Two-Year Backyard Transformation Completed
Amy's Creative Pursuits documented a complete two-year patio and porch renovation triggered by a family wedding. The project involved rethinking layout, updating surfaces, and investing in quality materials — now serving as the family's primary hub for social events.
The project was a complete overhaul of a previous patio that had been installed for a daughter's wedding. Over time, the original patio's untreated wood fence panels rotted and fell over. A significant issue was damage from groundhogs, which had dug tunnels under the patio bricks, causing them to become uneven. Before any new construction could begin, the groundhogs' damage had to be addressed. This involved pulling up all the existing patio bricks and leveling out the ground with fill. To prevent future infestations, chicken wire was buried along the edge of the patio. The old patio bricks were then flipped over and reused with their flatter side up. A key feature of the new layout is a central fire pit, which was built before the patio bricks were relaid to ensure proper placement. The new design also includes a small basketball court area, created using smaller red bricks. To maintain a view of the nearby woods and save on costs, the new fence was constructed with beams, cross bars, and cattle fencing instead of solid panels. The original open porch was transformed into a screened-in space, a decision prompted by the number of flies attracted during barbecues. Learning from a previous project, the lower portion of the screen porch was built with solid metal to prevent damage from the family cat. To address drainage issues that contributed to the original fence rotting, new drains, spouts, and a raised bed filled with river rock were installed.
