of mayo to the salad and toss some more.
When I get the salad the way I like it I top it with some coarse salt and fresh ground pepper and put it the refrigerator to chill it down before it’s time to serve.
Now remember one thing: cooking is art and baking is science. So you have control over what and how much you put into whatever you’re cooking. You’re the “artist” — adjust the recipe to fit your taste. And have fun!
So here it is. A simple recipe for a tasty potato salad that you can modify to make your version rock! Now fire up your grill and ice down the beer (or other adult beverage). There’s going to be a party on your patio today whether a party of one or two, or a gathering of your many friends. And they’re going to rave about your potato salad and ask for the recipe. Initially you might resist, but you’ll relent because when they invite you to their house you’ll want to eat the same fabulous potato salad at their party.
And remember, every day is Friday on the patio.
Potato Salad FAQs
What is the best type of potato to use for potato salad?
To keep your salad from falling apart into mush, it’s important to use the best potatoes for potato salad. Skip the russet potatoes and use a waxy variety instead, like Yukon gold, red potatoes or fingerlings.
Should potatoes for salad be cooked whole?
Potatoes for salads should be cooked whole, then peeled and cut, in order to preserve nutrients.
What does chilling overnight do to potatoes?
Cooling potatoes after cooking can substantially increase their amount of resistant starch. One study found that cooling potatoes overnight after cooking tripled their resistant starch content.
Should you let potatoes cool when making potato salad?
The type of dressing you plan to use, mayo-based dressing or vinaigrette, will determine when the salad should be dressed. When using vinaigrette, don’t let the potatoes cool before dressing them. And when making a mayonnaise-based potato salad, stay away from dressing warm potatoes.
Why do you add vinegar to potato salad?
A splash of vinegar adds much-needed tang to potato salad.
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Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. How do you like your potato salad: wet or dry? What ingredients do you add to your potato salad? Is your recipe regional, unique to Roanoke, VA or anywhere else? Did you make the recipe above? If so, how did it turn out? Can you attach a photo to your comment so we can see how tasty your finished potato salad looks?
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The first tool you need when setting up your grill for patio barbecue (especially barbecue ribs!) is a bottle opener, preferably a wall-mounted bottle opener somewhere in the vicinity of your grill. Who would ever want to sit on the patio while smelling the delicious aroma of grilling meat without a cold beer? No one! And how do you get that cold beer open? Bottle opener. Simple logic.
With that important element settled, patio barbecue can be a very personal and an individually unique experience. So we’ll tell you here how we generate fabulous barbecue ribs using both the oven and the grill. But take it all with a grain of salt. How we do it may not be how you’d do it. And that’s OK. Barbecue is personal. We get it.
Barbecue Ribs — An Easy Recipe
Barbecuing ribs is more of a process than an actual recipe.
I start with pork baby back ribs because I like the flavor of pork. Make sure they are completely thawed if they came out of the freezer so they will cook evenly.
Many recipes will tell you to strip off the membrane from the meat surface. Here’s some direction from the website The Spruce Eats:
“Leaving the membrane attached to your ribs will result in less-flavorful ribs and a tough texture.
The membrane (called the peritoneum) is a piece of tissue that is attached to the underside of pork ribs. Unlike the cartilage and other connective tissue between and around the ribs, this membrane does not soften when it’s cooked. It just comes out tough and chewy, like a sheet of plastic.
It also forms a barrier against your seasonings (like a dry rub), preventing flavors from penetrating the meat. If you are cooking on a grill or smoker, the membrane will prevent the ribs from fully absorbing the smoky flavor.”
If the membrane is an issue for you please follow the steps to remove it as outlined on The Spruce Eats.
However, with due respect to their directions, I have rarely been successful at removing the membrane. I’ve cooked barbecue ribs many times with the membrane in place with no noticeable loss of flavor or satisfaction — mine were not “chewy”. Because the membrane is on the bone side I did not experience a loss of flavor from the dry rub I used. I focused more on the “meat side” even though I did season the bone side. So, from my viewpoint, remove the membrane if you can, but if not, no worries. Let me know how that works for you.
Seasoned ribs wrapped in foil for baking in the oven
Wrap the ribs in some heavy duty foil. If your rack is too big cut it in half and wrap each rack. Seal it tight and put the racks on a cookie sheet or other pan with sides in case some of the fat drips out (I have an 11” X 19” cast iron baking pan that I use). The ribs should be meat side up, bone side down. Let your ribs sit for a moment while you warm your oven to 250 degrees. When the oven is up to temperature, cook the ribs for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Don’t open the oven or unwrap the foil “just to check”.
At the two hour mark, prep your grill. Either crank up your gas grill or fire up your charcoal grill. (You may need to fire up your charcoal at the hour and 45 minutes point to make sure your coals are perfectly ready when needed.)
Barbecue Ribs to the Grill . . .
Now it’s time to finish the ribs on your grill. I use my gas grill. To prevent your ribs from sticking to the grill, use a balled-up paper towel covered in oil. Grab the paper towel with your grilling tongs and dunk it in a small bowl of cooking oil. Just before you are ready to grill, wipe the paper towel on the hot grates to make them slick and get your meat over the heat.
Baked ribs ready to be finished on the grill
One anomaly with my grill is that regardless of where I twist the gas knobs to get more or less heat, the flame remains at one stage — really hot! So I use the “three-minute” rule. It always works. Simply start grilling each side in three-minute increments. (Yes, use a timer.) Keep rolling your meat — whatever you’re grilling — until it’s done. In the case of the ribs, remove them from the foil they baked in and put them over the grill and roll each rack every three minutes for a total of 15 minutes. Then, cut a piece of the meat from a thick part. If it’s not overly pink on the inside and when you taste it, it’s not chewy as if it were not fully cooked, then they’re done. On a cutting board, slice the ribs into individual pieces and get the plates out. You’ve got more cold beer, right?
Wait a minute, let’s back-up a step. When you’re ready to finish your ribs on the grill you have the option of basting them with your favorite BBQ sauce. But, be careful. I personally want to taste the flavors of the spices in the custom rub I used. And I want to taste the smoke in the meat from the grilling process. If you cover your ribs with sauce at this point the sauce is probably the only flavor you’re going to taste. And you’ll need to keep a sharp eye on your barbecue ribs to make sure the sugar in your BBQ sauce doesn’t burn and spoil your ribs. I usually let my family/guests squeeze a bit of BBQ sauce on the edge of their plate for dipping, if they want.
Finished baked and grilled pork ribs — meaty and tasty!
Tasty Patio Barbecue Is Not Rocket Science
That’s it! Barbecue ribs made simple. And what a great meal for eating on the patio. Of course, you’ll need a side dish or two — check out Randy’s Eat Shop tasty potato salad recipe. Now, grab another cold beer or other adult beverage and start eating. And remember, every day is Friday on the patio!
Patio Barbecue FAQs
What is the definition of a barbecue food?
Barbecue, an outdoor meal, usually a form of social entertainment, at which meats, fish, or fowl, along with vegetables, are roasted over a wood or charcoal fire. The term also denotes the grill or stone-lined pit for cooking such a meal, or the food itself, particularly the strips of meat.
What is the origin of the word barbecue?
The word barbecue comes from the language of a Caribbean Indian tribe called the Taino. Their word for grilling on a raised wooden platform is barbacoa. The word first appeared in print in a Spanish explorer’s account of the West Indies in 1526, according to Planet Barbecue.
What are the 4 types of BBQ?
While the wide variety of barbecue styles makes it difficult to break them down into regions, there are four major styles commonly referenced, North Carolina and Memphis, which rely on pork and represent the oldest styles, and Kansas City and Texas, which use beef as well as pork, and represent the later evolution of the original Deep South barbecue.
What is the best meat to grill for beginners?
Here are suggestions for the easiest meats to grill this season!
Beef kebabs. The cooking time for perfectly grilled kebabs is approximately 12–15 minutes; this makes it a low-effort, delicious dish to serve up for a larger crowd.
Chicken
Turkey
Pork chops
Should meat be seasoned before grilling?
Seasonings need time to penetrate the meat, so season your meat at least one hour before grilling. Rub the meat with oil to help the rub stick to the meat but for the meat not to stick to the grill.
How long should meat sit before grilling?
Take your meat out of the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling to bring it to room temperature so it will cook evenly.
Do you put seasoning on both sides of meat?
The rule is, when cooking meat, both sides have to be seasoned equally. This makes sense. You want every bite to be perfectly seasoned . . . exactly like every other bite.
How to Stop Meat From Sticking to Your BBQ Grill
Simply use a balled-up paper towel covered in oil. Grab the paper towel with your grilling tongs and dunk it in a small bowl of canola oil. Just before you are ready to grill wipe the paper towel on the hot grates and get your meat on the grill.
Please Leave a Comment
Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. What recipe do you like to grill the most? Do you grill over charcoal or gas? How often do you grill? Share a recipe. Please attach a photo to your comment so we can see how tasty your grilled meal looks. Or, if you don’t grill but love to eat ribs, where in Roanoke, Virginia, or in any other location, anywhere, do you love to eat ribs?
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At the end of last season we bought two patio umbrellas to help shade some areas of the patio on either side of our pergola. These areas, in particular, get a lot of hot summer sun in the late afternoon just about the time we want to wander out to enjoy a cocktail on the patio. All we were missing is a patio umbrella stand.
And here are our patio umbrella stand challenges:
Beefy enough to hold up in the constant breeze on our patio.
Meld with our somewhat eclectic decor.
Able to weather the spring/summer/autumn weather.
Easy to move around the patio
Fit our budget.
Research!
By now you must know that we research everything to death! And so the research began, leaving no stone unturned.
Ready-made Patio Umbrella Stand
In the retail world there are many options for patio umbrella stands either from a local retailer or online vendor. Regardless of the material or style — plastic filled with water or sand, steel, formed concrete, or even stands that can be mounted directly into your patio or deck surface, none appeared to be able to fit our first criteria: Beefy enough to hold up in the constant breeze on our patio. We needed something big and heavy.
Now, to be fair, I did find some retail stands that had the weight required but they were hundreds of dollars to buy, so they didn’t meet our last criteria: Fit our budget.
Here’s some research that I found interesting. Apparently, the rule of thumb is that a patio umbrella stand, in terms of weight, should be ten pounds for every foot the umbrella is wide. So I did the math: our umbrellas are seven and a half wide when fully open. Seven point five times ten equals 75. I needed an umbrella stand that weighed at least 75 pounds. To be safe, a hundred pounds would be better. To buy that off the shelf could have cost as much as $250. And I need two. A retail purchase wasn’t gonna happen.
DIY Patio Umbrella Stand
Now in all of my research I viewed tons of homemade stands that ranged from the highly creative to the overly simple. But none satisfied our criteria to meld with our somewhat eclectic decor. I spent many afternoons laying in our hammock with an adult beverage thinking about what I could design/build/modify to meet all of the needs we had for patio umbrella stands. My mind kept revolving: reasonable cost, look good on the patio, be functional, hold up in the weather — over and over and over. This kind of mental process is good because you start eliminating the obvious and start thinking creatively, outside the box. And that is where you sometimes find your best solutions.
During my trips back and forth into the house from the patio hammock to refresh my adult beverage (I don’t have an outside bar yet — stay tuned!), I watched an internet provider installing new fiber optic cable in my neighborhood. All of that cable wrapped around those wooden cable spools got my “out of the box” mind cranking. Watch out!
Cable spools about 24 inches in diameter seemed to have enough weight and base to prevent the wind from tipping our umbrellas over. I did an extensive search online for new cable spools but they were not to be found. There was plenty of finished furniture from old cable spools but that wasn’t going to fit our need. Then I remembered that we have some friends in the cable business. I asked them if they had any old spools that I might have for free. Yes, they did. Here they are in their rough condition:
I wasn’t deterred because I knew I would polish them up to make them look better and be durable for any weather.
Refurbishing the Cable Spools
Paint
First I wire-brushed all surfaces to get dust, dirt, and grime off the wood. Then I applied the first coat of paint. I did not use a primer as the paint I bought was designed for exactly the kind of outdoor application I was seeking. Plus, the cable spools are made from pine so I knew the wood would really soak up the paint.
Casters
Next, I installed four casters on each spool. To hold the umbrellas in place the stand had to weigh about 75 pounds — more than I want to heft around the patio. So the wheels make it easy to move that kind of weight. I also wanted brakes on the wheels so that a strong wind would not blow the umbrella and stand across the patio. After doing my research I found Jack Boss 3 Inch Caster Wheels (pack of 4) on Amazon. These are fabulous casters at a very reasonable price. Each wheel has a brake so I can firmly place each umbrella stand and know it is not going to move.
Umbrella Pole Sheath
The pole on the umbrellas we bought came in two pieces that thread together. So I took the bottom piece to my local big box hardware store to search for a tube in which the umbrella pole would snuggly fit. I found a PVC pipe whose inside diameter was 1.5 inches — a perfect size for the umbrella pole. After cutting the sheath to the desired length, I drilled a hole through the pipe about an inch from the bottom and inserted a bolt with nut so the umbrella pole could rest on the bolt. This allows any water that gets into the pipe to drain out through the bottom and prevent the umbrella pole from rotting.
Now, the PVC pipe was a bit smaller in diameter than the hole in the center of the cable spool. I needed a way to secure it centered without using any fasteners that would obstruct the umbrella pole from fitting into the PVC sheath. So I bought some cedar door shims and used them to wedge in between the PVC pipe and the outside edge of the center hole in the spool. It worked great. I pounded them in for a snug fit and cut off the excess. I then ran some caulk around the pipe on top of the shims for a good tight and smooth seal. Just be careful to make sure the PVC pipe is level and square so your umbrella will stand up straight and not be crooked.
Lastly, I put several coats of gloss black spray paint made for plastic application on the PVC pipes and then brushed on a last coat of black paint on the top of each cable spool to give them a clean, finished look.
I also drilled a hole on the upper part of the PVC pipe clear through the umbrella pole to insert another bolt with wing nut to secure the umbrella to the umbrella stand. This will prevent a gust of wind from grabbing the umbrella and pulling it out of the umbrella stand sheath.
Corrugated Steel
We had just finished our grill deck and had some corrugated steel left over from the roof we put on that deck. So I thought it would be a nice detail to wrap the center part of the cable spools with some of the corrugated steel. I think it really dresses up the umbrella stands in an “industrial look” kind of way.
Patio Umbrella Stand FAQs
What’s the price range for Patio Umbrella Stands?
The average price for Patio Umbrella Stands ranges from $10 to $700.
How heavy should an umbrella stand be?
A good way to determine the minimum weight for your umbrella stand is to multiply the width of your umbrella canopy by 10. For example, for a 7.5′ umbrella we recommend using a 75 lb. umbrella stand; a 9′ umbrella will require at least an 90 lb. umbrella stand.
How much wind can a patio umbrella with stand?
You should close your patio umbrella if the wind velocity exceeds the range of 15-20 mph, although high-quality wind-resistant umbrellas may withstand it.
What is the proper height for a patio umbrella?
In general, you want your umbrella to be at least 7 feet tall. You can also look for patio umbrellas with tilting and cantilever functions to adjust where the shade lands.
Should I close my patio umbrella every night?
The short answer is yes, it is a good practice to close your umbrella at night or any time that you are not using it. Like most outdoor furniture, your patio umbrella is likely weather-resistant and made with durable materials, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is indestructible.
What color of umbrella repels the sun?
The color option black is very popular because of its ability to block UV rays. Out of all the colors in the spectrum, black absorbs the most light and heat. If you have a black patio umbrella canopy, you can rest under it on hot sunny days without letting the heat bother you.
Patio Umbrella Stands to Beat the Heat, Wind, and Rain
The stands are now in service on the patio. One shields the hammock from the afternoon sun and the other shields the wrought iron furniture where we often sit to have snacks and refreshing drinks.
Are we happy? Absolutely! Are these umbrella stands as aesthetically beautiful as if they had been professionally manufactured and were brand new, just out of the box? No. But this is patio furniture. It needs to be rough and tumble. It needs to hold up in the weather. It needs to handle spilled food and drink. It needs be refurbishable again in several years.
And did they meet our criteria? Yes. They certainly are beefy enough to hold up in the constant breeze on our patio. They meld nicely with our somewhat eclectic decor. They will definitely be able to weather the spring/summer/autumn weather. The casters make them easy to move around the patio but, with their brakes, make it easy to firmly ground the stands if necessary. And they really fit our budget — all in all, the cost of the materials to transform these cable spools into usable, effective patio umbrella stands was less than $100.
So now it’s time to relax. And remember, every day is Friday on the patio!
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Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. Do you have umbrellas on your patio or deck to shade the sun? How do you keep them secure? If you are using patio umbrella stands were they purchased or did you make them? Please attach a photo to your comment so we can see how your stands work and how creative you may have gotten.
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I wrote an earlier blog post entitled: A Grilling Table is My Outdoor Kitchen because the cost of an outdoor cooking area seemed WAY above whatever budget I’d ever have. But issues started to arise when cooking outdoors with no weather protection. Invariably, when I’d decide to grill on a sunny Saturday afternoon, by the time I’d prepped the food, fired up the charcoal, poured an adult beverage, and was ready to grill, the weather had turned into rain and I was washed out. I needed to have a covered space to allow me to grill in a reasonable rain (or snow — Roanoke, VA is a year-round grilling opportunity). I needed a grilling deck for all seasons.
I wanted an outdoor cooking space close to my indoor kitchen.
The grilling deck had to fit my grilling table, which holds my charcoal grill and a two-burner propane stove, plus a propane grill that a friend had given us.
I wanted to build it myself to save money but I’m not the best carpenter so it would have to be simple and easy — no fancy cuts and nothing I couldn’t lift by myself.
The project had to be economical — definitely under $1,000 and closer to $500 if possible.
A Space Close to My Kitchen
Two years ago we had a poly privacy fence installed around our yard. When the fence was installed along our carport it left a small grassy space that wasn’t good for much. Or so I thought. This space is right across our carport opposite the back door leading to our indoor kitchen. Perfect!
Space for Grilling Table Plus a Propane Grill
The small grassy space “not good for much” was about eight feet wide by about sixteen feet long. After measuring all items I wanted on the grilling deck it appeared that a seven foot wide by twelve foot long deck would meet my needs and pocket book.
Determined to Build the Grilling Deck Myself
I am a very elementary carpenter (read: hacker — “a person who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity”). I like 2x4s and maybe 2x6s. I like straight cuts and as few cuts as possible. I like screws versus glue because I make mistakes and sometimes I have to take apart what I’m building and reconfigure. And I like saving money!
I looked online for a plan but couldn’t find one I liked or thought that I could build. So I designed one myself.
I built the base out of 2x6s . . .
I built the base out of 2x6s with the joists spaced at 16 inches on center. This is a floating deck so I set it on some old pavers I had and leveled it up. I did not dig out the sod underneath as the earth here in Roanoke is very hard clay and I just didn’t have the energy to dig it out and replace it with a weed barrier and gravel like many of the YouTube videos I’d watched. The decking I used was 5/4 by 12 feet. All the wood I used was pressure treated to hold up in the weather.
I wanted a partial roof to keep me dry . . .
I wanted a partial roof to keep me dry and/or out of the hot sun while grilling so I put the uprights in place, built the roof structure at five feet wide by 12 feet long. Then I bolted the roof structure to the rear uprights so I could swing it up into position with the front uprights and bolt it in place. (All of the uprights and braces are 2x4s since they carried very little weight.) My wife helped a bit at this point, but otherwise I was able to do most of the work alone and keep the project going.
I covered the roof with corrugated steel panels from Home Depot. The material seems a bit thin but it has held up well and, since I did not design the roof to carry a lot of weight, these panels worked nicely and had the visual appeal I wanted.
I wanted six foot corrugated panels but they only came in eight foot and 12 foot lengths. The 12 footers were too long for me to carry on top of my vehicle so I bought the eight footers and cut two feet off the end of seven panels. I used these tin snips from Harbor Freight. They worked great! (I used some of the left over corrugated steel panels to decorate patio umbrella stands I made.)
Regarding the angle of the roof to allow for rain run-off, my research identified this rule of thumb: For every running foot of roof, the angle of the roof should drop 1 inch. I have a six foot roof so my roof drops, front to back, six inches. I put down some clear plastic between the deck and fence and topped it with river rock to allow the rain to flow down and out toward the street. This prevents the deck roof run-off from making the ground soggy and negatively affecting either the fence posts in the ground or the position of the pavers on which my floating deck is sitting level. It all works very efficiently.
Make sure when installing your roof panels that the first one is square on the roof structure or the other panels will “creep” as you install down the length of the roof. Not terrible if it happens but cleaner if it doesn’t. And shop around for some of the elements needed for this project. For instance, I found the screws to install the corrugated panels much cheaper at Amazon online from Jake Sales versus buying them at the big box hardware stores locally.
Make your grilling deck moveable
One last note: I made this grilling deck so that if I ever moved, I could easily take it apart and move it with me, maintaining the value and pleasure I have received from this DIY build.
Plus, an Added Bonus . . .
A grilling deck is going to need a workspace, right? Absolutely! Where else will you place your meat, ready-to-grill and your cocktail to enjoy while grilling! So, I collected several scraps I had leftover from other projects and pulled together a grill cart on wheels so it can serve whichever grilling apparatus I happen to be using at the time. And, of course, it needed to have a bottle opener as required, standard operating equipment for ice cold beer on a hot summer day.
Grilling Deck Had to Be Economical
I really wanted this grilling deck but it had to be within my targeted budget for my peace of mind and pocketbook after it was completed. All in all, I spent about $700.00 to complete the project including a gallon of pricey marine sealer that I applied to ensure that the deck would withstand the elements and perform for us for years to come.
The Benefits of a Grilling Deck
Now I can grill (almost) no matter the weather. I can plan and not be undermined by rain or snow. We can have those we may be entertaining join us at the grilling deck to enjoy many pleasures:
Create anticipation for the wonderful meal we all are about to delight in.
And all this from the grilling deck within reach of my indoor kitchen. It is simpatico. Mouth watering. Large-smile friendly. Pure fun!
And remember, every day is Friday on the patio!
UPDATE: This is EXACTLY Why I Built My Grilling Deck!
Just this afternoon I was grilling some marinated pork cutlets. As I have described in the above post, as the afternoon went on the weather turned from sunny to cloudy to looking like rain. Literally, as I was pulling my cutlets off the grill I heard the first raindrops on my grill deck corrugated steel roof. Within a minute or two what you’ll see in the video here occurred. Complete grilling washout without a covered grilling deck. The front of the deck where there is no cover was wet with rain. The grilling equipment under the roof remained bone dry. Build it! You won’t have any regrets. And you’ll conclude your grilling event dry and ready to chow down.
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Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or tell us what we missed and can add to this post. Do you have a space or structure specifically for your grilling equipment? If so, did you build it or have it built? What do you like about it? What would you do differently if you built another? Please attach a photo to your comment so we can see your cool grilling deck.
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Our neighborhood was built in 1970. The developer installed a 48 inch high chainlink fence around every back yard. And those fences remain today . . . 53 years later. Perhaps people were not interested in the privacy of their yards in those days.
We are one of the few houses in our neighborhood with a privacy fence. And I’m glad. We want to relax on our patio while enjoying an adult beverage, entertain our friends, chill out on our hammock — even garden, and not feel like our outdoor space is a communal environment where our neighbors can see every move we make or overhear our conversations. We’re not anti-social or snobby neighbors. We just like our privacy.
Another plus of our privacy fence is that many of our immediate neighbors have dogs who, before we installed our privacy fence, barked and barked and barked when we were in our backyard. Now that they can’t see us they bark much less.
Frankly, in all of the cities in which we’ve lived (we’ve been vagabonds in the past) every house in our neighborhood had a privacy fence. So for us, it was one of three main objectives for which we budgeted as a patio project goal in our initial patio development.
And finally, our privacy fence is a good investment, increasing the value of our house. In a selling situation, a privacy fence will make our home more desirable and command a higher price than a fenceless house. It’s a good value.
Research Your Fence Options
We did quite a bit of research online to determine the material we wanted to use for our privacy fence. We narrowed our options down to three types:
Chainlink Fence, Preferably Black, Vinyl-covered With Slats
Solid Wood Fence
Solid Vinyl Fence
Here’s what we found out in our research to make our final decision:
Chainlink Fence, Preferably Black, Vinyl-covered With Slats
We found a chainlink fence manufacturer who uses slats in the chainlink to create “privacy”. This manufacturer has developed a better type of slat that offers 98% privacy versus the standard slat style for chainlink fences which doesn’t look very private at all. The photos on their website (eprivacylink.com) of this type of fence looked really clean and contemporary. Sadly, however, we were fence shopping at the height of the COVID pandemic when everyone was improving their homes. No one knew how long the pandemic would last. People didn’t leave their homes except for necessary reasons like grocery shopping. So demand drove up the price, putting this fence style way outside of our budget. But you might check it out — it looks really cool.
Solid Wood Fence
A wood fence was our least desired option because we’ve had wood fences in the past at other homes we’ve owned. They never lasted as long as the supplier promised — in one instance our wood fence rotted and fell down after just seven years. Plus, to make them really last you must treat the wood with protectant every two to three years. That meant having spraying equipment or buying cases of beer, gallons of sealant, and boxes of paint brushes with which to con our friends into helping us re-seal our fence on a regular basis. Not an optimal situation as we have 331 linear feet of fence.
And at the time we were shopping, wood was hard to get (pandemic issue) so the cost between wood and vinyl was almost the same when we purchased our fence.
Solid Vinyl Fence
In the end, we selected a solid vinyl privacy fence for these reasons:
Aesthetically we really liked the clean lines of the fence design, enhancing the appearance and value of our property overall.
Both sides of the vinyl fence look the same. So we didn’t have to worry about which side faces our neighbors and which side we get to look at inside our yard, unlike a wood fence.
Vinyl fences can last over 30 years.
The vinyl material is very low maintenance — as simple as power washing or hosing down the vinyl material every two to three years as needed. Much better than spraying or brushing on sealant on a wood fence every two to three years.
Vinyl fences weather very well, so our yard and patio area looks well-kept throughout any season of the year.
The amount of privacy we feel we have far surpasses the other two materials we were considering.
Consult With Your Local Building Code Officials
I made it a point to go to our town offices and speak with the code official. I found out:
I did not need a permit for my fence.
Regardless of whether our fence was DIY or professionally installed, someone — the installer, if professionally done, or us, if DIY — had to contact 811 to determine what utilities were underground. Please note: Whomever calls to schedule for utilities to be marked is the responsible party. If you do not have the utilities marked before digging and something gets broken, you (the home owner) or your fence installer will pay for repairs. So if you are having your fence professionally installed, have the installer call for the utility marking. No digging should occur until you get the paperwork saying it was inspected. And you should clearly see visible markings on your property. By the way, we did have a gas line moved. By asking the gas company well in advance of our install date, they were able to work the gas line relocation into their normal schedule at no cost to us. Yahoo!
Our code official suggested we have our fence inset on our property about six inches from the property line as a “hedge” against unknowingly installing our fence on our neighbor’s property. Because there is an existing chainlink fence installed directly on the property line, that six inch space was our responsibility to maintain or risk a citation. We would have to negotiate with four neighbors every time we mowed our lawn to allow us into their yards to weed whack that six inch space. No way. And then the code official suggested we inset our fence the width of our lawn mower plus an inch or two. Genius! Now we just run our mower around the 27 inch space between the two fences and then relax on our patio with a cold beer.
The code official told me that if we extended our fence beyond the front plane of our house, the height of the fence would have to drop down from six feet to four feet. The fence could not extend any farther than 25 feet from the front of the house. We decided not to extend our fence into the front yard.
Finally, they identified the maximum fence height at six feet six inches. That was valuable information because we wanted a taller fence. Because we verified the correct fence height, we avoided an unknown code violation. That violation would have caused us to remove the fence and install the correct height. And if not corrected now, the error would need to be corrected before we could ever sell our house. By the way, we asked for a code variance for a taller fence and they said ‘no’. But they were nice about it.
So the point here is, do your due diligence with your local building code officials so you know the rules before you contract with a fence supplier — in particular, whether a permit is required. If there’s no permit, there’s no official inspection and no one would notice any code violations until it’s too late, requiring expensive corrective action.
Selecting a Privacy Fence Supplier/Installer
Again, given the COVID pandemic situation at the time we were ready to purchase our fence, many of the vendors we contacted were booked a year in advance. We found only two suppliers, but getting more than one estimate saved us thousands of dollars. There was a $6,000 difference in the price estimate from one vendor versus the other . . . for the same fence! Needless to say, we highly recommend getting more that one estimate.
Also, we checked-out both bidders online to read reviews from past customers. The company we decided to buy from had great reviews — happy customers. They are a smaller local company which we liked because we dealt directly with the owners who were a joy to work with.
And they were very honest with us about supply chain issues due to the COVID pandemic and weather issues in states where the materials for our fence were produced. We ended up with a delay of about five months. But our fence vendor was excellent about communicating with us so we always knew where we were in their cue and had accurate expectations of when our fence would arrive from their supplier.
By the way, if you are in or near Roanoke, Virginia, please include on your prospective supplier list, J & M Fencing. They did a great job for us and we recommend them for the quality they put into their work.
Other Privacy Fence Considerations
We communicated between our concrete vendor for our patio and our fence vendor so both vendors knew our project plans and timelines. This process is very important to making the entire project come off without a hitch. From both suppliers we learned that it would be better to pour the patio first and then install the fence. Otherwise, we stood a good chance of having to remove some of the fence to make room for the concrete equipment and then re-installing the fence thus adding to the overall cost of the project. Not good.
Another decision we made was to have a pedestrian door installed from our carport out to the patio and then, on the other end of our house, have installed two four-foot gates that, when opened, would allow for other equipment to get into our backyard (like a bobcat) in the event we wanted to make further backyard improvements in the future.
We Love Our Patio Privacy Fence
So now it’s been a little over a year since our privacy fence was installed. It still looks great. We enjoy private time on our patio lounging in the sun or entertaining our friends. We enjoy beverages, adult or otherwise and feast on fun patio food. Some nights we climb into our hammock and marvel at the stars. And all of these activities we enjoy without feeling like we’re sharing with our neighbors because . . . we have this beautiful privacy fence. Sometimes the simple things in life make us the most happy. Yes, life does happen on the patio.
And remember, every day is Friday on the patio!
Privacy Fence FAQs
How much does it cost to put a privacy fence around your yard?
Privacy fence installation can cost between $12 to $50 per linear foot depending on materials and the height of the fence.
Are vinyl fences cheaper than wood?
Initially, vinyl may cost more than wood. However, premium vinyl fencing will outlast the wood fencing by years, requires no maintenance upkeep, is impervious to insects, and over the long run, vinyl is less expensive than wood! Not only will it be less expensive than wood over 10 years, but it will also have about 6-1/2 times the Return On Investment (ROI) over wood.
What type of privacy fence lasts the longest?
Vinyl is hands down the material that is going to give you the most bang for your buck in terms of longevity. Vinyl fences can last over 30 years if they are properly maintained.
If you’re set on having a wood fence, cedar is the best choice for its durability (natural rot and insect resistance) and low-maintenance (no need to paint or stain). If overall maintenance and durability is a primary factor, vinyl fence may be a better choice.
What is the best season to build a fence?
Winter is definitely the best time to install a fence if you have a manicured landscape. Most plants are dormant during the winter months, which means trees, plants, and shrubs are less likely to be damaged during fence installation and construction.
Who gets the good side of a fence?
The finished side of a wood fence should face toward your neighbor. Not only is this more polite, but it’s the standard and may be a code regulation. Your property will look a lot nicer with the “good” side facing the outside world. But remember, vinyl fences look the same on both sides so you and your neighbors see the same great looking fence.
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Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or let us know what we missed and can add to this post. Do you have a privacy fence around your patio/yard and what kind? What was your experience in selecting and installing your fence. Add a picture so we can see how your fence looks.
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When summer wanes and the air starts to cool off we all start thinking about “comfort food” on the patio. I’m sure you would agree that a bowl of hearty chili ranks near the top of the list. And the nice thing about chili is that it can be so diverse depending on personal taste, available/regional ingredients, or even an heirloom recipe handed down generation to generation.
If you’re like me you like tasty food that’s easy to make. And if you like yummy chili ready to eat in about 40 minutes, you’ll like Randy’s Eat Shop Black Bean Chili. Keep reading and get ready.
1 chipotle chile, diced (add another couple if you want more kick)
1 can chopped green chilis, 7 oz
Do this:
Spices
Collect all of the dry spices into one small bowl.
Meat
Heat the oil in a dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the ground sweet Italian sausage and break up the meat with a spatula. Cook until all of the meat is no longer pink. With a slotted spoon remove the meat from the dutch oven to a bowl. Leave the oil in the pot.
Vegetables and Spices
Add more oil if necessary. Cook onion and garlic in dutch oven until onions are soft. Stir often to prevent the garlic from burning (it will turn bitter). Stir in dry spices to let their flavors and aromas open up. Add the chipotle chili (this will give it a bit of a kick). Saute for a minute or so.
Finish the Chili
Add in the cooked meat, black beans, tomatoes, green chilis, and balsamic vinegar. Stir to mix well. Turn the heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a piece of cornbread. If you make your own cornbread and you’ve never added a can of creamed corn to your mix, check out this cornbread recipe and see what you think.
Doesn’t chili only get better day after day — great on the first day but better on the third? And when it gets down to the last cup there’s only one best way to finish it off . . . chili dogs and beer!
So mix up a double batch of black bean chili and bake a pan of cornbread. Then invite your friends and family over for a little fall/winter entertaining on the patio. Fire up your propane patio heater, throw another log on the fire in your fire pit, and start mixing hot toddys to compliment every bowl of black bean chili that’s dished out.
And always remember: every day is Friday on the patio!
Black Bean Chili FAQs
Are black beans healthy?
The antioxidants, fiber, protein, and carbohydrates in black beans make them nutritionally powerful.
Are black beans good in chili?
Yes! Black beans are a great source of protein and fiber, and they add a delicious flavor to chili.
Do you drain black beans for chili?
The liquid in good canned beans is just the water and salt the beans were cooked in filled with delicious bean flavor. And this liquid is a great thickener
Should I add liquid to chili?
It depends on personal preference. Some people like a thinner chili, like soup. If so, you can add some vegetable broth or red wine to thin it out. Others like it thick and hearty. The liquid from the beans and tomatoes is enough for them. What do you like?
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Leave a comment below and tell us if this information was of value to you or let us know what we missed and can add to this post. Did you make the chili? Was it as easy as we said it was? Did it add to your winter patio experience? Did you modify the recipe? How so? Did you bake the cornbread? Please include a photo so we can see how delicious your chili looks.
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