Bluff House Shelter

Over the last 13 years, we've commandeered Grandpa's (Mike's) tractor shelter at the top of the hill for a variety of non-tractor related reasons. Whether hosting an event (2 weddings) or storing various equipment (it once stored a tandem bicycle Ashley and Kemble received as a wedding gift), the clutter piled up. So, in the midst of the stay-at-home orders of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all brainstormed on ideas to clear up some space for Grandpa in his shelter while also providing a space for the 2nd generation families (Lays and Teagues) to store equipment and vehicles.

As it happened, we discovered a great solution to our needs as well as a timely establishment of an event pavilion to host future family gatherings, whether socially-distanced or, preferably, not.

The design of the shelter accommodated two "drive thru" lanes where a door on each side of the building could be opened to allow vehicles to pass through the structure. These two enclosed bays were accompanied by a 3rd bay that provided a covered but open-air area where additional equipment could be stored or gatherings could be hosted.

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For location, given the frequent use of the Beast golf carts and kid's four-wheelers, we agreed to locate the shelter near The Bluff House down by the pond. We considered a few nearby locations, but it became obvious fairly quickly that we had an ideal spot already partially cleared. The playground area next to the house was regularly used, but if the swing sets could be moved to an alternate location (under the treehouse bridge), that would free up a large area for the shelter to sit with minimal large trees needing to be removed.

Mike and Kemble surveyed the site to place the structure and marked smaller trees and shrubs that needed to go. The playground swings and covered play area were broken down and removed. Lastly, four old pallets of brick from the Snider house were also restacked and relocated to allow space for the building construction crew to maneuver.

Once the site was marked, we moved forward with land clearing, grading, and prepping for the concrete pad. The area drains away from the house and into the pond, so beyond a few truckloads of dirt to level the site, we were ready to start pouring.

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Chris and Mike led the clearing of the site and contracted a crew out of Ellaville to pour the slab and install the anchor bolts for the metal building.

Tyson Steel out of Doerun, GA, supplied the material and assembled the structure after the concrete had cured. Joni led us towards an aesthetic that was fresh but also timeless by using black metal siding, a galvanized steel roof, and rich wood accents.

The garage doors were supplied by The Door & Window Company out of Leesburg, GA. The two garage doors on the back of the building are black metal, but the front two are cedar. The wooden garage doors were triple coated with a transparent stain prior to installation.

The most rigorous part of the project was the construction of the two sliding barn doors that separate the open bay from the enclosed shelter. These were fashioned by Mike and Kemble from a nearly combined 1,000 lbs of wood and steel. The were mounted in 4 parts (two steel frames and two wood inserts) and roll on a floor-mounted track. The board and batten cypress was stained before installation and mounted with Chip's help.

As mentioned, one of the nice benefits of the structure being complete before the holidays is that we were able to use it for our Thanksgiving and Christmas Harrison family gatherings. We had perfect weather Thanksgiving night that allowed us to eat outside. For Christmas dinner, the insulated shelter allowed us to enjoy a warm supper around the Christmas tree with the help of two propane heaters. In the near future, we hope to use some of the salvaged brick on the four pallets to construct an outdoor fireplace to entertain friends and family for, hopefully, generations to come!