There are few things as comforting to the soul as a good backyard BBQ in the summertime. Getting together with friends and family around a grill, some grass and maybe a pool is quintessentially American. Summer barbecues can also serve as meeting grounds for people—socially, professionally, etc. In order to maximize your summertime fun, there are a few features you can build in your backyard to ensure successful social gatherings. Here, we will go over four of these backyard features in this article.
Enclosed and/or Covered Patio
A patio can be a phenomenal place to congregate during a backyard BBQ or other event. You can set out chairs, tables, even a bar if you are getting fancy. In the summer months when the sun is beating down you want to make sure that you have something covering the patio. If the sun is beating down on guests, they will be more likely to stay inside—thus, defeating the point of backyard BBQ! A custom gable patio cover specialist can help you set one up if you do not already have a covering.
Water Misters
Many homes have covered awnings in the yard. These provide a place for plants to grow, space for displaying decorations as well as shade for outdoor parties. Yet, that isn’t always enough—especially if you live in an area that can get really hot and humid. One great way to help your guests beat the heat is to install portable misters on the top end of the awnings. These misters can be tied to the awning with a zip tie in seconds and removed just as easily. This a great way to keep your guests cool while getting them to congregate outdoors.
Built-in Grill Area
While a rolling or movable grill is perfectly fine—for those wishing to go above and beyond an outdoor kitchen area complete with a grill, countertops, and other amenities. Some may even include normal features found in a home like fireplaces and sinks. You may even want to consider keeping a food bar near the grilling area so that food can be plated for guests to grab as they go through the assembly line to put together their hamburgers or hotdogs.
An Area Just for Play
If many of your friends—or yourself—have children, then it’s important to make sure that you have an area where they can go and play. This allows them to have their own area so that they aren’t constantly bugging the adults but can still be under their supervision at the same time. Your play area can include features such as a climbing gym, trampoline, swings, sandbox, or a treehouse. If you want to keep things simple, a grassy area set up with child-size lawn chairs and tables will do.
Having an outdoor play area also allows your friends who have kids to not feel like they have to miss out on social events just because they have kids or can’t find a babysitter. If those concerns or excuses ever come up, ensure them that their children are welcome as well.
The most important part of any family gathering is you, your family and your friends. Adding these special touches to your backyard BBQ will go a long way towards creating some fantastic summer backyard memories.
