Cosmetic Renovations on the Balcony

Summer is finally here, well at least the last few days, and we've been talking and mulling over the idea of re-modeling the balcony. The "original" balcony, for those of you that didn't know, had a wood floor that squeaked and creaked with every step. If that wasn't bad enough, we've had an assortment of "friends" living under the floor including the birds and the bees.


Step 1. After moving everything we had on the balcony into the living room, we were able to dig in and uncover the floor, and what lurked beneath. Years of accumulated pine needles and leaves were packed underneath. We found a once bird's nest and even little bee hives.






Step 2. After lifting all the boards and sweeping up all the crud, Barb got to work mopping up the years of dirt and grime. Once she was done, things were looking good. And since Germany is so adamant about recycling, we now have a spare wood slat floor taking up precious space in the storage room. Anyone need some wood flooring?




Step 3. By now it's getting late in the day and still pretty hot. After a few colds drinks, it was ready to lay down the floor. Putting the floor together came easy due to those many years with Legos and building blocks; they just clip together. Luck was on our side since no cutting was needed and the tiles all lined up perfectly. In less time than it took to take up the floor, we now had a new one in place.


So there you have it. In a short period of time and quite a bit of sweat, we installed a clean-looking, non-squeaking balcony floor. Hopefully, now we can spend more time out on the balcony enjoying the few summer days Germany offers us.


* How many Ikea products can you spot on the balcony? Too many should be your answer!