Jersey Landscaping - Why You Need an Outdoor Kitchen Designer Today

Who wants to be stuck indoors at mealtimes all the time, and especially in the summer? With an outdoor kitchen, you can grill and chill, cook and eat—all while enjoying the scenery that surrounds you. Partner with one of your local outdoorkitchen builders or patio installer and experience what it’s like to enjoy an outdoor feast with family and friends without running in and out of the house to cook a million times.

Top Reasons Outdoor Kitchen Builders Make Life More Enjoyable

Reason #1: It’s the ultimate way to entertain guests.

An outdoor kitchen is so much more than just a grill. These days an outdoor kitchen designer custom builds fully functional spaces with built-in appliances, plumbing and electric. When you partner with an outdoor kitchen designer, you open a whole new world of entertainment. With plenty of counter space and cooking space, you can serve up delicious food at home surrounded by your family and friends. Plus, who doesn’t love chilling by the grill to see what's cooking? Landscape contractors or patio installers can build up the space around your kitchen, adding patio furniture, outdoor fireplaces, fire pits and more.

Reason #2: Cooking is more convenient.

When you cook outdoors, there’s no chance of your house filling up with smoke or heating up from the high temperatures of your stove and oven. Plus, you’ll cut the costs of running your AC constantly since it’s not so hot. And with an outdoor kitchen, you won’t deal with any food odors lingering around your home. Outdoor kitchen builders customize the space with everything from refrigerators and side burners to full plumbing capabilities. That means fewer trips in and out of the house.

Reason #3: They boost your home value.

Landscape contractors find that compared with other outdoor home improvement projects, building an outdoor kitchen has one of the highest rates of return on investment. Plus, when you put your home on the market, you’ll have much more interest with such a great addition.

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Reason #4: You can extend your living space

If you work with an outdoor kitchen designer that fully understands your style and lifestyle, they can build you a space that will be the perfect complement to your indoor space. Plus, you should consider consulting a patio installer to so you can have a kitchen that can still function in bad weather. Just imagine all the memories you’ll make with outdoor parties, birthdays and peaceful summer evenings. 

Reason #5: Outdoor kitchen builders can customize your space

The best thing about building outdoor kitchens that you have the ability to customize everything, from the choice of materials to counter to other accessories. Whether you want to incorporate your outdoor kitchen into existing space, or go with a customized L-shaped, U-shaped, island, bar-style or round, there’s a design that’ll fit your needs and budget.

Many homeowners feel outdoor kitchens are a luxury they can’t afford, but that’s simply not the case. With the right planning and budgeting with an outdoor kitchen designer and/or patio installer, many homeowners are able to afford an outdoor kitchen, customized to their lifestyle and functional needs.

Go Green By Using Natural Materials for Your Patio

What could be greener than a custom-designed patio that allows you to reconnect with nature by spending more time outside? If you’re looking for a low-maintenance, long-lasting, environmentally friendly outdoor living space, the best place to start is with a natural patio. Working with one of your local landscape contractors and natural landscaping materials, you’ll be able to beautify your environment and protect it at the same time.

The Value of Natural Materials in Landscaping

Utilizing green design philosophies, environmentally friendly building practices and natural landscaping materials, your patio can be more enjoyable and affordable than going the more traditional route. That’s because they require less maintenance, last longer, are healthier for your family and are better for the environment as a whole. To get started using natural materials for your patio, search “landscapers near me” online and find one of your local landscape contractors to partner with. Here are some things to consider.

Building a Green Patio

Many patios are made from cement, concrete or asphalt, with chemically treated lumber for borders and steps. The production practices used to create these landscaping materials are environmentally destructive. Hard, nonporous cement and asphalt may provide durability, but they also add toxins to your environment during installation. Building a patio with natural materials is a much greener alternative.

Instead of building a deck or porch, design a patio using landscaping stones, brick or ceramic tile. Besides being beautiful and locally obtainable in most areas, they’re durable and re-usable. Patios are not only greener than decks and porches, but landscaping stones, brick and ceramic tile patios last longer and require less maintenance than wood porches and decks. Here are some natural materials to consider:

• Aggregates (gravel, crushed rock, pebbles) are best for covering a medium to large space, provide good drainage, are easy to install and are low-maintenance landscaping materials.

• Landscaping stones are great for pathways, terraces, borders and steps between patio levels. They’re nontoxic, natural materials   available in a wide selection of earth-toned colors and are reusable.
  
  
• Brick is best for pathways, surface areas and steps between patio levels. It’s nontoxic, durable, reusable and come in several color options.

• Recycled-content pavers, bricks, timbers are good for edgings, borders, paths and flat areas. They’re natural materials that are long lasting, nontoxic, easy to install for landscape contractors and splinter-free.

It’s important to ensure the grade slopes away from your home when your patio is finished being installed. Water will run away from your foundation instead of toward it, which can result in moisture issues in your basement and foundation problems and failure in the long run.

While committing to the use of natural materials in the scope of your remodeling project can feel overwhelming, don't let that scare you away. Many of the landscape contractors you find in your “landscapers near me” search specialize in architectural salvage, giving you an easy, one-stop option for using recycled bricks, landscaping stones or paving materials. And the truth is that any step toward environmentally friendly landscape design is a step in the right direction for you and your family, your new outdoor space and the environment as a whole.

Jersey Landscaping: Lighting Installation and Maintenance are Essential Commercial Landscape Services

Business owners who invest in commercial landscape services with a professional, licensed company often turn a bigger profit than those who don’t. A crucial element to any design is outdoor lighting. Companies often emphasize the beauty of well-designed lights, but the benefits of installing those lights are myriad.  For the best possible return on your investment, and to keep your customers both happy and safe, put lighting at the top of your commercial landscape services wish list.

How Professional Outdoor Lighting Companies Can Grow Your Business

Just how important are the right lights? According to most landscape contractors, they can make or break your business.

1.       They protect your property. Aside from the aesthetics, commercial landscape lighting helps guide foot traffic at any time of day or year. Like day lights in a car, lit paths and walkways make walking on your property safer.  This indirectly influences people to stay away from the grass, and will unconsciously guide them to the door.

2.       They keep your clients and building safe. Security lights have come a long way from blinding spotlights. Landscape contractors can build those security lights into the overall design of your landscape, making them less conspicuous while still being effective. This protects your clientele from potential criminals, and will deter people from vandalizing your property.

3.       The increase your desirability. Commercial landscape services increase your curb appeal. That increase in appeal, however, has been directly linked to an increase in clientele. Much like people are drawn to restaurants with attractive décor, people are also drawn to properties that are beautiful. Depending on the type of property you have, outdoor lighting companies can create illumination spots designed to draw people into your space.

4.       They may increase productivity. Beautiful landscape does wonders for your employees, too. It can keep them calm, and can encourage them to linger on the property. Commercial landscape lighting can create safe havens outdoors for your employees to enjoy during breaks. It also makes them feel safer when they’re locking up for the night and walking out to their cars or to a bus.

Speak to Landscape Contractors about Different Lighting Options

Once you make the smart decision to use lights as part of your landscape, you should work with your outdoor lighting companies to choose the best types of lights for your needs. You options include:

·         Up lights along pathways, for increased visibility

·         Low lights along your shrubbery or trees

·         Modern LED lights in an array of colors

·         Old-fashioned street lights for a more traditional feel

·         Lighting water features or sculptures designed to draw the eye

·         Solar lights for more eco-conscious designs

Regardless of which commercial landscape services you need for your company, make sure a lighting design is part of them. Choose a contractor who can not only install the lights, but who is skilled enough to incorporate them into the overall feel of the landscape. Your clients – and your employees – will thank you.