Welcome to Week 2 of the Spring One Room Challenge! This week I am focusing on repairs to the lanai!
If you are just joining me this week, I am giving our outdoor living area a bit of a refresh. While our house was spared major damage when Hurricane Ian blew through southwest Florida in September 2022, our lanai did receive some damage.
A Look Back To Experiencing Our First Hurricane
We spent the morning of Wednesday Sept 28th watching the local news. At 1:30 in the afternoon, Dave, Gracie (our little dog) and I went into our designated safe space with was the laundry room. We watched the news on the laptop until we lost power at 3:10.
I don’t think I have the words to describe the feelings we felt while we sat there listening to the wind howl and things hitting the house. We spent about 8 hours in the laundry room until we finally felt the wind had died down enough.
At one point, I did venture out of the laundry room and found the carpet wet from the rain blowing in the lanai doors and the roof leaking.
We went to bed not knowing what we would find when we went outside the next morning.
When we ventured out the next morning, there were numerous trees down. Most of the houses on the street lost shingles off of their roofs. The screens of our pool cage were somewhat damaged and there was debris in the pool. Overall we had minimal damage compared to so many people in Southwest Florida.
We were fortunate to have running water. We did have to boil it before using it. We used the Big Green Egg to boil the water and to cook our meals.
The next 8 days were a whirlwind of activity followed by a period of waiting for power to be restored. The power was restored late Wednesday afternoon.
Some things that I wish we would have had in our Hurricane preparedness kit: a battery operated radio, a heavy duty cooler such as a Yeti and ice! Lots and Lots of ice.
I am thankful for all the linemen that came to Florida to help restore power. The National Guard set up food, water and ice distribution centers. HyVee Grocery Stores from Iowa sent their Disaster Recovery Food trucks and distributed hot meals. Many other volunteers came to the area to help with the clean up.
There are so many areas that have been affected by the Hurricane. Many have lost everything including loved ones.
We were very fortunate compared to a lot of other people in the area. Our home was still livable but we did have damage to the roof as well as to the lanai screens. The force of the wind pulled out at least 20 bolts that held the cage together. Several of the screens were ripped loose as well.
The landscaping took a bit hit too. Entire bushes were uprooted and the trees lost a lot of leaves and branches.
The pool collected a lot of dirt, debris and shingles. Fortunately, the screens on the east side of the lanai cage stayed in place so all of those pots didn’t roll into the pool. I would have been in BIG trouble with Dave if that had happened!
Dave did a great job getting the pool cleaned out and ready to use shortly after power was restored.
Several Months After The Hurricane
Hurricane Ian did so much damage in Southwest Florida, it was hard to find people to do the needed repairs. Supplies were scarce as well. We found someone in early November and paid them a deposit. He kept saying he would come a certain day at a certain time and then never showed up. A few days before Christmas, he promised the screens and cage would be repaired by Christmas. We thought he meant Christmas 2022 but he must have meant Christmas 2023 or 2024 ….. we still haven’t seen him or our deposit money!
Fortunately, a different company was doing repairs to a house across the street. Dave asked them about fixing our lanai and the next day, they were there and had the bolts screwed back in and the screens replaced.
Looks so much better!
Having the bolts screwed back in and the screens replaced really helped lift our spirits!
Next up:
The next task will be to deep clean the travertine deck and power wash the pool cage! Come back next week to see how it turns out!
Goals for Creating a Calming Coastal Themed Retreat:
Over the next 8 weeks, I plan to finally get the walls patched and painted. I hope to accomplish all of the items on my list!
- Replace Damaged Screens and Properly Secure The Cage
- Clean the travertine tile to remove dirt, grime & algae
- Patch & Paint stucco walls
- Clean & Paint metal support beams
- Add mulch around perimeter of lanai cage
- refresh patio pots around lanai cage.
- Add more lighting to the pool cage area
- repaint mesh patio table top
- rearrange patio furniture
- use existing storage more effectively
- set up a potting area outside the lanai
A Simple Explanation of the One Room Challenge
In 2011, Linda Weinstein decided to join together with a small group of her online friends with the goal of finishing a room in a designated amount of time. The group of friends worked on their projects and helped motivate each other to stay on track. She named the event One Room Challenge®, since staying focused and completing the project could be quite a challenge.
Fast forward to the present and the event is now held bi-annually. The One Room Challenge showcases designers and Social Media Influencers. The campaign begins on the first Wednesday of every April & October. The campaign hopes to inspire individuals by showcasing new ideas and trends in home design and decor.
Bloggers and other social media influencers are welcome to join in the challenge as Guest Participants. For the next 8 Wednesdays (starting April 5th), the participants will be sharing their progress on their blogs and various social media platforms.
Please check out all the other amazing projects! They can be found here: One Room Challenge
To follow my journey with the Spring 2023 One Room Challenge:
Start here: Spring 2023 One Room Challenge
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