Tag Archives: Exterior

Pergola & Fence

20 Jun

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Alright, so school is out for the summer and I was hired for summer school at the last minute so I am a much happier camper. The words “you’re hired” still lingered in the air as my my thoughts immediately turned to what my pergola was going to look like, how I was going to build it and what it was going to cost me.

As I did more research I found out this was going to require a permit and a drawing. So I did the best I could and submitted what you see above. I also put the fence and the pegola on the same permit to avoid paying the fee twice.

Well, the good news is that my first venture in getting a permit was a success. However, the town wants me to pay another fifty bucks because they say I need two permits, one for the fence the other for the pergola. I think they are being greedy, but they’re the boss so I guess I gotta do as they say.

I also called Dig Safely New York and they will be coming out “sometime before July third” to mark any underground utilities that I’ll need to look out for.

Younghouselove is going through a very similar process with their deck and their not having an easy time with it and it’s making me very nervous.

If anyone has any suggestions about how to improve the pergola plans I’d be more than happy to take some advice!

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Good News & Bad News

27 May

Good News First:

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I finished up almost all of the painting a couple weeks ago and I’ve had a lot of complements on the paint color so I ‘m happy with how it turned out. I was also able to replace the skirting around the base of the porch and paint it to match the trim to keep things looking neat.

You might also notice new flowers I planted along the driveway. Most of these plants I found on Craigslist or in the five dollar section at Lowe’s. The flowers are Peonies, Coreopsis, Blanket Flower and Daylily. I think all of these plants should do well in the full sun this bed gets.

In other news… I was finally able to upgrade my porch furniture to what I always had in mind. Patio furniture is not cheap so in order to do it I had to  sell my old set and use some birthday money to make up the difference. The rocker and the glider came from Lowe’s and then I sprung for the cushions and pillows at Target. The coffee table and end tables were flat-pack furniture from Walmart and were less than 30 dollars and the rug is something I  have had.

IMGP0236 Last week Home Depot had a sale on landscape timbers and I took advantage of that to use them to line the edge of my driveway (and to smash my index finger with a sledge hammer). My driveway is plain old falling apart and I ‘m hoping to be able to disguise that fact with a combination of these timbers and the flowers I planted along the other side. I’m not really sure that either of these two things did the trick, but the timbers definitely help to keep cars off the neighbor’s grass. 

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I also got a great deal on pansies at the Public Market for the flower boxes and those have been planted and seem to be very happy doin’ their thing in the window boxes.

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Bad News Second:

Looks like I’m not working summer school this year so I not going to be able to put up the pergola I wanted to in the back yard or install a privacy fence. In fact, I wouldn’t doubt it if these were my last projects for the summer. Oh well, I supposed it will help me to become a little bit more patient and to enjoy what I have been able to do.

I am however, looking forward to reading about what all the other bloggers are up to this summer and perhaps refinishing the top of my dinning room table. Unless anybody can save me from this agony by advising a solution to water rings. I’ve already tried to iron them out, (which was most successful, but not quite good enough), mayonnaise and Restore-A-Finish.

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