Chapter 12 - Getting rid of the South-side Patio

On the south side of the house, right off of the Living Room is a patio with a turquoise jacuzzi. This part of the house, like the original front door , was done in a hacinda style and it has cast-iron gates fixed between large, wide columns that create a very dark, inhospitable, caged-like atomosphere. I don't think that a jacuzzi party would be very fun in here. Especially with all the cobwebs and spiders hanging out.

Our plans call for a transformation from Mexican Hacinda into Tuscanny Villa that includes an open, light airy veranda with classic Italian stone columns. The heavy stucco ceiling will be replaced with beautiful tongue-and-grove cedar. We started to carefully dismantle the columns in order to see how the patio was actually contructed. It would obviously be very important not to remove any load-baring columns so the roof doesn't collapse. (Please! we have enough deliberate destruction going on!) Our good friend and construction guru, Stacey Slade gave us his advice on what to remove and what to keep as we chipped off the stucco to find heavy chicken-wire and plywood. We discovered that the big fat wide columns were just for looks and did not have the more important role of holding up the roof. So, we decided to take them out all together.

Stacey loaned us a large grinder and reciprocating saw and Steve went to town, cutting them into pieces and then pulling them down. It has really hard work carving through the cement, 6 2-by-4s, chicken wire and very large head boards. Then Steve had to push, pull and wiggle the super heavy piece until it disconnected and fell to the ground. He managed to get rid of several columns in one day but there are a few more to go.

It was exhausting watching Steve do all that work.....