Tag Archives: Deck

Howdy

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As my old doormat has reached the end of its life time, I ordered a new one.

I’m not sure how well it will hold up, but I thought this one fitted nicely.

As I’m close to leaving, I also did the usual maintenance chores like checking all remote control batteries and replacing those not at 100%. And I cleaned the filters of the three AC units. The hot tub has a new thermometer that can be used to see the temperature from the great room. I’ve asked Hill Country Premier Lodging to include checking the presence of the thermometer as part of the hot tub maintenance routine. (I found the old one tossed out from the hot tub deck into the yard)

For my next visit I will have some more staining to do; the logs could do with a fresh coat on the outside.

It’s been great staying here and I hope the guests appreciate the updates I’ve done.

Deck maintenance

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Texas weather is hard on decks; burning sun most of the year and the occasional frost during the winter. So it’s time for some maintenance. A guest even managed to break a deck board, so I’m replacing those in worst shape. Here’s a before picture. As you can see, the federal blue is mostly faded.

After replacing 8 boards and re-staining all, it looks like this. I will likely have to do the staining yearly and still replace some boards every time.

although it’s nice to have a big deck ( 55 square meters or almost 600 square feet) the disadvantage is that it takes a while to stain.

Hot Tub Cover

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The SaluSpa hot tub has been a great addition to Ozuye. But there were some issues with the cover, and the floating air cushion inside.

When I arrived this time, the air cushion was filled with water instead of air. That makes it close to impossible to take it out (due to the water weight) and totally defeats the purpose of the air cushion.

So after getting all the water out and re-inflating the cushion, I discovered a puncture in the inner section. So I patched that and now the cushion is fully functional again.

For future reference; the outer section is not to be inflated, nor unplugged, as the cushion is just the right size with only the inner two sections inflated.

To avoid the cover blowing away, the cord to tighten it is now going under the connections to the pump and heater. To uncover, release the cord and flip the grey cover over to the side next to the pump. Then remove the black cushion and store it so that the wind doesn’t blow it away.

The pictures below illustrate the proper way to place both the air cushion and cover.

A hose that can be connected to the air pump is in the bottom right kitchen drawer. With a little effort it just fits the black air cushion.

the outer section of the air cushion is deflated and plugged

the cover fits the tub nicely once the tightener has been released.

The tightening cord stays under the connections to the pump to avoid it getting blown away by the wind.

Grill upgrade

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The old Huntington grill that Mart gave me when he visited back in 2017 has finally given up. After replacing the burner, ignition and hose in March, it just wouldn’t burn anymore now. So it was time for an upgrade.

Kept it very modest, but this one does have three burners instead of two. And a temperature gauge and a tray to keep things warm.

But it’s stainless steel only for the front plates and the tray, so we will see if this one holds up 7 years too. First test will be tonight, Christmas Eve with a nice big steak. 🥩

Update: it’s officially approved. 🤠

Deck repair

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About 5 years back, there was a period with frost and the deck boards on the east side were snow/ice covered for a while. As the sun doesn’t reach there, these boards suffered more than on the other 2 decks. I replaced the boards worst damaged and gave them a Federal Blue stain coat.

The lighter ones have been replaced.

As you can see from the picture below, some really weren’t very solid anymore;

Gutter in action

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Aesthetically not ideal, but functionality sufficient;

After I extended the rain gutter by a few inches, rain is now transported just off the edge of the deck.

One day I will install a downspout that ends up in a wooden barrel. Until that day, this will suffice.

Finally a little bit of rain; thunderstorms have been forecasted for days, but today the rain added up to a whopping 0.25 inch.

On my way back from my visit to HCPL I took the backroad that follows the river. It wasn’t as low as I thought although the river pass was completely dry.

Frost damage restored

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During the winter of 2019, an exceptionally long cold front passed the hill country. The deck on the east side suffered some damage; a few boards had frozen up and lost their structural integrity.

These boards have been replaced and after a new coat of stain should last years and keep the deck safe.