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April, 2009 4:36 p.m. — Wednesday, April 1, 2009 It's finally happening. The deck we have dreamed about for years and always thought would happen this summer is actually happening this summer. The footings have been dug, have passed inspection, and have been poured. Here are some shots:
Staking it out beforehand.
Digging.
Brow-beating.
Dug and ready for inspection (notice the beautiful morning sun)(and the attempt at toddler-proofing the holes).
Inspector's view of the hole.
Just in case I wasn't home and he wasn't sure.
Almost there. (See Lily?)(See me holding up the camera?)
There they are.
We passed!
Apparently, buying all our Quikrete the winter BEFORE we needed it was not so smart. Quick 'crete, indeed.
Reinforcements from the local lumberyard.
José was up to the challenge.
A lasting impression.
Little buddy's hand and Mama's hand (Lily opted not to get dirty).
Poured and curing (notice the shady afternoon sun)(and the handprints — foreground).
Ryan took advantage of the beautiful weather last night after work; he removed the rail from our existing stoop, took off the bottom row of siding, and cleaned/re-graded the whole area. Next step? Framing. That will get started this weekend. We'll keep you posted. 11:28 a.m. — Monday, April 6, 2009 Friday, a load of #1 pressure treated lumber was delivered to our driveway from our favorite local lumberyard (same place we got our extra bags of Quikrete).
Here it is being dropped off the truck (below, Lily's watching it all go down).
Saturday, Jay came over to help Ryan get started with the framing.
Here's Jay, screwing in some of the bolts for the ledgerboard.
Isn't the copper flashing beautiful? Too bad we'll never see it once the deck is done.
I was surprised how high it was off the ground at the front of the slope. (Ryan is 6'2", for comparison.)
They got so much done after just one day! Jay also came back Sunday afternoon to help Ryan finish the framing. Our friend Adam also came to lend a hand, and by the end of Sunday, framing was complete:
Well, if you don't count the one missing board we forgot to order ;) This coming weekend, between Good Friday and Easter services, Ryan hopes to begin installing the decking. That means we actually have to decide what we want first. Oh... choices, choices, choices.
11:39 p.m. — Saturday, April 11, 2009 Today's rain — and our predicted delay in choosing decking — provided Ryan with inspiration to work on some miscellaneous projects around the house. Such as...?
Priming the pocket doors. Funny how exactly one year ago, we were installing the pocket doors, and it's taken us this long to start painting them. Funny how you forget all about them when they're pushed into the walls ;)
Looking back on last year's installation post, I noticed Lily peaking out of her closet doors. Today, while Ryan primed, Lily was fast asleep in her crib (and Mama in her bed!) while sweet Jacob watched his daddy in action:
I think this is my new favorite photo. Ever. Ryan also sanded the last coat of plaster on our 1/2 bath ceiling and primed the whole area. He fixed the leak right after we discovered it, but kept the hole in the ceiling open for fear the leak might return the moment he closed it up. It's been near a year. I'm pretty sure it's not going to leak anymore. *Fingers crossed* Happy Easter tomorrow, everyone! Here's a sneak peek of what's to come:
(OK, so maybe THIS is my new favorite picture. Ever.) 11:39 p.m. — Saturday, April 14, 2009 The long-awaited-for decking has finally arrived:
(Sorry for the blurry cell phone picture...I don't qualify for my free upgrade for like another year, so it will be a while until the spontaneous shots improve.) We went with MoistureShield composite decking in Seasoned Mahogany. The railings will be made from pressure treated lumber — 4x4 posts, 2x2 balusters, 2x4 top and bottom rails — with one row of composite above the top rail to cap it off. Ryan is so excited to get started tomorrow, he keeps saying things like, "Looking forward to using our new deck this weekend?" He has high hopes it will go as quickly as the framing! The weather is supposed to be beautiful again tomorrow, too. Here's to grillin' some burgers later this weekend ;) Continue on to Next Next NEXT Month...
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