A look back at some completed projects

Here's a look back at a few completed projects a year or two later.  First up is the back patio barbecue command center.

Looking north towards the front of the house:

Looking over the counter to the fireplace:

Looking south towards the chicken coop:

As I have done the projects, I have tried to maintain consistent, repeating elements in the hardscape design to create a sense of unity in the yard and gardens.  Both the front and rear patios incorporate the concrete pavers set in a diamond pattern and use concrete columns and baluster railings.  Both patios also use stone (for the counter in the back, and for the patio surround in the front).

On to the front patio!

Here you can see the walk to the front door.  The first concrete columns that I made form a small pergola that frames the garage doors.

Coming up the front walk is the pergola that frames the entry door.

Here is a look back across the front patio to the front walk.

Front Patio Update

So now that spring has arrived, I have been able to get some more work done on the front patio.  Here you can see the finished stone work on the east side and the opening for the storage area.  I hope to make a set of nice iron doors for this soon.

Here in the next few pics, the baluster railing is being installed...

The balusters were all cast first (15 of them).  They were cast with a rod of rebar projecting on both the top and bottom.  The bottom rail was framed with 2x6s and a piece of trim at the top corner to add detail.  While this concrete was still wet, the balusters were inserted and clamped into position.

The top rail was then formed in place using pieces of plastic rain gutter supported by 2x4s and a 'ladder' of 2x2s to support from beneath, in-between the baluster tops.

The finished baluster rail:

I think it turned out alright for something I cast myself!





Upper Patio Railing Completed!

I finally made some time to get the railing done on the upper portion of the front patio.  In the following picture, you can see the railing is coming together.

The posts at each end are poured first.  Then the bottom rail is poured, and while the concrete is still wet,  the balusters are set in place (they each have a rod of rebar running through the center to tie them to the upper and lower rails).  In the picture above you can see the tops of the rebar poking out of each baluster and the rebar that has been welded in place to tie all of the balusters together with the end posts and reinforce the top rail section.

I then form up the top rail section with pvc raingutter cut to fit around each baluster and pour concrete again.  Here is the finished result from the outside of the patio.

More patio work

The fall weather has been holding out really well, so I have been able to get more done than I anticipated.

Here's a view of the new curved stairs I was able to pour to incorporate the old hot tub pad into the patio.

The stone skirt is also done about half way up.

The stone skirt is all done on the south side.

You can also see the pillars I have poured for the baluster railing I will be putting in.

New Front Patio and Pergola

So ever since we moved into our house it has had a white wooden deck on the front that has seen better days.  Many of the boards were suffering from dry rot and there was a broken hot tub.

I removed the old deck and built a new smaller one which was then covered with Silca decking plates, which allow installation of pavers as a deck surface.

I also incorporated some more columns like we used for the patio on the back side of the house and built an entry way pergola.

Here is a completed pic with the front steps having been poured the day previous.

There is still work to be done.  We plan to incorporate the old hot tub concrete pad as a lower level to the patio and will also be adding a stone skirt wall and a concrete baluster railing.

Patio upgrade - New Curtains

Our back patio faces the west and gets really hot on summer afternoons.  I have seen several articles on the internet about using canvas painter's drop cloths as curtains and decided to give it a try.

I like how it turned out.  They really add some extra shade and privacy and class up the look of the patio.

Patio and Pergola

So this fall I finished the patio that I added to the back of the house.

Here's the concept sketchup drawing of the patio.

The whole area was dug down 12" and footings 48" deep were poured for the pergola support columns.

New concrete steps were cast for the back entry.  Heres a pic of the new steps and the columns going up on either side.

On the end next to the stairs, I cast some concrete balusters.

Natural gas, power and water lines were run to the counter island location.  The whole patio was filled with crushed stone, and then sand, and pavers were installed.  I built a stone kitchen counter with a sink and gas grill and then the whole thing was roofed with a pergola structure.

Here's a few pictures of the nearly finished structure with the pergola slats going on...