Pour me ... Part 2

It's concrete day!!! Okay maybe we are weird but we love concrete day around here.  The stuff is amazing.  Mix some cement, rocks and lime and you have a strong and strangely beautiful surface.

It took some luck but we were able to get a delivery with short notice.  The excitement was building all morning and then we got the call.  The truck was on it's way.

And guess who steps out?  - the same guy who brought the concrete for the slab for the shed.

The forms were ready, the wheelbarrows were ready.  I was ready with my tool poking tool to insure we got rid of the air and voids.  (I'm a pro at this concrete stuff - LOL)  We worked like a well oiled machine and in about 90 minutes we had footings!

We only had one mishap and it wasn't concrete - I stepped on a nail.  I was too lazy to change my shoes.  It didn't do much damage - luckily I tread lightly - but I'm glad I got a tetanus booster at my physical in February so no doctor visit required.

So now we can start building UP!  Block and brick are next on the agenda.  Oh and what are we going to do for stairs???  Next puzzle to solve.

Pour me.. Part 1

When I last left you, the porch was finally gone - in it's wake was a holy mess.

I didn't even want to look at the front yard.  I kept trying to remind myself that this was demolition and demo is messo! (bad rhyme - I know)

After spending a weekend trying to make the yard look somewhat presentable and level so it wasn't a total muddy mess we would be able building the form for the footings for the block to sit on. All cleaned and ready.

We had to dig, fill and build the forms.  Took all day.  I'll admit, I didn't do much of this part.  I left the digging in the mud to the boys and went shopping.

It was as if I waved my magic want and they appeared.

And then it rained and rained and rained. We had a weekend trip planned to Roanoke to visit Black Dog Salvage (my Valentine's Day, Anniversary and Birthday present) and guess what, it rained here while we were gone.

So the following weekend the boys had to redo all the forms.  (I shouldn't say boys - Trevor is quite the man now - he's been such a big help and this work is NOT fun).  Oh yeah - I went shopping again.

But the weather stayed clearer and we got the inspector's blessing and we can pour!

Hidden Secrets

One of the problems with "demo" is that you often find hidden secrets - things the original builder did which you don't know about.  You see it all the time on renovation shows like Property Brothers and Fixer Upper.  Those hidden "gems" usually mean more work and more bucks.

And so it is with the front porch.  The burning question we had was "What is under there?"  We couldn't let it go.  So we stuck a camera in the little hole we created and we got an answer.

Now even with my limited knowledge of construction techniques, I knew this wasn't good news.  This HUGE slab of concrete was sitting on cinder blocks (they are not really supposed to be vertical!) and brick and wood.  NO WAY was this going to pass inspection and the guys at the city confirmed it.

So the simple "pour a new slab" became take it down, pour proper footings, and build a new front porch.  Cha-ching!

We had to get rid of the whole thing!  And that one little hole took HOURS with a jackhammer.  So we did what we rarely do - hired a contractor to do the demo.  (So much for "demo is free"!)

So on a Saturday morning the guy shows up with a bob-cat and a dump truck and goes to work.  This slab is VERY stubborn and very heavy and after some initial success with the planter and the sidewalk, disaster strikes.  The bob-cat breaks and none of the places that sell a replacement part is open.  Okay - well he can take what was removed to the dump and come back Monday and finish.  BUT - the ground is wet and the dump truck is stuck in our front yard!  Even dumping the load doesn't help.  And it has been there all week!

And of course the porch is still there too.

Well it is time for another project at the old homestead. Hard to believe I've been living here almost 4 years.  Just last week, Facebook kindly reminded me that three years ago we were doing our bedroom renovation.

Last spring, we replaced all the windows.  Had a professional installation.  I love our new windows.

We added the new shutters too.

So this year we decided to tackle the front porch.  It is in need of a makeover because

1. it slopes towards the house instead of away
2. it is UGLY!!! 

I've always hated the railing and the steps to nowhere never made any sense.

So the plan is to close that side of and square off the planter.  I kind of like planter.  We are going to tear up the terracotta-ish tile top on the porch.  It too is ugly.  We really aren't sure what is under that tile monstrosity.  I guess we will find out.   

We are going to pour a simple slab.  New railings, new front door, and maybe some Adirondack chairs.  

The railing?  That is still under debate.  Might come down to budget.

Option one - The budget friendly choice

Troy's choice - but I think it is a bit to fancy for our house and all those little inserts are pricey.

My choice - wider pickets and clean lines.  

It is Labor Day Weekend.  It wouldn't be a proper holiday weekend around here if we didn't have a project. Saturday evening, Troy suggested that we go to Home Depot and buy some "arts and crafts supplies".

We've been talking about building a bench around one of the trees in our back yard. That was the plan. Somehow between drawing a design for the bench, we got on the topic of a fire-pit. The budget only allowed for one project and the fire-pit won!

Off to Home Depot we went and we came home with 61 landscape edging blocks. We had to load them on the cart then load them into the truck.  We added a few bags of concrete (for a ramp to the shed) and chimney caps (which I will never see in their proper installation because you will NEVER catch me on the roof). Poor truck!

It was quite a load!  So instead of spending my morning at the gym, I did the Farmers Walk with brick! Functional Fitness!!

(A little beefcake for you today!)

Course one had to be level.  We picked this spot since no grass grows here anyway!

Less than an hour later we had 5 courses. Our design was based on reusing parts a grill/fire-pit that came with the house. It even had a cover! We'd used it in the past to as a fire-pit and figured it would make a great base. Waste not, want not.

We decided to remove one course of brick to get a better fit and five courses was just too high. The insert fit perfectly! Seriously, a fire-pit by 8 am.

Using more of our waste not, want not philosophy, I bought a couple cans of spray paint to give some old chairs new life.  I decided to use my favorite color - apple green.  You might remember this color from the shed trim!

Eventually we will replace these with Adirondack style chairs and sidetables made from the some tree stumps we have in the yard - more waste not, want not!

 Reminds me or our first motorcycle vacation to The Tail of the Dragon in the Great Smokey Mountains.

Back to the back yard!  Viola!  A new relaxing space in the back yard.  We are all ready for the cooler nights of Autumn to come.

A little work and a little ingenuity and we are ready for the first cool evening.  S'mores anyone?

Guess what time it is....

It's project time again!!

After taking several months off after finishing the bedroom, we will begin this years project.  This year, we decided to tackle some outdoor projects.

First off is the front porch.  We have some drainage issues, some repair issues and a lot of aesthetic issues.  The name of the game will be Curb Appeal.

We start here ...

Notice the charming railing and the squirrel cutouts on the shutters?  If you've been following this blog for a while you will recognize the railing from our screened in porch project a few summers ago.

There was quite a bit of discussion on the railing.  I do like wrought iron but have you priced that stuff?  We do have a piece of the railing that we could have welded back in.  Maybe painted black the stuff would have some charm as evidenced by this fantastic photo of wrought iron work on a historic building in New Orleans.  We talked to a wrought iron guy and the cost was just prohibitive. 

See the set of steps on the left hand side of the picture.  They are DUNZO!!  Essentially, they lead nowhere! and the walkway in front of the planter will go as well.  The planter will stay and my good friend Denise is going to help with flower selection in exchange for the shutters and railing.  She actually WANTS them.  

The front door will get a paint job and new shutters will be installed as well.  I am thinking black shutters but that may change.  

My major job in all of this will be brink pointing - whatever the heck that is.  I guess I'll learn soon enough!  Demo starts next weekend.