Besides mowing the grass and some light landscaping, when is the last time you spent some time making the outside of your home look better and more functional. If you’re like most homeowners, most of your beautification efforts are aimed at improving the inside. Here we’ll concentrate on making the outside better by simply improving your patio.

Chances are you don’t use this area as much as you could or should, but adding a patio cover will allow you to spend more time enjoying this area. And if you want it to look great and add value to your home, then you need to look carefully at wood patio covers. We all know wood looks great, but it will add functional benefits as well.

But first let’s talk about why you need a patio cover. The shade it gives will let you sit outside even when the hot summer sun is beating down. And the cover will protect you from other elements as well. Now you can sit outside and enjoy a warm summer rain while not getting wet. You can enjoy a cool shower while staying dry in the evening. And of course we already mentioned it will add value to your property.

Now that you’ve decided this sound great, you have to decide what kind to get. There are of course many choices, but we believe wood patio covers are best. With wood you can create something uniquely you. And when properly treated, the constant beating of the elements will have minimal effect. And you already know wood just looks fabulous.

Just make sure the wood you choose will go with your home’s look. Pinewood is a great choice if you want to paint it because it holds the paint well. The drawback with pinewood is that you can’t get it with an anti-rotting agent. You can however get treated cedar, cyprus or redwood. If you plan on staining the wood, get one with a long grain. You’ll get a continuous design. Knots in the wood will not hinder it.

And don’t forget to get a little creative with this. Yes it’s more work, but you’ll definitely want to add designs and decorative accents. Your patio cover will look better, and it will add more value also. By decorative accents we mean thinks like arbors and lattice. These are intricate, ornate, and just look great. Combine them to give your patio a unique appearance.

When you begin your project, you may be tempted to buy into one of those pre-made patio kits. Know up front that most are made with artificial wood. They are not durable and in fact, in many cases, you’ll need to add real wood for support. Why not do it right and use real wood for the whole thing.

Some companies are even marketing wood patio kits for people who like to do things themselves. If you’ve ever seen a wood floor being placed down, then you’ll understand how these kits work. They are made from tiles that interlock. The advantage to this is that they are easy to take apart and clean, and they are even easy to move to another location if that’s in your future plans.

But if you want to get the best cover for your patio, a solid wood patio cover is certainly a good way to go.