General/Random Discussion Topic

[Extremefire]

yes we should but i need to get some sleep. because my back is hurt me so much again...all my joints and bacj hurts...not fun night everyone night MsRR

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Sleep well.

[mtmerrick]

just saw star trek nemisis.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

DVD or TV?

[mtmerrick]

TiVo

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Ah.. I don't have TiVo, or a DVR ...

[mtmerrick]

what's the difference?

[MsRowdyRedhead]

You're asking me??
DVRs usually come from cable companies..and dish network.

[mtmerrick]

i dunno. =P

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Do you ever watch HGTV?

[mtmerrick]

occasionally...

[MsRowdyRedhead]

I like the house hunters and also the landscaping ones.. a few years ago I was inspired by one to tear down  my 2000 Sq Foot deck and put in a flagstone patio...

[mtmerrick]

you had a 200 sq ft. desk?!?!

[MsRowdyRedhead]

DECK.. 2000 sq ft...

[mtmerrick]

i liked 200 sq ft. desk better.

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Here are SOME of the pics...

[Extremefire]

oh wow....so many ideas are coming to my head for that

like if your not putting a deck there again you can try putting some gravel down. then you put some of those ummm i forget what there called. those big flat rocks down. like the ones in the 5th picture. oooo and some plants. and a fountain in the middle. i just know what looks good. way to many tv shows on making stuff lol. and dont get me started on my mom and her watch the medical channel every time i dont want to move after we finish watching a movie. lol

[MsRowdyRedhead]

It was a big project, and I did it myself..  The house is on a hill, obviously, so the deck was raised quite high on one side.  I am 5'2" BTW.
I cut the stilts first.. with a 16" Stihl chainsaw. Then cut all the wood into manageable pieces. I had my son help me pile it up..and placed it on Craigslist for free. Several people came and picked it up.

There was quite a hole beneath the deck, so I had to fill it in. Luckily one of my friends was excavating for a courthouse project down town, and for a pan of lasagne and a glass of wine, he delivered a truck full of dirt from the project. I had to haul it down hill in wheelbarrows, which took quite a while I had a little help there from my son.. a few hours.. but he lived on the other side of town. I wanted the area to be perfectly flat and stable, so I paid for someone to come in with professional equipment and compact and level it.

Next came the weed-cloth. That is the black stuff you see laid out.
After that, I bought the sand, had it delivered to the top of the hill, and had to start over with the wheelbarrow.

ALL of the flagstone you see was FREE from various people on Craigslist.. I just had to drive over to their homes, pull it out, and haul it back to mine. The same with the river rock, and the colored aquarium gravel that is part of the mosaic.
After rolling down the sand, I started laying out the flagstone. With a dog around, it was tough to keep it smooth for long!  There are several rose bushes transplanted form other parts of my yard, as well as some other plants, just a few, and the birdbath.

Someone picking up the last of the wood also grabbed a pile of the flagstone, so there is a small corner with just rock for now, but spring will be here soon.

This year we plan to build rockwalls on the two sides, and a new retaining wall in back of the patio.

I do still have two levels of deck above the patio, so I do not spend much time on the patio.

The main reason I chose to do it was the low maintenance.  I have managed to have a totally grass free property. the "lawn" at the bottom is actually Irish moss..which does not even need to be watered most years.

The property is an acre.. all hill. 

I had thought of a water-scape at one point, but that takes energy, and is not as good for the environment.

So.. that's my backyard project!

[lionytai]

That will take a long time!

[MsRowdyRedhead]

Yes, but I think it is enjoyable.