The idea for the shallow pool was to be a place to sit on a beach chair and read a book. Because of the slope on that side of the house it would have required much higher retaining walls to have the main pool in that location. The aesthetic goal was to be able to see water upon entering the home. Since we also wanted the sound of the waterfall this is the solution our landscape architect came up with. We didn't want a hot tub. The main pool is 3.5 feet deep on either side and 5.5 feet in the middle. We didn't want a deep end since in our previous home everyone always congregated around the shallow end.

Thank you all for your kind comments~ now if we could only sell our old house! nanj- all our trim & doors are Knotty Alder, I have to check on the color. Its not quite as dark in person. In the den, which is stained lighter,(also all knotty alder) is ipswich pine.

I am a regular guy with no special skills, experience, or knowledge. I feel the most amazing sense of accomplishment when I do so much as change a light fixture. I figure there are many of you out there like me who aren't scared to do a TON of research and then do a project you've never done, especially if it saves you money. So then, I thought I'd share my experiences and lessons learned staining our deck, which we just finished yesterday. CLEANING The biggest thing I learned here is that all power washers are not created equal. We borrowed our neighbor's power washer, and it did just ok because it wasn't strong enough. If I had it to do over I'd have sought out a pro-level power washer, even if it meant paying to rent it. I think it would've been must faster and would've done a way better job. There are spots on the deck that got cleaner than others, and yeah, I could've gone back and redone it all and made it perfect but it would've taken days, and I just had to move on. LESSON: Get a powerful power washer to do your cleaning. CAULKING/PAINTING Our railings and pickets are painted so I went over them and caulked the gaps before painting. But the big thing I learned was that if you're going to caulk, make sure you paint pretty soon after so you seal up the whole job. It'll last longer and you won't have to do it over like I did. LESSON: Caulk, prime, paint within a short amount of time (no more than a few days). STAINING We went back and forth a million times about how to actually do the staining. Do we use a garden sprayer? A brush? Roller? We decided on one person using the garden sprayer and then the other person going back over and smoothing out puddles and generally brushing in what got sprayed on. For tight spots we sprayed stain on the brush and brushed it on. It worked great and was honestly pretty darn fast. One thing that was super helpful was that I took the time before starting staining to tape up painter paper over parts of the house and painted railings that I didn't want to spray with stain. This saved a ton of cleaning and heartache. If I had it to do again, I'd use plastic instead of the paper. LESSON: Use a garden sprayer to spray a few boards at a time and then go back over quickly with a brush to smooth it out; and be sure to tape up plastic drop sheets to protect areas you don't want stained. CONCLUSIONS Lots of good lessons learned, and even though the job was not perfect I still feel great about having it done. The bottom line for me on all jobs I've never done before is research research research, plan plan plan, then knock it out. I hope this was helpful. I know how much I appreciate how much you all share of your own experiences and knowledge. Have a great one!

Here's what I've learned from many years of renovations and building projects: 1. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!!!! Most Design Dilemmas are the result of doing reno work without any planning. And that means plan the work and plan the budget. 2. But always BE PREPARED for the unexpected. Even with the best plans, you will always come across unforeseen problems, which will cost time and money. Have money set aside for contingencies and don't stress over the time delays that will inevitably happen. Avoid doing a big project before holidays, weddings, etc. You have no wiggle room with a fixed date for completion. 3. HIRE THE BEST CONTRACTOR you can afford. A good GC knows how to schedule a project and has trades lined up to get the job done in an efficient and timely manner. Make sure he comes with references and you have a written contract spelling out the scope and price of the job. 4. BE FLEXIBLE. Sometimes the scope of the project is just too expensive. Be prepared to downsize the scope to stay within your budget. Figure out what needs to be done now and what can wait until you have the funds. Do this before any work is started so you don't end up with a half-finished project.