Boston Brick.com: A Piece Of Heaven In Your Backyard

I lived most of my life in apartments with no back yards or patios. I did not know what I was missing until I came to live in Los Angeles a decade ago.

I discovered back yards and patios starting at my first house in Glendale and enjoying many parties, dinners and barbecues at my friend’s patios. On this Californian heavenly weather (even if it is raining today) it is difficult to have days where you cannot enjoy sitting in your patio and having the sky as your roof.

One of the best things about an outdoor patio is the barbeque. According to the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association 81% of Americans think it is easier to cook outdoors than indoors. 71% of us believe we save money cooking out instead of eating out. 40% think barbequing is a healthier way to eat and it is easier clean up. 36% of us consider barbequing a Family tradition.

Of course we save money by buying the food and cooking it instead of paying restaurant prices. As for health, fresh and raw is what is usually placed over the coals, and that means less additives and chemicals. It is certainly cleaner; paper plates and plastic utensils, means little wash-up. I am surprised that only 36% of Americans see this as a family tradition. Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and Summer Birthdays were traditionally family barbeques in my life. It is so easy to satisfy individual taste, Hot dogs, Hamburgers, Steak, Chicken, Shrimp and Fish all using sections of the same grill. When I sit back and look at all these great reasons to barbeque, I tilt head and think, ”that’s all true but it is not why I barbeque” I barbeque for one reason only, the taste.

There is a lot of debate on the type of grill that works the best. There are technological breakthroughs that claim to seal in the juices and improve the flavor. Then there is the discussion about the proper position of the grill, and is an outdoor kitchen worth the expense. I know many people wish for one, but believe the expense is beyond them. Many tackle this problem by building their outdoor kitchens in stages. As long as the design is sound, this is an easy and affordable solution for many people.

Outdoor patios can be beneficial all year long. In winter there are outdoor fireplaces and chimneys that create the warmth that makes conversations possible in January. In summer the pergolas provide the shadow to breathe when heat is hitting hard and the fireplace comes handy in the cool nights that bless many areas of Los Angeles, even in September. Happiness Return on Patio Investments is really high in California, and I have learnt to appreciate it.

There are many ways (that do not have to be expensive) to have a beautiful and practical patio. You have to find somebody that knows the tricks of the sun and how the shades of the trees around your house can be used to your advantage and is also an expert in manipulating the materials that make these spaces so special: concrete, bricks, stone and wood.

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