All winter you wait, peering through the frosty patio door, counting the days. When that first glorious spring afternoon finally arrives, you stride happily onto your deck and take a deep breath of fresh air. In no time you’ve dusted off the patio furniture and arranged it just the way you like it. Soon after, the grill is aglow and the tantalizing aroma of barbecue drifts across the neighborhood. For a few weeks the fun continues. But as summer heats up, you realize you’re spending more and more time indoors, and the deck is as desolate as it was in January. What happened?

There are many reasons we desert our decks and patios at what should be the height of the backyard-living season. Sun and heat are the biggest culprits, but wind, rain or a chill in the air also can send us retreating indoors. Insects and lack of privacy detract from our enjoyment, too. Fortunately, you can remedy most of these annoyances and enjoy your deck or patio almost year-round.

Sunblocking
Sun and heat are the most common obstacles to enjoyment during the outdoor-living season.
Patio umbrellas offer short-term relief from direct sunlight, but they create only a small comfort area and do little to combat glare and heat radiating from deck boards. Eventually, most umbrellas blow over and are damaged or ruined. A stable, convenient alternative to the typical patio-table umbrella is the costlier side-post umbrella. These boxes or domes of shade fabric are suspended from an overhead arm with a standard located off to one side of the umbrella. With no table taking up space, you have more room in the shaded area. For a more permanent solution to sun and heat problems, install an awning. Most deck and patio awnings are retractable. When the weather is fair, you can roll them back and bask in the sunlight.

Some awnings are sold with complete sets of hardware for a self-contained installation. Others are mounted to an independent overhead structure. An innovative system made by ShadeTree Canopies includes post saddles and mounting hardware designed to fit on 6x6 post-and-beam structures you build yourself. Special post-mounting brackets and runner track systems simplify installation. Some retractable awning kits for a 10 x 12-ft. deck cost less than $1,000, but sturdier units made with heavy fabric cost up to $2,000 for the same size.

Another option is to create a DIY deck roof. Awning dealers and fabric stores carry sun-blocking exterior fabrics you can use to rig up a temporary roof for your deck or patio. The fabrics are loose-knit synthetics or mesh — you don’t see much canvas anymore. In most cases, you’ll need to create a support structure for the shade fabric. Setting wood corner posts in concrete and attaching the fabric to the post tops (or to your house on one end) is a popular solution. Keep in mind that the support structure probably won’t be easily retractable because that’s a tricky DIY engineering feat. However, you can devise a system that allows easy removal of the fabric when it’s not needed. One product designed for quick setup and removal is the Shade Sail manufactured by Coolaroo. Shaped like a sailboat sail, the shade-casting fabric can be put up and taken down easily on hot or bright days. Square shapes are also available.

Another permanent alternative is an arbor made from lattice or rafters installed in an open grid pattern. Arbors block direct sunlight while allowing light and breezes through, and they often support climbing plants. They can be built using basic outdoor-construction techniques. The cost depends on the elaborateness of the structure and the building materials used. You can find plans for building basic arbors in books, or you can buy arbor kits made from exterior-grade lumber or vinyl.

Blocking wind and sight lines
Wind and lack of privacy are fundamentally different problems, but they share these common solutions:

Trellises — Basically an arbor tipped on end, a trellis can be easy and inexpensive to build. You can create vertical support for lattice panels by setting posts or mounting them to the chassis of your deck. Use prefabricated lattice panels (wood or vinyl), or make your own custom panels. Often, a planting box is added at the base of the trellis for climbing vines. Combining
a trellis with an overhead arbor results
in an elegant, useful structure that fortifies your deck or patio against multiple annoyances and can improve the appearance of your home. For maximum effectiveness, make the trellis at least 6 ft. tall.

Fences — A privacy fence blocks sight lines and wind, and it also can improve the appearance of your yard. Build a fence with the infill boards installed vertically, at an angle to the rails, to block visibility while allowing light breezes through.

Deck rail planters — Planting boxes that mount to a deck rail are easy to build, and prefabricated boxes are widely available. The degree of privacy or wind-shielding ability depends on the species of plant. Around patios and ground-level decks, hedgerows and strategically placed specimen plants can block wind and sight and even provide shade.

Fabric panels — Some retractable awning systems allow for side panels made from matching fabric. The panels provide excellent privacy and may offer shade or reduce glare, depending on the orientation of your deck or patio. They also afford some wind protection, but they should be used only when the wind is relatively calm.

Other ways to increase privacy and block wind include replacing a deck railing with solid panels (a clear material, such as safety glass, blocks the wind without obstructing views); installing new balusters between existing railing balusters; and adding strategically placed benches with tall backs.

Combating cold
You can extend your outdoor living into the fall or winter months (or at least make cool evenings more comfortable) by adding an outdoor heating element. Deck and patio heaters come in many sizes and shapes, from burners that run on propane or LP gas to steel-mesh patio firepits.
Umbrella-style freestanding heaters are popular commercial products that have found their way into more and more homes. Usually 7-1/2 to 8 ft. tall, an umbrella heater features a 30- to 36-in.-dia. heat dome on top. Fired by propane tanks, LP cylinder tanks or natural gas, most models give off 40,000 to 48,000 Btu of heat — enough to warm a 20-ft.-dia. area. Cost for these heaters ranges from $300 to $1,000, with most products between $600 and $700. The cheapest to operate run on natural gas, but they must be set in concrete — professional installation is definitely
recommended. For fire safety, umbrella heaters shouldn’t be used in areas covered with an awning or roof.

Shorter versions of umbrella heaters can be placed on a patio table or near a favorite lounge chair. About 3 ft. tall with 20-in.-dia. heat domes, these portable heaters provide up to 14,000 Btu — enough to keep a small gathering of diners comfortable on a cool evening. Most models are fueled by disposable 1-pound propane tanks (sold at hardware stores), making them convenient to use. Prices start at about $150.

Directed heat can also be provided by portable infrared heaters that attach to LP or propane tanks. Designed to be positioned around a deck or patio, these heaters run quietly and cost $100 to $200.

If the thought of gas burners and open flames near your house makes you nervous, consider an exterior-rated electric heater. Normally hung from a ceiling or mounted high on walls, electric heater provide radiant heat. For light duty, you can find 110-volt, 1,500-watt models. Larger 240-volt, 3,000-watt models can heat an area as big as 10 x 15 ft.
For greater visual appeal, firepits are a more attractive option. However, they are less effective and require more work. Prices start at $100. Local regulations may not allow the use of self-contained firepits on a wood deck, and most stipulate a minimum setback from permanent structures. Be sure to consult your local fire department before using a firepit.

Insect control
Next to sun and heat, nothing drives more outdoor enthusiasts indoors than bugs, especially mosquitoes. You’ll find a host of consumer products claiming to provide mosquito control, but few work. Unfortunately, natural means of controlling mosquitoes (such as encouraging bat populations around your yard) tend to be equally ineffective.

If your deck or patio area is plagued by mosquitoes, the best remedy is to exercise basic housekeeping and plan ahead. Watch for standing or stagnant water and remove it immediately. Replace exterior floodlight bulbs with yellow bug lights. Wear lighter colored clothing. Use topical insect repellent if you can tolerate it. Yard foggers and insecticides can grant brief relief, but they should be used with care and always in accordance with the guidelines on the label.

The most effective way to control biting insects is to screen-in your deck or patio area. It can be costly and does little to improve the appearance of your home (not to mention your view). But it is the one remedy that is proven to work long-term.

Rain impedes outdoor living and ruins fun. But if you shelter your deck or patio area, you may enjoy spending time outdoors during
a shower. The most effective way to rain-proof your deck or patio is to put a roof over it: for example, an arbor covered with fiberglass roof panels or an awning made of waterproof fabric. Be wary of waterproof awnings, however. Fabric that doesn’t allow water to pass through can promote pooling, which causes stains and rot.

If your house has a second-story walkout deck, you can protect the area underneath by installing a ceiling system. Panels and gutters are mounted to the underside of the deck to collect and divert water or debris that runs through the gaps between the deck boards above. Adding screen walls around the area beneath the deck provides additional protection from rain, wind and insects.

Sources:

DRY-B-LO Deck Drain Systems 800-437-9256, www.dry-b-lo.com
Gale Pacific (Coolaroo shade products) 800-560-4667, www.coolaroo.com
Mr. Heater Corp. (216) 881-5500, www.mrheater.com
ShadeTree Canopies 888-317-4233, www.shadetreecanopies.com
SunSetter Retractable Awnings 800-876-8060, www.sunsetter.com
Tuff-Bilt Products (plastic lattice and trellis) 800-879-7723, www.tuffbilt.com
UmbrellaTime 800-316-9468, www.umbrellatime.com
UnderDeck 877-805-7156, www.underdeck.com
UniFlame Outdoor Heaters 800-416-7223, www.uniflame.com
Whalen Outdoor Products 800-225-1438, www.whalenco.com