Many people love summer and the longer days. Warmer evenings and the ability to spend more time outdoors makes it the perfect time to get together with family and friends. Whatever that means to you, whether it’s weekend barbeques, celebrations, or simply a place to relax after a long day, your backyard can be an extension of your home.
To make the perfect outdoor space for summer enjoyment and entertaining, you need to thoroughly think through and plan for what features will help to maximize your time and available space. Mountview Services helps homeowners do just that. We help transform backyards and outdoor spaces into functional, beautiful entertainment areas that are easy to maintain.
Here are some of the important things to think about when planning the perfect backyard for you.
Start with the Foundation: Patios
Every great outdoor space starts with a strong foundation, and in most cases, that foundation is a nicely designed and professionally installed patio.
Whether you’re planning to add a dining table, furniture to lounge on, or a built-in cooking area, the size and the layout of your patio matter, as well as the type of materials you use. Materials like concrete pavers, natural stone, and interlocking brick are popular choices because they look great and are durable enough to handle the freeze-thaw cycles in Ontario. When properly installed, patios improve drainage while reducing muddy areas, making them more usable in the wetter seasons or after periods of rain.
Add Shade and Structure with Pergolas and Gazebos
The summers in Southwestern Ontario can get hot, and direct sunlight can make outdoor spaces uncomfortable to use. That’s where pergolas and gazebos come in.
Pergolas & gazebos offer varying levels of sun protection and create a great space for dining or lounging. While both pergolas and gazebos help provide relief from the sun and make your outdoor space look and feel complete, determining which one is right for you depends on the unique features of your outdoor space. Mountview Services can help you evaluate the natural sun and shade exposure of your backyard and recommend whether a pergola (partial shade) or gazebo (full shade) is the right choice for your space. We also provide design, fabrication and installation services for custom pergolas & gazebos in Southwestern Ontario
Pool Decks Make The Area Safer and Stylish
A beautifully finished pool deck complements your backyard investment and creates a space to lounge after cooling off. While it’s important for a pool deck to look good, it also needs to be safe for adults and children using the pool. This means using durable materials that stand up to sun, repeated water exposure, and changing temperatures, while also promoting slip resistance. Using materials like textured concrete or pavers is the ideal choice because they not only look good, but they also provide traction even when wet. Mountview Services can help you design your ideal pool deck from a number of attractive materials, creating a space to relax and enjoy your pool throughout the summer months.
Walkways to Connect it All
Walkways are sometimes overlooked when it comes to planning the perfect backyard, but they are one of the most practical parts of an outdoor space. Walkways lead guests naturally through your yard, connecting patios, gardens, firepit areas, and pool spaces. Even the most beautiful backyards can feel choppy and disconnected without pathways. Walkways that use the same materials as your patio, or an alternate material that complements it, create a seamless flow throughout your property. Walkways also help to protect your lawn and gardens by keeping foot traffic where it belongs.
Retaining Walls add Function and Style
Retaining walls do more than hold back soil. For many properties, especially those with sloped yards, retaining walls create usable flat spaces that would otherwise be difficult to enjoy. Retaining walls can define where the entertaining or play zones are, support raised garden beds, and provide extra seating around patios or fire features. When designed and installed properly, retaining walls also help with drainage and erosion control, both of which are very important after heavy rain.
Water Features Add Character and Calm
Water features can completely change the feel of a backyard. The sound of the moving water can help mask noisy roads or neighbourhoods, create a peaceful space, and add a touch of luxury to your yard. There are many different choices for water features to fit almost any yard size, ranging from small fountains to larger waterfalls and ponds. Mountview Services can help you integrate a small garden water feature or a large koi pond into your backyard, mapping out the ideal placement and using high-quality materials so you can enjoy your space for years to come.
Gardens Add Colour
Gardens bring life, texture, and seasonal colour to an outdoor space; without greenery, backyards can feel unfinished. Whether it’s ornamental grasses, flowering perennials, or shrubs, the right landscaping can soften the look of the space and make it look more welcoming. Planning a garden, however, requires a lot of planning and forethought. Plants flower and bloom at different times of year, and if chosen incorrectly, your gardens may look green for long periods of time or bloom all at once. When it comes to picking plants for your yard, it’s also important to select ones that work well in your local climate. Choosing plants that are native and hardy creates gardens that need less maintenance and adapt better to the changing seasons. Mountview Services can provide a complete landscape design for your property, carefully planning plant placement to ensure a beautiful blend of colours throughout the flower season.
Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting can make a big difference in the extended enjoyment of your property and is often the final touch. When done right, good landscape lighting lets you enjoy your yard well after dark. It also has the benefits of improved safety around stairs, walkways, and pool areas and highlights key features in your yard like gardens, pergolas, retaining walls, and water features. Mountview Services recommends layering many different types of lighting, like path lights, accent lights, and overhead fixtures. This adds to the overall look of the space and ensures a balanced illumination without excessive brightness. Outdoor lighting is what turns a beautiful daytime space into an equally beautiful nighttime one.
Create A Space Of Your Own
The perfect outdoor space is about creating a space that works for you and your lifestyle, which doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to have every feature that we listed. Maybe that means a spacious patio for hosting family dinners or a quiet pergola surrounded by gardens. For those who entertain often, a fire pit and lighting setup are a great option for when friends gather later into the evening.
At Mountview Services, we specialize in designing and building outdoor spaces that bring all of these options together. From patios and pool decks to gardens, lighting, and everything in between, we help homeowners across Southwestern Ontario create the perfect outdoor space.
If you’re ready to turn your backyard into your favorite place to be, Mountview Services is here to help.