Rain, Rain, Go Away

Time for another remodel update! We are getting so close to actually moving in, I can taste it! The last week was dedicated to wood - the outside deck and the inside floors. Unfortunately, we were delayed by rain and it was also butt ass cold! March definitely exited like a lion.

Back Deck
The deck looks amazing. There are only about 8 or 10 boards left which will be completed this week.

Deck in back

 We chose ipe wood because of it's durability. I initially worried we would be raping the Brazilian rainforest, but not after I did some research. Ipe is actually more environmentally friendly than using man made materials.

 Most ipe or other Brazilian hardwoods harvested today come from two sources, sustainable forest management projects or agricultural conversion of forest land to other uses. Granted there have been a lot of abuses over the years, but today most wood exported is coming from legal sources. There is no clear cutting of the forest to produce timber. The only economical option is selective harvest extracting mature trees leaving smaller ones for the next harvest in 25 years.

I realize there are arguments both for and against, but the fact of the matter is, this deck will last for over 50 years and that is much longer than man made materials. And it looks incredible to boot!
Because ipe wood is so dense, the deck took a long time to build because the nail holes had to be pre drilled.

This is the side of the house where the BBQ area is located. The trellis still has yet to be constructed, although there is one pole up, as you can see!

Steps leading down to BBQ Area