Deck Demolish

So our project for this summer is replacing our back deck. We have never really liked it... it's big which some people have said is a good thing, but it splits up our yard. The deck was done more or less half ass and was getting pretty weathered. We have spent the last three or so years hammering nails in to avoid a stubbed toe and this past year blocking off part of the railing that was missing the lattice to save Isaac from falling. So we are glad to have gotten rid of it.

Here are some pictures of the deck as it was.






Saturday we worked on getting the railings down.




I forgot to take a mid-way picture. Kyle got a lot of the floor slats off while Isaac and I went to church. I had to sub in Sunday school, so Kyle said he'd just stay home and get to working on tearing the deck down. We had a lady coming to pick up the deck Sunday afternoon. I had posted on craigslist to see if anyone was interested before we got to tearing it down and I had 12 emails in less than an hour. She was the first to respond so she was the lucky winner :-P She was wanting to use the wood to build a shed so we didn't want to completely bust it up during tear down. We did our best to take it apart and salvage the wood, but a few pieces had to get demolished to come apart. She arrived about 12:30 and all that was left was the frame, thanks to Kyle. We were thinking it'd take a while, but once I got Isaac down for a nap and came back outside around 1:15 there were only four or so base boards left! We had it all taken apart by 2:00 and she left to go rent a truck to haul it away. While she was gone we cleaned up the slab a bit.


Notice the rebar in the concrete... that is what 'held' the deck in place. Although we just lifted the base posts off, which were rotted around the rebar.




She came back around 4:30, Isaac hadn't been up from nap long. Long enough to have a little snack and catch the ice cream truck. We had just finished sitting out front and watching his popcile melt when she pulled around back. We got it loaded in no time, she brought along her daughter so it was four of us loading. Hope she made it back to Stillwater safely.


After she left we headed over to Menards to get cinder blocks for temporary steps (more on this later).

This morning we saw our storage area in the basement illuminated from the light shining through the window that used to be under the deck. We couldn't believe how much light was coming in.

Today Isaac and I worked on moving the rocks that were under the stairs. We relocated them to the bed next to the garage. He had a lot of fun playing in the dirt and rocks. And was even quite the help carrying the bucket of rocks and dumping it next to the garage.

Tonight Kyle tackled the rebar. Isaac and I picked up an angle grinder at the HD today.


We got far away as he worked, but observed from a distance.


Here I am standing inside while he worked on the one at the bottom of the stairs.


He got four cut today and plans to do the remaining four tomorrow. We are thinking of getting a bit of cement mix to put over the tops as they are indented a bit, which would help smooth them over for feel and appeal.

I should also add, I think I broke my toe the umpteenth time I ran into it yesterday. Definitely glad they are gone.


For stairs here is the visual: (don't mind Isaac he was playing and I said "Isaac!" right as I took the picture so he'd look, heehee)





And for visualization purposes... I almost hate to post this because then people will have a standard. But this is the style of deck we are wanting to build in it's place.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shalebeachhouse/5031547393/