Main Porch Steps & Trellises

Last year, at this time, we were constructing the porches.  You can see details in July of 2013.

There were a few details that we did not finish before winter hit.  One was steps leading to the yard on the main porch.  Dave made some steps in an empty room in the house, then the neighbor and I carried them outside to the front of the porch.  They were heavy!

Then Dave put the nuts and bolts in them and did all of the he-man strengthening type stuff so they will hold everyone that walks up and down them.  The hand rails were a bit of a problem.  You couldn't put them straight down...slanted like...because they would hit the steps.  It had to do with the width of the steps. 

Just like construction.....over-time....over-budget.

So Dave did some engineering and brought the handrails straight out for the first step, then slanted them down for the next two.  They look great.  Whenever you use treated wood, which is what you usually use on an outdoor project, you should wait at least a few weeks to paint it. 

This porch is now fini'!

When Dave finished the steps,

he decided we needed a couple of trellises on either side of the windows.  Something...to tie it all together out front.

 

 

He painted the trellises when I painted the steps,  and at some point we will add some landscaping.  It's too hot and dry right now.

 

More porch stuff coming later.....

Cindy

Door on upstairs balcony

 The month of June was a little more ambitious.  Dave had his cast switched to this boot, and could move around a little more.

And we still had a storm door that needed to be put on one of our entrances.

He sat in this chair for several hours while putting the door on....

then I came up to take a break with him and BAM!!!!

He got stung on the finger by a wasp!!!  See the little paper nest under the armrest on the chair.  Yup, the same chair he sat in working on the door.  

Poor guy!

Cindy Bee

Achilles Tendon Surgery

Hi everyone!  I suppose I'm a little past due for some updates on this blog.  Let me explain....

Dave had Achilles Tendon surgery on May 6.   He was sent home with a tube in his leg to keep it numb, and a sling he wore around his neck that held a plastic bag full of medicine.  And he had a plaster cast on his leg for three weeks.

 After three days he took tube out of his leg.....ewwwww.....it was long.....and after three weeks, he went back to the Dr. and came home with a different type of "boot" on his foot.  Today is July 14 and he is still off of work from this surgery.  But he is walking pretty good now, just has a slight limp, and things are moving along.  This is pretty much all we got done for the entire month of May.

 We stopped at a garage sale across from his Mom's Assisted Living facility and bought this mirror to go above our bathroom vanity for $10.00!  It even has beveled glass!

  And I insulated part of the attic while he cut the insulation.  It was something he could do by sitting or standing still. 

 I laid all of this in one direction,

 then started rolling it in the other direction. 

 So the insulation in the attic has an R value of 50.  I know you are impressed that I know about insulation R values!

I'm downloading lots of pictures now, and I hope to get caught up on this blog in the next week or two.

Cindy