Yesterday, after posting about my plans for the back patio and back outdoor area of our house, I walked outside and thought to myself, “How hard could it be to tear down the fireplace and planters?“It didn’t seem difficult at all, but unfortunately I didn’t have the time or the right tools at that moment. But I was having one of those days where I felt like I needed to overcome some fear and frustration, and what better way to do that than by breaking things?
I had to do a lot of non-house related things for most of the morning and early afternoon, and then spent a few hours with friends in the late afternoon/early evening. But luckily one of my friends had the tools I needed for this job (e.g. a sledgehammer). So when I finally got home and had some free time to do what I wanted to do, I had a singular focus. I wanted to break things.
So I went outside with this sledgehammer around 6:40 p.m. I knew I would be working against the clock since the sun would be too dark to work outside by 8:00 a.m., so I got to work. Here’s a reminder of what I’ve been working with. There were real trees growing in the planters, and this whole area had been all but forgotten for far too long.
So all the trees growing in this planter almost completely blocked the view of our backyard. And the whole area was an eyesore.
Unfortunately I didn’t manage to break things. First I had to cut off any little vines that were in the way. That alone made a big difference, but as you can see, the planters and fireplace aren’t pretty. They were falling apart in places and the entire back of one of the planters had already fallen over.
So after trimming all the plants, I was finally able to get to the part I had been waiting for all day. I climbed onto the chimney and began to vent my frustration at the chimney. It was so satisfying to see those bricks crumble with each hit of the sledgehammer, and it was even more satisfying to see more of our backyard becoming visible the more of that chimney was removed.
Of course, since I had so little time to work before it got dark, I wasn’t able to dismantle the whole thing, but I managed to disassemble the entire fireplace and most of the side square things next to the fireplace broke.
I’m not entirely sure how to get rid of all these rocks. I didn’t really plan that far. The only plan I made was to break things, and I followed through on that plan. And just like I thought, there’s nothing like swinging a sledgehammer and watching things fall apart to eliminate frustrations and fears.
This is where I left my things last night as the sun went down. I think it will probably take me another day or two to disassemble the rest of the planters, and then another day to find someone to haul it all away for me.
And of course the ideas are running through my head now. This patio has been used as a painting area for me for many years, so the whole thing needs a thorough cleaning with my pressure washer. I have a table and chairs, but they may need a coat of spray paint, and I would also like to get an umbrella for the table. Then I would like to get a few chairs and a coffee table as a seating area. And I need a fun, colorful rug for the entire area. I can’t wait to get this area looking cute and usable!
