How to Give a Patio a Cheap Face-Lift

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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It's time to spruce up that patio with a cheap face-lift. The patio should be a place to sit back and relax, while enjoying the great outdoors. A cheap face-lift will keep money in your piggy bank and, with just a few tips, make your patio much more inviting.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1

Clean the decking with a pressure cleaner set on lowered pressure; this will keep grout from being damaged. Also clean any eaves or overhangs, lattice work or fencing.

Step2

Refinish your patio furniture; repair any loose slats or fittings, tighten screws and replace damaged parts. Sand wood furniture, apply stain and then apply wood sealer. For metal furniture, sand the furniture and use a primer coat first. Apply a rust resistant paint according to manufacturer's directions. Plastic furniture can be cleaned and painted with special paint for plastic. Painting is the fastest way to achieve a cheap face-lift for your patio.

Step3

Paint or stain old flooring for a whole new look. Pressure clean the flooring first, then paint or stain the concrete or wood according to manufacturer's directions; add sealer to protect the new finish.

Step4

Replace old cushions on patio furniture. Change colors and patterns to match your new décor; add throw pillows for a finishing touch to your patio furniture face-lift.

Step5

Buy new planters or paint the old planters to match your new color scheme. Add long rectangular planters to place on the edging of your patio; plant them with a full spread of lower growing flowers or even decorative grasses. Marigolds planted in these planters and placed around the border will help keep mosquitoes away.

Step6

Add a fountain and wind chimes for soothing sounds outdoors; a fountain can be made cheaply by using stacking pots and a re-circulating pump found at home improvement stores. Help the birds by adding bird feeders and a birdbath; place these outside the border of your patio-close enough for you to enjoy watching the birds, but not close enough to create a mess in your seating area.

Step7

Include special touches for your patio face-lift; install spotlights on trees or install low watt lighting to add a cozy atmosphere to your patio. Tiki torches are a cheap way to add atmosphere and they can be filled with citronella to keep mosquitoes away. Small fire pits like Chimnea's or fireplaces will also create a cozy atmosphere outdoors. Add a sundial or yard art to add whimsy to your patio; metal sculptures or resin sculptures will also personalize your patio face-lift.

Step8

Keep the sun out with woven shades or a large umbrella, which is the cheapest way to block the sun. For a more expensive shade face-lift, a sun block system can be installed. The sun block system is an automatic canopy that can be used not only for shade, but also to keep dry when it rains.