How to Start Remodeling Your Backyard
Planning the Project Most backyard projects go wrong in the planning stage, not the building stage. People pick a deck style or a pergola kit before they have looked closely at the yard itself. Spend a few weeks just watching the space first. Look at What You Already Have Walk the yard after a heavy rain and see where water collects and where it runs off. Note which corners get full afternoon sun and which stay shaded. Check the trees and shrubs too, since some are worth building around and others will need to go. Drainage in particular is easy to ignore until a new patio ends up with a puddle on it. Decide How the Space Will Be Used Think about a normal week, not just the occasional party. If you mostly drink coffee outside in the morning and grill on weekends, a small, well-placed seating area will serve you better than a huge platform you rarely fill. Write down your top two or three uses and let those drive the layout. Anything that doesn’t support them can wait. Designing fo...