Made in the Shade: How Should I Shade My Backyard?
It seems like a lot of regular posters here on Houzz have spring fever right about now - and I am certainly in that camp. I can't wait for long, sunny days, balmy evenings, and even mild bouts of sunburn.
With summer, though, comes a whole lot of heat - especially in my backyard. In the afternoon, my mostly-treeless yard gets a ton of sun, making my back deck a little inhospitable (and making it impossible to read a laptop screen).
Lately, I've been brainstorming ways to make my yard a little shadier. Just a little - I don't want to block out all the sun. I just want to be able to sit, read, and hang out without melting.
I've found a lot of great ideas - now I just need to whittle them down to one. If anyone has any experience with outdoor shade structures, both permanent or temporary, I'd appreciate advice regarding what to do - and what not to do.
Thanks!
With summer, though, comes a whole lot of heat - especially in my backyard. In the afternoon, my mostly-treeless yard gets a ton of sun, making my back deck a little inhospitable (and making it impossible to read a laptop screen).
Lately, I've been brainstorming ways to make my yard a little shadier. Just a little - I don't want to block out all the sun. I just want to be able to sit, read, and hang out without melting.
I've found a lot of great ideas - now I just need to whittle them down to one. If anyone has any experience with outdoor shade structures, both permanent or temporary, I'd appreciate advice regarding what to do - and what not to do.
Thanks!
Photos & Products
I love the pergola look, but am unsure as to how much sun they really block - and how difficult they are to construct.
This structure is especially pretty, but I'm not sure I have the patience - or green thumb - required to pair a structure with trees.
I absolutely love this oversized overhang and I think it's perfect for this beachy home. But probably too permanent for my house.
As a general rule, I don't love the way awnings look on homes, but I do like how they look on stores and cafes. I wonder if there's a way to bring that look to my yard.
I love that this house's pergola looks pretty and porchlike during the day...
And glows like the perfect cocktail setting at night.
An umbrella is probably the path of least resistence in my case - movable and relatively inexpensive. Does anyone have any good umbrella recommendations?
I do like this perfectly round model.
In general, I think that trees provide the best shade, though they're definitely a permanent solution.
Still, I can't help but love the way these trees create a shady walk up to a house that's bathed in sun.
I think this little courtyard, shaded as it is by walls, is a cool way to create a shady spot. Not very practical for me, but cool nonetheless.
This home's combination of porch and tree makes me very jealous, indeed.
This whole look really appeals to me - I love the nautical nature of it, the colors, and the lines.
Comments (21)
jpryan
We just purchased shade cloth and it is a wonderful solution for shading the sun from above on our new pergola. But can't seem to find grommet outdoor valances for west sun exposure. We do not want to deal with shades.
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jpryan
I forgot to mention we chose a removal shade cloth to take off in the sunny months and depending upon which company you choose there is no hardware involved, just bungee straps.
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jillaj
Look on Amazon for sail shades. They sell a variety of them and they're not that expensive. We had a large Coolaroo shade for a front picture window that got direct sun all day long and it worked like a charm and was very good quality.We paid less than $90 for it and left it outdoors for more than eight years through summer and freezing winters, and it still looked almost brand new after years. It's probably still doing great, but we moved and left it with the window. The Coolaroo fabric is interesting. It lets light through but blocks the UV and heat and blinding sun. It's easy to clean and really durable. Definitely recommend Coolaroo..
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