Here Comes Summer
For the Northern Hemisphere, June through August means longer days and warmer temperatures. That’s because the Earth tilts on its axis and the Northern Hemisphere points toward the sun during this part of Earth’s rotation. Here are some fun facts and trivia from our favorite time of year — summer! In Paris, France, summer heat causes the iron of the Eiffel Tower to expand, making the tower grow by more than six inches! This is an especially dramatic example, but this seasonal growth actually happens to all different kinds of building materials. Bridges, buildings, and highways expand and grow every[...]
Don’t Let the Weather Dictate Your Outdoor Experience
On Balance, Colorado’s climate is as wonderful as it is unpredictable. Warm days with scorching sun can give way to either light afternoon showers or heavy thunderstorms. It seems to me that the older homes of my parents’ and grandparents’ day had covered porches and patio covers as a standard. In my youth, I remember a lot of summer afternoons and evenings spent gathered relaxing, dining, and listening to ballgames in the comfort of these covered, protected outdoor spaces. Over the years, builders stopped building covered porches and deck and patio covers on homes to save on costs, which left[...]
Is a Deck a Good Investment?
The best! In fact, for many years decks have been the highest returning home improvement investment you can make! Nothing increases marketability more than a unique quality outdoor living addition. Like a home itself, the true value of an outdoor living area cannot be measured simply in financial terms alone. Adding a custom deck, patio or roof addition to your home can increase its value. Especially in Colorado, value depends on location, views, space and more. As Colorado continues to gain popularity as a great place to live, homes with a quality outdoor space will have a selling advantage over[...]
7 Tips for Staying Safe in The Sun
As the largest organ in your body, your skin is essential to everyday function in many ways: It provides a barrier between your internal organs and the germs and bacteria of the environment, manages temperature and fluid control, and manufactures vitamin D to keep your bones strong. That said, far too many of us neglect proper skin care practices that keep it functioning at full capacity. As you spend more time outdoors this spring and into summer, protecting your skin becomes even more vital. According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is by far the most common type of[...]
Heaven’s Kitchen: Bringing the Kitchen Outdoors
In many cases, the kitchen is your most-used room and likely the heart of your home. Many types of events involve food, and as people’s leisure living migrates outdoors, it’s only logical that the kitchen would move outdoors as well. Having not only a nice barbecue, but a nice barbecue area is becoming more appealing and in demand as an important element of the outdoor living environment. While the barbecue is still the key appliance needed for cooking your food, it doesn’t address all the aspects of meal preparation, serving, and outdoor enjoyment, especially when you’re entertaining, so outdoor kitchens[...]
