There are many reasons why people list fall as their favorite season. Pumpkin spice. Sweaters. The changing colors. Whatever the reason, there is no denying that the comparably moderate temperatures after a summer of scorching heat make for the perfect reason to get outside and enjoy your home’s exterior. With this in mind, keep reading to discover 5 stunning ideas for your home’s exterior this fall.
1. Natural Stone Accents
Nothing can transform your home’s exterior this fall quite like adding natural stone accents throughout your property. The earthen beauty of stone features will provide a refined ruggedness that will make you feel distinctly safe and at home as the temperatures cool.
For those thinking that stone is only an option for walkways, patios, or xeriscaped yards, think again. There are numerous creative ways to add natural stone to your exterior, including:
- Fire pits – nothing can bring family and friends together quite like gathering around a natural stone fire pit on crisp autumn evenings
- Garden walls – delineate boundaries for shrubbery and seasonal plants with a stunning stone wall
- Picnic tables – rather than going with flimsy fold-up options or wood varieties that must be frequently painted, why not leverage the ruggedness of natural stone by creating a stately stone tabletop with accompanying benches?
As you can see, the possibilities for natural stone are limitless for your home’s exterior, making natural stone accents a great place to start when giving your home’s exterior a makeover this fall.
2. Roof Replacement
If the changing colors and woodsy scents of autumn evoke your bucolic sensibilities, now may seem like the perfect time to lose those asphalt shingles and switch to a wood shake roof. However, while those wood shakes will definitely look at home this fall, they may not hold up so well for falls to come. Notoriously brittle and susceptible to moisture and UV damage, wood shakes can lose many of their protective properties without regular cleaning and treatment.
Therefore, if you long for the rustic look of wood atop your home, it is worthwhile to consider the benefits of composite wood shakes. Nearly indistinguishable in appearance from natural wood products, composite shakes are manufactured from a combination of asphalt, fiberglass, recycled paper, and other polymers that give the roof elite protection from sun and impact damage for up to 50 years. In addition, they offer the highest fire resistance on the market–something that can’t be said for traditional wood shakes.
3. Wallstone Porch
Fall is the perfect season for sitting on the porch and enjoying your favorite pumpkin-flavored beverage. To enjoy the sweater weather even more, it is important to create an ambience fit for the season. A great way to accomplish this is through a wallstone porch. Whether used as deck skirting or as vertical support beams, a wallstone can provide a natural, earthy ambience perfect for fall but durable enough to thrive in all seasons.
4. Sidewalk and Driveway Maintenance
Fall is the last chance to shore up damaged and degraded sidewalks and driveways before the first snow hits and causes even more damage. At a minimum, you will want to look up how to remove oil stains from driveways and how to fill cracks in concrete to make these exterior areas as impervious as possible and prevent any damage caused by freezing and thawing.
However, a better option altogether may be to replace these concrete surfaces with natural stone products. A flagstone sidewalk evokes the nostalgia of trails leading up to an autumnal wooded cottage, while a permeable gravel driveway avoids the erosive threat of winter runoff that can plague concrete driveways.
5. Outdoor Kitchen
For those homeowners looking to make a big splash with their exteriors this fall, an outdoor kitchen is an increasingly popular feature for homes looking to add functional exterior space. Some of the prevailing features of outdoor kitchens include:
- Nonporous quartz countertops
- PVC cabinets
- Stone ovens
- Stainless steel appliances
- Durable cobblestone floors equipped with landscape drainage grates
- Louvered pergolas for shade and weather protection
Although constructing an outdoor kitchen is an investment, it can be a great way to add convenience and help you enjoy backyard lawn games to the fullest this autumn. There is even some evidence that an outdoor kitchen can help control energy costs. Frequently opening and closing doors to bring food from the indoor kitchen outside can allow significant air to escape from the home. In addition, indoor ovens can raise temperatures enough that it causes the HVAC system to kick on–even in the fall. So while an outdoor kitchen won’t be the cheapest option on this list, there is some considerable upside to adding an outdoor cook space.
Get Creative With Your Home’s Exterior This Fall
Fall is the season of change, so what better opportunity to get outside and make some much-needed changes to your home’s exterior? Projects such as natural stone accents, a roof replacement, a wall stone porch addition, sidewalk maintenance, and building an outdoor kitchen are 5 stunning ideas to enhance your home’s exterior this fall.
Max Shafer is a freelance writer that loves sharing his knowledge and expertise on home improvement projects and materials. He lives in Land O’ Lakes, Florida where he enjoys spending time with his wife and working on projects in his spare time. Max’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisor, a new construction industry resource launching in Fall 2022.
