"I get knocked down, but I get up again"

Fighting adversity with a hopeful heart

For Tommy

Hey there, Tommy. You asked so politely for a few pics of the construction going on with our new decked area so you could compare American work with us Aussies.

I ran it by Alun who took LOADS of photos for you, he was so excited to share them with you.

Without further adoo (?) here are pics of our old, rotting deck, some of it held up with what look like sanding paper (grr) being transformed into a stable, beautiful deck made with composite wood; which will stand up to our hot summers and not crack or fade.

Hope you “geek out” and enjoy. Big hugs xx

This honestly broke Alun’s heart. Just so badly done.
What a joke. Any idea what these are, Tommy? Because this was being used to hold up bits of wood
Construction begins 🙂
Matt and his mate Gary – both friends of Alun’s who are professional carpenters. Al leaves the door open so the lads stomp in and out and can help themselves to cold drinks, snacks, and the toilet if needed.
There’s something about these lovely straight lines brings joy to both Alun and I xx
New composite wood for the deck arrived
I’d ideally like the steps upgraded, too. We’ll have to see.
Alun was so excited and sat out on it all evening
From our living room to the outdoors. Al and I are sooo pleased 😀
It’s almost finished 🙌 woohoo!

janetdthomas77

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13 responses to “For Tommy”

  1. Thotaramani Avatar
    Thotaramani

    May you soon complete your sweet home 🏠

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. janetdthomas77 Avatar
      janetdthomas77

      Thank you so much, Thotaramani xx

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Thotaramani Avatar
        Thotaramani

        👍🏻🙂

        Liked by 2 people

  2. Tommy T. Avatar
    Tommy T.

    Oh man, that is looking great!! Thank Alun for all the pics as well. It looks like in some areas you were not that far away from the boards collapsing. UGH. Fun to see that the construction is very similar to what we would do here with the framing and bridging of the sub structure. I do not know what those slabs of stuff were unsafely holding up your deck. That just looked very unsafe. Just amazing what you find when you start tearing things up. That is a very large space it looks like to entertain a bunch of friends, (mates). Trying to practice my aussie. Dawn and I talked about using composite too but opted for concrete for the patio and composite for the steps. Glad we did as our space is in the sun most of the day in the summer and the composite tends to get hot. Surprised that of all the work you left the steps. Maybe next month. I am sure that Alun and his buddy are very happy, and it is satisfying for both of you each time you go out to enjoy and with 200 days of sun, you have lots of opportunity to enjoy. Thank you so much for sharing and letting me get my long distance construction geek on. Hugs to you both.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Catwoman=^••^= Avatar
    Catwoman=^••^=

    That is just gorgeous! And I love seeing the step by step progress with all the photos. How much more renovation are you looking at?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Garden Journey-woman Avatar
    Garden Journey-woman

    Sensational, what a relief. What will go on the deck now? Looks like it gets plenty of sun.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. janetdthomas77 Avatar
      janetdthomas77

      Hello Garden journey woman! That’s a cool tag line to go by! Yeah, the decked area gets A LOT of sunshine which sounds great but it is awful when the days of summer feel like the sun has moved closer to our home. Omg. Hopefully we’ll put up shade sails and lots of big, leafy plants. I’m hoping to get 2 mature magnolia trees to go out there and provide shade/greenery too. My husband and I need to save now for outdoor furniture so we can BBQ with our mates and sit out on cool nights 🌙

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Garden Journey-woman Avatar
        Garden Journey-woman

        Lovely, a blank canvas. You can get cheap market umbrellas which would look cute, and cast-off second hand couches with waterproof fabric thrown over it (Spotlight and Lincraft have acres of options). Go all out, what a delightful space to imagine afresh.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. janetdthomas77 Avatar
        janetdthomas77

        I’ve just looked at your before and after gardening pics. Omg!!! Amazing. I’m inspired to do the same and build up our decked area with pretty Natives in various sized pots. I really want to make it an area we gravitate towards. For now though, I like sitting out on the deck – as plain as it is, it gives me a lot of peace.

        Like

      3. Garden Journey-woman Avatar
        Garden Journey-woman

        I tell you that if you want quick growing natives that would look great in pots and give you instant greenness without needing a lot of water or costing a bomb tussock grass would be great. They are so hardy but would look super in pots. I actually didn’t think of it before but looking at your space makes me want to do it!

        Liked by 2 people

      4. janetdthomas77 Avatar
        janetdthomas77

        Omg they look awesome (I’ve just googled). I’ll definitely get a few in pots. I like their movement on a windy day too.

        Like

      5. Garden Journey-woman Avatar
        Garden Journey-woman

        Totally. That’s the best part. I have photo of them in my nature strip after shot.

        Liked by 2 people

  5. Tommy T. Avatar
    Tommy T.

    I loved the idea of the tussock but it will not grow here in Ohio that I saw but here was an alternate that I have perfect place for in our little back 40 here. Thank you garden journey-woman

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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