The Other Side of the Bridge… How to Build a Lean-To.

So a few months ago we built an Adirondack style bridge to help us get from behind our house down to our creek more easily.  Just on the other side of the bridge is a flat area where we have the prettiest view of the water below. If you stand very still, it’s so quiet you can hear the water flowing. It’s so peaceful.

 

 

We decided to take advantage of that spot and create an area where we could hang out and relax. Here’s how it started..

 

 

This is the view from our house before the bridge was built…

 

 

So  a lot of clearing had to be done before either the bridge or the lean to could be built. Here is Hubby with the chainsaw…

 

 

After it was cleared out and cleaned up, he built the bridge. Then it was time to build the structure.  We decided on a lean to.  A lean-to shelter is a free standing structure with only three walls and a single-pitched roof.  This will give us a great spot to relax and enjoy the view regardless of the weather.

The first thing we needed to do in order to build the lean to was dig the holes for the footings.  The footings are cement piers on which the corners of the structure sit. We used pressure treated lumber but this will help keep the wood from rotting too.

This would be a tough job had it not been for the tractor and post hole digger  we have. We’ve used it on a bunch of projects and I’m sure we’ll use it on many more. It was well worth the investment.

 

 

A little help from Grandpa…

 

 

Once the holes were dug, they inserted the tubes to form the cement piers.

 

 

To mix the cement, they used Grandpa’s antique cement mixer. It is a 1940’s Rex mixer with a Stover engine and works like a charm. Luckily, Grandpa has all kinds of helpful stuff.

 

 

Grandpa has some old school tricks up his sleeve, too, with the homemade guide built to place the cement in the tube…

 

 

Once the cement was dry it was time to build the structure which we used pressure treated lumber to build.

 

 

 

We decided to use a board and batten style on the outside. Board-and-batten siding is an exterior treatment of vertical boards with battens covering the seams. We used corrugated metal roofing.  Here she is…

 

 

 

 

 

So it is not quite finished yet. There’s more to come but picture a chilly winter day, sitting by the fire bundled up under a blanket, hot cocoa (or in our case, Irish whiskey) in hand. Can’t wait to hang out and enjoy the new space with family and friends!  I have a special treat planned to break it in which I’ll share next week so stay tuned.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy DIY’ing!