Have you ever wished you could enjoy your landscape more in winter? The patio sits empty on frigid days, and all you can do is reminisce about last summer and look forward to the next. But what if there were solutions that would make it comfortable and even cozy to enjoy time outdoors all winter? Here are 4 must-have masonry features this winter in Hollis and Milford, NH, areas.
Fire is the most important feature you can add to your patio to make it more livable this winter.
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Fire Table
On warmer days, you could enjoy a home-cooked meal in the cozy ambience of a fire table set on top of a masonry base. This table can be coffee-table height for casual get-togethers, dining-table height for shared meals, or bar height. Fire tables feature a generous surface for dining, as well as the warm but smoke-free glow of natural gas or propane flames. This is a chic feature you can enjoy all year!
Fire Pit
Sipping hot cocoa and roasting marshmallows by a crackling fire is something you can enjoy on the frostiest days. If you are lucky enough to have a skating pond on your property, the fire pit is the perfect opportunity to warm up after a pick-up hockey game. Fire pits can be wood-fired or fueled by natural gas or propane. Take a fire pit to a more elegant level by using masonry, which will tie in with other vertical elements and also provide a sturdy place to sit close to the fire.
Instead of individual seating (like Adirondack chairs) you could opt for high-back masonry seat walls which will help hold the heat in the fire area. To warm up cold masonry, all you need is some cozy cushions and pillows - and before you know it, the heat of the flames will warm up the stone, which will retain the heat for some time.
Fireplace
An outdoor fireplace is the ultimate solution if you want a more grand outdoor space, and if you want to block the wind. A fireplace can be as big as you want and can even include special amenities like a wood-fired pizza oven or decorative side walls that extend outward to create a masonry wall that will block even the fiercest winter winds - while you sit cozily by the fire. A substantial hearth stone offers even more close-up seating right by the fire. As with a fire pit, an outdoor fireplace could be wood-fired, or fueled by natural gas or propane.
Since fireplaces don’t disperse heat in all directions, pay special attention to the size and shape of the fire box, to ensure that everyone gets to enjoy the warmth. In winter, you could position outdoor furniture close to the fire, and in summer, move it further away to create a beautiful outdoor living room.
Pavilion
You will achieve the ultimate in winter outdoor comfort with a pavilion - an open-sided structure with a solid roof. Placing a fireplace on one side will keep you warm, and sheltered if the skies decide to open up. Adding masonry pillars to the base of the pavilion supports will integrate the structure into your design aesthetic. This also lets you place unobtrusive landscape lighting in the pillars for wonderful ambience after dark.
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