Arriving home after 5 days down South we were greeted with a VERY strong smell. I was thinking “Geez, what did the cat eat this time?”. But the answer came to us when we peeked out into the back and could see a couple of small barrels of sealant that still sitting on the patio. As of these pictures the first coat of sealant had been applied to only a portion of the deck.
The initial pour of the stairs was also done. There is a fair amount of work ahead to smooth them out and ensure that they are properly leveled. I was surprised to see how well the cement captured the patterns from the mold planks.
The overview gives you a sense of the pattern and subsequent cutting that we opted for. I’ll take closer pictures of the deck once the sealant application is complete. I was somewhat concerned that the 3 x 3 foot cutting would look too industrial (like a public swimming pool) but I think this size, at the suggestion of the concrete guys, really complements the space.
Below we can see the very gradual ramp that was crafted to rise up from the deck level to the shed slab level.
And looking from the driveway toward the shed and pool you can now see the driveway and patio make their curvy way to the shed.
Here are a couple of pallets of boulders that will be used at the West end of the yard to control erosion and to provide a transition from the hill to the pool retaining wall. If you look at the first picture in this post, the boulders will go roughly where the end of the blue pipe is located in the center of the image between the juniper and the wall.
And below we have the modular block retaining wall taking shape. This will support the additional dirt base that will help re-slope the driveway to allow for the top of the driveway to be on less of an angle than before. Also this will allow us to widen the driveway somewhat to make parking easier when we have guests.
2012 Home Renovations – Part 18 – Finally, the deck pour
2012 Home Renovations – Part 20 – Modular Retaining wall continues
Marc,
I went to lunch yesterday with Peggy and a friend of ours, Suzanne
Your name came up and Suzanne said, “he’s really funny and smart too.”
Peg and I looked at her bewildered and she explained that she knew that about you because she had been reading your stuff on the web. She had spent over an hour on your site and is a fan. Who knew I’d go to lunch with girlfriends and talk about you! By the way I wasn’t bewildered by the fact that she found you funny and smart, but by the fact that she knew you.
Kim and I were amazed at the progress on the pool project. It must have been interesting for you to leave for Florida and come back to see a stretch of change.
Thanks so much for your participation in the Chihuly-like garden ornaments acquisition. Let Kim know the how much and in what currency we owe you.
Bonnie