Prepping for porches

We are preparing to work on the front porches now.

 We've spent a long time....days...weeks actually....trying to find some composite decking that is the color we want for our balconies/porches/decks..whatever you want to call them.  We wanted the old-fashioned gray southern porch color. ( Or is it grEy?  A or E?) And I thought we found it.

 But we also found this wood color composite decking and we liked it too.  But the grey is traditional.  But wood is richer looking....but we want the southern porch look....I've been Pinteresting a lot of Southern Porches....

 Gray/Grey it is....then Saturday morning Dave woke up and said, "I slept on it, and we're going with wood decking.  I read about that decking last night and it's composed of plastic and sawdust, and they discourage you from cutting it.  I have to cut it to make it fit up around the doors.  the warranty is only for ten years, not a lifetime.  Our decking is under roof so the wood won't fade like most......waaah waaaah waaaaah."

 I couldn't believe that he was changing his mind after all of this time we spent looking!  Apparently this decking is 5 times more expensive than wood. 

 And we are wondering now why we didn't think to have the decks poured concrete, like the back one.  We weren't thinking about them at the time, that's why.  First step was to smooth out all of this dirt under the deck.  And to raise the porch level just a tad, on the east side, as it has 'settled' a bit.  Really?  Should we worry about that, since this porch is holding the entire East end of the house up. 

Back to porch prep.....Gather (purchase) supplies....

And to stand a column up, and second, third and fourth guess yourselves on whether it's the right size...too big...too small...how many do we need....

 Let me see.....one, two, three, four....5, 6, 7, 8...

 9, 10, 11, 12...two in the back....

 Do we need any on the sides of the balcony...

 And paint the framing gray (I'm going with A) color.

 And to add some braces to the other end of the deck because it never was done when the deck was framed.  Who knows why...

 And to make a trip out of town to buy more of these because the local supplier is out and won't get any more in until August 1.

 And have the big one when he rings one box of them up as $48.00 and you need.....how many.....let's see....14?...maybe more!  Good grief!

And now....maybe now....we can get started on one of the front porches.

Oh and I might add, that when my Shug unhooked the trailer from the truck, the trailer flew up and this hitch missed his nose a hair....peeps...I'm a little worried about him doing that upper balcony.

I am.

Cindy