Outdoor Spaces

Operation: Siding

Published on July 15, 2014 by Our Humble Abode4 Comments

Over the weekend, Ben made a lot of progress on the back side of the house, hanging almost everything.

Though the siding on the front of the house doesn’t look awesome, the back has been a hot mess. Kind of like a mullet: okay in the front, awful in the back. For the past year, this has been our view:

Ugly, right? Old blue siding with a too high light, exposed OSB, shiny insulation, even tar paper. Clearly we’re not finished, but, having real siding is nothing short of amazing at this point.

For durability, we chose to use LP SmartSide 7 7/8 inch lap siding. With many windows, doors, lights, and vents to cut around, it wasn’t the quickest process.

To finish off the windows, I pre-painted our Miratec trim. I painted four windows of trim after install and let me tell you, cutting in around each window was a royal pain in the butt.

So, the back of the house will all be lap siding, but we wanted to add some of the corrugated rust around back. One thing that bugs me is when the front of a house looks great, but the sides and back are super cheap. Still a mullet, people. To finish off the awkward, angled pool house side, we’ll use corrugated steel that will rust over time.

We know this is an unusual choice, but it seems very… Montana. Several homes in newer developments around town have it and we love how unique it is. Oddly, from afar, it kind of looks like stained wood. Which was another option we discussed, but it requires so much maintenance that we didn’t want to deal with. Once the steel is up, it’ll rust and that’s it. On a roof, it has a 50 year rating, so we shouldn’t have to worry about it for a long time.

Good news, the siding we chose comes in several pre-finished colors. Bad news, none of which were close to what we had in mind. The color of the boards is just primer that we’ll cover in a dark gray. All that to say, we’ve still got loads of work ahead of us before we’re finished. Baby steps.

Forecast: Sunny Plants

Published on June 27, 2014June 27, 2014 by Our Humble Abode9 Comments

Last year, creating the hardscaped areas outside was our largest, most time-consuming task. We created a waterfall with hidden pond, built a reclaimed beam deck, added a bocce court, and spread tons (and tons!) of limestone rock.

With the major components in place, we are free to start adding plants. At least in most areas. We still can’t plant against the house because they’d get trampled while working on the new siding. Womp, womp.

Can I get a “Finally!” though? While we think the rock is better to look at than the very patchy dirt and grass of yore, it feels rather desolate and… unfinished.

I’ve been shopping around town for perennial plants that fit these criteria: 1. Must tolerate full (6+ hours) sun. 2. Drought tolerant and/or deer resistant because those four-legged friends show up often around our house. 3. Can handle the cold weather we get come winter (we’re in zone 4). 4. I also want a variety of sizes, texture, color, and bloom times.

My stops included several local greenhouses, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. I was very pleasantly surprised by the variety both home improvement stores had this year. In fact, most, if not all, of my top twelve picks are available at the big retailers. No need to track them down at a special store.

1. Spirea is a shrub, growing 1 to 4 feet tall with colorful flowers. Hearty in zones 4-9. The green leaves are pretty spring through fall with pink flowers showing up in the summer. Also somewhat drought tolerant needing weekly waterings once established.

2. Lupine is a perennial with colorful, showy flowers. Grows 18 to 24 inches tall in zones 4-9. Adding colorful flowers to brighten up areas will break up the green.

3. Nest Spruce, an evergreen can grow 3 feet tall and up to 6 feet wide. It’s bright color contrasts with darker evergreens. Good in zones 2-8. We’ve already added five to the front of the bocce court. Once mature, these will spread out and hopefully look like a green carpet year round.

4. Blue Fescue is a low growing (6 inches tall) ornamental grass. Both drought tolerant and deer resistant it adds color along borders in zones 4-8. I’d love to plant a row of ornamental grasses, including Blue Fescue along the edge of the bocce court.

5. Yarrow, a flowering groundcover can reach heights of 2 to 3 feet and spreads up to 5 feet wide. Bright flowers are ideal for cutting. Grows in zones 3-9. To add some color along the front walk, I picked up two yarrow. While small now, they should cover the rock well in a few years.

6. Lavender is known for fragrant flowers, but did you know it is also an evergreen? Growing 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall and wide this low water mounding perennial is hearty in zones 4-9. After we finish the siding, I think a few lavender plants along the house would look and smell amazing.

7. Purpleleaf Sand Cherry A tall shrub, 5 feet wide by 8 feet tall, with deep purple leaves in summer and fall, grown in zones 4-7. We’re nursing a scraggly Sand Cherry back to life. The color is just stunning.

8. Salvia Pretty and vibrant violet flowers grow on this mounding perennial. At 18 inches tall to 24 inches wide this plant packs a punch in zones 4-9. All over our neighborhood, I see Salvia in yards and along borders. I’m certain it will do well here.

9. Sedum ‘Angelina’ Stonecrop This wonderfully bright chartreuse groundcover stays 6-10 inches tall spreading up to 16 inches. Surprisingly cold hearty, growing in zones 3-11. The bright color and texture of this plant had me at hello. The one by the waterfall has already grown about 50% bigger.

10. Dwarf Daylily With bright green leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers, these fast growing plants are ideal for borders. Only 15 to 24 inches and grow in zones 3-9. Several lilies would work very well along the back walkway.

11. Lamb’s Ears Silvery green fuzzy leaves are an interesting low growing (8 to 10 inches tall) groundcover in zones 4-8. While the flowers aren’t anything special, the texture of these make me want several. Perhaps planted on the slope along the driveway?

12. Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ Commonly used as a border plant, this fleshy leaf plant grows 18 to 24 inches tall and wide. Easy care and low water usage when established in zones 4-11. I’ve deemed the area along the back rock steps my succulent garden and planted several varieties, including this sedum variety.

Of course there are many (many!) more plants that could work. These are just the twelve currently on my radar and in my mental shopping cart.

Plants don’t have to cost an arm or a leg either; the most I’ve paid for one plant so far is $20. Sure, the smaller the plant, the less it’ll cost. But Home Depot had large Nest Spruce evergreens for about 25 bucks each. Costco also has good deals on plants in the spring. For the 45 or so plants I’ve already purchased, I think I’ve spent around $350 total. Most are in the 5 to 9 dollar range, so they’re affordable. In a few years, they should fill out more.

Keep your receipts, too as most stores have a one year warranty policy for perennials. Also, check Craigslist for people looking to get rid of plants they already have. Friends may also have plants to split and share. A friend recently gave me 4 hostas, 4 hydrangea plants, several peonies, and a large boxwood. My mom said she can divide her large hostas to share with us, too. We have one smaller shade area (along the back of the house), that I’d like to turn into a hosta/fern/lily of the valley garden.

What are your favorite sun plants? If you like this round-up, I’m working on part sun and shade plants, too.

Off With the Old

Published on June 24, 2014June 24, 2014 by Our Humble Abode2 Comments

Our siding is ugh-lee. Blue siding, soffit, and fascia without any detailing to add character.

Only peeling brick moulding around the windows and doors. Some areas had been patched with cedar, but never got a coat of stain. A few lucky areas didn’t even get that far and are still bare sheeting.

Regardless, we have always planned to replace the drafty windows and dated siding. Finally, the garage end is almost (so close!) ready for new siding. Of course, it can’t be a quick process. Oh no, everything is more difficult because we’re super insulating the house. Layering the outside with four inches of polyiso insulation, we’ve got a few more steps than usual to get things finished. First, Ben pulled off the old siding, leaving behind pockets of dead bugs.

So gross, but the boys had a blast knocking the bugs off. Then the tar paper comes off and we (really Ben because I’m just his helper/tool handler on these projects) replaced the windows.

The window in the boys’ room was fogged up because the seal broke.

Outside wasn’t looking any better; peeling paint and rotting wood isn’t worth keeping.

We still have to trim out around the windows, but seeing through and opening a window, what a novel idea!

Wrapping the house takes longer, but it made a big difference in heating and cooling our old house.

To add the insulation, Ben adds two layers of 2″ thick foam panels. Typically used on flat roofs of commercial buildings, we found these on Craigslist to reuse. Along the top, bottom, and around windows and doors he adds 2 by 4 boards to attach plywood sheeting over. Then the plywood is nailed in place and screwed into the house studs. The last layer before siding is a water proof wrap.

The back of the house and pool house are ready for siding.

To break up long expanses, the bottom part of the front and garage sides will be covered with corrugated steel. It rusts over time and will add a lot of warmth and rustic interest. The rest will be lap siding we’ll paint a medium dark gray (to the right of the door below).

Over the weekend, we finished the wrapping on the garage end and have only the white weather wrap to do.

Though still ugly, we’re headed toward the finish line. This is one marathon we’re certainly ready to finish. I’m sure our neighbors are ready, too.

Stacked Stone Steps

Published on June 10, 2014June 18, 2014 by Our Humble Abode8 Comments

Just last summer, we made a bocce court in the front yard.

In part because we like to play. Also to use up some space without the maintenance of grass. Then, last fall, we got a giant rainfall that washed a bunch of dirt down the hill and flooded the court.

Water took out a wide swath of rock, spreading out creating a mess for us to fix.

Finally, we’re getting around to fixing the front. And making a few changes while we’re at it. Before, there was a slightly steep edge down to the court. Using left over stone pavers from the back, Ben built a handsome set of stacked stone stairs.

Additional stones make up a walking path from the deck edge down.

The court still needs a new layer of rock. It’s looking very sad, still.

If (or when?) we get another huge rain, we’ve taken preventive measures. There’s a natural drainage trench along the house side. We continued it along, diverting it around the landscaping. A steeper side should contain water and channel it down to a set of wooden steps.

Hauling rock filled five gallon buckets up sixteen steps wasn’t the most fun chore, but it’s almost done. I’m even more excited to add plants.

Outside Updates, Two Year Check Up

Published on May 9, 2014May 9, 2014 by Our Humble Abode1 Comment

You’ve seen the house progress over the last two years, now check out the outdoor spaces. Though we’re still far from finished, the outside received a lot of attention last summer. We started out with an uneven, weed riddled paver patio, large ostentatious lion head fountain, large trees planted too close to the house, a short tall rock wall, and very neglected or non-existent plantings.

The rock wall was built to act as a retaining wall, separating the patio and hillside.

While great in theory, the 18 inch high wall wasn’t tall enough to hold back the hill as it had already overgrown it. When landscaped, the patio was built up too high, covering the bottom of the wooden rim joist atop the concrete house foundation. This is a huge problem because it could cause rotting (and lead to major structural issues). It also made it easy for bugs, dirt, and water to get in the basement. To prevent these issues, we pulled out the fountain, patio, and rock wall. Then excavated another foot of dirt to sit below the foundation’s top edge.

We used large boulders as a taller ‘wall’ to keep the rocks on the hill. For a fun feature, Ben tucked a waterfall with covered pond into the hillside.

For a clean outdoor entertaining area, we built a slightly raised deck from reclaimed beams.

Just as we neared our rock and hardscaping finish line, a huge rainstorm channeled water and dirt from the natural hill above, back down.

Fortunately, the rocks stayed in place, though it filled with dirt in some areas. Sure, it sucked to clean out and redo, but we were so lucky we had done that landscaping.

Mud still would have slid down the hill and filled the back yard, but our basement would also have been flooded with water. It could have been so much worse. All over town, we heard stories of water filled basements, caved concrete block retaining walls, and mud filled pools. Before that, I’d never fully realized the sheer power and strength of water. It’s even worse when you add steep hills for it to pick up debris and momentum.

After cleaning the mess, we dug diversion trenches to direct water to safe places, if a large storm happens again. The we added a fun DIY gas fire pit. We did keep a few previously landscaped features. A set of rock stairs with a stacked rock flower bed.

It seems most of my succulents survived the record-breaking cold, snowy winter.

Along the waterfall, there are a few little ‘pockets’ of dirt between rocks. I’ve started planting small succulents in these areas to green things up.

Here’s a before shot of the back from up the hillside:

It’s easy to see how deceptively steep it really is from that angle. Today, we’ve got the hard parts done, but need to add plants.

Siding will be nice, too. Ha!

Before, there wasn’t an easy way to get to the back from the driveway. Ben built matching beam steps to link the spaces together. Those posts will get cut down soon.

Just as the back had been neglected, the front didn’t look any better. Overgrown, wild-looking hills scattered with half dead trees and shrubs isn’t what I consider pretty.

Since then, we’ve added a wide beam walking path. More recently, plants! Glorious green plants! A few peonies in a stacked rock planting bed.

A train of boxwood evergreens.

Off the deck, there’s a plateau area that looked mostly dead.

We added tons of rock (literally) and created a little bocce ball court. Now a few Bird’s Nest Spruce shrubs dot the perimeter. Eventually we’ll add taller plants in front of the deck, like Burning Bush. Filler plants, perhaps flowering will liven up the remaining open spaces.

Another before of the walkway:

You can see why siding is this summer’s priority. Not that the blue was much better. And today:

I’ve even got a few potted plants by the front door.

As I said earlier, we’ve got more before we’ll consider this finished. We’ll be able to add more plants after siding. Don’t want those in the way of the ladder and scaffolding. Still, we’re happy to have new, better functioning hardscapes.