Moving outside

So we finally got the outside done! It's rather plain, but we want to match the surrounding woods. The house is about invisible from the road. here's a shot with the addition in place, but only primer on it. Now the whole place is a nice rich brown. I keep thinking we ought to paint the trim, but that would make the place stand out, which we don't want. Here's a more recent shot underneath.

Yeah, I know it looks messy. Well, the place is still a construction site. I'll do some cleanup when I go home this coming weekend. That big empty wall above the front door'll make a dandy place to hang a seasonal decoration, don't you think? Oh--I should mention that the insulation company was Delmarva Insulation.
Then we got to work on the deck. We hired a Guy named Joe Oakes, of First State Building Design, www.FSBD.co, who does excellent work. (He also makes Murphy beds, which we plan to install one of in the library.)

We want an unobstructed view out the west doors, but also some shelter from rain and snow, so the deck has a roof. Joe dug the post holes well below the frost line, and made sure to fasten the parts that attached to the house to the house's studs and timbers. Since the original part of the house doesn't have studs, it was tricky, but the deck and its roof are very solid. We have ramps instead of steps for handicapped access and so we can pull garden carts up onto the deck. Also so visiting youngsters can ride their bicycles up and down them for additional excitement. (I have 15 grandkids, y'know.)

Here's what it looks like nearly finished. The deck has a gate on each end and one in the middle, all double gates. In the picture it looks like you could ride your bicycle right into the pool, but the inspector made us put a railing on the end. I might remove it, though, next summer. The deck is low enough to the ground to not really require a railing, and the easy access to the pool is nice.
So a final shot of the west side of the house. We still need to do some painting on the deck, and paint the lines from the heat pump, but it we'll have to wait until the weather warms up.