The Houston Chronicle just released an article on how to have fun in your own backyard. These oldies but goodies will get the family away from electronic devices and outside for some fresh air!

Cornhole

Equipment: Two tilted cornhole boards, each with a single hole, set 40 to 45 feet apart and eight fabric bags filled with sand, beads, feed corn, etc.

Object: Score points by tossing bags at the opposite board and aiming for the hole. Bags that fall in the hole score three points, those that land on the board score one. Gameplay includes “cancellation scoring,” meaning one player’s three-point bag-in-the-hole cancels out another player’s, so only one player or team scores each round. First to reach a designated point total, usually 21, wins.

What makes it fun: With little skill or strategy involved (at least on the backyard level), it puts young players on par with older siblings.

More information: American Cornhole Association, click here.

Badminton

Equipment: Badminton racquets, a birdie (or shuttlecock) and a net 5 feet high on a court measuring 44 feet long and 17 feet wide for singles, 20 feet wide for doubles. A smaller court can be used for smaller players.

Object: Score points by hitting the shuttlecock over the net so it lands on the other team’s side of the court. One point is scored per winning volley, with the next serve awarded to the side that wins the point. First side to score 21 points wins.

What makes it fun: The cone-shaped shuttlecock is constructed so that it seems to float through the air, making it relatively easy for even beginning players to hit.

More information: USA Badminton, click here.

For more games and the full article from The Houston Chronicle, click here.

The Texas Association of Builders (TAB) was excited to announce 394 projects made the finals of the 2020 Star Awards. This year saw a record breaking 624 entries from 54 cities across the state of Texas. 

The out-of-state judges reviewed 187 categories and select the best in Texas. TAB launched the Star Awards program in 1992 and it remains the only statewide tribute to excellence in the residential homebuilding industry.

Winners were just revealed at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas during the Sunbelt Builders Show™.

This year’s entries showcased the outstanding work of builders, remodelers, architects, designers, sales professionals, marketing professionals, construction professionals and industry leaders in Texas and surrounding areas. With nearly 200 categories to choose from and hundreds of entries each year, it’s impressive to be recognized.

We are proud to announce that Texas Custom Patios was nominated in four different categories and we won all four! It’s an honor to be recognized among other elite builders. Here are the projects that impressed the judges!

This older home needed a backyard make-over. The family needed some shade, a nicer area to entertain, and a built-in kitchen. For details and pictures on this entire project, click here.

The homeowners wanted to add about 850 square feet of outdoor living space, so we added an expansive kitchen, living room and dining area. We worked through the existing drainage issues, and added Astro Turf. Now the home is complete and perfect for entertaining! For details and pictures on this entire project, click here.

The customer had an existing pergola with arches that were on its last leg. They wanted to remove the deteriorating pergola and add a space that could add the “wow” factor to the backyard when they looked out their living room window. They wanted a space that could blend with the architecture of the home along with the design of the pool. For details and pictures on this entire project, click here.

This project needed remodeling in both the front and the back of the home. This gorgeous patio was done in a contemporary style complete with an outdoor dining and living area. For details and pictures on this entire project, click here.

If you would like to see more of our work, click here. To see the 2020 award program in its entirety, click here.