So these are some old photos of the back deck...
It's nothing too special. What sucks about this deck is that it faces west and has no roof. At one point it did have a roof that went across both sides, but when a storm knocked it down, the previous owner chose to take the insurance money and dismiss the rebuild.
Today a family friend, Rick, came over with his sweet set of tools to begin what we figure will be the most bitchin' deck roof in Bethlehem. 
The roof will not only cover the deck, but will also serve as the main collection area for our rain harvester, which will go in the space between the deck and the dirt. A platform for the harvester's barrels will be in the works shortly.
We had to tear down the railing to install the posts which will support the cross beam. Something I failed to mention earlier was that the previous owner built the deck himself, which is cool, but he obviously knew very little about construction—neither do we (yet) and that's why we called Rick. I'm guessing the previous owner burnt through several screw bits to sink all the screws we got out of this thing; it was comical.
14 July 2009
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5 comments:
Go M&K! Nice idea to make the deck roof the rain harvester (although the idea of harvesting rain is comical this summer up here).
Here's my (unsolicited) advice. Consider taking a woodworking class at adult ed or a nearby community college, if they offer it, then buy some quality tools. For example, a compound miter saw will save you lots of time, and is pretty safe in comparison to a circular saw. You'll save lots of money doing it yourself, and can prepare for the future farm!
Take more photos, and have fun!
Ali
i can't wait to see the finished project! keep posting!!!
Asking for help isn't always easy. On the other hand, you have a family friend willing to jump right in and get things going. "Fixing" the carpentry work of a previous owner is wrought with all kinds of expletives spewing from current owners all over the world. You are not alone!
It is amazing some of the inherited stuff you'll find in a home that was previously owned. We are thinking about a back-deck project for next summer, so I am interested to see what you all do! Good luck with the project!
Abbie
Hey everyone,
Sorry for the delay in our responses; we have been in and out of town often these last two weeks and free time came in unpredictable flashes. But anywho...
Ali,
Nature has certainly provided us with ample water for the gardens this year. All I can say is, Wow! I did see on your blog that the excess water may have had something to do with a terrible case of the blight. Good luck getting that remedied.
We have already begun the tool collection. My mother and her husband bought us a super sweet compound miter saw as a house warming gift; it's totally bad ass. Also, I'm not sure if I had made this information public, but the job I earned this past year is at a community college. Meg and I have been licking our chops at the list of adult ed classes they offer. The class I had in mind was welding. I was kind of thinking very long term with that one, but I never thought of taking carpentry. It makes total sense, thank you.
Jaz,
We can't wait either. A week or so ago we passed the first inspection and tomorrow we will be putting up the roofing panels. We are very excited.
Dan,
Rick is truly special. His help has been a win-win situation in so many areas. As far as the prior owners work, well, let's just say that we have a nice pile of scrap wood collecting in the basement:)
Abbie,
We've learned early that inherited items and construction can be either a blessing or a curse. We have found out from some of our neighbors that the previous owner was trying to make a quick buck and in some areas of the house it really shows. But, we have been able to redirect some of his sloppiness and this great little house is finally getting the respect it deserves.
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