That’s right, its time for our deck remodel! One of the greatest features of the Red Leaf River Inn is the huge wooden deck that overlooks the pond and lower lawn. The deck wraps around two sides of the house and has its own access via a staircase from the main floor.
Sadly, like much of the Inn, several years of neglect were showing on the deck. Leaking gutters and piles of leaves left to rot around the deck contributed to the staircase and about half of the deck deteriorating to the point of being unsafe. The staircase was knocked down early last summer due to safety concerns, but the deck remodel was put on the back burner as we repainted and dealt with plumbing issues. Late last winter, we were finally able to tear apart the soft parts of the deck and begin to rebuild.
A local contractor came to help lay the support beams and set the staircase, which we reconfigured to take up less deck space. We also expanded the stairs down to the upper lawn, wrapping them around the corner of the deck to create more space and a grander entrance – perfect for summer brides. We only ended up doing half the deck as the other half was more solid, but we will replace the remaining boards and supports sometime next year when we finish up the deck. Next up, we will re-lay the stone path around the deck and fill in some landscaping in the gardens next to the deck.
