In days gone by patios used to be somewhat of an afterthought: A slab of bare concrete laid on the ground and maybe a rickety tin roof installed to add a bit of shade. These days the patio has become a real outdoor feature, and a great place to relax outside the home.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your patio build.

What Will You Be Using the Patio For?

This question might sound obvious, but if you really give it some deeper thought you just might discover some new ideas. When you have a list of the possible uses for your patio, you will then have a far better idea of the necessary specifications, style and base options. What you don’t want to do is build your patio, only to realise a few months down the track that it’s too small, or you should have gone for a concrete slab rather than pavers.

The Patio Floor

This will likely be determined by the potential uses for your patio, as mentioned above. A concrete slab will produce the most stable and level base if you plan to install an outdoor kitchen under your patio cover. You also have the option of pavers, tiles, natural stone, brick or wooden decking. When it comes to concrete, it doesn’t have to be boring. These days there are many forms of decorative concrete finishes.

Open or Enclosed Patio?

If you plan to enclose your patio, that doesn’t mean you have to build solid walls. It could simply be fly screen to keep the flies and mosquitoes at bay, or plastic blinds to block the wind. Likely you will want the option to close things in and open them up when you want to, so building permanent walls kind of defeats the purpose of an outdoor patio (unless you intend it to be a new room).

The Patio Cover

The patio cover is the most important part of your patio. It’s the patio cover that offers protection from the sun and rain, and it’s also the section of the patio that will be in full view, so you want it to look great.

On the Gold Coast, G&B Patios has an awesome selection of patio cover styles to suit everyone’s taste and requirements. We even have a range of louvre patio roofs so you can let that winter sun in to your outdoor space whenever you desire.

Browse our website and check out our gallery of photos for some ideas and inspiration. We supply and install patios, as well as supplying DIY patio kits.