# Back yard (different house) and a few other updates



## JulieB (Sep 9, 2012)

We built this house in the DFW (Texas) area in 2001. We had the pool built the following year. My husband built the pond before the pool and also the deck out of pressure treated wood. 

I couldn't find a "before" picture of the pond, deck and fence before we started doing the changes. 

After we decided to do all of this work we had second thoughts because of the size of the project. It was too late though after we started. 



















The deck and pond were tired and in need of a face lift. We decided to redo the deck with cedar, build an arbor, replace the pressure treated fence with a new cedar fence and redo the pond. 










While my husband was building the arbor we had someone build the new fence. You can see it on the left side of this picture. 










New cedar deck boards before being stained. 










Pond in progress. He dug deeper to give the koi better hiding places to avoid the predators. 










We also built flower beds around the new fence.


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## JulieB (Sep 9, 2012)

Finished just in time to move to California. We had one summer to enjoy the update. 

This was about a week after refilling the pond. Notice the green water. It take awhile for all the good bacteria to show up. 





































You can see the other planting bed on the fence line.


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## scotzilla (Mar 1, 2011)

awesome


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

gorgeous, all of it...you moved to California?


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## JulieB (Sep 9, 2012)

Two Knots said:


> gorgeous, all of it...you moved to California?


Yeah, for my husband's job. But we moved back two years later (to Texas). We are now in the Austin area.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

JulieB said:


> Yeah, for my husband's job. But we moved back two years later (to Texas). We are now in the Austin area.


is this your current home (in the pics) or your old home?


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## JulieB (Sep 9, 2012)

Two Knots said:


> is this your current home (in the pics) or your old home?




This was our previous home (DFW area). We moved in July 2001 (we had a previous home before this one in the Dallas area since 1995), then had to move July 2009 to California (for husbands work) and finally were able to move back to Texas (Austin) July 2011. Odd that all the moves were in July, I never thought about it until I just typed it out in this post. 

When we first moved back to Texas our kids and I stayed at my mom's and my husband worked in Austin and drove back every weekend until our house was finished. We moved in our current house the end of October 2011. We bought a spec house and we hated the stairs so that is our (read HIS) current project. I'm going to start a thread on that soon...perhaps today.


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## JulieB (Sep 9, 2012)

We (ha, I should just say my husband) also did a small kitchen update in this house too. When we originally built this house in 2001 we put laminate counters with a wood edge (with the plan of updating at a later date) and white appliances. 

My husband did the back splash and installed the sink, sink fixture and appliances. When we sold the house he had to switch the cold and hot around because the inspector caught it. He knew it was backwards but never got around to switching it and I just got use to it. 

He hadn't added the finish tile (I don't know what they are called) around the outside of the backsplash in the pictures below (except for the last one). The backsplash is tumbled nautral split face stone. My husband sealed it too. 




























When we bought new appliances we bought the microwave/convection oven (the one on top). It was a waste because all I used it for was for popcorn or heating up spaghettios for my kids. I never used the convection part. I did use the proofing setting to raise dough but I could have used my oven for that (it was also a convection oven). 










He also added the under cabinet lighting. Out of all of the cook tops I have had I liked this one the best. It had settings for melt, simmer and quick boil. It cleaned up so easily and had no knobs. Our house in CA had a Viking 6 burner gas stove and I hated it. It wouldn't simmer and was a pain to clean. Our current house in Austin has a 5 burner GE gas stove. It simmers and has a special burner for quick boiling. It isn't fun to clean and the markings for the knobs are already coming off. 










He cooks for my birthday too :thumbup:










You can see the finish tile on the outside of the backsplash in this picture.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

nice, is this the current house?


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## JulieB (Sep 9, 2012)

Two Knots said:


> nice, is this the current house?


No, it's the one in the "stairs" thread I started. :laughing:


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