Workshop Renovation

August 9, 2003

Today I was able to put the finishing touches on the rotten porch project.  A few ballisters that were loose were fixed, and a good part of the porch railing was painted.  Yes, it does look wonderful !  Skilled person for hire ... just email skydavid@nc.rr.com .  :-)

This is another view ... not much left on this project.  Still have to replace some rotten fascia board above the deck, but the boards have already been primed and painted, so I just have to rip down the bad stuff and put up the good stuff !  8d galvanized nails should be perfect for this !

There is also some missing lattice under the back deck at this location.  This should be a relatively simple fix.

Since the homeowner is using the area under the deck for storage, I decided a lattice gate would be most appropriate.

August 10, 2003

Here is the lattice gate, built offsite, which just happens to almost fit perfectly on the ramp to my workshop !  Galvanized corner braces were used in each corner for strength and stability, and a hasp has been placed in the upper left corner to hold the gate in place, also galvanized.  The two hinges on the right side were placed in a channel that was meticulously hand-chiseled so they would be flush to the surface.  The gate will be installed on the next visit.

August 17, 2003

Here is the rotten fascia removed from the front of the house.  An encounter with a wasp nest in the corner slowed progress a bit, but after removal of the feisty creatures, work continued.

Later in the day, after dodging a thunderstorm (yes, even I, the adventure lover, hesitates to climb an aluminum ladder during a thunderstorm !), the new fascia is installed.  I ran out of caulk, so one more trip to this job site should finish this work.  Since the wood was already primed and painted, it only took a few minutes to do some touch-up painting to make this look wonderful !

Here is the lattice gate installed.  Don't pay any attention to the fact that it appears a bit crooked ... the gate is square ... the house isn't !

Here is the gate open, allowing the homeowner access for storage under the deck if she so chooses.  The galvanized latch and hinges should last a long time.

A broken dryer vent was also replaced, secured with some concrete screws, and caulked around the edges to prevent leaks.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh ... such quality work done by the Night Sky Carpenter !