Now that the trees have been cleared, and the outhouse and boulders have been removed, I can turn my attention to the stair reconstruction, which I had started planning awhile ago. I had to change my plans a little bit though, as the bid I got from the one contractor who would quote the deal was insanely high:
$42,350 for 80 stairs is $530 per stair! Based on that, I cam to the conclusion that I’d do the work myself. It’s really only 2.5 flights of stairs that need to be rebuilt/repaired, and should be less work than the original railing project I did two summers ago. Here is the task breakdown I came up with:
- Angle Grind Exposed Pipes
- Replace Broken Railing/Posts
- Remove Rotting In-Ground Steps
- Replace In-Ground Steps with 4×4 + Rebar
- Reinforce Steps with 4×4 Base Posts
- Replace Old Treads with 2×10 Treads
- Cover Concrete Steps with 2×10 Treads
In other news, I’m also exploring purchasing land across the street from the lake house to build a garage. I’m looking at a plot that is just under a third of an acre, and would give me the right amount of space in a perfect location.
The only issue currently is that the owner seems to want more than the parcel is worth, $25k instead of the $5,100 that the land is assessed at. It remains to be seen whether we’ll be able to reach a deal or not, but I’m hopeful that we will be able to.
