Facelift After 40 Years

The task currently on my pallet is a job on Clear Lake, not that I am running it because my 80+ year old customer is undoubtedly in charge. With a masters degree in art she has specific ideas about form, shape, color and space. The old railroad tie walls that were torn out were from the 70's as were the majority of the junipers that flanked the top of the walls.
Patty first began discussing removing the ties a couple of years ago as the rot and failure were starting to become unsafe, slippery and ant infested but a slip this spring convinced her this was the year to take action. By waiting until fall she was able to enjoy the lake cottage with her family this year and not endure the construction. Plus she is able to spend more time on the project site without worrying about entertaining family and friends.



We were busy enough this fall to subcontract the removal of the old railroad ties to M & C Trenching, with their heavy but maneuverable equipment they made short work of the demolition. The ties ended up at our property and we burned them. M & C also dug out the foundation for repairs, did a road bore to assist the electrician in taking the power lines underground, reworked drainage and installed and compacted the first layers of limestone for our patio. In addition they did some of the excavation for our stone wall and pavers.

Bill, Ryan and Bruce Pardue have been working the job for two weeks now and the wall is nearly complete, the paver stoop well under way and the base for much of the patio is installed. Patty requested 6 to 6.6" snap cut steps five feet wide as her staircase to the main entrance on her lake home. Because she requested such a low rise the custom steps are behind in production and are slowing down our project, we are hopeful they will arrive early this week and relieve our bottleneck.

Part of the project includes a built in bench seat, paver walks, snap cut stairs and of course the glacial stone retaining wall. In the spring landscaping will add color and texture to complete the fresh new look Patty desires. This week a concrete staircase will be poured, we will face the cement with pavers and glacial stone.