Cooling Outdoors: How To Keep Your Patio Cool In Summer

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relaxing patio set with black chairs and table with an open backyard and little grass

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No one wants to get stuck indoors on a sunny day. The patio is one of the perfect places to enjoy the summer season while getting a taste of the outdoors. However, the scorching sun might demotivate you from taking advantage of your patio.

So, it’s normal for you to wonder how to cool your outdoor patio. This guide will help you in this regard.

A patio umbrella or a slatted roof cover is the best solution to keep the patio cool during hot weather. Besides, using a portable fan or air conditioner can also help keep the temperature at a moderate level. 

There are many ways one can keep their patio cool and cozy. So, in this article, I’ll go over a few tips to cool your outdoor patio during the hot season, along with some other information you might find helpful.

relaxing patio set with black chairs and table with an open backyard and little grass

How To Prepare Your Patio For Summer?

It would help if you prepared your outdoor area to enjoy the summer fully. The following are a few things to watch out for to ensure your patio is entirely ready:

Clean The Patio 

Firstly, you need to clean your patio thoroughly. Remove debris, clutter, or accumulated dirt from the deck and the space around it. Besides, sweep the paving, and wash the ground to remove any stains and filth when it is clean.

Furthermore, you must also remove most of the stubborn deposits from your patio by pressure washing .

Additionally, you want to remove all weeds that may have popped up among bricks or slabs. Remember, to make the garden as inviting as possible, start with a clean and tidy patio.

Renovate & Furnish The Space

By choosing a variety of seating arrangements, from plush sofas or corner chairs to tables and benches, you can transform your patio into a flexible center point for visitors.

Besides, you can also design the patio area to host family and friends elegantly. To do so, combine the chairs with lighting and a garden barbeque set.

Redesign The Patio

There is still time to plan a professional renovation of your backyard space if you think the existing patio is far from ideal.

The overall atmosphere and appearance of your backyard can change if you alter the patio’s basic style, design, or architecture.

7 Tips to Keep Your Patio Cool In Summer

Picking suitable material for your patio is the first thing to consider if you want it to stay cool during summer. Besides, you can use a shade, evaporative coolers, and even a fan to cool the area.

Keeping the patio cool is the secret to making the most of your outdoor area in the summer. So, here are a few tips to keep it cool in a hot climate:

1. Pick The Proper Material

The appropriate material selection will aid in maintaining lower temperatures on a patio or deck. Various materials absorb heat in different ways.

So, it would be best if you don’t focus on the beauty the material will provide to your outdoor space. Instead, you must also consider the heat issue of your choice. 

Generally, your options include natural products like wood, concrete, or composite materials. The benefit of using wood as flooring is that it absorbs heat deeply, keeping the wood’s surface cold.

However, the heat will return to the surface as the temperature drops. As a result, the wood will remain cold throughout the day yet warm at night.

On the other hand, composite materials absorb heat more than wood. But the benefit is that, if covered, they chill considerably more quickly than wood.

So, the best material for you would be composite if you could get a shade for your patio. 

Another popular option for the patio is concrete. However, it will soon get too hot when exposed to the scorching sun for an extended period.

If the flooring is concrete, you’ll need to take additional steps to keep your patio cool during the summer.

a patio umbrella helps block sun for a lady relaxing at a patio table

2. Consider Using A Patio Umbrella

Using a big patio umbrella, you can protect yourself from the sun and spend more time outside.

You can get these umbrellas in various styles and colors to match your existing furniture or whatever design or theme you want.

Patio umbrellas are often very affordable, particularly as the season closes. You might also buy a used one from a thrift shop or online marketplace.

Patio umbrellas quickly upgrade the appearance of your garden while shielding your belongings and skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

Moreover, you can quickly move these umbrellas to other sections and shut them down to allow the sun to shine through when necessary. 

father in the backyard with a snorkel mask on playing with his kid

3. Install A Pool

A lunchtime swim is one of the best ways to stay cool during the summer. Relax! For this, you won’t have to spend tons of money; a fiberglass pool is a good choice for ease, but a simple baby pool would do.

A swimming pool will be your savior during scorching heat. This way, you can enjoy yourself with your family on the patio even in the summer.

metal pergola roof covering the relaxing patio space helping lower direct sun exposure

4. Build A Roof Cover For The patio

You don’t want to cover your outdoor space entirely by building a solid roof. However, the roof cover I am referring to here is a slatted framework.

For example, a gazebo-style or pergola building, which people frequently refer to as a deck canopy. Should this be interesting, we have a guide to buying a pergola here to help you make the right decision.

These are generally wooden slats that divide the sunlight that enters the structure’s floor. It can have a cooling impact.

And, based on your house structure, it may also improve the aesthetics and decoration of your property.

5. Lay An Outdoor Rug

Consider using an outdoor rug or carpet to help keep some outdoor locations cool. You may leave them outside in all weather conditions because they are tough and weather-resistant.

You can place outdoor rugs on the ground close to the regions where you’ll be moving around barefoot.

However, you won’t have to cover the whole space with rugs if it has composite or wood flooring. However, if the flooring is concrete, you might be able to keep it cool by doing this.

The drawback of these outdoor rugs is that they deteriorate with time and require frequent washing to maintain their appearance. So, it can include a few vacuuming sessions throughout the hectic outdoor season.

Therefore, it would be best not to cover the entire space with carpet. It is preferable to have a few distributed rugs that are simple to replace or pack away.

ceiling fan above the patio to help move air around

6. Invest In A Fan Or Evaporative Coolers

The traditional approach is sometimes the best. Purchase a sizable outdoor moving fan to circulate cool air over you and the visitors. Besides, large patio air conditioners are similar to evaporative coolers. 

These transportable outdoor cooling units significantly reduce the temperature on your patio by up to 25 °C by blowing cool, humid air there!

They work well for decks, patios, screened-in porches, and other areas, and you can move them around.

7. Use Plants

You can also utilize plants to add a lovely cooling impact to the area on your patio.

Plants can produce a cooling effect by discharging moisture and absorbing heat. Well, they can transfer water into the environment through the transpiration of their leaves. 

Moreover, the humidity can chill the air when paired with a gentle breeze from a fan or a natural source.

Can Fixing Leaking Patio Covers Help with Keeping Your Patio Cool in Summer?

Fix leaking patio covers can definitely help in keeping your patio cool in the summer. By ensuring that your patio cover is not leaking, you can prevent excess water from seeping through and creating a damp and humid environment, which can make your patio feel hotter.

Final Thoughts on How You Can Cool Your Outdoor Patio

Summer is the perfect season to enjoy various outdoor activities with your loved ones. And the patio is the best place for this. But it is impossible to have fun there if the area is too hot.

That’s why I have mentioned a few tips on how to cool your outdoor patio in this article. 

Thanks for reading through. Hopefully, you’ve found this guide helpful.