Deck Be Gone

 So the rest of the deck is off, and the house looks a little bit naked.

Once again we called on Corey and his Big Ol' Tractor to give us a hand.  He lifted one end of the deck frame with a forklift attachment, and he and I (mostly him) pried the deck off the house.  He was able to move it in one piece.

tiny photos by Sue (my mom)

 I had him set the frame aside where it can take up space until I get the chance to start cutting it apart, most likely next year.  In the meantime, if anyone asks, this is where we'll be having the live band every Friday night.

We also picked the walls for the best stones and stashed them nearby.  Disturbing an underground yellow jacket nest kind of cut that project short, but we managed to get a nice stockpile started.

Permit is also in hand, sooo 

LET'S BUILD AN ADDITION!!!

 

*crickets*

It's Finally Happening!

 The contractor has given me an estimate for the addition, the financial part of the process is underway, and it looks like we'll be breaking ground by the end of the month if all goes well.  Finally!  After two years of waiting, it's finally happening!

I had planned to work on the track fence this weekend, but with this news we decided to begin removing the old deck on the side of the existing house.  

 

My uncle is here for the weekend, so we put him right to work.  Between him, my mom, Neil, and I, we were able to get the pergola down in no time.  Neil and I then moved on to the deck railings, which I decided to keep and use as fencing around my gardens at some point.  Once those were off, we moved on to the decking.  What a chore pulling those planks!  They were both nailed and screwed down, and most of the screw heads snapped off if we tried to take them out with a screwdriver.  We managed to get about a third of the boards off Saturday.  On Sunday, Mom and I worked most of the day to remove the rest of the decking.  

Voilà!

 

We're planning to leave the frame intact and once it's off the house, cut it into sections to use as pre-made raised garden beds.  Pressure treated lumber is in short supply with the whole Covid thing going on and people stuck at home doing all kinds of improvement projects, so this is a win for us.

We also need to move the two little stone walls before excavation begins.  They're made from small fieldstone that's weathered nicely, so I don't want them just bulldozed up.

It's finally starting to feel real!  I can't wait to have my own space again, and I'm sure my mom can't wait to have her house to herself once more.