Not an Abandoned House Anymore: Yard Work Done

After getting the sheetrock cleanup done last week, I took time on Saturday (8/2) to turn attention to the exterior. The grass in the yard isn't everywhere, but where it was growing, it was getting high and shaggy-looking. After raking up some left-over brick mortar debris in the alley, I cut the grass. Wow, what a difference. It doesn't look like an abandoned home anymore! :)

There's also been a pile of sand in the front yard left over from the bricklayers. I'll need this later when I lay bricks for a patio in the back yard. Early this week, we moved the pile to the back of the house. My front yard looks so good with that pile of sand and blue tarp gone!

Also this week, my dad and I went into the attic and began making strongbacks out of all the 2x4's bracing up the roof. A strongback is when you take one stud and attach another one to it lengthwise that's at a 90 degree angle. So a cross-section would look like an "L" or a "T". This keeps the original stud from bowing over time, and this will minimize any warps developing in my roof and keep it nice and flat.

Even with my insulation in the attic, this August heat makes it quite warm up there. While it doesn't take your breath away, it's not a comfortable place to work for a long time. So we've finished almost 2/3 of the strongbacks. I'm waiting for an overcast or rainy day to finish the rest.

I've taken the last two evenings off from work on the house. I'm preparing for a beach trip to Gulf Shores this coming week, and I've had my car in and out of various shops giving it the attention it has been craving. I've had the brakes & spark plugs changed, the tires rotated & balanced, and part of a front CV joint replaced. Just getting it ready for the road. I need the break next week!