We’ve been done for about a week now with this section, and a section that wrapped around our air conditioning units. Over all, we put up about 90ft worth over the last couple of months, while just working on it for a few hours here and a few hours there. These pictures are of the section at the end of our lot/subdivision and block the view of the carpet plant that’s to the south side of the subdivision.
Our plans are to completely replace the chain-link fence around the backyard with this same cedar fence, for added privacy and much better looks. There’s just something about a chain-link fence that’s taken a few hits from fallen trees over the years that just doesn’t look very nice anymore.
I’m spending my Saturday raking and mowing up a bazillion leaves in both our yard and my grandma’s.
We’ve managed to talk Dad into letting us build a cedar fence on the side of the garage where it’s been needed for years. It turned out so well, that we’re going to build an 80ft long fence up the end of our lot (also the end of the subdivision) to block the view of the carpet plan at the south end, as well as replace the 5ft chain-link fence around the back yard with a new 6ft cedar. It’s going to take a while, but if it turns out as well as this first section has, it’s going to be a huge improvement.
New section of cedar fence
The gate going into the backyard has been in need of some work for a while. My parents originally used treated wood for the bracing part, which worked great for probably the last 10 years, but time and weather has caused it to warp up and drag across the concrete when opening it. So this afternoon we’ve rebuilt the gate using all cedar wood and screws instead of nails. This baby shuts so easily now, and with a little time to let the weather color it, will blend in and look awesome. Next up is replacing the rails that are between the posts along the rest of the fence that is also treated.
Old gate made with treated wood
Working around the house has been the project of the past few weeks. From throwing stuff away, to re-mulching with some nice red mulch and weed barrier, it’s making a huge difference. Not to mention that it’s nice to stay busy. Here’s a quick before and after pic of the area that’s been the most deserving of attention over the past few years. We still have quite a bit to go, but I’m hoping that once this is done we can move on to building a new cedar fence around the backyard and then on to other things that’s been needing done.
Since Chase and I have had the house to ourselves this past week after coming home from Baltimore, we decided shortly after coming home that we’d spend the afternoons after work cleaning it up. Billy came up with the great idea of renting a Rug Doctor, and helped us shampoo all of the carpet in the house. Shampooing took a little longer than we really thought, mostly because you have to move every bit of furniture to an area where it won’t be in the way, and leave it long enough for the carpet to finish drying. The carpet feels amazingly clean now, and it’s really sort of disgusting what the dirty water actually looks like after cleaning a section. We also bought some new collage picture frames that we’re filling with family photos, and are planning on arranging those above the mantel. I did a little bit of drywall work on one of the corners in the house that has cracked from the house settling over the years that should look much better once we get some fresh paint on it. My parents are on their way home right now, so that will give us this afternoon to put the finishing touches on it and make sure it all looks presentable and noticeable. All in all, I hope they are happy and surprised at how we’ve spent the time after work around the house.
On Saturday, I went and helped put some shingles on my parents new place. This was the first time I’ve seen it in person since the roof was put on the porch and the dormers were set into place. They were a little bit hesitant at first on putting dormers on it, but I think my dad made them the right size and put them in the right place for them to look perfect on it.
This past weekend was spent re-shingling our house. It’s been overdue for a couple of years now, so since we finally had a break in the rain we decided to do it. My dad, Chase and I spent Saturday removing all of the old ones and Sunday we started putting them down. Chase and I did all of the nailing down while my dad made the cuts that were needed, which worked out pretty well. Dad ended up having to finish it on Monday and Tuesday because we were up in Knoxville working on a project. It’s not 100% yet, but should be in the next day or so. We still have the ridge cap to do and one shingle that needs some excess cut off. At first I wasn’t too sure how the color change would look, but I think it looks even better now. Before and after are below.
A few photos from this set
Here’s a few pics of what we did today. The temp being in the 90s was a killer, but having plenty to drink sure helped out. We rode up through the mountains to get there on our bikes, and even with the wind from riding, it was about too hot to enjoy the ride. I was hoping we could have left early while it was cooler, but my brother couldn’t pick up his bike from the shop til 9:30, and that ended up being 10:30 before he made it there to get it. The ride back home was much better though. We pretty much traded the heat for the bugs Continue Reading..
My helmet is covered, my shirt was covered 
and I’ll bet my bike is covered as well, lol.
Everyday: so many opportunities to connect, what if you took just one?
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