For the past several weeks, my husband has been working hard on a new deck at our house. While progress has moved along at a bumpy pace thanks to the extremely hot weather and work schedules, I can now say we have a very large deck attached to the back of our house.
When we first looked at our house, before we purchased it, we noticed a peculiar feature in the back living room. There was a door, which if opened, would lead to a steep fall down about 15 to 20 feet to the concrete below. We assumed that a previous owner had the intention to build a deck but never got around to it.
Since there was some interior work we first needed to address in the house, the deck addition got pushed off a couple of years. My mom and mother-in-law were both worried about the door leading to nowhere and the girls becoming curious, so to ease their mind we placed a large bookcase in front of the door.
After completing several of our indoor project, we decided we would like to start enjoying our massive yard more and started making plans for the deck. There was a brick patio in place outside the living room with large stones making a staircase down to the garage, which is on the basement level of the house.
The deck was planned to cover the former patio, landscaping to the south and finally wrap around to the door to nowhere. The drawing seemed to work out so we planned our materials and got to work.
With the busy schedules we always seem to have, finding free time to start on the project was challenging. Finally, after having large stacks of boards in my husbands workshop for about a month, work was underway with post holes dug and the skeleton of the deck formed.
Within a few days, and a lot of hard work by my husband, the framing for the deck was complete and we realized just how big it would really be. I think large is an understatement and I couldn’t have been more excited.
As the deck boards began to form the top of the deck, my excitement grew. With each one begin screwed in, the deck grew, forming an outdoor space I know my family with enjoy for many years to come.
We still have some finishing to do, with the railing needed and steps put in place. We are also keeping a close eye on the girls to make sure they don’t get too close to the edge, they are both pretty adventurous.
My thoughts have now turned to the future that I can get for the deck. We already have a table and chairs set but I think a nice outdoor couch or love seat would be a great addition.
I really have to thank my husband for all of us hard work. I am pretty much useless when it comes to construction projects and the time and effort he put into this deck in 90 degree heat is amazing and kind of crazy and I am very grateful.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com