1. Install energy-efficient natural gas appliances designed specifically for outdoor use so you can enjoy your outdoor space year-round. Consider a fire pit where friends and family can gather around on chilly evenings or a natural gas heater to keep everyone toasty warm. Natural gas lights create a great ambiance and allow you to enjoy your outdoor room even after the sun goes down - increasingly earlier and earlier as winter approaches.  Tour the PSNC Energy interactive outdoor room at Comforts of Home to learn more and to find out about the products available from PSNC Energy.
2. While you don't want four walls for your outdoor room - what's the use of being outdoors - consider giving your space some definition by planting hedges or trees along the edges. Or, build a privacy screen, fence or retaining wall to enclose the space. An overhang, canopy or awning or strategically placed umbrellas can further enclose the space while providing provide protection from the elements. 
3. Your outdoor room is for entertaining so deck it out just for that. There are televisions, games tables and outdoor speakers on the market that are made just for outdoor use. Wireless, weatherproof options are available too for things like outdoor speakers and, of course, your computer. 
4. Be creative and make use of what you already have. If you have a power outlet and the weather is cooperating, take the TV or stereo outside. Or, use an old sheet or the side of your house as a projector screen and show movies. If you're tired of stereo music, haul out the karaoke machine. Just make sure the outlet can handle the extra power requirements. 
5. Create a complete outdoor kitchen with sink, gas grill, refrigerator, bar, pizza oven and storage. Add a seating area and serve meals outdoors even when the temperatures dip. (A natural gas heater will make your outdoor dining experience even more comfortable.) 
6. Who needs to tailgate in a crowded parking lot when you can enjoy your favorite college or pro football games in your outdoor room? (See numbers 3, 4 and 5 above.) Paint your deck or patio in your team's colors, add team banners and show what a fan you are. 
7. Make your outdoor room fit your lifestyle. If you're a golfing fanatic, consider transforming it into a putting green (or adding one adjacent to it.) If dancing is your thing, install a dance floor. (You'll have fun with your friends and can even host dance parties for your kids.) Keep your thumb green all year long with a greenhouse. Set up a studio for painting. Build in appropriate storage space to protect materials and accessories from the elements. 
8. Think multi-purpose. Define the edges of your outdoor room with built-in seating that can also serve as built-in planters or storage. Expand the stair landing so it can serve as an additional outdoor space. Use a privacy screen as projector screen. When not in use, an outdoor game table can function as an extra space for serving meals. Install pavers that can serve as a walking surface while allowing rainwater to safely infiltrate into the subsoil. 
9. Think environmentally. Even if you're just replacing the outdoor furniture, choose those made from sustainable or recycled materials. Good choices include naturally rot-resistant, responsibly harvested wood certified by the FSC, as well as recycled-content plastic. You can also make creative use of recycled or salvaged materials. Commonly available salvaged materials include: 

• Broken concrete, which can function as a patio, walkway or rock feature. Salvage it from your own walkway or patio demolition, or find it in your neighborhood. Alternatively, demolition companies and concrete recyclers may deliver a load for a fee. 
• Stone and brick, which you can find at used building materials stores and salvage companies. Both can be used to build retaining walls, fountains, seating and other outdoor room features. 
• Metal, including anything from industrial surplus sheet metal to vintage wrought iron gates. Industrial salvage yards and scrap yards are good sources. Be creative and use it as artwork, for a unique trellis or as a privacy screen. 
• Architectural elements. Create a focal point with masonry, concrete or terra cotta architectural salvage. You'll find them at building salvage stores and even antique stores.
• When using salvaged materials, beware of lead-based paints, toxic wood preservatives, and other hazards. Ask questions of the person giving away or selling the material; if in doubt, pass on suspect items. You'll find an abundance of salvaged materials out there so make safety a priority.
10. Create an outdoor room just for pets. Declawed cats and other pets will love having access to spaces that allow them to enjoy the fresh air and watch the birds and squirrels without the danger of running into the neighbors' yards or the street or interacting with unfriendly animals.

We Can Do It All For You!
PSNC Energy's experts can handle it all for you, from helping you find just the right appliances for your newly remodeled kitchen or bath to installing them properly and safely.

Check out examples of the products available from PSNC Energy. We can also install and repair appliances, even if you didn't buy them from us.
 
For more information or to schedule appliance repair service, call toll-free
1-866-546-5369 today. Free in-home estimates are available for installations.

The preceding content is provided for informational purposes only. PSNC Energy does not provide specific remodeling services or endorse any contractors or builders.

PSNC Energy appliance sales, installation, maintenance, and repair are not a part of the regulated services offered by PSNC Energy and are not in any way sanctioned by the North Carolina Utilities Commission. There is no advantage to customers of PSNC Energy if they buy these products or services from PSNC Energy. A customer does not have to buy such products or services in order to continue to receive the same safe and reliable natural gas service from PSNC Energy.