Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

 

The people who built, owned, and lived in our house, for the first ten years of its life, made an agreement with the neighbours to build a fence. It was right on the property line. Then the neighbor planted a cedar hedge on his side of the fence. A few years after we moved in, the fence was rotted and came down. After the cedar hedge filled in, it made a higher and nicer fence. We planted a boxwood hedge to fill in the open gaps at the bottom of the cedar hedge and it was like that until a few weeks go.

We have new neighbours and they have their own ideas. One day he started hacking down the cedar hedge. After he had done substantial damage, he stopped when he realised the hedge might not be his. He discovered it was and soon the cedars were down and gone. That left a little boxwood hedge for privacy.

About a month later, this fence went up. It is right on the property line and in the process of lining it up, he dug up and moved our boxwoods six inches further onto our property to make room for his fence. He told me I could do what I wanted with my side of the fence.

So, I did. I stained it with some pricey Benjamin Moore stain on Saturday and it looks great. The new richness of the wood is preserved as opposed to letting it weather before it is preserved, which is something he will probably do because he is a young dad who is busy.

 

 

The fence is too low for my liking, but it is a solid barrier. Our garden is now surrounded by fence and I suppose the critters will no longer use it as a thoroughfare.

 

The photos are all the same fence, but the stain shows more red in the shade, and yellow/gold in the sunshine. It feels great to get that done before the wet winter takes over. It then would have waited until spring and the fence would have lost its newness by then.

Home Construction Project

 

The new back steps project began with a challenge. How do you haul 12' material home in a truck with a 6' box. My Brother-in-law came to the rescue with his load extender which fit snugly onto the hitch on the back of my truck. I was grateful for only one steep uphill grade all the way home.

 

Setting up tools and saw horses in the back yard. The lawn may be toast, literally, but at least there was shade.

 

Old steps down and the first stringer up.

 

Andrew screwing down the second last tread.

 

He doesn't know I took this photo. Hehe.

 

Complete except for painting the rail, some of which we had to replace with new wood.

 

New treads all cut, primed and painted.

 

We used treated lumber for the stringers. They will last beyond my lifetime.

Let the winter rains come now because I have one less thing to worry about.

But now for that roof that is twenty years old next year. The cost of the stair project was under $200 in materials. The roof .... well, my first estimate came in and it is $12000.00

My Back Steps

 

I live in a house that was built in 1976. These back steps that lead up to my deck were well built and are still fairly sturdy but the time has come to replace them. The bottom of the stringers are rotted and we have propped up the bottom tread a few times. My biggest headache regarding these steps is the maintenance. I know what to do and how to do it, but the paint job on these steps, no matter how meticulous the prep and expensive the paint, does not last more than two years because of the deteriorating condition of the wood. This year with the very hot and dry temperatures, the wood had shrunk and dried to the point where it is checked and cracked beyond repair.

This whole stair case, left alone going forward, may collapse in maybe two to three years.

 

Only two years ago, there was an impeccable paint job on these treads.

 

The stringer split at a knot and once water gets under the tread and into the stringer, it is a matter of time for rot to set in.

 

The top hanger plate has dry rot and one can poke a pencil almost straight through it. Walking up and down, the stairs are 

 beginning to shake a bit

 

But, mostly, they are ugly. It is time for a home repair project. Andrew my son, where are you? I need your help.

How to Buy a Bed

 

     We decided, one day in December, that our bed needed replacing. I was all for a new bed, but not up to the daunting task of shopping for it. I checked the sales flyers and eventually went to the internet to do research. I wanted a good deal, a good bed, and good testimonials.

 

     I learned a lot, but mostly that shopping for a bed was a bit of a crap shoot. And what can you learn about a bed by laying down on it for a few seconds in the show room of a Sleep Store? I dug deeper and started to head in the direction of high quality memory foam beds. I had wanted a Tempurpedic last time but the 5K price drove me off.  Then I found a bed that was as close to Tempurpedic as you could get, but the price was 1/5 as much. Moreover, it was a Canadian Company and was skyrocketing to success.

Not only was the price good, but it included shipping, 2 memory foam pillows, and a 120 day guarantee with free return shipping if we decided to send it back.

We could not lose so I ordered from the website and a few days later it arrived in very heavy box. We opened the box near the bed with the old mattress already removed, and flipped the squashed contents onto the bed. It was icy cold and flat like a pancake. The instructions said it would take about 6 hours to 'fluff up'.

 

As it warmed, it slowly started filling out the baggy mattress cover. The two pillows were almost cardboard thin. In fact, one of them took three days to expand.

 

We slept on it that night and knew there was big difference from what we had. We no longer rolled to the middle as if magnetized, and we were lying straight, and level. It took getting used to, but in a few days we loved it and my back ache that had come late in the year was now gone completely. The 120 days are soon over, but we decided some time ago that it was a keeper. This bed has our complete endorsement.

You can check it out here if you are in the market for a new bed.

Water Water

 

On Thursday I renewed my home owner's insurance and the saleslady told me of her recent experience with her city water bill. It seems she got a letter from city engineering stating that she had a leak in her line and her water bill for that month was $11,000.00!  Yes, you read that right. It was a long story and a few years ago my neighbour had the same experience.

 

24 hours later I get a letter in the mail from city engineering saying I had a leak in my water line. I immediately checked all my plumbing and then went to the meter and removed the cover. The meter was not moving at all. I then turned on the hose and watched as the meter crept forward. I turned off the hose, the only water running anywhere near or in my house, and again the meter stopped dead.

I then called city hall and as it was a late Friday afternoon, there was no help there. I then went to city hall and found someone (yes a real person) in the engineering department and we looked at the computer record of my address. Yes, there was heavy use in the evenings, but it has been dry and we have been watering the garden and flowers. The early hours of the morning showed zero consumption.

Deduction: If there is, at times, zero consumption, how can there be a leak. They were puzzled and did not know why I received the letter. The person in charge is supposed to call me, but so far, no call.

 

False alarm? I certainly hope so.

The Chair

 

I take good care of my things. I do not abuse or misuse my 'stuff' so it was with great consternation that I sat down one day, in my very comfy office chair, leaned back, and almost crashed to the floor. With a loud snap, the base of the arm had broken and one whole side of the chair leaned back and collapsed.

 

I made four attempts to glue, screw, and repair the heavy plastic arm, but to no avail. The tension and forces upon these two pressure points was too much for even Krazy Glue II.

 

After sitting on a kitchen chair for a few days, I finally went shopping and found a great deal at Staples, getting $100.00 off of this multi-adjustable, leather 'task chair'. I am back in business and now have another item for the garage sale in Spring. The old chair will be free, of course, because of its condition, to anyone who thinks they can fix it.

Still Liking It

 

It has been three years since we installed this door and I am still liking it. The fiberglass was a good choice and the colour still works for us. My daughter is having a new door installed in her house any day now and then we can compare notes.

Cover the Deck

 

Our old deck cover started coming off in the winter winds, so we finished the job later in Spring, ripping down the old ceiling, roof, and corrugated panelling. We found rot and multiple wasp nests in the old structure. I had put it up myself about 20 years ago, but not doing the best job. Apart from poor workmanship, the materials had just deteriorated in the weather and were done.   

 

The old roof was 2 x 4 construction with chip board on top of and underneath the ceiling. Then on top of that was the corrugated fibreglass panels. This time we opted for the open look and thought that 2 x 6's would look more substantial and decorative. We cut every piece according to our plan and them pre-painted every side. There are no cut, raw edges.

 

 

 

On the roof we installed polycarbonate panels with specialized spacers and screws. Everything fit like a glove because we planned and measured before hand. We used the clear panels, which block 90 % of the UV and let more than enough light onto the deck and into the windows along the deck. These shiny new panels are now waiting for plops from starlings, jays, crows, and sparrows. That is the downside to clear. Also, the Maple tree sheds all year round and in the Fall, especially, we will have a cleaning issue.

 

We did it all from the deck with various types of ladders and did not have to go up on the roof at all. Andrew, my fearless son, did all the high and dangerous work.

 

We really like the finished look and now we have our sheltered outdoor living space back when the rains come, as they surely will.

 

The next project will be replacing the steps going up to the deck. They are still safe and sound, but the maintenance on them is ongoing and they only look good for a year after I re-finish them. We are tired of sanding and scraping and priming and painting. I am going to look into steel stringers and composite treads. It will be a final and lasting solution if I can afford it.

Time for a Fix

 

Our deck roof was rotting. Yes, rotting. The corrugated fibreglass was broken and lifting in the wind and rain, and the roof under it, as well as the ceiling on the underside, were showing a lot of mould and mildew. Not safe.

 

We are enjoying the air and light of this new look, but a new roof will soon be installed, something perhaps tinted and translucent. It has not rained since the roof came off so we will be running around storing chairs, pillows, etc. as soon as the rains come.

 

Photos to follow if I ever get a round tuit.

 

As for the gout, it has subsided somewhat. I worked all day and hardly noticed until the end of the day when it started to throb again. I remember when my dad had it at age 70 or so. He was complaining and limping so bad it almost made me laugh. I wanted to say to him "C'mon, man up and ignore it"

Father, forgive me.