Our backyard has had some major work done this year. We have loved taking you along with the transformation we have been dreaming of and saving for since we moved in five years ago! You may think that with cooler temperatures and shorter days on their way, we may be thinking of packing up the backyard and heading in for the year. NO WAY! Just because summer is shortly coming to a close, doesn’t mean that we will stop using this fun new space. Even before the updates, this has always been our favorite place to play together as a family! I snapped some photos of the yard and deck the other night, just AS IS. Without any new updates. This is also a review of what we think of our outdoor space a couple months after it was done.
Here are SIX WAYS to get the most out of your outdoor space-
1- Lighting
Summer ending means shorter days and earlier sunsets. It is important to consider what that means for the lighting of your outdoor space. When I shared our Timber Tech Deck Reveal, we shared our string lights and the outdoor sconces we had chosen for the back entrance. Since then we added lights in a few more spots! We used this wire system to string the lights from the deck to the shed. And these lights are what we used to go over the yard, and they are shatter-proof.
2- Gathering Spot
One thing that we did this year was put in a new deck. We had to remove our old one to make way for the new kitchen and master bathroom, so we decided to change a few things about it. The fact that our deck was wood and needed to be painted each year was something we addressed. We put in Timber Tech decking and have loved the look, feel, and livability of the product. We have now spent a busy summer out here with swimming and construction, etc. our deck still looks brand new! I love how durable this product is!
We did have a rug down under the table, but we gave the rug away and just haven’t replaced it. There was zero color change with having a rug down for three months on the TimberTech.
Your Questions Answered on TimberTech-
When I revealed our deck, I answered the FAQs. I have updated them after living with the deck, where necessary.
- Q- Will it scratch and change color with the furniture movement? A- Because this product is synthetically made from a poly materials, it is the same color throughout! UPDATE: Now scratches! And we have had a lot of construction happening. And we had a rug down that left zero fading.
- Q- Do you need to paint it? A- This product doesn’t need paint! The color is the color is the color. It is also guaranteed not to fade or chip. Ours is the color Driftwood. UPDATE: I love that next Spring there will be no prep but cleaning to start enjoying this area again!
- Q- How to clean it? A- We use THIS pressure washer (it was a gift for Kevin last year on Father’s day–he LOVED it) and recently added THIS soap attachment. UPDATE: It has been wonderful! Especially with the recent tropical storm and ripped through the area. I also have been caught vacuuming our deck, lol.
- Q- Price Comparison from wood to TimberTech- A- This sustainable material is more expensive than a wood deck upfront. However, with the decreased cost in ongoing maintenance and Timbertech guarantee, it isn’t too different. I think it is definitely worth the investment!
- Q- Does it get hot in the sun? UPDATE: A-We have had a HOT summer. The temperature of the Timber Tech deck has continued to be about what wood was.
Above is a before photo of our deck right when we moved in and an after of our deck!
You can get a free estimate on their website if you are interested. Our deck is 10′ deep x 25′ wide. AZEK is the material that is used for TimberTech, and we love it so much, we used the product on the exterior of our shed and outdoor shower, too!
If you missed it we shared our outdoor shower, you can see it here, we LOVE it!!!
3- Potted Plants
I love putting plants in planters and pots during the summer. We planted large shrubs and topiaries by the pool and some boxwoods in planters by the new shred shed/flex room (both possible names for our new workout pool house). Additionally, I love using succulents and other tropical plants outside. I also planted succulents and other more tropical plants for the deck, etc. Transitioning into Fall is a good time to check out the hardiness of your plants. Some may not be able to tolerate big temperature swings.
Here are some ways to prolong the life of potted plants from year to year.
- Potted Plants: Where we live, things freeze. Most plants that are rooted in the ground take cues from environment and put themselves into dormancy. Potted plants aren’t connected to the ground, and are slower to recognize the changes. You can bury it (inside it’s container) in dirt for the winter, or you can group pots together and surround the mass of plants with mulch, leaves or burlap. When possible, you can move pots inside to a sunny spot to spend the winter.
- Remember to water your plants if there hasn’t been precipitation.
- Don’t forget to protect any containers that you have empty. You can store them upside down or on their sides in a dry place. Terra cotta and other porous pots may be best to most inside, if possible. (They can take in moisture, which once frozen and expand and crack or shatter). Fired pottery is safer bet.
4- Warm and Cozy
The biggest change in Fall is the appearance of cooler temperatures once the sun goes down. Use throws and blankets to cuddle up in. We also love to light a fire and roast smore’s and talk about our day. And a cordless diffuser is a must-have! I pump citronella & peppermint to keep the bugs away!
5-Furniture
With new gathering spots outside, we have increased the amount of furniture we have, as well. We have loved our chaises and loveseat by the pool. The round Walmart table has been a huge hit and I am so happy that we were able to put a sectional on our back deck with the changes we made to it.
5- Entertaining Space
I wrote a post about our pool HERE when we first started it, I will have to do an update soon! Everything in our yard is almost done. The other night we had a movie night outside and LOVED it!!! We got THIS screen and we use THIS projector and used the bluetooth option and hooked it up to THIS speaker we keep by our pool.
I will share our bike storage and garage storage area soon too!
Check out our deck blog post here and how we put lights on deck. You can also shop the things on our deck here.
Question for you. My husband just built us a large covered front porch using AZEK. Mind you we have only had the porch for 2 weeks but I am finding that moisture sits on top of it. Ours is gray so when its even the slightest bit wet you see my children’s brown foot prints and my dogs paw prints ( we are a bare feet type of family ) Haha. So I am struggling to keep it clean. Or at least the appearance of clean. I tried mopping but that failed because its left a layer of moisture…..have you dried yours?
I have a favor to ask if you don’t mind. We live in CT (Farmington Valley) and we are looking to do a composite deck also. A very basic 16 x 20 rectangle design. We have gotten some really high quotes back on labor. I have a ballpark of materials so just curious what they charged you for labor/installation. If you don’t mind, you can email me (if you don’t want to post that). I used the link you provided to get a materials estimate & list of contractors through Timber Tech. Yours looks awesome!
It looks great! Where do you put the projector and how to your raise it up to be above the heads in the pool?
we actually sit on the chairs not in the pool