dimensions for outdoor patio?
Hi everyone, I'm in the process of designing a circular concrete patio in my front garden. This patio will be for dining outside and relaxing. I'm a little stuck on deciding the ideal diameter of the patio (between 9' -10' is as large as I can go) because I haven't purchase a table and chairs set yet. I don't want to have the problem of the chairs being half on the patio and half on the grass when pushed a little away from the table. I thought I remembered the now defunct 'Inspired House' magazine did an article about the ideal clearance and circulation paths around patio furniture on decks and patios but I don't know which issue... Does anyone remember which issue, or where I might find out this type of info?
--Thanks so much!
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(post #15386, reply #1 of 6)
Hello, mg, and welcome to the forum. When you get a moment please click on your profile and fill in where you live. It doesn't apply to this question, but it helps us answer other questions you may have later. I'm not familiar with the magazine you refer to, but I have installed circular patios for clients before. I like to see a minimum of two feet behind the chairs; allow another two feet for people in the chairs. Ten feet is awfully tight. You can get by with a little less.
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
(post #15386, reply #2 of 6)
Thank you for the info tcg,
I'd like to have 4 to 6 chairs for dining but it seems this might not be practical with the clearance issues...Ten feet is probably as large as I can go without overpowering the planting spaces around it. By the way, I'm gardening in northern NJ. Also, 'Inspired House' was a Tauton off shoot magazine (2003-2006).
Edited 4/21/2008 2:07 pm ET by mygarden
(post #15386, reply #3 of 6)
If you can stretch it to twelve feet you can fit 4 comfortably and still have room to walk around behind people. ten feet will work but it can get tight for moving around.
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
(post #15386, reply #4 of 6)
Hi,
Marty is right. My recommendation is to go as wide as you possibly can. You have to think about moving chairs/people in & out, being able to sweep or rake, the possibility of side tables as needed, ice buckets etc. Maybe you will have container plantings in the future. What may seem large on paper, or just framed out will start to feel cramped pretty quickly when you add the finishing pieces plus people.
Our 12' x 16' patio is stamped and stained, surrounded by planting beds. We have four teak chairs, a 4' wide table plus container plantings and a small water garden pot at the corners. Believe me, it's just right but once we move the chairs or have guests over, it seems almost too small. Hope this helps and good luck with your construction.
V.
If you can't go big, scale (post #15386, reply #5 of 6)
If you can't go big, scale the furniture to the space that you create. Most patio furniture is way bigger than it needs to be.
If you go 9 or 10 feet, try a 36 inch table and 4 bistro size chairs. It should be the right size. Just think, if you do a 48" table, that leaves 2 1/2 feet for chairs? kinda tight.
Also, if the space around the paving is something that you can walk on, that space can count in the amount of space you need for a larger table. In the middle of a lawn a 48 inch table and the bigger, oversized patio chairs could work because then you could walk on the lawn to get around the table.
Maybe you could draw a plan of the existing features (post #15386, reply #6 of 6)
Maybe you could draw a scaled plan of the existing features and then you can ge a few copies of that, & then on-top of those 'ink' lines, you can then draw on some 'pencil' lines of your ideas. If you don't like your first idea you can rub it out & move onto 'Plan B' - literally.
A few tips:-
(1) Try to eliminate steps. (People will trip over one, eventually). Grade with angles, the softer & longer the better.
(2) Have a central 'bit' , where you may wish to eventually install a Very-Big Sun-Shade and/or Umbrella. This might go through the dead-centre of your table. Make sure any shade is large enough to go completely over the table AND the chairs.
(3) If you are going to get one of those - and are ALSO considering a barbeque area - plan it so that the 'Barbie' is Well-Away from that Sun-Shade/Umbrella. Only needs one fool + inflammable material = possible fatal injury
(4) If there is a drop off of the patio area ( & building-in a very tiny 'fall' or gradient would be good to drain away rainwater ) - to its surroundings - someone could tip-off this patio ( & it can happen - not everyone will be aware of that slight height differential , OR even remember that--all-the-time ). So between any posts, if you don't wish people to literally 'drop-off' your patio area - install some of that classy silky fancy-colored rope that you may see at the Nightclub entrances, between any gaps. Or you could use some classy fencing, either wooden or wrought-iron.
(5) I expect you will wish to balance the rest of your garden to this patio. (That's why scale plans/skeches & even a little model could be useful, IMO). But the more room for the patio, the easier it will be for the people. And the more you wish to entertain, the stronger that suggestion is. On t'other hand - if you think you are going to use it for entertaining your freinds but for only for a few times - you may wish to still let your flowers and shrubs and trees dominate. Discuss with all your family members.