{Our Patio Tiles Are DONE!}

Yep, our glazed ceramic tiles in Sunset are all done! So here is the result at our bay window area.

Photo is from April 3, with beautiful weather and our dogwood tree in front of the gazebo blooming.

Also the ginger bread from Vintage Woodworks stands out here.

The tiles got laid just in time before the rain started...

Lovely light... Trees with their new leaves unfolding in all shapes of green.

Catkins from the tall oak are falling off.

Here you can see the slanted patio when you look at the bricks of the stair case.

This is as part of our water control, to lead all the gutter overflow and the water from the sky away from the house via the gutter at the patio's end.

Different angle and showing more of our Fiberglass Window Boxes with white petunias.

Sunny and the hummingbird feeder is filled up again.

Another mini patio on top of the concrete that Pieter poured himself, where once the gas tank resided.

The tank is now to the left and this looks a lot friendlier with all the potted tropical jasmines.

They seem to have survived that last winter freeze...

Now waiting for their blooms.

Rose Stepping Stones lead to these planters that husband Pieter has all painted over, as they had faded away. They too have rose reliefs all over!

Do you like the patio parts?

Related links:
{Our Patio Tiles & Freeze Warning} | previous post by me
{Water Control Project Finished} | previous post showing you the tile sample on the concrete
{Our Home with Aluminum Interlock Roofing and Benjamin Moore Golden Mist Exterior} | previous post by me
Flower Framers of Cincinnati | Source for Fiberglass Window Boxes

{Our Patio Tiles & Freeze Warning}

Spring was unfolding so nicely but there is again a freeze warning; unexpectedly as this was not in the weather forecast earlier. Pieter had started to bring all the tropical potting plants out of the greenhouse. Our new Patio along the bay window and the front of the house is being tiled by now. Still needs grouting but soon it is done. Water Control Project about to be finished!

Before we went to The Netherlands we already had all the tiles for the new Patio and here Pieter did set them ready for the men to use.

Glazed Ceramic Tile in the color SUNSET

They are made in USA

We bought them at Home Depot

We are having a nippy wind and a Freeze Warning...

Tonight 29°F with Real Feel 18° or -2°C with Real Feel -8°C...

Let's keep our fingers crossed for the tender plants!

By 18:27 it was already very nippy with the strong winds from the NW with 35 Km p/h.

Hope people in the north will stay warm and safe.

We have had quite a struggle this year with the harsh weather.

Related posts:

{Water Control Project Finished} | previous post showing you the tile sample on the concrete

{Water Control Project Finished}

Almost doing the happy dance! On January 21, the crew came to pour the concrete. 

Water Control Project Finished!

Of course, such a job could not be handled by husband Pieter...

The big truck arrived and by wheelbarrow the concrete was brought to the spot.

That meant ACTION!

NO cat-supervisors now; they're all hiding as they are scared of strangers...

Thick consistency makes it heavy to handle...

Dumping it onto a wooden board and than spreading it out...

Husband Pieter made them this wooden beam for leveling it; just extending across the aluminum gutter.
They do a great job!

Cake art in the rough...

Smoothing it really well.

Six days later; all dried up and looking very nice!

This is the bay window kitchen area...

Pieter showing how neat they worked around the aluminum gutter. They did an excellent job and understood quite well what Pieter wanted.

The other side of the bay window towards the front porch.

This is from the retainer wall looking towards the front porch.
It did dry out nicely.

Detail of the aluminum gutter and the Scallop Concrete Edger...

When the danger of frost will be gone, those 20 x 20 cm or 8 x 8 inch tiles will be put on!
Will show you later the tiled Patio job.
Do you like it?

Related links:
{Final Preparations for Water Control Project} | previous post by me
{Retainer Wall Extension for Water Control} | previous post by me
{Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control} | previous post by me
{Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} | previous post showing you part I of Water Control
{65 Year Old Pine Tree Cut Down} | previouis post showing you preparation of Water Control

{Final Preparations for Water Control Project}

On December 30, 2013 my husband Pieter did start with the Final Preparations for our 4th Water Control Project. The previous 3, you can find below this post. All prostrate Gardenia shrubs had to be dug up and saved for transplanting them elsewhere. Can you guess what we will be doing here?...

At the Bay Window and Veranda side of the house...

Cat-man and supervisor Bandido looks on.

Freshly built concrete wall with Scallop Concrete Edger, just as is done on the outside (seen to the left)...

All shrubs have to be taken out here!

Bandido's tiny sister Tiggy-Tiger is checking out if there are any prostrate Gardenias left...

Now it is all bare and leveled with a slope, towards the outer Concrete Scallop Edger.

Tell you what... Tiggy-Tiger and her brothers just LOVED this huge sand box for rolling and than tracking sand up the stairs!

Here you see the plan. An aluminum gutter at the end (left) and it is leveled such that it descends towards that gutter.

So the caught rain-gutter overflow from the roof and sky water combined, will run away from the home.

The end of the aluminum gutter on the ground, will discharge the water here onto the little brick platform from where it runs downhill into our back yard.

From the other side you can clearly see how the aluminum gutter will discharge all rain water onto the little brick platform.

The soil that got leveled off for making the place descending, got wheelbarrowed here in a rather low and wet area near the pond and greenhouse.

Now this is the front of the house, where the front porch, office and guest bedroom is.

Also prostrate Gardenias need to be dug up here.

Same procedure; leveling off descending towards the Scallop Concrete Edger and the aluminum gutter...

You can see where the plank is how much it descends.

Ha-hah, our cat-supervisors left their Litter Clean bucket out here... 

Funny how Pieter has been using that, for mixing his concrete!

This is the end and Pieter did pour some concrete as a wall with Scallop Concrete Edger on top to mark its end.

The black Drainage Culvert Pipe goes underground from here, at the end of the aluminum gutter...

Here you see the black Drainage Culvert Pipe go underground... more or less.

There is always cat-supervision!

One growing season further and it will all be invisible.

Bandido and his sister Tiggy-Tiger like what their Papi has accomplished!

Tiggy-Tiger dreaming about her HUGE sand box but it will not be that way for long...

Check out  {Water Control Project Finished} which will be published in 6 days!

Thanks for visiting.

Related links:
{Retainer Wall Extension for Water Control} | previous post by me
{Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control} | previous post by me
{Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} | previous post showing you part I of Water Control
{65 Year Old Pine Tree Cut Down} | previouis post showing you preparation of Water Control

{Retainer Wall Extension for Water Control}

Before, I already did show you that we did cut our 65 Year Old Pine Tree so Pieter could dig a trench for putting concrete blocks to divert the water from our neighborhood. Below this post you find the link to the New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket  Fence as well as Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control. We do live in Holly Hills, and water runs down hill but that can cause major problems at times. So here I show you another part of our Water Control by building a Retainer Wall Extension. 

While scanning our old slides I did come across this lovely Spring picture from April 2, 2000.

You can see the retainer wall here and the Post Lantern is placed on the corner.

The Magnolia tree is still a baby and so is the blooming Indian Hawthorn; both are to the right of the lantern.

Of course, we never can stop heavy rains or tropical thunderstorms but we can do as much as we possibly can for diverting the water + mud stream. 

Like here seen at the end of the retainer wall where it always came across our driveway in a muddy stream...

So husband Pieter opted for building a Retainer Wall Extension for Water (and mud) Control...

Those tiles in front of the retainer wall are to be used in the final Water Control Project. You will see that soon in another post!

Would you believe that to the left you see the very same Indian Hawthorn from the 1st picture?

Meanwhile it is huge.

So here is the newly built concrete block retainer wall extension. 

That will keep the water from running down again, together with the final plan that will work.

This is January 12 and the extension is up. What do you think?

Here it is January 20 and the extension has been painted.

Did you notice that we had to replace that Post Lantern (see 1st picture) to the end of the retainer wall because the baby Magnolia and Hawtorn grew into big ones.

Here you get the idea about the different heights and water runs down, towards the creek which is further to the left. But I guess this will prevent the water + mud from soiling our driveway again.

You see the wooden plank here?

That will be the Final Stage of our Water Control Project and you will see it soon. 

So much about the battle against water...

Do you, or did you have to fight water too?

Related links:
{Pipe under Brick Walkway & Trench for Water Control} | previous post by me
{Our New Retainer Wall & Vinyl Picket Fence} | previous post showing you part I of Water Control
{65 Year Old Pine Tree Cut Down} | previouis post showing you preparation of Water Control