Hey hey!! Oh my gosh, can we have a heart to heart? Ok good.
You know when you start a project only to find out that it needs WAY more attention/work/money/time/marriage favors than you originally thought!? That is what we’re going through right now!!
We’ve partnered with our favorite store in all the land The Home Depot and Pavestone on an outdoor paver project. I mean, we have SO MANY AREAS that need so much work, it was the perfect overhaul.
This is what the space looked like just a few weeks ago before everything turned green. The old pavers were a hodge podge. Uneven and mismatched. (The Merc is the building with the mural on it)
The plan was to install new pavers in the front of the Granary. (The Granary is the property next to the Merc that we bought a year ago that we are turning into an Airbnb.)
We just finished the back patio renovation a few weeks ago and were excited and anxious to dive into the front space and turn it into a secret garden.
Get all the details and backstory on the Granary here!
The plan was to replace the old pavers with new ones and call it a day. Well, if that was the case this post wouldnt be in existence right?! We moved out all of the old uneven pavers and as we were really looking at everything we were hit with the cold hard truth that all of the grading was done wrong.
Both the Merc and the Granary have water coming into them because instead of being graded away from the buildings, the dirt was graded toward them. Which means that the ground slants to the buildings and water runs that direction.
This is one of those things that just cannot be ignored. Water is the mortal enemy of every building ever, especially old ones and we needed to address it.
We had our friend (and drainage expert) Tanner and come over and look at the space. It was just as we’d thought. Serious issues. Everything needed to be fixed. Which meant that the concrete needed to come out, the plants needed to come out, and the whole space needed to be re-graded.
So that is where we are, what I thought was a weekend project has turned into a whole excavation situation.
This would qualify as a #mercperk right?!
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So glad I’m not the only one who starts a project (usually driven by how mad I am over the mess/junk/lack of space) and halfway through realized what an idiot I am!!! It’s always tons more work and money than I predicted!!! And to top it off, it’s my own fault!!
We need to get the drainage at our house fixed and I KNOW it’s going to turn out to be a massive issue. Uuuuggghhh. I wanted a new deck!
OMG. The pic without the old pavers and the sand between the plants looked so beautiful. And the next picture with the excavator is like a slap in the face.
That must cost you a lot of strength. I am so sorry for you.
My most heart-felt sympathies. My husband and I finished our basement beautifully, only to have water pour through the bathroom window during a deluge. Yep, we had to regrade, dig a window well, and install a french drain. Needless to say, it would’ve been nice if it had happened BEFORE we installed the bathroom, but then we wouldn’t have such a great homeowner memory. Water is definitely the enemy!
Omg. Life and its surprises. Keep your chin up!
Your work is so full of useful information.