With every completed project on my farmhouse I just have to step back and thank the good Lord for helping me finish each one.

Over the decades the steps had settled and separated from the bricks.  They had tilted and sloped downward.  We tried to straighten them a few years ago but it didn't work and after a few months the steps cracked and were an even bigger hazard.

We hadn't been able to use the back door steps for many years. They were such an eye sore and hazard we decided to close off the entire back entrance so no one would get hurt.

It wasn't until my new back door and storm door was installed that I began to get inspiration on how I wanted to finish the entry way. 

I was not looking forward to breaking up the steps.  It just looked like a hard job that I wasn't ready to tackle.

Dan was eager to get started and after he had finished getting the steps apart I helped with the bricks.

The steps were in far worse shape underneath and behind the block than I could've imagined.  I'm not sure how so much dirt got trapped behind the steps, but it had been a den for both rodent and reptile.  I was so happy to finally get this mess cleaned up.

Now that the old steps were gone I could finally get the back door entrance underway.  I didn't have a lot of options since I had a small budget to work with. 

Over the years, I had saved some bricks from the demolished smoke house, the silo and also from the fireplace hearth inside the house.  I thought it would be great to re-purpose the bricks for use at the back door.

I wanted some type of landing so I thought it would just make sense to reuse the cinder blocks from the tobacco barn along with all the bricks I had collected over the years.  

This was no easy task.  It took me three Saturdays to clean the morter from the blocks and two months for my hands to recover.  It was one of the hardest jobs I've tackled on my craftsman bungalow restoration, but I knew salvaging the blocks from the tobacco barn would be special.

I needed about 50 cinder blocks to build my new stoop.  Fortunately, I had enough even after I cracked a few of them.

I stacked all the bricks and blocks so they'd be neat and pretty for the mason.

Compared to what was here before, I was ecstatic over the upgrade.  There was a lot more work that had to be done, but boy was my back entry way really shaping up!

The mason finished building the stoop in a few hours.  I was able to dump a lot of the broken bricks and blocks inside before adding the dirt.

Filling the stoop with dirt wasn't to hard since I was able to use the front end loader on my tractor.

After getting the dirt level and packed, I had to wait for pest control to stop by and spray for termites.

My son was on hand to help us with the concrete.  It took seventeen 80 pound bags of concrete to finish our stoop.

It was the first concrete project I've ever worked on.  Thankfully, it was a small project and only took about five hours to finish.   Over the next few days the gray whitened and the stoop was pretty and smooth.

I learned a lot about working with concrete and can't wait to start on some other small projects around the house.

It was really exciting to finally get the steps installed.  It had been years since we've used the back door entrance and now it's my favorite place to sit and take a break from all the work around the house.

I will eventually install metal railing around the stoop and steps, but for now I must move on to another more important project.

This was a family fun DIY project.   We was able to transform an unsightly area to a space that has become a favorite hang out for the entire family.  I had a small budget to work with, thankfully, all the materials were free except the cement and steps. Mission accomplished...on to the next project!

The past year has been very exciting for me.  I've not been able to complete all the work on my farmhouse at one time but I've been working with some really great people who have helped me according to my budget.  I skip around trying to complete projects based on their importance.  This blog features the sag in the front porch, the new window and vents on the gable and the new soffit.

The sag didn't seem noticeable to many but it was very noticeable to me.  I didn't realize the repairs would be as extensive as they would be.

When I asked my Facebook friends to refer a great and meticulous carpenter, my friend Kendrick quickly asked me what I needed work on.  He came over, looked at the job and wasted no time in getting it done.

It's not easy finding someone that is willing to work on small projects with a lot of rotten wood and masses of spider webs...

...especially on old houses.

But after a few days he had reinforced the attic wood, replaced all the rotten wood...

...and added new support posts.  The work didn't help with the aesthetics of the house but I was just as happy knowing the saggy porch and all that rotten wood had been replaced.

It was several weeks before I found the greatest vinyl guy to install the soffit on my house. Mr. Larry and his team did an amazing job on the soffit.  Mr. Larry did not cut corners.  He takes great pride in his work and took the time to level and straighten out the uneven sections.  When finished the entire house was level and the soffit looked great. Adding the soffit was a total transformation and I couldn't believe how stunning it looked when it was all finished.

I debated several months on whether to install Hardy board or vinyl siding.  My old house absolutely deserved Hardy board but with so much work that had to be done on the house I simply couldn't afford it.  I had to quickly get something on the gable to prevent the wood from rotting.  The house had lap siding that was in good condition and I knew I would be painting the rest of the house to match the gable. I had other damage that required my attention so I didn't need to worry with the rest of the vinyl at that time.

 Absolutely thrilled was an understatement when they finished the gable.  I got my inspiration for the vents and window from "The Cottages at Southport." A friend had told me about them and my family and I drove there just to see all of them in person.  They have built brand new homes identical to my 100+ year old bungalow.  I chose a three light window that matched all the others in the house.  Now it's time to paint!