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Monday, July 4, 2011

Our new deck




We've been saving for this - planning for this - and finally we are ready !!!!

The deck was built by our son-in-law Jay - with help from other family members. I made the plans, decided the major features and the result is absolutely fabulous! It was a lot of hard work - a LOT of shopping at three hardware/lumber stores, a lot of hauling of materials and a lot of "going back for one more thing". You just never really know how much material goes into a deck until you see it being built - miles of beams, and acres of decking, piles of railings and zillions of bolts, screws and nails - oh my.

Don and I wanted a big deck - it is 12'x20' - big enough for sitting, eating, barbecuing, entertaining. We figured that once it was built we couldn't make it bigger - so we started with BIG. The porch that came with the house was a tiny 4'x4' with steps down to the sidewalk - barely room to put a chair on - and certainly not big enough for two chairs - and I love to garden and wanted planters and pots for my flowers. So let's get started!




All the beams had to be put in first . . . Jahn was a great help!!!







Beams on the pilings - that is a lot of wood!





The rule is - the deck has to be freestanding - not attached to the house - so the frame had to be partially built a few feet out from the house (so Jay could put the bolts in place in the back) and then the beam section had to be lifted up and moved two feet back, so it was against the house. I was not there for the lifting - wish I had a picture of that. Four people lifting the heavy frame and inching it back until it was against the house - we had to recruit a neighbor to help.


Jahn cleaning the ends of the boards - they all had staples and stickers on the ends.

A boy needs a good French Toast breakfast to keep up his energy . . .


Decking going on - there is a lot of decking on a 12'x20' deck . . .





Ceremonial last screw going into the decking . . .



Start of the railing - 4x4 cedar posts . . . I love the slanted corners - gives the deck such a nice artistic look . . .


And the top boards of the railing . ..



Jahn learning to put a new plug on an electrical cord . . .



With the ends of the decking Jahn made us a "wood henge" . . .



The beginning of the ramp - I am so excited to have a ramp . . .


Don standing at the end, when the ramp was almost done - just need the last few decking boards and a railing (another trip to the lumber yard) . . .



The yard had to be landscaped after the deck was built - Jahn helped his dad unload the three loads of topsoil - while a neighbor stops to chat . . .




Loading topsoil into my ladybug wheelbarrow - don't you think every girl needs a ladybug wheelbarrow?


First flat of strawberries of the season - the perfect snack for a hard working boy!



Our other son-in-law, Jason, and our daughter Beccy came to help us put the slats in the railing on Saturday and the deck is complete! When we went grocery shopping on Sunday we stopped at Big Lots - and what did we find - clearance patio furniture that is wide and soft and oh so comfy - and apparently just made for our new deck.


Two chairs that rock ( on some sort of spring), a loveseat and a table . . . and on clearance - be still my heart!


And so this is our deck - there are flowers on the railings (those planters straddle the railing and are perfect for the gardening I want to do. There are three tomato plants in the pots to the left of the love seat.

These two little gnomes sit in the new table - one is busy - one is dozey . . .

There are three of these lanterns - shaped like a lighthouse and they hold a candle for evenings on the deck. I got them from JoAnn Fabrics on clearance - love summer clearance just as summer is beginning!!! More about the flowers and decorations on the deck later.

Don't you think this is the niftiest deck ever? And today we have a family bbq here!!! Ahhhh summer!!


23 comments:

  1. How exciting! It looks great and all ready for a 4th July BBQ:)

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  2. Perfect! Lotsd of summer days ahead to enjoy...I am sure there will be many more pretty flowers finding their way home too! Happy Fourth of July! MMMMM strawberries!

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  3. It looks lovely Jo. All the waiting and planning was obviously worth it. Enjoy it as much as you can. Much Love. Cecilia

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  4. Ohhh it's so beautiful. Congratulations!!! And I love the "wood henge." That was good for a big huge smile!

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  5. Wow your deck looks fabulous! What team work! Enjoy your new deck.

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  6. What an awesome deck you guys have to enjoy family and freinds. I remember your patio in Orangevale. Spent many evenings there. Great Memories. You also have a hardworking Grandson.

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  7. What a fabulous deck....it's beautiful! And you can't beat that furniture...it WAS made for it! And on sale, too! Yay! Your Jahn is the best ever grandson! What a hard worker....giant hug and pat on the back!

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  8. Your deck is wonderful Jo!!!! I wish I had one of those, shoot I would settle for a patio LOL. You will be spending many wonderful hours out there :0)

    Crispy

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  9. I LOVE it!!! I'm sure you do too. What a great idea about the ramp. I may need a ramp one of these days!!! HA!
    It is lovely and I know you all are soooo proud!!

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  10. Oh Jo you must be so thrilled! It turned out so wonderful and just in time for a bbq on the 4th too! I just love JoAn Fabrics for things like your awesome lighthouse candle holder. What a great new family entertainment area that I'm sure you all will thoroughly enjoy. ~Lili

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  11. Asolutely fabulous! It was so exciting when we got our decks done and yours is so pretty! I still don't have 'real' furniture on mine!

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  12. What a project! And what gorgeous results. I'm envious, and really happy for you.

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  13. I can see you now sitting and stitching and enjoying some tea....ahhhhh....

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  14. How gorgeous! I'm sewhappy for you!!! Our son put in a patio a couple of years ago and it makes the summer back yard our fav place!
    Hugs~
    Cindy

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  15. Oh I love the deck Jo. The photos of the event are wonderful, they will be cherished. Yes the kid deserves the treats for the big help he was.
    This will also make life easier for you. A bbq...wish I was there to cheers the deck!

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  16. That is one, BIG, beautiful deck. How wonderful to have it finished so fast, too. Happy decking!

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  17. That is AWESOME!! We have a large deck, too, and I love it so much. That was my husbands theory,..make it big to begin with. It looks great!

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  18. Wow!! What a wonderful big deck! Perfect for the kind of outdoor living that goes on in the PNW. I can't believe they managed to lift that thing!!

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  19. I love seeing building projects. Your deck is really nice. I am sure you will enjoy it all summer. It is nice to see a family working together. It will be nice to see a family playing together, too.

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  20. What an awesome job, Jo! So glad for you! I'd love to be able to sit and visit in person with you on your new deck :-)

    Sunny

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  21. Jo, I have seen pinecone dishes while I've been out and about. I almost bought some last winter. Should have. (except at some point one runs out of room to store things. And I don't want to become one of those hoarder ladies on that tv show. ) Have you ever done a post on your pinecone dishes? I'd love to see them.

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