Treking

The new top of the railing for the front porch. It is beveled so the rain will run off and it is two toned so it has a beauty all its own. I think I will let it mellow with age and not put a stain or a coat of paint on it. It is cedar.

The cedar pickets add a bit of charm to the new porch. The old one had some sort of a thin wooden slat that crisscrossed and the spiders loved to spin their webs in it.

The new trek deck, sturdy and the brown matches the color of the house.

The new stairs. Son Michael came up with the idea of wider steps when he did the porch in the back and Kevin, the lead worker of this project, thought it was a terrific idea and should be standard. They are so much easier to get up and down and one size fits all.

This is where the flower box was which was built up to the window. I was not happy with it as I knew when it rained the rain went through and down under the house thus this was the corner where the dry rot was really bad.

LaVerne, my neighbor out walking her dog Skylar and paying attention to the on going work.

The finished product, now the house almost looks brand new.

Putting in a new door is not an easy job. I watched the two men work all day in getting the new door jab finished taller and wider. My two sons wont have to duck to enter the doorway anymore. The new siding is a lighter color than the old but some dry rot was found along a seam so it will have to be changed and soon it will all match. The paint job will come much later when everything has a chance to dry out. It has done nothing but rain for weeks now and the men didn't mind working in the rain.

This is the seam of dry rot from the old boards to the new. The composition is different as the building materials change with the times. This trek board or whatever it is called should last the life time of the house. There has been some temorary caulking done until new side boards will be changed out.

The new door with its built in screen. The window is a bit larger than what I used to have and will allow much more light to come in. Kevin even changed my light bulb for me.

Kevin is trying the door making sure it fit properly. It was quite a feat to get it to settle in and fit just right. It is such a strong door in comparison to what was in there.

The finished porch. . . a beauty and should last a very long time.

The finished bench where you can sit or fill with potted plants. This is the old planter box set up, that was under the window, will be changed.
A few pretty pots might look inviting.


So today I will be cleaning the living room which has accumulated every bit of dust and dirt a new building project can leave behind. The men did a good job cleaning up but the mopping has yet to be done and they did not volunteer to do it. So if you are thinking of starting a new project know it is very expensive now a day; materials have changed; the labor costs are much higher; the constant banging and noise is well worth the stress when you have a finished project. Now for some sunshine so this one can truly be finished. But one thing always leads to another so you know that the little garden area by the porch is now in need of revamping. The soil has receded and water is staying in pools and puddles so that could mean the dry rot is waiting to happen so off to the store with my list of things to buy to change this spot and make it water proof. So be careful when you start thinking of changes, necessary or not, as it is never ending
and like the carpenter, measure twice before you cut . . . go, enjoy your day and treat yourself royally and if you are close by, come and get me, I really don't feel like mopping. Hugs to all.