My 5 Most Impressive Outdoor Projects

With summer on the horizon, I have decided to share with you my 5 most impressive outdoor projects! The 5 projects I have chosen are:

• The Fire Pit Patio
• Backyard Treehouse
• The Entire Front Porch Upgrade
• My Lakehouse Deck
• Installation of My Privacy Fence

Fire Pit Patio

Starting off strong, we have the fire pit patio I built in my backyard last summer! This project started off with me building a raised concrete garden bed. I chose to have 4 large pavers underneath my fire pit so it has a flat surface to sit on. The surround of the entire fire pit patio is loose rock. I initially used a geogrid, but my rocks did not cover it, so I ditched it and just used the rocks!

Seating is essential to me because I have a large family, and we love to spend time outside! The big benches I built were made out of green-treated 2x4s. When planning these benches, I made sure to put my hardware in a place so nothing would be visible on the front faces of the benches. This bench is very stable on the rocks!

This project took me a month and a half, and it was SO worth the time and effort! I sourced black plywood Adirondack Chairs and a smokeless fire pit online to complete the fire pit patio. In addition, I draped solar-powered string lights along the fence to add to the ambiance. This project was so much fun to design and, despite facing some struggles while building, I am so glad I did this.

I love that it makes a destination out of a previously unused corner of my backyard!

Backyard Treehouse

Up next on the list of my most impressive outdoor projects is the treehouse I built for my kids! This treehouse started with extensive planning. I landed on a design that combines a treehouse with a playground, so it fits all of my children. There are 4 levels to this treehouse, so there are 4 platforms. To connect the platforms to the tree, I used 4-inch lag screws.

Once all of the platforms were in place, I decked, sanded, and stained them! To stain the whole treehouse, I used my stain sprayer. Once the stain dried, I put in all of the safety measures, including railings and nets.

The next thing I added was the equipment! This treehouse includes two slides, a rock climbing wall, gymnastic rings, monkey bars, and a disc swing!

My kids have loved playing on this treehouse, and I love that it is a space they can share with all their friends! This project was definitely a labor of love, but the joy it has given my kids makes it so worth it!

Front Porch Makeover

I have transformed the front porch on my house twice now, and the second refresh is one you will not want to miss! A full blog post will be out soon, so keep an eye out! The first makeover involved adding a motorized screen for privacy and building a bedswing!

For the second makeover I just did, I added some major upgrades. I wanted this space to be even more cozy and relaxing. I added a faux boxwood panel for a fake living wall, carpeting, and new patio furniture, beautiful decor, and string lights.

My front porch is the most used spot in my house when the weather is nice! I love that this space is so comfortable and cozy!

Lakehouse Deck

Another impressive outdoor project that I have done is refinishing the deck in the backyard of my lakehouse! This deck was in rough shape, so I refinished it to give it new life. To start this project, I had to remove the ugly railings, which were an eyesore and distorted the lakeview.

My goal for this project was to use as much of the existing lumber as possible. Unfortunately, a good portion of the existing decking was too rotted to salvage. I ended up replacing a lot of it with 2×6 green-treated lumber. Luckily, most of my framing boards were in good shape, so I only had to replace a few of them!

I wanted there to be a big step across the front of this deck, so I used wood that I had on hand to create one. My step is a little over 23 feet long. I used 4-inch leg screws to connect the step to the rest of the deck.

Once everything was in place, I used Bondo to fill any imperfections, sanded, and stained the entire deck. As a finishing touch, I used aluminum angle flashing along the foundation of the house where the deck meets it to make a look cleaner. This deck became unrecognizable!

I am so glad that the deck is done for this summer! I love how beautiful it looks. This is the perfect space to look out at the lake and spend time with the people you love!

Privacy Fence Installation

This last of my most impressive outdoor projects is not only impressive but also very practical. When we moved into our current house, we switched which side of the house was the front. After removing the old driveway and getting grass to grow, I wanted privacy for our new backyard. To get privacy and safety, I installed a vinyl privacy fence! My fence came from Superior Plastic Products. The first thing I had to do for this project was look for my property pins to make sure my fencing aligned with the city ordinance. It is also important to call all of your utilities so they can come and mark them before you dig. I strung a line across the entire perimeter to mark where I was going to dig.

I got a motorized auger to dig; you could dig yourself, but this made the process so much easier. For this project, I hired my neighbor John to help because it was so labor-intensive. Once all of the holes were dug, I restrung my line across the parameter and dry fit my posts.

Fortunately, John had a cement mixer, which made the next step much easier. I have heard about quick-setting cement being able to be mixed in the hole, and this is another option for doing a fencing project. We scooped the premixed concrete into the hole to get the cement underneath the post. Once the cement base was in, we placed the post and took a lot of measurements and levels.

Once the posts were installed, it was time to assemble the rest of the fence. To assemble the first thing to put in place is the bottom rail, which pops into the holes at the bottom of the post. Then, you align a small plastic C-channel along each post to cover the ends of the tongue and grooves on each slat. To create the actual fence, I add the slats by pushing them down into the bottom as well as clicking them into their neighboring slat. Finally, I added the top rail over the top of each slat.

This fence was such a good addition to my backyard. My kids can now play in the backyard and I can have some peace of mind!

Those are my top 5 most impressive outdoor projects! Do you agree?? Are there any other outdoor projects that I have done that you have found very impressive? Let me know!