Back Yard Revamp Project

The Back Yard Revamp Project!

November 2001 - April 2002

Having updated the inside of the house and the front yard, the only other place to attack was the back yard. In our patriotic effort to support the dragging economy after the September 11th incident, we decided to bite the bullet and start work on revamping the back yard - starting with the pool.

Here is the right side of the yard before the update. Here is the right side of the yard a year later.

The demolition started the Monday after Thanksgiving, and they made quick work out of the pool deck and out houses--removing them all in two days, including all of the old pool equipment and most of the pipes. Hawkins Enterprises left a fair mess as well, but I guess that is what one expects from a construction project. Ed's side yard shed was spared for the time being, but his gazebo and pool house are now gone. The shed was moved to the front yard and sustained some extensive damage, but looked like it could be salvaged and moved back into place. Here is a shot of the yard with the gazebo and pool room removed and the spa set off to the side.

Here are the plans we had drawn up showing an arial overview of the year. We will need to address some landscaping issues when the pool guys leave, as that was not bid in the pool and deck reconstruction. Apparently they brought ten large trucks by to pickup the refuse from the deck demolition, as well as the gazebo and pool house demolition.

Here is a shot with of the area where the gazebo and changing room were. The rains had pretty much soaked the soil and we had a three week break as we waited for a clearing in the weather so that they could begin laying brickand setting forms for the pouring of the cement. They also ripped up my lawn at this point to lay out new pipes to run to the pool and for electrical and gas input. Little did we know they were going to rip up our front yard! The damage was done to both our perception of construction crew and our front yard, which we had refurbished Thanksgiving 2000. The construction team did little to minimize damage and unfortunately, Hawkins construction didn't do much to manage the crews that were at our site.

The yard pretty much looks like a tornado came through and demolished all of the pool and surrounding structures. Also notice the water in the pool from all of the rain. The construction company drilled holes in the bottom of the pool to let the water seep up and drain out. The pool fills up quite a bit after a good rainy couple of days and eventually seems to drain back quite a bit, it is pretty interesting to see how much the level moves up and down. You can see the portable spa in the background & the trench through the lawn to lay the new pipes and electrical for the pool and the water feature. Since we had no idea they were going to be trenching and digging on this side of the yard, we had stacked all of the yard equipment and toys, etc., over next to the side of the house. They trenched right through it and right through the raised vegetable garden.

Now they have begun to lay the new brick work down and they have started to lay out the forms for the patio areas. They still need to fix some pipes that were damaged and they have to lay down new drainage pipe and tie that into the existing drains that run along side the house. There is tile that runs beneath the brick and they have begun to add a rock face to the back of the pool where the water feature will go. This is a nice aerial shot of the shallow end--you can see a board covering up the old in pool spa. That will be demolished and they will float a large step in it's place. Its called a social center. They have managed to get quite a bit of work done in this most rainy December in years. Hopefully we will get a break in January and we can get this project finished in February as hoped. We have our fingers crossed.

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Here is the right side of the yard before the update.	Here is the right side of the yard a year later.

The demolition started the Monday after Thanksgiving, and they made quick work out of the pool deck and out houses--removing them all in two days, including all of the old pool equipment and most of the pipes. Hawkins Enterprises left a fair mess as well, but I guess that is what one expects from a construction project.	Ed's side yard shed was spared for the time being, but his gazebo and pool house are now gone. The shed was moved to the front yard and sustained some extensive damage, but looked like it could be salvaged and moved back into place. Here is a shot of the yard with the gazebo and pool room removed and the spa set off to the side.

Here are the plans we had drawn up showing an arial overview of the year. We will need to address some landscaping issues when the pool guys leave, as that was not bid in the pool and deck reconstruction.	Apparently they brought ten large trucks by to pickup the refuse from the deck demolition, as well as the gazebo and pool house demolition.

Here is a shot with of the area where the gazebo and changing room were. The rains had pretty much soaked the soil and we had a three week break as we waited for a clearing in the weather so that they could begin laying brickand setting forms for the pouring of the cement. They also ripped up my lawn at this point to lay out new pipes to run to the pool and for electrical and gas input.	Little did we know they were going to rip up our front yard! The damage was done to both our perception of construction crew and our front yard, which we had refurbished Thanksgiving 2000. The construction team did little to minimize damage and unfortunately, Hawkins construction didn't do much to manage the crews that were at our site.

The yard pretty much looks like a tornado came through and demolished all of the pool and surrounding structures. Also notice the water in the pool from all of the rain. The construction company drilled holes in the bottom of the pool to let the water seep up and drain out. The pool fills up quite a bit after a good rainy couple of days and eventually seems to drain back quite a bit, it is pretty interesting to see how much the level moves up and down.	You can see the portable spa in the background & the trench through the lawn to lay the new pipes and electrical for the pool and the water feature. Since we had no idea they were going to be trenching and digging on this side of the yard, we had stacked all of the yard equipment and toys, etc., over next to the side of the house. They trenched right through it and right through the raised vegetable garden.

Now they have begun to lay the new brick work down and they have started to lay out the forms for the patio areas. They still need to fix some pipes that were damaged and they have to lay down new drainage pipe and tie that into the existing drains that run along side the house. There is tile that runs beneath the brick and they have begun to add a rock face to the back of the pool where the water feature will go.	This is a nice aerial shot of the shallow end--you can see a board covering up the old in pool spa. That will be demolished and they will float a large step in it's place. Its called a social center. They have managed to get quite a bit of work done in this most rainy December in years. Hopefully we will get a break in January and we can get this project finished in February as hoped. We have our fingers crossed.