DIY Pergola - Adding Shade to a Deck

For at least 5 years, Billy and I have discussed ways to add shade to our back deck. We added the small back deck, just large enough for a grill and a table for our family, many years ago because we enjoy eating outdoors in the summer. We have a covered patio, but we need to go down a level to get to it which isn't ideal when serving a meal. We knew that we would make better use of a deck on the same level as our kitchen. Problem is, we get direct sunlight on this deck right at dinner time. So the deck was seldom used. We added a cheap canopy one year with shower curtains hung from it to block the sun. It wasn't pretty but it got the job of blocking the sun done. Then we started researching pre-made pergolas, but none seemed sturdy enough or were the exact size we needed. Billy kept saying we should just build one but other projects seemed to take priority.

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Fall Front Door & An Update

 I added a few fall touches to our front entry.  This is our first fall with the black door and I am loving it.  Our fall wreath really pops against it.  

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Adding Curb Appeal with New Shutters

We are so excited about the new facelift our house has gotten just in time for spring!  After we painted our front door a few weeks ago, the rest of the house was looking a bit shabby.  As with so many of our home improvement projects over the years, we fix one thing and that leads to many more projects.  When The Tapco Group contacted us about working together on a project, it could not have come at a better time.  Discosure: The Tapco Group sent us the shutters for this post. We received no other compensation and we always give our honest opinion.

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