Today more and more home owners are expanding their living spaces to the backyard. One popular item that is being included in the new backyard living spaces is the good old television. With the types of televisions available today it is no wonder that TV’s have found their way into our garden landscapes and outdoor living spaces.
There are specialized television’s directly made for your outdoor projects. Weatherproof LCD screens are available although a little pricey. You can find mobile television units that can be wheeled out on their specially designed karts to be placed where you like. Flat screen TV’s have many options for mounting out doors as well, with specially designed stainless outdoor brackets and designs.
Another area televisions are popping up for the backyard space is in hot tubs, and spas. There are a number of hot tub manufacturers selling hot tubs with televisions that pop up from the cabinet for the lounging guests to enjoy. How long you will enjoy this feature is the question. Hot water with hot tub chemicals is not the best environment for television’s. The other issue with televisions being part of a hot tub or spa is that the hot tub covers are not really designed to incorporate an extruding item like a TV. Taking the hot tub cover on and off may be an issue, not to mention replacing the spa cover if it is broken will be extremely difficult. Finding a hot tub cover lifter that will work with a hot tub with a television in it may be difficult as well. We are not big fans of any electrical devices being attached to your hot tub or spa, televisions, stereo’s, and iPod’s should be off on their own so they don’t get any water or chemical damage.
The best thing is to have the television positioned in an area where your guests will see the TV whether they are in the hot tub or not. I mean if you stayed in your hot tub for the length of most current movies, they would be a prunes when you got out of the hot tub.
If you find yourself in your hot tub in the backyard watching your perfectly placed television, make sure you pickup hot tub time machine and give it a watch. This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a while.
So long story short, a television is a great addition to your backyard space, but I would consider making it a separate purchase than your hot tub or spa. Placement is a key for the viewers as well as the protection of the television. Place the television in a covered area of your backyard to protect it from the elements such as rain, sun, and snow. When positioning your television look for good sight lines without glare from the sun, and in a place where your guests will be able to enjoy it from multiple areas of your backyard.
