I hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew
Posted: Mon May 01, 2017 5:22 am
This isn't really beer-related, but since nearly everything I do relates somehow to beer, and I just feel like writing about it, here it is.
When we bought our house 17 years ago, we were pleased that it had been maintained fairly well. It's an older house, so that was important. But one of the glaring drawbacks immediately apparent was the half-assed, homemade "patio" in the backyard. It was made of bricks, but the underlayment hadn't been done properly (or else, over time, it sank), and it was all wonky and uneven. To make things worse, there were three yew bushes at the end of it, and they have since grown uncontrollably. And a tree had been planted in a pot at one of the corners. The roots had grown through the pot and in between the bricks, anchoring the whole thing into the ground. Long story short, it was just a mess back there.
So this spring, we got serious about removing those eyesores, and now I'm obsessed with building a deck and having room for the grill, a table, and some chairs. Before I got into the pest control business, I worked with an independent contractor, so I know some of the rudiments of deck-building. But that was nearly 25 years ago. I also have a Decks Made Easy book I bought from Home Dopey, which may help to refresh my memory. And, now that I'm retired and only working part-time, I can devote some of my spare time and waning energy to this project.
Right now, I'm at the stage where I'm mentally preparing myself; sort of standing at the top of the ladder looking over at the end of the high-diving board. It's a commitment, and it's something I need to make sure I can get right the first time. And I will want to start on it early enough to have good weather to work in. Maybe I can talk to my brother, and see what contacts he might have that could help or advise me.
Lots of tool rentals in my future....
When we bought our house 17 years ago, we were pleased that it had been maintained fairly well. It's an older house, so that was important. But one of the glaring drawbacks immediately apparent was the half-assed, homemade "patio" in the backyard. It was made of bricks, but the underlayment hadn't been done properly (or else, over time, it sank), and it was all wonky and uneven. To make things worse, there were three yew bushes at the end of it, and they have since grown uncontrollably. And a tree had been planted in a pot at one of the corners. The roots had grown through the pot and in between the bricks, anchoring the whole thing into the ground. Long story short, it was just a mess back there.
So this spring, we got serious about removing those eyesores, and now I'm obsessed with building a deck and having room for the grill, a table, and some chairs. Before I got into the pest control business, I worked with an independent contractor, so I know some of the rudiments of deck-building. But that was nearly 25 years ago. I also have a Decks Made Easy book I bought from Home Dopey, which may help to refresh my memory. And, now that I'm retired and only working part-time, I can devote some of my spare time and waning energy to this project.
Right now, I'm at the stage where I'm mentally preparing myself; sort of standing at the top of the ladder looking over at the end of the high-diving board. It's a commitment, and it's something I need to make sure I can get right the first time. And I will want to start on it early enough to have good weather to work in. Maybe I can talk to my brother, and see what contacts he might have that could help or advise me.
Lots of tool rentals in my future....
