Doors & Deck
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Before.
Planning started summer of 2020...
2020: Lots of AutoCAD planning with Randy.
11 pages of plans so far!.
I took Trish's ideas and played with some online tools to mock it up.
Another cool online tool to visualize the deck ideas we had. Why have 1 deck when you can have 3!
We tried lots of different ideas before settling on this one. We ordered the Doors & Windows late August and got them late November 2020. They've been in the garage since.
March 2021: Made sure to get the wood first (and then hide it in the backyard - Thanks Wayne!)
During...
Lots of mess!
May 1st: Dad & I laid out the footings to the millimetre! (12" by 4' deep)
May 3rd: Post hole guy wasn't as accurate.
May 3rd: But got 18 of them done in 2 hours with just 3 guys!
May 5th: Trish (and the GC, Derek) watching the first hole going in!
May 8th: The hole is nicely finished and ready for framing the door and window.
May 10th: Door and sidelight window is in!! (The window can open and has a sliding screen too)
May 12th: The kitchen before the reno (green tape for where the door will go) 
May 12th: The kitchen after sealing up from the mess! At least we can use the Fridge & Stove
May 12th: The destruction begins! 
May 12th: Sasha is NOT happy!
May 14th: Almost done...
May 17th: Door & Window in!
Jun 5th: Post and Beams for the deck (7 hours of hard work with Wayne in record breaking heat & humidity!)I used Simpson Strong-Tie for all the connectors and fasteners (there are no nails for the whole build, just screws)
3 minute time-lapse of the build
Jun 8th: Pot lights installed.
Jun 10th: The big reveal!
Jun 10th: Den Door and Window
Jun 10th: Kitchen Door and Window - now to paint (both whole rooms)
Jun 20th: I moved 4 yards of limestone screening (about 10,000lbs!) and prepped the beams for the joists, including about 850 screws and 200 3 1/2" nails. I got pretty good at using my left hand to give my right a break! I also removed an annoying concrete post in the basement, which about another 1000lbs (replacing it with smaller steel posts - the blocks are behide the lower beam). Trish moved 2 yards of soil for the gardens and you can see our Fathers day brunch setup in the driveway)
Jun 23th: Hard to get much done on a weekday, but it's a start.
Jun 25th: Some more progress.
Jun 25th: Just need to put the front on and screw it all down. Some hot days to be working!
Jun 26th: Wayne was back helping get the front on. Lots of time spent getting everything level and square and another couple 100 screws!. We got a start on the next 2 decks as well. (It doesn't look quite square though...)
Jun 27th: Lots more done!. Unfortunately I had to re-level 7 of the 8 posts as we were off by 1/4" to 1" too high (better than too short!!)
Jun 28th: Bottom and Mid deck done! Just need to add the blocking to the top deck, but rainy days ahead, as well as a break for the long weekend!
Jul 10th: Wayne's back over to help put the posts up - this one needed persuading to de-twistify!
Jul 10th: Just muscle strength for this one.
Jul 10th: 7 hours and we're done the posts!
Jul 11th: Starting of the planters....
Jul 11th: The bigger lower deck
Jul 14th: Down-spout is in the way....
Jul 14th: A dremel for cutting it out, a spare piece of aluminium to patch and lots of sealer and the problem is solved!
Jul 14th: Trent (and Deb) came over for dinner (in the driveway!) and we got up the fist beams over the BBQ area.
Jul 15th: Finish the planter boxes with their internal box supports - top deck...
Jul 15th: mid deck boxes...
Jul 15th: ...and an example of the boxes that will go inside.
Jul 21st: Trent came back to help put finish placing the top beams up
Jul 21st: ...and the the roof over the BBQ beams are temporarily up
Jul 22nd: build the stair box from the top deck to the lower one
Jul 22nd: prep the ground for the pad for the lower stairs to rest on. (Yes, those are old drum sticks!)
Jul 22nd: Luckily the recent rain made the ground soft
Jul 22nd: All done, also luckily I had space behind the back fence to put it all.
Jul 23rd: 13x 30kg bags of crushed sone and 26x 30kg bags of concrete
Jul 23rd: all had to be carried back to the back yard (and shed for the concrete to keep dry)
Jul 24th: build the frame and use a jig to figure the height for the 2 steps
Jul 24th: frame done
Jul 24th: Fill with about 3/4 yard of limestone screening and tamp down
Jul 25th: Level up with the crushed stone - I had to buy 9 more 30kg bags
Jul 25th: After tamping the stone down start the concrete pour (got 4 more bags just in case too)
Jul 25th: halfway done and it's about 30C out in the full sun - yikes!
Jul 25th: Almost done and getting pretty tired!
Jul 25th: Getting it level and smooth was harder than mixing each bag.
Jul 25th: Muscles sore at this point!.
Jul 25th: After about 7 hr's of work, with little of a break, it's done!! Now off to a friends pool and hot tub!!.
Jul 30th: Trish has been busy working on the gardens (front, side, driveway and back).
Aug 4th: Containers in place....
Aug 4th: Starting to fill them up...
Aug 11th: A yard of soil, mixed with 20 bags of fertilizer, 1 bucket at a time!
Aug 4th: Starting of the stairs...
Aug 4th: Building from the inside out...
Aug 4th: Bottom done.
Aug 10th: BBQ counter in place.
Aug 10th: Starting the first step...
Aug 10th: Finished the bottom stairs. Once the deck is done, the stone path from the side of the house will meet with the concrete pad.
Aug 11th: First planter siding going up.
Aug 18th: Deck lighting boxes in place.
Aug 18th: Planter lighting boxes in place. Bottom board has to wait until the wire is run and the deck boards go on.
Aug 19th: Starting the bottom of the West wall.
Aug 19th: Trish has been busy with the back garden (and side too).
Aug 25th: Start the decking!I used a Camo tool to hide the screws.
Aug 26th: Making good progress.
Aug 27th: Almost done.
Aug 29th: One section almost done!
Sept 2nd: Start the mid-deck
Sept 3rd: Finish the mid-deck
Sept 3rd: Start the rest of the top deck
Sept 4rd: Start the bottom deck
Sept 4rd: First flowers go in the planters!
Sept 4rd: The other planter too.
Sept 5th: Finish lower deck.
Sept 5th: Surprise B'day dinner!!
Sept 9th: Finish the top deck.
Sept 11th: Finish bottom stairs.
Sept 16th: Landing finished and skirt under the deck too. (ignore the temporary stairs!)
Sept 15th: Granite counter top arrived!
Sept 16th: Start closing in the bottom of the sides.
Sept 17th: Continue closing in the bottom of the sides.
Sept 19th: Continue closing in the bottom of the sides.
Sept 20th: Finish the bottom and add a door for access.
Sept 25th: Aluminium finished around the doors!
Sept 26th: Happy with the limited amount of wastage, with most of the deck done now.
Sept 27th: Lots of little bits too.
Sept 27th: Start the louvres, with a test piece
Sept 27th: The outside frame
Sept 27th: Mark the screw angles.
Oct 2nd: Do a few slats, make sure it fits, repeat!
Oct 2nd: Two of 5 done!
Oct 8th: The furniture arrives!!
Oct 8th: After 2 hours of unpacking
Oct 8th: Lower Deck area.
Oct 8th: Finished just as guests arrive for dinner
Oct 9th: East louvres done. Privacy!
Oct 15th: West stairs are done!
Oct 17th: BBQ area without the roof.
Oct 17th: Start the frame for the roof.
Oct 17th: Try to make it square...
Oct 17th: Two, done, now to get them up there!
Oct 18th: Wasn't easy, but I did it!
Nov 4th: Roof and shingles on!
Finished!
Finished?!?
Yes (for now...)
I still have to finish the wiring of the plugs, switches and lights, but that will have to wait for a warm day, or the spring.
After a few pairs of gloves, worn out jeans, ratty t-shirts, one dead drill, quite a few borrowed tools (thanks Wayne, Deryck, Dawn, Noah, Dad and Scott), only a few cuts, bruises, hit thumb (once!), spilled screw box, spilled wood sealer (d'oh!), wrong cuts (I was able to re-use the piece), one or two swears, many gallons of sweat, endless trips to the hardware store (I love Rona's return policy!), it's time to enjoy the deck!
Throughout it all, Trish was working the gardens and keeping us fed! Now, we love the ability to walk out onto the deck and use the BBQ. It still doesn't seem real. It was a long summer of work, but I wish we did it 15 years ago! We'll have to stay here for another 15 to make it all worth it!
See you on the deck next year!
2022 Update!
2022
Early spring I got the electrical done!
Spring 2022: 3 Zones of lighting: BBQ, steps and deck down lights
Spring 2022: 3 Zones of lighting: BBQ, steps and deck down lights