Finally, A Deck!

It's been two years since moving into my newly constructed house (July 9th is my 'houseiversary') and I decided it was FINALLY time to add a deck to the backyard. My builder added a basic set of stairs upon completion of the house, which have been functional but certainly didn't allow me to fully enjoy my backyard. The deck has been a wonderful addition!

Having dealt with painting/staining my front porch, I went with composite decking for the floor boards and railings, which won't have to be maintained nearly as much as pressure-treated lumber. Next summer I will paint the sides white (where we did use pressure treated wood) and add some lattice to hide the underside of the deck.

 My friend and colleague builds decks during summer vacation and he graciously offered to lend his building expertise! I helped where I could (learned how to use a nail gun!) but he really did 98% of the labor!

I was able to score a patio set I had been eying at Target since early Spring for 50% off by waiting until mid-July to buy it (the 'Edinburgh' set by Smith & Hawken)! Apparently they had to make way for all of their 'back to school' stuff so what they had in the store for outdoor furniture was marked down. I LOOOOVE the color of pillows and umbrella!

Splurged on a grill, too, to complete my outdoor living space! I've never actually used a grill before and was really nervous about the whole propane situation...I'm happy to report that I made my first grilled meal without burning or blowing up anything! 

Now, to sit back and savor these last days of summer...