Our deck has had it!
I would love something like this:
Overlooking something as amazing as this:
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| Things That Inspire |
I'm loving this look as well:
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| Things That Inspire |
But for now the reality is this:
See. I told you the whole deck needs to go! But, it's not going to happen anytime soon. So I was looking for a very cheap and fast replacement for the recently removed--much too contemporary--railing. Something just to "make do" for only one more (hopefully?) summer, until the entire deck gets an overhaul. Voila!! Introducing what may be a completely new use for an expandable willow trellis.
We picked up five of these sturdy panels for $2.50 each at Home Depot. Our only other investment was the required lengths of pre routed handrails to serve as upper and lower frames.
Lovely shot of our backyard "workspace" as we prepare to get started with our Sunday afternoon project.
Cutting down the railing pieces to size.
My multi-talented husband designed a "jig" to keep the trellis expanded to the right height while cutting.
The tough willow reeds proved difficult to cut, even with the circular saw. They splintered and the friction with the board underneath created enough heat to burn the willow in places.
While this tiny saw wouldn't make the entire cut, we soon discovered it worked perfectly to finish what we started with the circular saw, with much less splintering.
Here's the semi-finished product. (You can see a sample of the old railing on the still-standing portion to the left.) After I paint the posts to match the gray stain of the deck floor and the willow has a chance to age to the same hue as the swing (you can glimpse through the willow pattern), I think we'll have a passable short-term solution. And all for less than $60!!
