Back porch update #3

I didn't do any of the work this weekend on the porch. But the walls are gone. Thursday night I stepped off a kitchen chair the wrong way and all my weight came down on my right ankle which was sideways. It swelled up a lot, but after a few days of resting it and keeping it mostly up, it seems to be on the mend. 

Here is where the planter boxes will be. The wood for them is sitting on the porch waiting for this weekend! The boys have been waiting since Christmas for this. The older two received real tools and we told them this would be one of their projects. My dad helped Martin build that birdhouse for his birthday. 

Unfortunately we won't be able to open the roof up and have exposed beams. They built the porch oddly, like everything we get into in our house. There are four layers of the ceiling before you get to the rafters. It just doesn't make sense to tear that much stuff out. So it stays... For now. 

It feels so much better out there! We are going to paint everything and finish the posts more decorative. Jared is working on repairing the roof and rotting soffit. And the light we get it the back room now is incredible! I don't need a lamp to read anymore. Hooray hooray for natural light!!!

A little before and after

It is going to look a little top heavy without the top being opened up too. What is that giant roof sections doing balanced on those tiny poles?  But it is better that before. And we will actually use it now. Hopefully when we paint it and finish the posts it will add some weight to the bottom half. 

Oh yeah. It needs new lightning fixtures too. I wanted to tear of the old ones and use that switch as a ceiling fan with the open ceiling. Now we aren't sure yet. That will be one of the last changes. Functional this first. 

Porch inspiration

This is the photo I sent Jared that finally convinced both of us to take the walls off the porch.

Porch update -day 2

So much light!!

I can't wait for a warmer day to be able to sit in the shade while the boys run around. It is a chilly 40°F today and I'm out basking in the sun to warm up. 

So much light!! 

House (yard) project

For two years we have debated the gate of the porch. We never use it. When the boys are in the yard I can't see them from the porch and the exit is on the wrong side to be convenient. Oh, and one corner is rotting so we have to take that wall down and either rebuild it or leave it open. 

And it just ends up being a place to store our stroller and trash that needs to go to the dump. A friend gave us porch furniture this year and we still haven't used it. 

My vote is to tear the walls and low ceiling down, but leave the roof. Expose the rafters. Hang the lights back up and maybe a ceiling fan.  Another project this spring is to put planter boxes (raised beds) around the the ugly septic lids (next to James in the picture on the right). And if we tore down the walls of the porch we could spill out to pick tomatoes and peppers and herbs from the raised beds. The fire pit is in front on the septic lids and eventually we could tie it into the porch and raised beds and make the area all flow as one. 

So it was the first beautiful day of March and the boys got tools for christmas and I let them have at it.  We almost finished the first wall today (I know, it is the shortest one, but you have to start somewhere). Next up, to take my lights down and see what is in that ceiling. Please, don't have any squirrels or racoons living up there. 

There you have it. The fun projects for the spring. The other one is replace all the windows in the house, which isn't quite as exciting.