Heavy rains and drainage problems delayed our deck and porch plan. The rains magnified the swell issues such that all the yard run-off ran right over the bottom step off the deck. We priced stone bridges and wood bridges, but neither option seemed attractive or reasonably priced, so we just moved the attractive 6' stairs with double wrought iron railing over to the side against the house where they became 4' steps with only one side rail. It saved the builder some money and may not look as nice, but it does give us more usable deck space, a natural straight line walk way from the porch to the yard, and it keeps the steps away from the drainage.
We will have lots of work to do this spring turning that swell into a dry creek, landscaping for privacy, planting flower beds and natural areas around the porch, erecting a trellis behind the privacy wall so it doesn't look as strange, and hopefully building a privacy hedge along the side yard. I'm heart broken over the loss of all the trees that surrounded our yard during initial grading and over the terrible slope they graded into our yard to reduce the drop down to the neighbor's yard, but we'll have to come up with a way to give us something decent to look at from our porch besides rooftops, solar panels, and storage buildings. It takes forever to get a house like you want it, I guess, but I'm loving all the progress we're making.
I've been pleased with the crews so far as they have been very professional and done excellent work. My biggest complaint was the step issue that we thought we had resolved before we went to contract and having to pay for those expensive wrought iron rails which look terrible in front of the EZ Breeze windows we're installing but which are required to pass inspection. We had to pay for them even though we won't be using them (except to pass inspection), and we'll have to find somewhere to store them all so we can re-install them when we sell the house and need another inspection. I have found other options like partial knee walls which I wish this builder had recommended, but now we're stuck with what we have.
Here are the pics our builder took the week after Thanksgiving, 19 days after the project started, but after only 7.25 actual work days due to rain and holidays. The ceiling trim out was finished. The railing was 90% done. The custom toe trim border was 50% done, and the steps had been dissembled and moved with the step down platform from the porch to the deck built.
7.25 workdays later
Rain, rain, you're such a pain.
Go away, so they can paint and stain!
The pretty tile is stacked inside
Longing for the porch when the paint has dried.
The deck is only half-way done.
Progress keeps asking, "Where is the sun?"
21 days after the project began (he projected three weeks to completion, so we had hoped to be done by now were it not for the rain and the holiday), they had completed 8.25 days of work. The lattice construction was complete (except the gate), the privacy wall was framed with Hardiplank installed, and the other set of steps were completed.
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| Custom toe-kick border done |
At this point, Orwell insisted that as the master of the house, he should give the construction work a thorough inspection, as if we haven't had enough by the town already. We're having an inspection as I type, and I'm missing a long awaited Christmas party just so I can be here while he inspects. :(
By the end of the 22nd day since construction began, the same crew had completed all the carpentry work. It took them 8.75 days total.
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| Lattice gate installed |
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| Custom trim skirting for the landing and steps (temporary handrail over windows for inspections) |
That afternoon, the one man painting crew arrived with samples to help me finalize our paint and stain color choices. My husband left those decisions all up to me even though I'm the most left-brained one in the family. He returned for a few hours the next day and put the first coat of stain on the tongue and groove ceiling.
Then the painter installed the drywall for the privacy wall where our fireplace will be placed. Our daughter saw the purple sheet rock panel and though we were painting the porch purple. She was elated. Now that wall is a neutral grayish taupe.
Our cat was not a fan of the painting process. For almost a week, the painter kept the windows covered with plastic.
"Listen, lady. For the past 4 days those painters have had all my
favorite windows where I like to perch and watch the birds covered with
plastic, so I cannot see outside. Don't you know that is a cruel form
of kitty abuse? Fix it, minion, and do it STAT!" - Orwell
Yesterday, the electrician came back for phase 2 installation, and the one hardworking put in another day. It's really coming along. The only items left now are tile floor, windows & door, stain deck floor, phase two painting, gutters, and decorative post caps. I'm all about the rope lighting and will probably use it more than the can lighting or fan lighting. It's nice to have more flood lights now, too.
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| Ceiling after phase one painting in the daylight |
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| Ceiling after phase 1 painting (phase 2 will touch up that trim work) |
We have lots of landscaping in our future for sure!
On December 12, another crew installed the tile floor. It was a lengthy and very expensive process, but we love the way the tile seals the room and make it look more like part of the house. I was nervous about using white tiles, but the dark grout should help with keeping it clean, and the white stone look really brightens the room. Since the town would not let us put in a stone patio as we initially planned due to impervious area restrictions, having a tile floor helps appease my desire for more stonework.
Is that a new dance floor I spy
Tempting me as it waits to dry?
Staining
the deck flooring is the last step (so the workers don't mess it up
before the job is complete), but I'm enjoying the LED floor lighting
even without the stain and the whole lighting package.
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