We have arrived at the last article in the “ Building a patio ” series. The photo above shows the two-tiered flower box as well as the three-step staircase that has been completely redone. The last step must be cut at an angle to follow the pronounced drop in the ground at this point, under the patio.
Black metal fence sawn and replanted.
A general view of the railing and of the black metal fence to the left of the photo which has been sawn and set back in cement.
Red cedar siding under the patio and support post.
Above is a view of the red cedar siding built under the patio. I kept an access to the hose and didn’t block out all of the light entering in the basement window. Another fixture has also been reactivated.
Close-up of the red cedar siding under the patio.
The photo above shows a close-up of the siding under the patio. We can see a metal pole near the watering can which seems to support the terrace: its practical function is null; it is only there for appearance (all the siding is firmly fixed from the top).
View of the completed terrace.
Overview of the terrace.
HDR Wide angle view of the wooden deck
Another overview of the patio. This time, I took the picture in HDR, meaning five pictures were taken with a different aperture and compiled on a computer to achieve a result that fights the highlights in the background. When you shoot westward with the sun going down, that’s what it looks like: you have to correct the photo in order to see something. The terrain looks larger than it actually is: this is due to the effect of the wide-angle lens.
Squirrel and Blue Jay on the new patio.
The last photo is of a squirrel and a blue jay who regularly invite each other for a peanut meal on the patio. If you want to see some close-up photos of these blue jays, click on these pages of my site: Blue Jay in Autumn and Blue Jay and Russian Mountain Ash.
I hope this series on renovation and on building a patio has been helpful to you.
Planning and execution errors forced me to redo some work, including a staircase and the base that will receive this staircase. Renovation is also about going back (but as little as possible!). The cost of additional materials is negligible, but it will take time. It is now necessary to build a staircasewith three steps sitting on a very solid base.
Digging to prepare the foundation of the stairs.
This time, I dig a foot deep, and add 0-3 / 4 rock and stone dust, followed by a few slabs that will receive the stair stringers.
Rocks and stone dust and slabs to receive the staircase.
Here is the final result. Nothing will move.
Cutting the stairs in a 2X12 piece of wood.
From 2X12 spruce boards, the four stringers are cut.
Installation of the four stairs stringers.
The four stringers rest securely on the slabs and are covered with a red Resisto waterproof membrane: this will prevent rot from settling on the stringers. An additional board is needed to accommodate the stringers and it should be placed under the contour beam.
Three-step staircase redone.
The photo above shows the final result, just before the stain is applied.
General view of the first section of the wooden deck.
Above is an overview of part of the new terrace, with the new three-step staircase. The grass in front of the steps is badly damaged, having suffered the effects of construction for an extended period. But next spring, everything will be back to normal.
New wooden stairs.
This is the final look of the new staircase the following spring, after the wood stain has been applied and the fixtures have been reinstalled one by one around the patio. Fortunately, not all of the electrical wires were cut by the mechanical shovel, which made their reinstallation easier.
Continued in the next article: “Building a patio (7 of 7)”.
The third staircase and the ramp are under construction. The vertical posts and steps are made of spruce and the rest will be red cedar.
Handrail and staircase.
Construction of the railing has started. Initially, we thought of a metal railing with glass panels. We investigated the available models and it seemed to us that the appearance was a bit too modern for the age of the house. We thought that continuing with the same materials as the terrace would be a better idea. I drew up railing plans and had family members vote on which model to use.
Installation of horizontal red cedar posts.
One at a time, the horizontal bars of red cedar are installed between the vertical posts. Spirit level and measuring gallon ensure that the appearance will be as correct as possible. The flaws are easy to see when a railing of this length is built, with so many separate pieces inside.
Completed red cedar ramp.
This is the final effect, when the thirty-six pieces of wood have been cut and laid.
The sections of metal fence to cut and reinstall.
The black metal fence that stood right next to the patio was partially dismantled during the installation of the new French drain. The cement bases of the fence posts were damaged by machinery. It was now necessary to get this old cement out of the ground, regroove, cut off five centimeters from the fence, re-weld the parts of the fence together, recast cement and replant the metal posts.
I tried to have the work done by Clôture Provinciale, of St-Augustin, because the initial fence had been made by them, according to my drawing. After ten calls, months of waiting and no return calls, I tried to approach other companies to do the work. I was told I would have to wait until next year because all the companies had contracts for months to come. Finally, I found a company in Beauport that bid $ 2700.00 to do the work. But it was a bit expensive.
Cement is poured to secure the fence post.
So I decided to do a lot of the work myself, but still called on Clôture Nordik to pull the old cement bases out of the ground and dig two new holes at least 5 feet deep. I sawed off the metal fence and had the sections welded together. I then poured 700 pounds of cement into the two holes, laid the metal posts and reinstalled the fence. I then applied a coat of black Tremclad paint. Total expenses: $ 700 instead of the $ 2700 proposed by the Beauport company.
Reinstalled metal fence.
Here is the final result for the fence.
Continued in the next article: “Building a patio (6 of 7)”.
I had counted on the presence of a carpenter to make the connection between the beamsunder the white shed and the new terrace. Connecting a 1954 construction with a new, differently designed patio is not that easy, especially for me. What was also not easy was to hire experienced staff to do this part of the job. After multiple calls left and right to find an employee, I resolved to take on the job alone. Everything went well, however, with savings as a bonus.
In the picture above, a red Resisto waterproof membrane is glued to each beam and joist to protect the wood from rot.
Opening in the floor of the deck.
The opening into the terrace is still clearly visible. It was closed, after a change of plan. Two joists were added in the middle of the hole for added strength and a few boards were cut and rearranged to complete the floor and close the opening.
Red cedar table and patio.
A red cedar table (the first table I ever built) was placed where the old opening in the terrace floor was.
Picture of a shitty job
During the project, I made the mistake of not supervising the work after hiring an electrician to lay the exterior wiring. The photo above is the very definition of a job poorly done (a better term would be a shitty job). The guy made multiple holes in the brick, not even aligned, and buttered the wall with silicone, after installing a lamp that hangs crooked. That’s why you have to do the work yourself, when possible. But with electricity, we are forced to deal with professionals. In short, the company had to redo the work.
The patio flooring is completed.
The flooring is now completed on both levels, but I haven’t had time to stain it yet. It also lacks a railing on the second level, a third staircase at the end of the terrace, a ramp, and it is also necessary to resize and reinstall a metal fence that was taken out of the ground during the work of the new drain, in addition to reconnect the wiring of the lampposts that was cut by the mechanical shovel. But the renovations are moving forward …
Continued in the next article: “Building a patio (5 of 7)”.
To screw the 2X6 boards I use the CAMO system with screws that do not show, being screwed obliquely to the side of the boards: this improves the overall appearance without compromising on strength. When it comes to tools, I belong to the dinosaurs: only wire equipment, nothing with a battery.
The original plans called for an opening in the patio floor on the first level to allow light to pass through to a basement window. It is also in this opening that I work in the photo above. The plan messed up, with the final aesthetic and positive family comments missing. Project management also involves unforeseen events… I had to apply plan B, that is to say improvise.
Two-layer stained red cedar planks.
The red cedar planks are used in the construction of the railing, the flower box, the handrail and the siding under the terrace. Some are knotless, for the more visible places, and others are with knots. There is naturally a good price difference between the two categories.
Each red cedar plank has a very pale beige color. To give it a darker tone, it must be sanded and stained with two coats of a special oil. It is important to wait a day between layers. In the photo above, six boards that have received the proper treatment are quietly drying outside. This is a process that requires time and proper weather if you don’t have a garage to let it dry out.
The second staircase from the patio.
Above, the second staircase has just been completed. It has only two steps, because I wanted to rise the terrain a bit and I thought it would eventually reach the threshold of the stairs. Unfortunately, it was a step in the planning that was reviewed the following summer and this two-step staircase was eventually destroyed and redone to contain three steps. I miscalculated the optimal ground elevation and the wrong estimates have consequences. To add to the problem, the winter frost that followed the 2019 construction proved to me that the base of the stairs needed to be redesigned. I should have made a deeper hole in the ground to build a more stable base for the steps. Renovation also means learning and having to correct mistakes …
Building a two-tier flower box.
Above is the two-tiered flower box, made of knotless red cedar. You can see that the patio floor is not stained yet. Once dyed, it will never look exactly the same color as the flower box, as the floor is made of spruce (the good old regular 2X6) while the rest of the construction is usually red cedar. But the colors will be sufficiently alike.
Decorative patio walls.
Above, a general view of the work in progress. Everything is still far from over.
Part of the new wooden deck
Another general view of the first part of the terrace. The floor looks darker than in the previous photo, but this is only due to the effect of the rain.
Continued in the next article: “Building a patio (4 of 7)”.
If you can (you have the vehicle and the time), go get your wood yourself and select it piece by piece. Take as many trips as you need, because the effort is worth it. Often, if you order, you end up with certainly a 10-15% of pieces of wood that are crooked, twisted, cracked or with significant knots: the general appearance suffers, in addition to the losses with which you will have to contend and the increased difficulty level to adjust all those pieces together. Building a patio is made easier with quality products.
6X6 beams on screw piles.
The first 6 x 6 posts are placed on five adjustable piles, to support the large contour beam that will run along the house. The contour beam is made of pieces of wood 2 X 12 that are doubled, glued and screwed.
Patio in construction and spirit level.
In the picture above, the contour beam is under construction. In the background, a few joists are already anchored to the building. The family wants to get out through the patio door as soon as possible and I must therefore lay a first section of flooring as soon as possible.
The spirit level on the beam makes it possible to verify that the height of the first floor of the patio will be the same over the entire length of the house. It is easier to work with a long spirit level because it is less forgiving of mistakes.
Three beams on screw piles.
The beams are now placed on the eleven adjustable piles. At this point, I tell myself that it is too late to go back … Some of the piles having been slightly repositioned because of the rocks, so I have to accept some compromises in order to be able to screw the underside of the beams to the piles. But it ends up working …
Installation of large posts on the terrace.
The joists are now attached to the beams with joist hangers. Then begins the delicate task (at least for me) of fixing the long wooden posts vertically to the patio. When a post is slightly crooked, it must be repositioned immediately before the construction adhesive solidifies. Here, the spirit level and the neighbors’ comments are useful. Subsequently, the screws make it possible to solidify the construction definitively.
A first chair is installed on a temporary floor.
View of the patio from another angle. The first chair is already out on a temporary installation on the second floor of deck! The black waterproof membrane shown in the picture above was not good enough : it wrinkled and did not stick enough. I changed it to a red Resisto membrane.
One of three stairs is now completed.
It’s starting to look like a patio. I completed my first stairs. There are some minor renovation errors on my part, but I’m very happy overall. No one fell yet, and the patio doesn’t make any weird sounds. Two chairs are out and there is finally a semblance of normalcy, while the project progresses further. It will be necessary to stain all this, but there is no hurry.
Continued in the next article: “Building a patio (3 of 7)”.
The following series of seven articles discuss patio building. This new patio was necessary because the old one was over thirty years old and showing obvious signs of fatigue, in addition to greatly hampering the digging work along the foundation to change the French drain and insulate the foundation.
Destruction of the old patio.
Above, the old wooden patio is demolished with a mechanical shovel. Where the machine cannot go, I finish the demolition by hand. Subsequently, digging begins to reach the foundation.
Digging for the new French drain
Once the trench has been dug, the employees of the Garco company install the French drain and prepare the concrete surface that will receive the new insulation (blown urethane).
Added dirt and rocks to the terrain.
When the drain is complete and the urethane has been blown out, an employee reseals the hole, adding soil, rock and sand, the latter only required for less stable terrain.
One of the pages of the construction plan.
Now we have to think about rebuilding a patio. The savings are significant when you do the work yourself. It has been reported to me that generally the cost of labor is 2.7 times the cost of materials. In the case of a large patio made up mainly of cedar planks, each plank of which will be sanded and stained by hand, the savings amount to several tens of thousands of dollars.
At 62, I unfortunately have no experience in the field. Risk management (especially financial) is necessary and, since the work will be carried out without assistance, I prefer to work from plans designed by a company. A specialist in the construction industry offered me his advice before the project started, because there was no question of starting the patio again.
Positioning of wooden posts with the laser
On the proposed plan, there must be eleven adjustable metal piles anchored in the ground to receive the patio. We must therefore measure where the eleven metal poles from Techno-Pieux will go, because they are not responsible for doing the calculations for me.
I am using a laser pointer for the first time. It is not easy to work with this device outdoors, the red dot of the laser being difficult to see in bright light (the base model I got myself certainly did not make the job easy). Eventually, I got through it. Luckily, I wasn’t doing the job for a client.
The Techno-Pieux technician places his screwed piles at the locations of the wooden posts.
The Techno-Pieux technician gets to work. He relies on the wooden posts to drive his stakes and then checks with his laser (much better) if his posts are perfectly aligned. The problem that sometimes occurs is that he meets a rock and has to start over and reposition his stakes slightly off the ideal line. A slight slope is also necessary to facilitate the flow of water onto the patio. The piles therefore must not be perfectly level from the house to the end of the patio.
Installation of the first piece of wood which will receive the patio.
A rented hammer drill is sufficient to make the holes in the concrete that will be used to fix the first piece of wood in the foundation of the house. The screws are laid alternately to avoid creating weaknesses in the wood. It is on this piece of wood that a small part of the patio will rest. Special waterproof insulating tape is applied to the wood to protect it from rotting that could occur after several years when water gets under the patio boards.
Continued in the next article: “Building a patio (2 of 7)”.
The Promenade Samuel-De Champlain seen from the Quebec Bridge in 2021.
Crossing the Quebec Bridge by bike allows you to stop and admire the surroundings at will, while observing the maritime traffic up close.
In the photo above, part of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain is visible from the bridge. As for the photographic composition (for those interested), part of the bridge is included in the photo’s foreground to add to the height effect. The path to the right of the promenade, with its pronounced curves, also helps to energize the scene. I think it was a prime location, but tastes are debatable!
The Federal Clyde and MSC Brianna vessels on the St.Lawrence Seaway near the Quebec Bridge in 2021.
At the time of passage of the Federal Clyde and MSC Brianna vesselsunder the Quebec Bridge, the sound of the large diesel engines was clearly perceptible and it was even possible to feel the vibrations of the engines retransmitted into the metal structure of the bridge.
Inspection of the Québec Bridge in 2021.
Above, an employee inspects the structure of an aging Quebec Bridge. Good risk management in this case is to rely on a part of the bridge that has not aged prematurely.
Inspection of the Québec Bridge. July 29th 2021.
The wide-angle lens of the Canon 5DSr gives a better idea of the delicate position in which inspectors find themselves when they are evaluating the work to be carried out on the Quebec Bridge. It’s not a job for everyone …
However, a few days later, in early August 2021, I saw an overturned car on Boulevard Laurier and this time it was not an artificial creation. The first information received from the emergency services was that there was no death or serious injury in this rollover.
A car turned over on boulevard Laurier in Quebec City.
The conditions prevailing on this stretch of boulevard Laurier on this August morning would have frightened the bravest among you: speed limit of 50 km/h, light traffic, clear sky, unlimited visibility, straight asphalted road, dry surface without potholes, white lines at regular intervals to delimit each traffic lane. There were no distracting billboards, no crosswalks, no traffic lights, and no intersections to watch. When you want to hit the road next time in such adverse conditions, think twice and use public transport!
The Snowbirds passing by Québec City in June 2021.
The Snowbirds flew over Quebec City in June 2021, followed by many other jets and canadian military transport planes and helicopters. Until the last minute, a layer of low clouds and occasional showers worried event organizers.
A ferry crosses the St.Lawrence Seaway in front of Lévis in June 2021.
Low clouds are visible over Lévis in the picture above taken from the Dufferin terrace in Québec City. On the St. Lawrence Seaway, the ferry bound to Lévis is approaching its destination.
Three canadian CF-18 fly by Québec City in June 2021.
The CF-18s initially flew in a formation of three. For photography enthusiasts, the full frame camera used to capture those photos was a Canon 5DSr equipped with an EF 70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens. For the photo above, the shutter speed was set at 1/4000 and the focal length was 200mm. Given the CF-18’s fast fly-by, I opted for the AI Servo autofocus which quickly adapts to changes in the position of the objects to be photographed. Since the original image size was 50.6 megapixels, this allowed me to crop it in order to enlarge the military jets without losing quality.
Four canadian CF-18 flying by Québec City in June 2021.
Above, four CF-18s were photographed with a shutter speed of 1/5000.
The bulk carrier Spar Taurus is arriving in the Québec City harbour in June 2021.
Between each fly-by of the various military jets, the maritime traffic continued as usual on the St. Lawrence River. Above, the Spar Taurus vessel , a bulk carrier built in 2005 and sailing under the flag of Norway, is heading towards the port of Quebec, accompanied by two Ocean company tugs. In the background, the Île d´Orléans bridge, which will be redone in a few years.
A canadian C-17 Globemaster III flies over the Dufferin terrace in Québec City in June 2021.
A C-17 Globemaster III, military transport aircraft built by McDonnell Douglas, flies over the Dufferin Terrace. Canada owns five of these aircrafts.
A canadian Bell CH-146 Griffon at Québec in June 2021
Above, a Canadian Bell CH-146 Griffon military helicopter , slowly flies near the Château Frontenac. A soldier seated behind takes a picture of the crowd gathered on the Dufferin Terrace. To photograph a helicopter, the shutter speed must be drastically reduced, so that the movement of the blades can be observed. For the photo above, I opted for 1/250, but I could have gone down to 1/125 without too much risk of the helicopter being out of focus.
There were other aircrafts that flew over the seaway, such as the CP-140 Aurora and the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules, but the photos were not of sufficient quality to be published on the web.
Click on the link for other pictures of Québec City in Summer on my blog.
