Project 5 ~ Painting the Shed

 

 

  Project 5 was one of those projects that I worked on when the weather was nice, and we all know it hasn't been the nicest of springs this year.   My shed sits in a back corner of my yard and it was kind of a mess back there.  You know how everyone stores "stuff" in places that we can't see, but our neighbors can?  So my first job was to pick up all the things I'd put back there so I could paint.  I cleaned the gutters and washed them, and did some tree trimming.  Then I washed down the walls to get all the algae off.  Finally I was ready to paint.  

  After painting the two back sides of the shed, I made a dry-stack wall under the bottom of the shed where it sits above the ground.  We have a lot of wild animals in the neighborhood and I'm trying to close up any space they might decide to take up residence.  The rocks I used were just rocks I found around the yard, so there's not much consistency in them, but no one sees them back there and they did the job.  

  I love the way the rocks make the shed look like its old and has been  sitting there for years. Then I set out to restore the rain barrel to usefulness.  It sprung a leak  4 - 5 years ago and hasn't held water since then.   

   I got a new plug for it and bought a tarp to line it with.  

  I stapled the tarp inside the rain barrel overlapping the excess as I went around.  

  Then I just had to wait for a good rain to fill it up.  I use my rain water to water plants.  I know the new models of rain barrels that are so popular right now all have covers on them, but I like the old fashioned look and mine is made from an old whiskey barrel.  Mosquitoes do like to breed in it, but if you use Dunkers, which can be bought at any garden store, it kills them and is still safe for the birds who like to drink the water.  

  Here is my other rain barrel covered with the fallen petals of the crab apple tree.  Another reason, I like the rain barrels without covers.

Lastly, I painted the front of the shed.  The two sides of the shed that I showed you first, I did in a bat and board style to save money and I don't really see them unless I walk back there.  But the front two sides of the shed that I do see all the time, I covered in cedar shingles to match the house.  The pillars were also made to mimic the front entrance of the house.  

  Here is what I spent for this project:   Gray house paint ~ $31.16 Tarp for rain barrel ~ $9.27 Total ~ $40.43   This project was more work than money, but that is great, because the next project was lots of work and money.