In September 2013 , I posted a little note chock-full of foul language after we discovered the survey company got their measurements wrong* and our new home was to be built practically on top of the spring – not four feet away from the spring as intended. Fast forward nine months and here’s our solution.

It’s not quite finished because we’re waiting for the lumber to acclimate itself to the environment before it’s installed, but this will give you a good idea of how the thing will look.

Steel beams delivered.

Steel beams welded in place.

The beams are secured to the side of the house and (if I remember correctly) 4′ deep concrete pads.

Extra fun working conditions for David (in red) and Ruben (in orange).

Looking down at the deck from the second floor (my intense fear of heights is less than my desire to catch a cool breeze and that doorway on the second floor is – by far – the best place to cool off).

A view from inside.

We unloaded the wood for the top of the deck by hand.

It doesn’t look like much, but that’s 1684 lbs of ipe (also known as Brazilian walnut or ironwood). David and Ruben helped us unload it from the truck and even with their help I thought I might die under the weight of that stuff. Then, several days later, Mark and I moved the whole stack outside ourselves and I actually died. It might’ve just been a fit, not actual death – I have no idea because I blacked out after the last piece was moved. Have you seen these arms? They’re not designed to carry much more than a large bottle of gin…or maybe a small dog.

All that heavy lifting will be worth it after this thing is finished, right?

*It seems we’re not the only ones with survey problems – here’s a story about a home in Rhode Island that was accidentally built inside the lines of a state park. Their 4 ½ acre mistake makes our 4’ issue seem like nothing. http://www.aol.com/article/2014/06/18/why-a-million-dollar-rhode-island-mansion-must-go/20915250/