Reinforcements arrive

My wonderful brother-in-law Tom is up from Florida helping us get the house move-in ready. His experience in demolition, salvage and estimating is more than Jeff and I could have hoped for or done on our own. We are so, so thankful to have someone here who's experienced in all these types of projects and working with contractors.

Besides helping us find good, qualified people for us to hire, Tom's really helped Jeff and I figure out how we can make our hopes for the house work. Some of the projects now underway include: enlarging our bedroom, replacing all our horizontal plumbing, building a security wall and door in the basement to restrict tenant access to the laundry room, and giving the deck a much-needed makeover.

The difference in this deck is night and day. For being about 10 years old, this deck was covered in mold and mildew from neglect. As you can see from the "before" pictures, it was practically black in spots. Our local paint store, Paulson's Paints, recommended this remarkable deck cleaner from Pittsburgh Paints that starts to work on contact. Ah, the power of chemicals at work! After borrowing a power washer from my other brother-in-law, Tom made this deck look so good even the neighbors noticed.

We've picked out a honey-colored stain and sealant, which looks great on our test patch. With workmen going in and out through the back door, it may be a little bit before the deck is fully stained. Patience, dear readers, for these "after" photos may take a while.