| My Home Projects |
One of the hardest things to do when a woman is on her own, is to get stuff done around the house without always hiring someone to come in and do the work. It has been a big challenge and very frustrating at times. But I have also found it is sometimes a good way to get out of the rut of sitting behind a desk all week...just go out and swing a hammer. And I have been able to accomplish more than I ever would have imagined I could. These are some of the projects that I feel most proud of. Guess this is my own 'pat on the back' area... |
 |
This back porch was one of my first real construction projects. I went out, purchased some blueprints and headed off to the lumberyard, handed the plans to the guy and told him I needed those supplies. He looked at me kind of strange, asked if I was going to do this work myself; when I said yes, he just smiled and then helped me with what I needed. Wish he could see the finished results. Sure, there are things I would have done different, if I could back and do it again (would have made it bigger, for one thing), but I cannot complain about the results at all. (and for you doubters, I built this back in 1993 and yes, it is still standing.) |
A couple of years later, I added a patio at the foot of the above back porch. I used the interlocking type bricks which you lay over a sand base. As you can see, it turned out quite nicely and is very easy to maintain. |
 |
 |
 |
|
The next step was pretty obvious...get rid of that awful, wobbly ladder we had to use to climb in and out of the pool. And replace it with something that was functional and would get a lot of use. What would be better than a deck. The picture on the left is the work in progress, the right side is the finished project. Not bad, if I do say so myself. With any kind of luck, I will eventually have the entire backyard covered with something and will no longer need to mow...Wouldn't that be grand! |
|
So far, we have only talked about outdoor projects. I cannot even begin to mention all that I have done inside...all new ceilings throughout the house, a parquet wood floor in the kitchen, just to list a few. However, one of the projects I am proudest of is the remodeling of this room. I am not going to show the entire room, but I still look at it and remember what it was like before. Take my word for it...quite a change! |
|
My big project for 2003 was to tackle the bathrooms. I had put this off for years and decided if I was going ever get it done, this was the time. With the help from my youngest daughter, Kristi, and grandson Keith, we gutted the bathrooms, right down to the wall studs, replaced all fixtures, lights, everything, even moved the sewer line and tub. Since I have a very old house (close to 100 years old) I had never had a shower in the house, only a tub. I could not even begin to imagine how wonderful this project was going to turn out. Nobody can appreciate the end result if they had not seen it before, so believe me, this is a spectacular change for me. |
Upstairs bathroom
|
Downstairs bathroom
|
|
|