Deck

We now have a back deck on which we can eat, sit, contemplate the pond, and generally enjoy ourselves the way one does on a deck. Ben found a system which allows us to get around pouring concrete footings, which makes the construction a lot easier. He prepared the site the weekend before, then our friends Katie and Quinn came up with there daughter Helen to help with the actual building of the deck. They did it in a weekend- 2 is so much better than 1! Here is the process:

Ben prepares the ground:
He digs up the grass (what little there is on this nasty patch
of clay which is doing a poor job of masquerading as soil...)

Then lays down gravel.

The crane lifts our supplies over the shed

Quinn and his girlfriend (oops I mean Ben, my husband)...
The framing has begun (see behind them).

Instead of a couple of concrete footings, concrete bases are placed very close together to distribute the weight of the deck. It is a "floating" deck, which means it is not attached to the house. That allows for a small amount of movement which won't mess with the integrity of the deck.

The decking is half on. There's Katie and Helen observing.

Dad's take a break and hang out with their babes.

Katie does double duty.

Working in the fog.

Done! The stairs off the sliding glass doors are a great place to sit.

Ben also builds a table.

Enjoying the deck! We will add more plantings around the perimeter to cozify (I made that word up), but we like the openness so there will be no railings. It is low enough not to need them.