Post #704212 by Tiki Toli on Fri, Jan 10, 2014 9:03 AM

This project is still in the works and will be for some time, but I wanted to go ahead and share what's been done to date.

I started this project a year and a half ago and expect it to take another year and a half to complete. Not that it will ever be "Done Done".

First lets start with the name! I went with the name Tol-Tiki as a tribute to the Kon Tiki that was in Cleveland Ohio. I can actually look out the window of my office at work over Public Square and see where the Kon Tiki used to be. I also have some salvage memorabilia from there that I intend to integrate.

I started by doing the plans and 3D renderings for the effort. I ended up with this: (Done in Realtime Landscaping 3D pro, I highly recommend it)

The first part of this effort which started in the spring of 2012 was to get the fence, Hot Tub, and Pool in. I really wanted to go with an in ground, but all my utilities are in the backyard along with septic, just wasn't doable.

The fun part that everyone here will be interested in started last year. In May we began the excavation. We had to tear out the old slab and some existing trees shrubs, etc.

After that I worked on putting in all the needed drainage and setup an outside electrical distribution box and all the lines.

Once that was done in early June we started the work on the patio. I went with a stamped colored pattern modeled after the floors of the Mai Kai. The patio was big and took some time. The main part of it is 44 by 21 and the walk way is just as long and 3-5 foot wide. I also had a pad laid for where the hot tub was moving to. By the time it was done we ended up using 14 cubic yards of cement and it is 1200 square foot! We were very happy with the end result.

After the was done, the wife and me coined a new term called "Patio Poor" that pretty much ended the work for 2013.

We are getting ready to kick things back up for the spring when everything thaws out. We are currently getting quotes to run a new gas line for the pool heater and gas torches. Due to what we want to run off it we are going to have to go with a 1 and 1/2 line ran about 200 feet and that will require a new gas meter box. I should have done this before the patio, but I didn't. Plan is to have this done in April May.

At about the same time I will begin work on the deck. I'm going to go with Brazilian Ipe for that, should look great and go with the whole theme.

Then once those two items are done, we will begin work on the enclosed structure. I really lucked out here. I'm friends with a guy that reclaims and restores old barns. We are going to build a poly influenced timber frame using reclaimed barn timbers. Still not sure what the final design of that will be, it's a challenge to match something to the structural design of the house. I am looking for input/ideas on this if anyone has any ideas!

The gas line, deck, and structure will be the goals for 2014. Then the plan for 2015 will be to wall in and decorate the structure and do the landscaping.

When things start back up in a couple months, I'll be back with updates.