The Pool Deck

We have finally finished the main part of our pool deck. It felt like it took FOREVER but it actually only took about 3 weeks. Unfortunately, they were during the HOTTEST part of our summer. Between the heat and the bugs and the complaining...well, lets just say that I am glad it's over for now. I say for now, because we still have a whole addition to the deck to make. Hubs has a bbq pavillion and a fire pit area planned.
Here is where we are now:

This is shot from our existing deck which will eventually be turned into a laundry room. Where the new deck stops now will be where the additional deck will start. The top right corner will be where the bbq area will be. It will be covered and have some countertop space and a bar to sit at.

At the end of this deck is where the continuation will start. This corner is where the fire pit will go. By the time we are finished, the entire pool will be surrounded by decking. The next phase will be about 10 inches higher than the current one so we will have a step going up. At least the weather will be much nicer for the next construction phase!

It's a little hard to see but the black tar paper covered wall will house the outdoor bathroom/changing room. There will be a door but hubby hasn't cut it in yet. The windows to the right of the bathroom are my dining room windows. They will be cut out and the wall will be extended over our old deck to the new deck where we will have glass doors going out. This will make a nice addition to my dining room area! Where the double doors are now will be closed in to make my laundry room and the double doors will be replaced with a simple interior door.  For seven years, I have had to lug the laundry across the drive to the office where my washer and dryer are and then lug it all back to the house. I won't know what to do with all that "free time"!
This uses all of our old deck and turns it into house space that was desperately needed! Just out of the camera shot, to the right, is a double window that looks into our living room. The "window" is actually a double french door that was made into a window. I hate it. Always have. Don't know why the previous owners did that but I will be glad to change it. It will be turned into an actual doorway leading out onto the deck.  It will be nice to have an exit in the living room instead of having to walk through the house to get outside. Then, the grand finale will be re-siding the entire house. Since we are doing all of the other work ourselves, hubby said we could hire someone to re-side the house. WhooooHooooo!!!!!
This was the biggest project so far this year. It is a blessing and a curse to have someone who knows how to do all of this stuff. A blessing because we have saved tons of precious money by doing it all ourselves. A curse...because WE had to do it! However, the kids and I now know how to install a wood deck from start to finish. We can use hubby's tools like pros and we have the pride of knowing that this deck was built correctly, safely and with love for our homestead.

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