Size up your patio

The advent of online shopping makes a lot of things a whole lot easier. For one, fitting outdoor furniture on your patio. Eyeballing your potential patio furniture at the store and guessing at its size appropriateness is no longer as scientific as we can get. Observe: 1. Choose a few items from our site that suit your tastes and space. 2. It never hurts to check our patio furniture materials guide to see if they are compatible with your climate. 3. Take a look at the product measurements listed lower on the screen of the product page. 4. From large pieces of paper, cut out the shapes. 5. You see where we're going. Arrange them on the proposed space.

The same drill can be done with simpler means like chalk or pencil, but the paper method is craftier and way more fun. Consider if the piece of outdoor dining furniture is narrower at the base than at its widest point and always make sure that you aren't using a height measurement.

If you are buying for a patio dining set and feel like you may be cutting it too close, bear in mind a simple rule. Try to get around three feet of distance between the outdoor table perimeter and any obstruction, at the least, two feet. This will allow enough space for scooting in and out of patio chairs without climbing. Of course, if you are decided on a patio dining table that is a little tight, look for armless or swivel chairs. These can buy you a little space that would be required by standard outdoor dining chairs.

The paper method may seem a bit of a hassle, but if you are uncertain of what orientation will work, the freedom to lift and shuffle your templates around is certainly a time saver and could be a great money saver.