Last year, we knew the porch needed some work, but we put it off for one more year! So now it's time to pay the piper! Thanks to our wonderful neighbors, Doug and Kathy who loaned us their gas pressure washer! This certainly helped get the latex paint off the floor, though there was still lots of scraping going on!
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When we arrived -
left side of porch |
The floor was painted with oil-based paint many years ago and Nelson thought it needed a refresh so painted it with a latex, non-skid paint. Unfortunately it hasn't help up very well so it was time to do something else.
Try several things to get to a floor I could paint when the neighbors suggested I use their pressure washer.. It didn't take all the paint off but some big sheets of paint flew through the air for sure. It did loosen the paint though and made it much easier to scrape off!
Once I started to take the latex paint layer off, of course I ran into some wood issues. Here are three photos of an areas where oil paint is still intact and wood not damaged, one where the floor is "pretty good", and one where you can see what some of the damage looked like.
For anyone who thinks I am on vacation here - think again.. LOL!
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Looks good
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| After latex paint removed from floor |
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| Looks pretty good |
Spent some time yesterday on the internet and with a sales person at a paint store in Wytheville. He suggested as had the internet, that I work on filling in the holes on the damaged part of the porch, so that is what I am working on today. Having never done this before, thought I'd take it slow and see how it goes.. So have put wood putty on a major section of damaged wood and now waiting for it to dry so I can sand and see how it looks.. I have already decided I am a disaster when working with the putty and getting it on too many surfaces (including myself) but not skilled - yet - so no surprise there. The paint guy and I talked about alternatives for painting it, and he is checking with a paint manufacturer to see what will ensure that the new paint adheres. He promised to call today - hope he does.
Stay tuned for more updates. This is a 3000+ sq ft porch, so it may be a while before it's done.
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| Trying out my skill at wood putty in a few areas |
On the vegetative side, the garden is showing some promise at least. All the peppers and tomatoes, cabbage and brussel sprout plants seem to have survived those couple of cold nights. The rhubarb seemed to like it too. I have harvested one batch and the plants are growing well again. However, I believe those nights have delayed the emergence of many plants from the seeds I planted, though today I can see one or two beans trying to poke through the dirt and maybe a cucumber or zucchini too. Or perhaps I am just impatient?
Cilantro and Parsley are also showing their first leaves and the corn is up though quite small of course. Potatoes are doing quite well although some bugs are trying to eat the leaves already! Peaches and Apples both seem to be producing a bumper crop- I've actually taken some of the produce off two trees to give the ones that remain more room to grow. Lots of new flowers (and many of the previously mentioned ones are still in bloom), so some new ones shown below. In addition to those pictured, wild roses are blooming, the berry plants (black raspberries I believe), and the un-captioned one below. It booms every year by the fence in the orchard, but not sure what it is..
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| Black seeded simpson lettuce |
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| Mesculine - -mixed lettuces |
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| Potatoes |
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| Peaches |
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| Maroon peonies |
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| Pink Peonies |
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| Love in a mist? |
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Sage just started blooming
after I got it way back. |
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| Unknown but pretty |
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