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Right after Thanksgiving we began a project to pour a 120’ retaining wall extending out from the garage wall of the house and then turning to follow the driveway and ending near the road. This will greatly expand the primary parking space and improve the aesthetics of the drive. Planned is a walkway from the drive near the garage to get over to the deck without having to walk all the way around. We will add updated photographs as the project comes along.
We will pour a concrete patio under the deck to expand space for lounging and entertaining. This will finish things off, and allow for a nice place to walk out from the finished lower level.
Stucco currently covers the exterior lower level walls. While it looks ok, the color is starting to fade and we decided there is nothing that brings out the look of western red cedar like accents of stone. We located a particular stone in a place called Crab Orchard, Tennessee, which is known worldwide for their unique colors. The particular stone is called Brown Flagstone, and has a lot of orange, brown and other earthy colors. The stone will go over the stucco on the lower level, and also on all sides of the new retaining wall.
We have a very nice flat area directly in front of the house by the road. Although we have used the space for a long time for temporary trailer and boat parking, it may not be apparent to guests that it is ok to park there. So we plan to pour a concrete curb along the edge of the space and then backfill it. This will also provide some assurance nothing gets loose and ends up down the hill.
When we purchased the home, it had a great walk-out lower level, but it was not finished. We intend to change that and estimate adding approximately 1,500 square feet of living space in the process. Plans are to add two additional bedrooms, a full bathroom, a kitchenette, and some flexible open space. The double doors in the lower level will walk out onto a newly poured concrete patio, which will be protected from the sun by the deck overhead, possibly making this the coolest area around the outside of the home in the hot summertime. Lots more pictures are to come as the project progresses…
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