During the summer, we love spending time outside enjoying the beautiful weather and playing in our backyards. We express our style and individuality with each new backyard project. Build an escape from the outside world with a fence and a hidden book nook hammock. Or, create a gathering places for friends with a swimming pool and fire pit. Make your backyard an expression of you by trying these three backyard projects this summer.

1. Set up a fire pit.  

Fire pits are the perfect backyard accessory for every season. Whether you’re camping out or roasting s’mores, a fire pit is the perfect gathering place for your friends and family. Start your summer off with an easy backyard project that will make your yard the envy of the neighborhood.

Your fire pit will be a gathering place, so make sure you find the perfect spot! The fire pit should be 25 feet from your home and away from any low-hanging branches or bushes. Your fire pit will either be circular or rectangular, so make sure you leave plenty of room for your family to safely navigate around it.

Determine how large you would like your fire pit to be and mark the outline with string or spray paint. Remove the sod and an inch and a half of dirt before leveling the area with a tamper. Fill the leveled area with gravel and build the walls of your fire pit. Stagger the stones of each layer and hold them together with concrete adhesive or mortar. Let the wall set for the suggested drying time of the mix, then line the interior wall with clay fire block. The fire blocks will be held in place by another layer of gravel and lava rock. After you add your lava rock, you’re ready to start roasting, so gather the family and prep the s’mores!

2. Build a raised garden.

Creating and maintaining a garden in your backyard isn’t always easy. The trees shade part of your yard for most of the day, and you still want to leave room in the yard for family activities. Building a raised garden bed is the perfect solution for location issues and family fun.

Find a spot that gets plenty of sunlight, but isn’t in the way. The garden bed will need to be at least six inches tall to make sure there is enough room for roots to grow. Two 2x4s are the perfect height for your plants, and a great height for your kids to help tend the garden.

Build a wooden rectangular frame and lay it out in the sunny area you have chosen. The frame should have a wide mesh hardware cloth stapled to the bottom, or cardboard lining the bottom to fight against weeds and encourage earthworms. Line the interior sides with a heavy-duty plastic to prevent the frame from rotting. Fill the frame with nutrient-rich soil and plant your favorite greenery!

3. Raise a fence.

Make your backyard an escape for your family. Raising a fence to enclose your yard will make your backyard a safe gathering place for your friends and family all summer long. Find a fence design that fits your vision and start your next family backyard project.

The first thing you need to do is determine where your property line is. You don’t want to spend hours accidentally building a fence in your neighbor’s yard! Once you’ve established your property line, mark where all the utility lines enter and leave your home. The last thing you want is an incident cutting an essential power line. Mark your fence outline with string or spray paint, noting where each post and gate will be located. The posts should be six to eight feet apart at a consistent distance along your fence.

At your marked fence post locations, start digging the holes for your posts. Each hole should be three times as wide and half as deep as your post. The simplest way to dig consistent holes is to use an auger. This will save you time and a lot of sweat. Each post hole should be filled with four to six inches of gravel and a layer of concrete mix. Place the post in the concrete mix and let the mix set for the suggested drying time at a level height. Once each post is secure, add your railings and attach your fencing panel with deck screws or galvanized nails at an even distance for the desired look. Now step back and admire your latest backyard project!

Make your summer one to remember! Summer backyard projects can take your backyard from an empty, unused area to a fun summer hangout for you and your family. Why spend your summer indoors when your backyard can be the oasis you’ve been looking for?

Midwest Rentals of Lafayette, Indiana has the tool rentals you need to complete your next home improvement project.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us or visit our website. Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest as well!