What the heck do I do with this patio?

10 years ago

Purchasing a rehabbed home. The interior is gorgeous but we the yard is unfinished. Concerns:

1) Two-story multifamily property directly adjacent to our house. Looking to create an urban oasis feeling with a ton of privacy. A living wall or vines would be great but we can't wait the 1-3 years it would take to fill in. Considering a tall horizontal wood fence (seems to work for small patios; I've seen a lot on this site) or even a half pergola that arcs over the patio (the adjacent units look DOWN on the patio) but any other ideas are welcome.

2) Patio concrete slab needs to be removed, but what would we put in? Thinking about a deck that extends out past the house?

3) The rest of the yard is unfinished as of yet and we are looking at various designs for that, but we are starting with the patio.

Thanks!!

Featured Answer

einportlandor

10 years ago

Many communities limit fence heights to 6 feet, so check into that before making a decision. If you go with a deck, you could have a pergola incorporated into the design. You might invest in large pots that can handle large shrubs or small trees, which will help with privacy. My main suggestion is to live in your sweet little house for a year, see how you use the outdoor space, track sun, shade and noise, then spend a few extra bucks and have someone help you with a master design. Enjoy your new home!

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Comments (8)

thegypsyrover
10 years ago
What are the dimensions of the patio? Also, you need to make a plan for the entire yard space, as you want the patio to be part of a cohesive whole, especially if you are thinking of building a deck.
adosskey thanked thegypsyrover
acm
10 years ago
Yeah, you might decide that you don't want a cement slab if you have a deck and other things going on -- think of it like rooms in a house. What would you do here if you eat and sit out on the deck? Maybe it should be a garden. Or a place for kids to have a wading pool in the summer...
adosskey thanked acm
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adosskey
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for the feedback! Patio dimensions are 12ft x 18 ft. I'm leaning towards a deck that extends out past the house and widens at that point, in which case, yes, we should incorporate it into a total design plan. What do I do about the privacy problem?
adosskey
Original Author
10 years ago
We're in Sacramento, CA, near downtown, which is a higher density area. I have several friends who have put up tall fences or living walls for privacy and it doesn't appear to be a problem, or the city doesn't have time to send folks out to measure fence height. But I will check with the city. Thank you.
thegypsyrover
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
There is only so much privacy that a fence can provide when you have a situation where people can look down into your yard from second story windows. Before you spend money removing the existing fence, putting in a new one and removing the concrete slab, hire someone with the expertise to plan out your entire yard. It will be money well spent.
Bette P
10 years ago
Sail shades? They look so darn cool.

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essmith2
10 years ago
Since a deck would add height and therefore more exposure from next door, how about at least ruling that out. A small arbor area might from house toward but not right up up the side fence, because the closer to the fence you stand the less visible you'll become from the second floor of the neighboring house, yes? I'd think that paying for even some general ideas might be helpful. Bistro area!