Hard things happening in 2022 ... like concrete and marble. The backyard area and driveway redone, and the master bath remodeled. Here's a peek at the process, the before and after.
The Blackham backyard ... the back and side area. Once upon a time, when the kids were small, there was a swing set and a big sandbox here. As the boys got older, there was a trampoline. Gray almost put in an in-ground trampoline at one point. Then came the ducks ... and for a few years, this was definitely duck domain! Then, it went a little wild. Time for transformation in 2022. Gray hired some guys to do a "cleanup" taking out all the trees/weeds and junk that had accumulated. The after was nice(er) ... but we knew it wouldn't stay that way. So we had concrete poured, a secondary patio, and also extra parking as needed. Let's see the weeds try to grow through that!
The backyard patio was completed in June.
... and as long as we were contracting concrete, might as well redo the driveway, right?
The driveway never looked so good ... seriously. On the original pour, the third car section got away and was lumpy/bumpy from the start (you can see it in the corner of one of the photos above). The driveway was done at the end of September.
Inside the house ... the master shower was getting a redo. A jetted tub can be nice. A shower/bath combo is fine. A jetted bath/shower combo ... no. The jets had become infested with yuck, just from the water from the shower coming down. We didn't dare use the tub ... so the tub had to go. Might as well have a nice roomy walk-in shower. Ala October.
Gray and the boys tore the old shower/bath out. As the biggest piece of marble (back wall/window) was being installed ... crack. We could either wait for a new piece, or they could put a long piece over the defect ... we chose the latter option, and actually really like the look of the little ledge under the window. The new shower has two side sprays as well as the head, and it's all electronic. Just press a button, and the shower (within a couple of seconds) is at the exact temperature you have it set for. You can have two profiles, if you like different levels of warm/hot (and of course you can always adjust things manually). After Jen's fall in January, safety handles and a shower bench were additions.
The two toilets upstairs (master and main) were also replaced ... fancy schmancy bidet for the master. It has a heated seat, and soft-close lids. They are both a little higher too. What will the next home improvements be?
