Another Long Year
Today was discussion that has been in the works for another long year. Actually, decades ago we had work done on the west porch of our home. Our home is over a hundred years old. It was moved into the city in the early 50s from north of town and put onto a new basement at that time.
There had been an open porch to the west, complete with the turned posts and a shed roof. What open porch didn’t have the slanted floor to shed the rain and the melting snow? In the 70s a carpenter, by the name of Thompson, enclosed the porch allowing for eight windows to be enjoyed.
In the late 80s when Dennis and I made this wonderful little house our home, a carpenter by the name of Kuehl shimmed out lumber to make the floor level. Prior to that time whatever we had in the porch needed to be leveled with a shim.
We, and mostly me, have enjoyed that porch to no end. I love reading in the good daylight and it is also my bedroom. With Dennis’ 10′ long hose for his CPAP, which can be dangerous when he turns over in bed, I need to also enjoy a good night’s sleep without having that hose accidently wrapped around my neck. Ironically, with eight windows, nothing allows for other’s to view inside after the shades go down.
We never had done anything to make the step from the inside into a doable step down onto the concrete steps outside. It was a 12″ step down. We always used the back door. In February when the ambulance crew got me out of the house via the front door, there was that 12″ to conquer.
This morning working with Dennis’ nephew, Brett, we began working on a solution to that 12″ step down from the inside of our home. It sounds like a solid plan, but not in concrete. It will be treated wood with a good sized platform directly out of the house and steps going to the south. Pouring concrete over the old concrete steps is not a good plan going forward decades out. Taking out the old steps involves working with the foundation of the house. Again we are on a waiting list. Brett is taking charge of the contractor that will be doing the work. It was our choice of the steps as a ramp is a bit too much to assume right now.
Whew! A great day.