Arizona Outdoor Living by Dream Retreats

There are a number of options for construction materials and methods as well as equipment and accessories, so I have boiled it down to the best construction choices and most esstential elements when considering building a outdoor backyard kitchen.

First and foremost, I recommend having your outdoor kitchen custom
built, onsite, using masonry material and construction methods.  Although
there are a number of bbq stores out there offering pre- built bbq units
made from galvanized 2”x4”’s and pressboard nothing can match the quality and feel, not to mention the customization options possible with masonry
construction.  In addition the myth of portability of the pre built units (meaning you can take it with you if you move) is just that, a myth, unless you want to rent a crane!  There are endless options for finishing materials from natural stone veneer to granite tile countertops. Perhaps the best thing about a custom built masonry backyard kitchen is it will last a lifetime and cost no more than the prebuilt unit that can start falling apart after a few years of Arizona sun, heat and monsoons.

Arizona Backyard Kitchen by Dream Retreats

When it comes to equipment stainless steel is king in the Phoenix area. Two of the finest bbq units available in Arizona are the lines from Fire Magic and American Outdoor Grill. They are 100% made in America, come with great warranties and have local service people if anything goes wrong (although I haven’t had one bad unit or any complaints  in the past 12 years) Beyond the bbq the options are endless from side burners to bartending units you can customize your Arizona backyard kitchen to meet your lifestyle and budget.

Artistic Landscape Pavers

I’m really excited about a new landscape design product that we have started to us and the new possibilities with Artistic Pavers. 

The Artistic Pavers are an elegant collection of landscaping pavers and coping for all your exterior landscaping projects like pool decks, walkways, decorative planters, fountains, raised walls and more.

Even better, the company recently opened a new manufacturing plant in Casa Grande, making their products for pool deck remodeling and paver patios truly available to customers in the southwest, especially those of use that live in the East Valley.

Casa Grande Landscape Paver Location

Prior to the new plant in Casa Grande, the pavers were only made in Florida and the shipping costs made the product unmarketable here in Arizona.

Artistic pavers truly combines all the qualities that I’ve been looking for in a landscape design paver and especially for use as a pool deck. They are a great alternative to all other products out there especially when considering landscape renovation, pool deck installation, or pool deck renovation.

Until now homeowners have been limited to the traditional “kool deck” or the “acrylic deck coatings” applied over concrete decking. These products were ok, but both eventually chip and peel off or the concrete slab eventually cracks leaving the pool owner with the option of having ugly and costly repairs or having to remove the deck entirely. Most of the time then, the homeowner would have to redo the pool tile as well as the pool interior.

Artistic pavers are specially made to be used with both new pool deck or patio construction and as a deck remodel without having to rip off the existing concrete deck. They go down quickly without all the hassle and mess of ripping off the existing deck. The coping remodeler piece is applied right over the existing deck at the waters edge and the rest of the deck is covered with a combination of the 12″, 16″ or 24″ pavers. The pavers are a “floating” type deck which means you never have to worry about them cracking and when used in a remodel they cover up all the existing cracks, chipping and peeling of your existing deck mentioned earlier.

Artistic pavers are also a great option since they’re cool on the feet in the middle of the summer. Something we need to think about here in the East Valley of Arizona. They are specially made to require no maintenace, don’t need to be sealed and aren’t slippery. Since they are so dense they can be used with salt water pools. Ask anyone who has a flagstone deck or another natural stone type deck and a salt water pool and they’ll tell you what a nightmare they have on their hands.

Oh and one final note I should have mentioned earlier but I’m so excited about all the technical aspects of these paver. They create  BEAUTIFUL  pool decks and patios for anyone looking to create a newly designed professional landscape, or someone looking to do a complete landscape makeover and renovation.

You can view the product and image gallery by going to: Artistic Paver
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