The Finished Patio

You put the paver in,
You pull the paver out,
You put the paver in and you shake it all about.
You use the rubber mallet to pound flat the sandy mound,
Until you're tired out!




But what fun is a patio without steps? How hard can steps possibly be? Well, that all depends on whether you are an overachiever or not. A set of pre-built stringers and 2x10 pieces of wood would go up in about 30 minutes. 4x4 lumber and patio pavers to make steps that match the patio? Well, now we're talkin' a day or two (and 25 lag screws).

No comment is necessary...





At the end of the day, after weeks of hard work, the patio, she is truly finished. Allow me the indulgence of a before/after set of pictures:

Before


After



We did it.

-Ed

ps. You might also notice, comparing the pictures above, that we painted the screened-in porch, inside and out. Why? We had a few nanoseconds of free time before mother's day and thought it would be a good idea to fix gaps, repaint, and re-screen the porch. Here's a picture of linda, gung-ho in our last-minute addition to our todo-list. You can see my sister, kathy, in the background. She made the mistake of asking "Is there anything I can help with?" 8)