August 2015

Pity the poor residents of northern areas of the U.S. and certainly Canada, for if they are barbecue aficionados – as so many of us are – they can enjoy that avocation for only four to six months of the year.

At the beginning of June, we sent a questionnaire to 2,200 retailers of hearth, patio and barbecue products. A total of 340 were returned and usable.

The Outdoor Room is alive and well and currently appearing in backyards from Dallas to Des Moines, San Francisco to Sandusky.

In early July, Hearth & Home faxed a survey to 2,500 specialty retailers of hearth, barbecue and patio products asking them to compare June 2015 sales to June 2014. The accompanying charts and selected comments are from the 219 useable returns.

In many areas, yards are small and neighbors close, which presents issues of both privacy and noise control. Such is the case in New Canaan, Connecticut.