Room for Improvement: Patio

WSVN -- Martin Amado: "Now, with the weather getting a bit cooler, we can start enjoying our outdoor spaces even more without sweating too much, right? So, on today's Room for Improvement, we are doing a patio makeover."

Martin Amado: "Room for Improvement. Good morning, Christina."

Christina: "Hi, how are you?"

Martin Amado: "Well, Christina, I love your backyard, your plants and your birds, but I know you're not too happy with the way this looks, correct?"

Christina: "That's correct. I had landscaping done in my backyard, and I had the pergola installed, but I'm stuck with the concrete slab. I have no idea what to do."

Martin Amado: "Well, I'm going to get to work, and I'll surprise you at the end."

Christina: "Thank you."

Martin Amado: "You're welcome."

Martin Amado: "We already have a beautiful architectural structure in the pergola to start with, but we still need to make the patio more functional and stylish for entertaining outdoors, so that means the first thing we are going to tackle is the floor."

CHEAP FIX:

You have to be creative when you are working on a limited budget, so the most inexpensive solution for this concrete slab is to paint it. I'm using two colors, one for the main center and then one for the border to give me the look of an area rug."

Martin Amado: "You want to make sure you prep the surface so use a good pressure washer or a concrete cleaner to make sure it's ready to receive the paint."

TOOL TIP:

To get that perfect seam between the two colors, I could have used the blue tape, but sometimes you run the risk of the painting seeping underneath, so instead, I'm using a foam brush that also has a perfectly straight line."

SMALL WONDER:

To give this patio a more cabana-like feel, I'm using regular tab top curtains, which are machine washable, and then to hang them, I'm using a simple shower curtain rod with tension of course, so the installation is easy on and easy off.

Martin Amado: "All right, the hardest part is already done, so let's bring in the furniture, and the finishing touch is a side board that Christina can use while entertaining outdoors with her family and friends. I hope she likes it."

Martin Amado: "This morning, the patio space didn't compliment the beautiful landscaping. By painting an area rug on the floor, adding a new seating group and using creative ideas for bamboo and curtains, we created an outdoor room perfect for relaxing and entertaining all for under $1,200."

Christina: "Wow, this is amazing. Oh, my God, Martin."

Martin Amado: "You like your floors now? No more concrete."

Christina: "Wow, this is more than what I imagined. I can't wait to show it off to my friends."

Martin Amado: "All right, Christina, so I hope you enjoy your brand new space. Thank you so much for letting us do this for you. To all the viewers, thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you next time on another Room for Improvement."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Contact: room@wsvn.com 
Miami-Dade: 305-576-HOME
Broward: 954-962-HOME
Martin Amado's Website: http://www.martinamado.com/