| I am currently planning on fixing up our 12'x14' concrete patio slab with a much smaller budget. I have decided to use quikrete concrete stains to make the concrete look like marble. A medium gray and deep blue are the colors I'll be using, the semi transparent is $25 a gallon at my lowes, and they're supposed to cover somewhere around 300sq feet. I will have to clean the concrete really well before, but it will save me a lot doing it all myself! I also have a container garden on the patio, which dresses it up nicely, I have roses and annuals, but with a little boy, you may want to go with something thornless. You could even do something more tropical and overwinter it in your garage. I have clematis vines that crawl up the side of the house on trellises, which could be used to climb up a pergola if you go in that direction. A climbing rose would be gorgeous on a pergola, just don't go to a hardware store and buy a bagged rose, they are notorious for being disease prone and never as nice as the picture! Depending on your zone, New Dawn, Climbing Pinkie (thornless rose), Madame Alfred Carriere, and Climbing Eden are all rose climbers that I have and love. I buy from Roses Unlimited, Pickering Nurseries, Rogue Valley Roses, & Countryside Roses which always send me fantastic plants. There is also a website for roses, peonies, and clematis called Help Me Find, it is IMHO the best resource out there for roses. You did not give us any information on your location and what kind of weather you get, but if you get hot summers, and need shade, I have a few neighbors who have the shade sails, and they look great. In the winter I think most people take them down, so if you have heavy snow that wouldn't be a problem. A pergola is a great way to spruce up your patio, but as fnmroberts pointed out, one would cover your entire patio. That may be what you're looking for though. I also came across these decking tiles, I really liked the way they look and that they are easy install that you can put them right over a concrete slab. And, when you move, you can just unsnap them and take them with you! The brand I saw most was Vifah, they have some styles for discount at Overstock.com and you can buy them in bulk on Amazon & www.aquasuperstore.com. I put a direct link below for you. Each tile covers 1sqft so you would need 100 for your 10x10 deck. Well, good luck and keep us updated! Natalie |
