from notta to a lotta - the mathis deck

last fall bret and i decided we were going to build a deck  - we both enjoy being outside and the "deck" that was in place when we moved into our house was not ideal. so with a plan in mind, sledgehammers ready, and wood and screws on stand by, bret and i got to building!

first, we took a look at our existing concrete slab for the last time then picked up our sledgehammers and starting pounding away...

yes people, we hammered up all of that concrete on our own. no jackhammer...

next we dug the holes for all the posts.

the holes were 24" deep and we dug i feel like 1 million

(in reality, 25)

all the posts were set and the beams were put in place...



the boards were screwed down and the rock was filled in underneath to keep little miss june from running under the deck on the days she doesn't feel like coming inside...

lastly, stairs were added to both sides...

and TA-DAH!

Ladies and Gents, the DIY Mathis project of 2011:

and the purpose behind this entire post comes down to this moment...

We bought some new patio furniture today!!

yay for a shaded place to sit!