Outdoor Winter Wonderland
August 10, 2020 2:01 PM Subscribe
Looking for some suggestions on what to do to our outdoor space to keep it comfortable and inviting through the fall and winter.
Since we're looking at the threat of coronavirus for the long term, I want to make sure we can continue to see a few friends at a time while staying relatively safe while doing so. We've had good results hanging out in the yard, but it's been warm and sunny throughout the summer and that's eventually going to change. We need some way to hang out outside while staying comfortable. Winter around here (Boston) is generally wet, dark, and near freezing.
What we have right now:
-A small deck (seats 4-6) with some comfortable seating. The upstairs unit has a deck that covers ours, but rain and snowmelt drips between their decking and gets our furniture wet. I need some way to keep our stuff dry.
-A small yard (maybe 30'x30' of grass, the rest is landscaping and garden). There's some additional furniture out on a small flagstone patio in the corner of the yard, plus a couple trees which will be losing their leaves soon.
-One power outlet on the deck. String lights hung up over the deck.
-City-wide ban on open fires, fire pits, chimneas - basically anything that isn't directly used for cooking.
We'd like to be able to offer a place for a few people to gather to socialize responsibly while keeping warm and dry. I keep thinking about some of the amazing year-round outdoor dining in places like Dusseldorf (large awnings, propane heaters, blankets, warm drinks) and wondering how to recreate that experience at home. We'll need to deal with shorter daylight hours, frequent slush and snow melt, and cold coastal winds. So what do you recommend to make a small winter oasis?
Since we're looking at the threat of coronavirus for the long term, I want to make sure we can continue to see a few friends at a time while staying relatively safe while doing so. We've had good results hanging out in the yard, but it's been warm and sunny throughout the summer and that's eventually going to change. We need some way to hang out outside while staying comfortable. Winter around here (Boston) is generally wet, dark, and near freezing.
What we have right now:
-A small deck (seats 4-6) with some comfortable seating. The upstairs unit has a deck that covers ours, but rain and snowmelt drips between their decking and gets our furniture wet. I need some way to keep our stuff dry.
-A small yard (maybe 30'x30' of grass, the rest is landscaping and garden). There's some additional furniture out on a small flagstone patio in the corner of the yard, plus a couple trees which will be losing their leaves soon.
-One power outlet on the deck. String lights hung up over the deck.
-City-wide ban on open fires, fire pits, chimneas - basically anything that isn't directly used for cooking.
We'd like to be able to offer a place for a few people to gather to socialize responsibly while keeping warm and dry. I keep thinking about some of the amazing year-round outdoor dining in places like Dusseldorf (large awnings, propane heaters, blankets, warm drinks) and wondering how to recreate that experience at home. We'll need to deal with shorter daylight hours, frequent slush and snow melt, and cold coastal winds. So what do you recommend to make a small winter oasis?
This is an interesting question. Back when I used to backpack in the winter the social event of the evening was sitting around, drinking cocoa, and melting and boiling water for the next day. That's probably not going to fly. Part of this depends on how cold-tolerant you and your friends are.
Maybe look into those heat lamps that doormen use when they stand outside of hotels? I don't know what kind of amperage they use though or what the safety issues are with using them below another deck.
You could buy a few very warm sleeping bags and have hot cocoa / whiskey parties. Keep the lawn chairs inside until you need them and get some closed cell foam pads to sit on.
posted by bondcliff at 8:43 AM on August 11, 2020
Maybe look into those heat lamps that doormen use when they stand outside of hotels? I don't know what kind of amperage they use though or what the safety issues are with using them below another deck.
You could buy a few very warm sleeping bags and have hot cocoa / whiskey parties. Keep the lawn chairs inside until you need them and get some closed cell foam pads to sit on.
posted by bondcliff at 8:43 AM on August 11, 2020
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If you get something like an EZ-Up style canopy, they are not engineered to take snow. Even a relatively small amount can collapse them. So plan on only deploying it and taking it down if there's any likelihood of snow (or even heavy rain).
There may or may not be guidance on using windbreaks by then. On the one hand, wind can bring in clean air. On the other, if someone's sitting downwind of someone else, it could spread it to them.
posted by Candleman at 2:45 PM on August 10, 2020