Surprise!

Returning from 2 weeks away in Europe I was nervous and scared to see the condition my yard would be in.  I expected dead plants, fallen tree limbs, and patches of dead grass mingling with plantations of towering weeds.  What I found was fresh mulch in the front, new plants, missing dead plants, mowed grass and this wonderful stone wall outlining the patio!

While I was gone my wonderful wife hired a landscaper to come in and finish the 2 years worth of projects I had on my to-do list.  When I got home I first noticed the fresh, new mulch in the front of the house - Sybil tried to say she did it, she wanted me to think she did a few projects around the house while I was gone.  She planned the big backyard reveal in the morning.  The front yard looked like too much work for one person to handle and I began to question her and eventually called her bluff.   

My nosyness ruined the surprise that was to wait until daylight.  Instead she did the 'reveal' in the dark, but I could still see all the amazing work that had been done.  The landscaper removed the large chucks of concrete, piles of brush, tangles of metal and mounds of mud. (scroll down to "Building a Firepit and look over Jared's right shoulder) to see the Before)  The patio was backfilled with mulch and a retaining wall was installed to keep the mulch from washing away.  The landscaper also added plants to finish the project.  

This was an awesome treat, to come home expecting the worst and to be blown away by an amazing transformation.  My yard finally feels complete - - - Well I still need that shed built on the back of the garage and I am going to Chattanooga, TN for a few days next week - maybe another surprise when I get back? 

Building a Fire Pit

The fire pit kit is made up of 2 types of manufactured stone, there are larger sized bricks and smaller bricks that are are half the size and designed to fit together.  We went with a block manufactured my Midwest Block in color Bethany Ledge.  It's the same manufacturer and color used on the wall the only difference is the fire pit stone is tumbled for a weathered look.

The kit comes with a metal ring insert that completes the look.

This is my friend Jared (not included in the fire pit kit) who was nice enough to help me build the fire pit.  The kit comes with an outdoor block adheisive to secure the blocks together.

By 'help' build, I meant build the entire fire pit by yourself Jared.

We did a dry run, set up the fire pit up and figured out exactly where we wanted to put it  and how we want to set the blocks.  After that we took it apart, rebuilt it and glued it together.  It was important to do a dry run and make sure the blocks fit together properly before adding the permanent glue.

Important note - The kit comes with only 1 tube of glue, I would recommend buying a couple of extras to get the job done properly.

We left two openings in the base of the pit to allow air flow through to keep the fire burning all night.

It was way too hot to light the pit on this day, so here I am in front of an imaginary fire

I couldn't resist and lit it anyway!

We finally added mulch to the flower garden and put in an herb garden too.  

The grass grew back nicely after we regraded the yard.  I seeded, fertilized and covered it in peat moss.  

Patio Restoration 6: Great Wall of Platte Woods

Actually it's more like the Berlin Wall.  One may ask; Why would you tear down a beautiful natural stone wall?  The wall was in need of repair and the attached flower box needed to completely replaced.  When working with natural stone walls, concrete footers need to be installed below the 'frost line'.  Additionally the wall takes a lot of labor to build and this all adds up to a high price tag.   

The workers started early in the rain.

We decided to go with the most economical product -a concrete product.  The blocks are manufactured in Kansas City and weigh over 80lbs each.  They are designed to interlock with each other and utilize a pin to hold them in place.  The block is also designed to drain, work with shifting soil and last a lifetime.

Backfilling and gravel are essential when using this block.  We also used some drainage tile to ensure dryness.

Some tuck pointing was needed on the foundation after we tore out the old retaining wall.

These guys did all the work.  We contacted 5 companies,  2 called us back and only 1 gave us an estimate.  This guy showed up every day 45 minutes early and finished the job a day early.  Believe me good contractors are hard to find and this guy is great! Check them out HERE.

The only issue we ran into came about when they tore out the the old stone wall - They would have had to cut out a significant section of the concrete to get a straight line.  Instead of simply filling it with more concrete which would have broke out eventually,  Jeff suggested a product to fill the gap.  The product is made by Quickrete and is called Polymeric Jointing Sand, it is used to join brick and natural stone and is a great flexible bond.

After much debate between Sybil and I, went with the Limestone colored stone.  Finished product! 

Some back filling will be added to cover the backside of the stone. 

The small cut out in the wall to the right of the stairs is connected to a length of drain tile.  An herb garden and landscaping are our spring projects!

Outdoor hurricanes will eventually line the right side of the stairs.

Jeff did a great job of marrying our concrete work with his stone work.

A last minute addition was to build this wall to seat height.

Now we just need a fire pit and bring on the smores!

Basement Rebuild

The basement, like many basements, was the biggest concern in purchasing the home.  It was in terrible shape to the point where Sybil's dad said "Tear it down and start over" I think he was itching to use his new track hoe.

 

We decided to keep the old house and give her a new lease on life.  We started by having a structural engineer inspect the house and make recommendations to repair the basement. The walls were cracked, bulging and leaking water. Following his repair recommendations: We added 3 I-Beams along the west wall (wall to the left above photos) to stop the wall from bulging, additionally Floor Joist Hangers were installed.  The soil in our area is mainly comprised of clay,  hence Clay County, which can cause a lot of structure and water problems in a basement.  After addressing the structure issue an Interior Air Gap Membrane, the black plastic covering the walls, was applied.  A sump pump was put in to insure a dry basement.  The easiest and least expensive thing we did was grade the dirt around the house to drain the water away from the property.

 

There was an existing fireplace in the basement.  We were simply going to tuck point it and paint it white.

I still feel nervous about the basements structure and dryness, a feeling that always lingers when owning on old house.

The small, squatty door on the left leads to the furnace room and the door to the right is for the down stairs 3/4 bath.  We added 3 bathrooms to the house.  

The basement has stayed cool, dry and sound.  The tables are about 10 years old, they were some of the 1st pieces of furniture Sybil ever purchased after college.  I'm glad the tables, and myself, still have a home with her:) 

Fortunately, we decided to clad the fireplace with stone.  Since the construction budget had been met we worked a deal with the contractor to cover it with some left over stone.  A last minute and inexpensive job that made a huge impact!

Scavenger hunt, go to Sporting KC Livestrong Park and see if you can find this lamp.

Scavenger hunt, go to Sporting KC Livestrong Park and see if you can find this lamp.  

My new office! I love it down here I have my own bathroom, TV and easy access to the outdoors for a breath of fresh air.

Behind the door is a downstairs laundry room.  The contractor wanted to put it on the 1st floor near the Kitchen but we wanted it tucked away and out of site.

Purchased in Denmark, it was kind of scratchy at first but now its nice and broken in.

Formally this deck chair had drab piece of canvas slung across it, we changed the fabric to something a little more interesting.

This Hermes tray is a nice way to coral the clutter on a desk.  I purchased the Tofu Toy in Japan for my nephew, but decided to keep it for myself - I don't think he would appreciate it as much as me, the freaking fists shoot off!!!