After many years exposed to the Tasmanian elements, the timber edging along our blackberry patch was starting to crumble. We had erected a temporary protective net that we have been meaning to upgrade for the same number of years.
Last winter, we purchased a couple of garden tunnels and finally got around to it. The new edging was laid with space to allow for the depth of the new covers
followed by plastic to discourage weeds and grass growth.
We filled in with soil
and a hefty layer of mulch.
Job done!
Or not. Our measurements hadn’t allowed for the 100mm skirt around the base of the covers. Back to the drawing board. We moved the edging another 200mm
and repeated the filling process. A new frame was added to support the training wires and the first cover fit like a glove.
With both tunnels in place
the canes were fixed to the wires, ready for some warmer weather.
We had a bumper crop this year, a few kilos of berries still being harvested at the end of April.
Every time we think we have completed our last ‘big project’, another one somehow appears on the list. The large decked area outside the lounge is exposed to the worst of our weather and the timbers have suffered over the years.
Having been advised that replacing it would improve saleability, we took up the challenge. Ekodeck was our material of choice, having used it for a previous project, high winds added a degree of difficulty to the delivery.
We had worked out that if we laid an end board, we could use the full 5.4 metre lengths for the rest and avoid extra trimming. The old boards were cut away to allow for that first board, fitted with precision around the upright posts.
While I set about demolishing the old step,
Michael extended the cut to avoid damaging the new board as we removed the old ones.
We both thought removing the old boards would be the easy part but it took a lot of effort to prise them off. Our concern that the joists and bearers may have needed replacing was, fortunately, unfounded.
More precision cutting
and the first of the long boards was laid.
We made our own joist tape out of concreters plastic (that, for some reason, we have a very large roll of). The cut strips were rolled up, secured with a clothes peg and unfurled as we progressed.
After removing a section of the old boards,
we started laying the new ones
and over the course of two days (working in the mornings only as it was too hot by midday), we were halfway there.
We didn’t remove all the old ones at the beginning because we had to keep the area covered so our nocturnal furry visitors didn’t go under the house and get sealed in. We continued in the same vein until we came to the last piece.
A bit of head scratching had preceded this point, going from Plan A to Plan D and finally settling on Plan A. More precision cutting
and a perfect result.
A new step up to the front decking was fashioned
and a smaller step down to the garden.
Now we have a few hours (days/weeks/months) of sanding and staining the uprights and balustrade as well as the facing boards. Then, eventually, staining the rest of the old deck. Then…….
Another project that had been on the ‘to do’ list for a while was completed earlier this year. For some reason, half of the roof on the garage/workshop is clad in colorbond but the other half revealed itself over time to be painted galvanised sheets. As expected, the paint has deteriorated and the rusting eyesore had to go.
The builders were happy to accept our offer of labour to reduce the hours spent (and the dollars). On a sunny, windless day the project began. The new sheets were laid out on the lawn a few at a time
and after a crash course, I set about bending one end of the sheets to fit under the ridge cap.
Meanwhile, the old ones were removed and handed down to us, we handed up the new ones to the roofers and relocated the old ones to a stack out of sight (they have since been collected for recycling).
It wasn’t long before our well oiled machine saw results.
At this point, I reported that there were only eight sheets left and pondered whether there was enough to finish the job. A bit of head scratching and re-measuring found us one sheet short.
We quickly came up with a Plan B, deciding to use a sheet of polycarbonate to align with the workbench below and allow for natural light into the space. A gap was left
and work continued on the rest of the roof.
Lunch break was used to pick up the sheet of poly which slotted in perfectly. With the ridge cap in place
and fascias attached, we still had time to enjoy a beer together and admire our work.
The compost bays we constructed when we created the veggie patch have slowly suffered the same fate as the raised beds. Two years ago we resurrected the beds to prevent further deterioration of the timbers and now it was time to do the same for these bays.
After much brainstorming, we decided the sensible thing was to buy ready made compost bins that would out live and look better than anything we could build. The three 600 litre bins were delivered and we wasted no time unpacking them.
Assembly was ridiculously easy,
site preparation took a little longer. We emptied the contents of the first bay into wheel barrows and demolished the structure, saving any timbers worthy for future use.
The new bin fit the space perfectly and the half-composted material was shovelled in.
Potatoes were harvested from the random growth in the second bay before that, too, was emptied and demolished.
It didn’t take long to position the remaining two bins, replace the contents and admire our work.
When we finished our renovation of the back verandah, our intention was to create a bespoke bar, the plumbing for which was installed at the time. Seven years on, we had a window of opportunity around our other projects. We started with a vague idea
and a basic frame.
The framework for the sink section came next and before long, the skeleton was complete.
With a bit of inspiration,
the next step was the bar top. Michael had acquired a couple of magnificent slabs of California redwood and spent many hours sanding them to perfection. We needed to join the two sides and embarked on the nerve-racking task with a newly purchased dowel jig kit.
The timber was too thick to use the jig as designed so we modified our approach with great success.
Our collection of reclaimed fence palings were finally put to use for shelving.
More hours of preparation with the invaluable help of Michael’s new toy.
At this point, our trusty old drop saw gave up the ghost so we added another new toy to the ever growing arsenal.
With shelving installed on the base of the bar, we moved on to the sink fitting.
Some unidentified reclaimed timber we had lying around in the workshop made for the perfect sink bench.
With tiled splash back and plumbing complete, the worktop shelving was added.
A strip of Huon pine to edge the bar top and a few coats of Cabothane later, it was fixed in place without drama.
Now for the cladding. We had collected a few random pieces of timber over the years, starting with the King Billy planks from the old hydro water pipes, complete with marks from the strapping. We always intended them to be a feature on the bar.
A concoction of vinegar and bleach easily rusted some nails to use on the other elements of the cladding.
Our approach of “make it up as we go along” seemed to work well as we added an assortment of timbers, some feature panels and a couple of cigar boxes.
Cupboard curtains complemented the bar fridge as well as the soft furnishings in the room.
Another two coats of Cabothane on the bar top
and the addition of LED lights
and we have another project successfully concluded.
cannonhillchronicles 