Outdoor Patio Essentials for Fall

As the weather turns brisk during the transition from summer to fall, many people will start to think about covering their patio furniture or moving it to the garage for the winter. Don’t be too hasty, though. Warm days can persist into fall and you want to make the most of the time you have left to enjoy the outdoors before winter weather strikes.

Of course, the evenings can definitely be cool during the fall months, so you need to find ways to accommodate if you want to continue enjoying your outdoor entertaining spaces. Here are a few patio essentials that will allow you to use your backyard well into the fall season.

The last thing you and your guests want when the weather turns cool is to freeze your buns on plastic or metal furniture. For this reason, you might want to incorporate some padding in your decor, especially for pieces that tend to absorb the outdoor temperature. You’ll not only stave off the cold to an extent with this strategy, but you’ll also make furnishings more comfortable and inviting in the process.

If you want your summer furniture to transition seamlessly to fall usage, you should consider adding some additional weatherproofing features. This is not to say you have to cover your cushions with plastic, necessarily, but considering that fall weather can bring on storms or falling leaves, some measures should be taken to protect your furniture.

For outdoor cushions, waterproof spray is the first step, and you can also find products designed to protect wood, plastic, metal, and other materials. You might also want to secure tarps over furniture when a storm is coming or when it’s not in use. This will ensure that furniture is clean and dry when you’re ready to entertain.

If you don’t like the extra effort involved in using tarps to protect your outdoor furniture during the fall season, a simple solution is to use covered furniture. You can find couches, chairs, rockers, and even daybeds that come with awnings or structural covers as a way to protect against the elements.

As summer wanes, the days will begin to darken earlier. This means if you want to continue using outdoor spaces, incorporating appropriate lighting is essential, and the single bulb next to the back door simply won’t do. For one thing, you need adequate illumination to see landscaping, pathways, and other people. However, you also want lighting to create a certain atmosphere.

Lights with a bluish tint can serve to highlight cooler temperatures, whereas lights on the yellow spectrum tend to be associated with warmth. You may therefor want to swap out bulbs in the fall to create a more welcoming outdoor setting.

Chilly temperatures can make it difficult to enjoy your outdoor spaces into fall. Adding heating elements can help. Whether you choose to install a heat lamp, you dig a fire pit, or you go all out and install an outdoor fireplace, added warmth will extend the use of your patio well into fall.