Decking day deux

Decking 6We’re pretty much done with the decking already!  The men started early, about 7.30, and started putting the decking boards onto the frame they’d built the day before.  They also built the path back up so we didn’t fall into a deep, dark hole taking the bin out.  That would have been inconvenient.

The skip that was supposed to arrive between 10am and 12pm came at around 5pm after the gents had already gone home, so they’re coming back on Saturday morning to get rid of the mound of dirt in the back garden.  I did try to shame the man delivering the skip but he just asked us for money.  We didn’t give him it.

Decking 7The landscape guys also built a raised flowerbed at the bottom of the garden, as per Barry’s masterplan, which looks great; we just need to decide what to put in it.

After the mud has been cleared away, we need to get some grass seed stat and dig up those nasty weeds that blight our grass.

Decking 8

We’re also planning on getting a new shed, putting a step in between the two levels for Scarlett’s tiny legs and covering the manhole cover in some way.  Then we would like to put up higher fence panels next to the decking, as we can currently see right over into next door’s garden now, and that’s just not polite.  Then we’re going to stain the decking and fence so everything matches.  I quite like the idea of it being a dark stain, but we’ll have to go shopping and see.

Then we need some nice garden furniture and Barry’s loving the idea of a fire pit.

After that (but way in the future), I’d like to change the paving slabs we have for nice ones instead of the utilitarian grey concrete ones that the house builders put in.  We’ll need almost 40, so it won’t be cheap!

I’ll put up some more photos once the mud mound has disappeared, but I’m really happy with this result!  Just hope we get a summer to go with it…

So, what do you think?  Quick poll: have you ever painted one side of your fence (and not the neighbour’s side)?

A deck above

Decking 1Day one of the decking – the frame is in, hurray!  I wasn’t sure the poor men would come this morning because it was raining so hard, but turn up they did, and worked through until the sun shone later this afternoon.

I took a couple of surreptitious photos when they nipped back to the van (I thought they might feel judged if I did it while they were working!), hence the photos through the door.

They dug out a lot of mud and rubble, much more than they’d thought initially (a skip is winging its way to us tomorrow).

Decking 2Then they started on the two-level frame.  Because it was raining so hard, the grass section of our garden is now a muddy mess, but never mind!  It wasn’t exactly manicured beforehand, but hopefully we can sort it out for summer.  If it ever comes.

One of the paving slabs next to the decking is now about to collapse, so it needs building back up underneath, which apparently they’ll do tomorrow, along with putting the boards on presumably, but don’t know how long that takes.

 

Decking 3Decking 4

Decking 5

 

 

Deck ahoy!

I’m a terrible blogger at the moment, my little baby is taking all my time, but I don’t mind!  We’ve added a couple of bits to the nursery which I need to photograph, and in the meantime, Barry’s organised someone to do the decking!  Finally!

I mentioned the decking plans back in June, and the same plans apply, only instead of Barry doing it, we have a man who can.  It turns out that he was £100 more than if we just bought the bits ourselves, and that is £100 well spent.  The gentleman is coming for two days this week, and then we can laze in the summer mizzle.

photo(1)This is the view from our back door at the moment, kind of uninspiring.  The dandelions are the only flash of colour.  Barry tore the shed down this weekend – the bits are being collected for firewood and the paving slabs keeping it straight have gone on (what else?) eBay!

We’re having decking down the right hand side, extending the patio to the left, and keeping some grass.  I want to change the drab paving slabs for something nicer, but that may have to wait.  The fence also needs to be a bit higher on the right hand side, otherwise we’d be sunbathing looking over at our neighbours below us, a little intrusive!  We’re also going to stain everything dark.

I think – I hope – everything is going to look fabulous!

Dreaming of decking

Despite the terrible weather, we have been talking about decking recently.  We’ve decided it’s not something we can afford to do this year – we’d rather get the house into some semblance of painted perfection first, especially the rooms we use the most, but it doesn’t stop us planning!

Barry has so very much time on his hands, that he’s put the measurements into a fancy schmancy computer programme and come up with an actual plan.

This is what it looks like at the moment (not much!)…

Not a lot going on, and the slabs that we do have are grey and drab and boring.  Now this is the plan for the decking (although it may go to three stages instead of two)…

For those of you interested in such things as elevation, this is below.  This is why we can’t just have one level of decking, because we’d be towering over the neighbours!  Although it might be good to see what they’re having for tea…

And finally!  This is how Barry envisages the finished garden.  I was assured there would be a fire pit in there somewhere as well.  And the slabs can go and be replaced by beautiful ones.  And the sun can come out.

Sunshine

I had my lunch in the sun three times last week. This is a record.

I work in Bradford city centre, and since the City Park was completed, I feel quite proud of Centenary Square (which is the square where the town hall and a few pubs and restaurants reside). I walk through it on my way to the bus stop, and because it was sunny last week, I thought I’d grab a meal deal from town and sit and have lunch. Clearly, everyone else in Bradford had the same cracking idea, because it was packed.

There was still space on some benches, so I sat down to eat, and watched some toddlers running in and out of the water (kids love fountains!) and read a book. It’s hard to go back to work after that, but it does feel like you’ve actually had a break, instead of just sitting at your desk for lunch.

Well, it only went and snowed yesterday, and I have to get my winter coat back out of commission already? What’s all that about?  Then today, it’s sunny!  I’m confused.  These photos are the view from our back bedroom window, yesterday and today.

Happy Easter weekend everyone!