Patio Makeover Father's Day Edition

Have you been wanting to surprise dad with that special gift for Father’s Day?
Well, my wife and son wanted to surprise me with the ULTIMATE Father’s Day gift; they came up with an idea and we worked together on a plan to pull off a patio makeover!

My family and I love being outdoors and spending time together so having this boring builder grade patio needed some LOVE!

All the products and tools used for this Father’s Day Patio Makeover can be found at The Home Depot.

Let’s get STARTED!

Let’s begin with painting the ceiling. We picked up two gallons of Behr Dynasty paint along with a paint tray, rollers, and brushes. Here’s a few things you need to consider before painting… Are you painting over wood, MDF, metal, or vinyl?
If you’re painting over wood or MDF, then simply begin painting.

Depending on the color you choose, it may take two coats, but this paint goes on great! This is what you want when searching for paint products. If you’re painting over vinyl or metal, you will need to scuff the surface slightly with sander or by hand with a sheet of 180 grit sandpaper. Our project was over wood, so we were able to go straight to painting!

Paint the ceiling using Behr Dynasty Paint and paint rollers.

We really wanted that custom “WOW” factor, so we decided to add cedar ceiling beams for the extra dimensional pop! Solid cedar beams can be costly, so we devised a plan to use dimensional lumber (pine) as a substrate board and then wrap the pine with Cedar. Carpenters have been doing this technique for decades and it’s called Cladding.

Locate the ceiling joists, so that you have a secure place to mount the pine substrate. Use outdoor 3” decking screws and attach them to the ceiling joists. Depending on your layout of each beam, you may need to add some extra blocking above the ceiling. In most cases this can be accessed through the attic.

I have found when you don’t have attic access above the patio, there usually built even more secure using flooring joists and ¾” plywood, which would make installing these much easier.

Moving forward, attach all the 2x6x10 pine dimensional lumberevery place that you want a beam to be located.

We installed two ceiling fanson our patio, and both were incredibly easy to assemble and install. Simply follow the instructions included for this application.

Before you begin, find your main electrical breaker for the house and turn that breaker to the off position so that no power will be on while you attach the fan. Luckily you will only need one tool: a Philips head screwdriver. The fan comes with the wires pre-stripped and the wire nuts.

Once you have the light installed, turn on the power at the breaker and do a test run.

We chose a three bladed fan for a sleek modern feel!

This Father’s Day gift to me was moving smoothly and the entire time I was worried about the flooring, my thoughts were… can I do this? How can I make this happen with limited tools?

Well to my surprise, my wife really did her research and found these amazing floor tiles. No underlayment needed, and the best part is they simply attach to each other with a male and female end on each tile. Simply determine where you would like to begin and just get started but choose a corner and go from there.

The tiles are made of wood and sealed for outdoor protection. The best part, are you ready? If you ever have an issue with one tile, then you can easily remove and replace it without affecting the rest of the flooring!
What’s better than that? Maintenance issues have always been a concern for me and with this flooring, I won’t have to worry about it.

Installing this smart Defiant Wi-Fi Lockwas very simple and took me less than 30 minutes!

Begin with downloading the Defiant app, so that you can program the access codes once the install is complete.

Attach the side lock plate, then screw the back assembly to the front keyless assembly. The instructions thought of every question that one could have, and this made the process simple.
Installing this lock was a must for me. With children who often forget to lock the back door after playing outside, now I can lock the door easily from the Defiant app on my phone while lying in bed. So GREAT!

For a bonus feature, let’s say that you’re out of town and you need to let someone in who doesn’t have a key. Now you could unlock the door and relock it from your phone providing you have WIFI! Boy, do I love technology!

Every patio needs a conversation area, right? We picked up this StyleWell 4-piece Wicker Patio Setfrom Home Depot. It included two chairs, a coffee table, and a loveseat.

All the tools needed for this application were included. The coffee table needed the legs to be attached and the stretcher bar which goes in-between the table legs.

The chairs and sofa needed the seat portion to be attached, the holes are pre-marked and using a wrench (included) simply attach the seat portion. Once, this step was complete, place the cushions in place and just like that it’s time to place your beautiful conversation pieces anywhere that your heart desires!

We love spending time outside, especially grilling dinner. The weather is warming up and it’s time for us to get some fresh air!

After picking up this Traeger Pro Smoker I had to begin the assembly. Don’t worry, this is easy and two people are not needed for this application. Attach all the handles with the tools provided, attach the legs, install the smoke vent and you’re done.

Smoking meats, such as pork, steaks, chicken, and burgers have always been something that we love and now with our own smoker we can make the most delicious meals!
Since I’m a father, I’m pretty sure that I can say with certainty… EVERY FATHER will appreciate a smoker for Father’s Day!

Don’t forget to get the grilling pellets so that you can flavor your meats.
I chose the signature blend and I can say with confidence… I chose correctly!

Right about now I was feeling like a superhero with this transformation! I felt like I could tackle any project, so with all this newly found confidence I jumped on the Rubbermaid outdoor shed installation!

Begin with the foundation, then the walls, working corner to corner and finish with you the roof portion. Now the weather was very windy, but my wife was able to lend a hand while I attached each section.

This part needs zero explanation and can make all the difference with your space. Floor mats (like this Traffic Master Commercial Rubber Mat), décor and plants will complete any outdoor area!

Give the lawn a trim! After all that hard work on the backyard patio makeover, you will want your lawn looking fresh. To make it happen you’ll need the Ryobi 80 Volt zero turn cordless mower and the DeWalt trimmer / blower combo. If you really want to excite your father, look no further! This will be a Father’s Day he will never forget as this gift offers major bragging rights!

This cordless mower has tremendous power and the best part is that you will never need to worry about gasoline, oil or that pesky maintenance that can sometimes be cumbersome with lawn equipment.

The trimmer and blower were light weight and very powerful.
After I cut the grass and edged the yard with the trimmer, my son used the blower to clean it all up and he did a GREAT job! This is by far, the BEST Father’s Day experience EVER!