If there is one thing I know how to do, it’s procrastinate on a big home project.  I’m the master at putting it off.  Even when I really want the thing in question to be done, I’m able to really bear down and ignore the CRAP out of it.  It’s certainly one of my many talents.

At any rate, it was time.  And the time was decided to be now.  Not later.  Or, not much later, sooner being better than later, but while it was a little later, it would NOT be a lot later than the present. So, indeed, let’s begin. Shortly.

See what I did there?

Anyway, so here we go, a little documentation of the build process, some pics, the whole nine yards.  First up, the plans.

Nikki and I started with a visit to the friendly folks at Home Depot, who were all too happy to design a deck for us and help us arrive at some decisions.  One of the first ones was to not use composite decking materials.  At all.  It’s incredible space age stuff, worry free, maintenance free, lizard free, the whole thing.  But it’s not “incredibly expensive free”, and so we will be using good old arsenic soaked pressure treated unless there is a very very good deal on cedar to be found.

Here’s the grainy overhead view of my shaky pencil drawings that depict the structure I will trust with the lives of my family and friends.  I’m sure it will be fine….

Now it’s to find out if the City of Ottawa will issue a permit based on these pieces of crap.  Then, I will document the painful digging of my backyard for your viewing pleasure.  Stay tuned folks.