So i am picking up my grandfather's anvil and coal forge. This past few weeks, i have been busy working on my house. The previous homeowners did a real DIY mess of things. The last thing i need to take care of is the deck. I hoping to make a nice space out here for the anvil and forge.
The deck is supported by 4 retaining wall, 3 of which are rotten. The deck boards look great, but when you walk on it, it just gives way. The deck is 3-4 feet off the ground for the most part, and it is dangerous.
Only the supporting wall under the railing is not rotten, and that is because it is exposed to air on both sides. The other 3 walls have dirt on one side, and are rotten. You see that tree on the right? It is 6 inches from one of the retaining walls that goes from the railing to the concrete brick patio. The entire tree is rooted in a 2'x4' flower bed that is 4' deep. It is a 20' tall tree! Over on the left, where that pile of rotten lumber is, is a flower bed that used to have 2 large dead trees i had to cut down. That flower bed is 4' deep or so. Now the other retaining wall runs sort of parallel to the patio, about 4' from the patio. If you look through the deck boards, the boards are close to the ground near the patio, then 4' out is the retaining wall, then drops off 4'.
I am on a 1/4 acre lot and my property line ends about 5 feet beyond the deck railing. The anvil and forge either go where the deck is, or they go in storage. I dont want them in storage. The deck is rotten and has to go.
The space between the 4 retaining walls under the deck is covered with a concrete slab. This is aggravating, because i would like to tear it all out and just have grass.
And that tree. It is a nice, decorative needle bearing tree, very healthy, but it is in a tiny flower bed and if i eliminate the deck then it is going to look weird having this big tree in a small but tall flower bed. Its weird. The tree likely wont get huge, so i am not worried about it being too tall near my house, but who knows, it's a tree.
Back to the anvil, i plan on mounting it to a post out here somewhere. I would like to cover it with a small roof. And the coal forge, why not cover it too.
So i guess the options i have so far are:
1) keep the tree, redo that retaining wall, build the wall up a few feet above ground (the ground around the tree, which is 4' above the actual Earth surface), and make a lean-to to put the anvil and forge under it.
2) eliminate the tree, eliminate all retaining walls, build a simple structure on the concrete pad and put the anvil and forge under it.
I am probably going to have to jackhammer part of the concrete slab up with either option. I dont need a big builing out here, my "shop" is in the garage. I have to conserve space. I want something nice out here, but i also want some yard and some plant space, i dont want to fill my entire backyard with a second shop.
You got any ideas?
The deck is supported by 4 retaining wall, 3 of which are rotten. The deck boards look great, but when you walk on it, it just gives way. The deck is 3-4 feet off the ground for the most part, and it is dangerous.
Only the supporting wall under the railing is not rotten, and that is because it is exposed to air on both sides. The other 3 walls have dirt on one side, and are rotten. You see that tree on the right? It is 6 inches from one of the retaining walls that goes from the railing to the concrete brick patio. The entire tree is rooted in a 2'x4' flower bed that is 4' deep. It is a 20' tall tree! Over on the left, where that pile of rotten lumber is, is a flower bed that used to have 2 large dead trees i had to cut down. That flower bed is 4' deep or so. Now the other retaining wall runs sort of parallel to the patio, about 4' from the patio. If you look through the deck boards, the boards are close to the ground near the patio, then 4' out is the retaining wall, then drops off 4'.
I am on a 1/4 acre lot and my property line ends about 5 feet beyond the deck railing. The anvil and forge either go where the deck is, or they go in storage. I dont want them in storage. The deck is rotten and has to go.
The space between the 4 retaining walls under the deck is covered with a concrete slab. This is aggravating, because i would like to tear it all out and just have grass.
And that tree. It is a nice, decorative needle bearing tree, very healthy, but it is in a tiny flower bed and if i eliminate the deck then it is going to look weird having this big tree in a small but tall flower bed. Its weird. The tree likely wont get huge, so i am not worried about it being too tall near my house, but who knows, it's a tree.
Back to the anvil, i plan on mounting it to a post out here somewhere. I would like to cover it with a small roof. And the coal forge, why not cover it too.
So i guess the options i have so far are:
1) keep the tree, redo that retaining wall, build the wall up a few feet above ground (the ground around the tree, which is 4' above the actual Earth surface), and make a lean-to to put the anvil and forge under it.
2) eliminate the tree, eliminate all retaining walls, build a simple structure on the concrete pad and put the anvil and forge under it.
I am probably going to have to jackhammer part of the concrete slab up with either option. I dont need a big builing out here, my "shop" is in the garage. I have to conserve space. I want something nice out here, but i also want some yard and some plant space, i dont want to fill my entire backyard with a second shop.
You got any ideas?
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