| Off-season 07 |
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| Monday, 16 April 2007 | |
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I have started the preliminary plans for the yard renovation. We have decided that it would be best to build the low retaining wall first so we will have something to help us level the yard.
April 17, 2007
April 21, 2007 We are going to look at blocks for the retaining wall that will create the frame of the yard, so I can level it. If all goes well I can start some of the renovations next weekend and hopefully have it complete by Memorial Day. We "think" we have a good idea what we want, but seeing them in person and not on the internet may change our minds.
April 22, 2007 I reused some of the existing blocks we had around the yard to create a 10" high x 34' long wall between the horseshoe pits. There will only be 2" of this wall seen above the grass when the yard is leveled. We have decided on the blocks for the rest of the yard, but the expense far exceeds what we were hoping, so I will not get the caps installed this season. Maybe we don't need a wall? I put pics of the initial wall and the stakes layed out for the other wall in the Photo Gallery.
April 29, 2007 Laid out the line for the back wall and started to dig it out to get an idea as to just how much dirt will be moved from the hump. We thought that maybe we could just slope from the level area to the fence, but it will be close to 8 inches in height, so we are back to a wall of some sort, but perhaps just one row of blocks and caps on top of them. I removed about 30 feet x 5 feet of grass and relocated about a yard of dirt so far. There is another 25-30 feet that needs to be removed to really get a sense of what the level of the yard will be. Then I can move my way towards the house from the back fence. Mother Nature was kind to me today it was a bit cool, but perfect for doing manual labor in the backyard.
May 8, 2007 Well, the project is in full swing (pics to come soon). I spent 4 hours Saturday (May 6th) with a sod cutter removing the existing grass to prepare for the leveling of the yard. Sunday was filled with transplanting the grass around my pool AND the rest at my mother's house. What I "thought" would take one day of roto-tilling turned into two days. As I write this I am done tilling and just have to give the soil final raking before the new sod goes down. The new sod will be here @ 7:30am tomorrow and if all goes well it will be installed by 10:00am. I calculated that I moved/leveled 18 yards of soil in two days, the deep end got a good 12 inches of soil. I am tired, sore and all around worn out. This has been WAY more than I thought it would be, but will be worth it in so many ways.For one, this falls rink construction should be so much easier on level ground Second I will use much less water for the rink. Third, when I throw a ground ball to my son it will be less likely to take a bad hop and hit him square in the face (even if it was funny as hell the last time).
I am so excited about a bigger rink this coming season, I just can't wait.
May 10, 2007 Renovation is complete! Now I just have to water the new sod daily to ensure it takes root. This was way more than I thought it would be. I am sore all over. The yard looks great though and the new rink layout this coming winter will make the effort worth it. Check out the pics in the Photo Gallery for a look into the madness that is renovating you yard. If you are considering this project yourself either hire someone to do it for you or get a few friends to help out. My wife and I tackled this just the two of us and for a good portion it was just me doing the work. 18 yards of soil and another five yards of sod (262 rolls of sod = six rolls per wheelbarrow = 44 wheelbarrows full = 4.8 yards of material) is quite a workout.
I think this will be the last posting to the site for the season. Have a good summer everyone!!! |
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 14 December 2007 ) |
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