Beth and Barry Muller are our go-to friends-with-projects in Island Heights, New Jersey (population 1,650). We began doing projects for them at their former beach-rental property in Wildwood, NJ (population 5,157) back in April 2018, long before we implemented our current retirement plan. It was there, they first became aware of our construction/repair capabilities. They had a few easy projects such as painting, repairing sticky doors and torn screens, and installing replacement toe molding. But the big project was in their bathroom. A renter had somehow cracked the bathroom sink, so Barry purchased a replacement. Unfortunately, he was unaware that the remaining cabinet would only accommodate an older model sink, which required a depth of 25″ to the wall. The new sink fit perfectly on the 24″ wide cabinet; however, at 19 inches deep, there was a gap between the back of the sink and the wall. They weren’t quite sure what to do.
We returned to Island Heights in August 2021 expecting to build a new front step and repair some sunken sections of tile pavers in their driveway. We had discussed this scope when we visited and completed last year’s projects, but now they had other plans. There is a two-story deck on the front of the house facing the marina. Because the property slopes quickly away from the house toward the marina, the lower deck sits as high as five feet above the yard. They wanted us to install a deck skirt similar to something they had observed on another house in town. Turned out to be a great project, although impacted by harsh weather conditions.
The above photos show the unfinished-looking gap below the lower deck. Only Beth has the eye for that kind of unacceptable detail. The pictures also show how beautiful their landscaping has matured. Gorgeous yard!
The first decision we had to make was how to attach the horizontal 1″ X 6″ skirt pieces. Barry and I discussed our plan; however, MFI came up with an easier and more efficient solution. It’s always good to have a trained professional problem solver on the team. Her solution was to equally space 2″ X 4″ vertical nailers between the existing deck columns. The bottoms of some nailers hung freely, but once the horizontal members were attached, the entire skirt section was solid.
These pictures show the nailers on the east facing gap. Barry, as he did throughout the project, painted all lumber pieces before we installed them. He also came back later and did touch ups on areas we scarred and painted where I had caulked.
It took us five days to complete the project, because we were hampered by the scorching heat and energy-zapping humidity. We tried to stop by 1 pm most days. MFI thought we almost lost Barry to heat stroke on the second day. I thought we were drinking plenty of water but wasn’t paying close enough attention to Barry’s behavior change and symptoms. MFI recognized the symptoms though and doused his head and back with cold water. So glad we didn’t lose him. We both were drained and tired each day. Cold showers have never felt better. These before and after photos show the transformation.
None of us were sure of what the best visual spacing should be between the horizontal members. I thought one inch while Beth thought much more. Barry and I used the first section on the east face to mock up a 1-1/2″ space, and after Beth’s approval, our marching orders were clear.
Project challenges weren’t limited to the weather. The southeast corner of the deck formed an obtuse angle and had a horizontal structural member which had to run through the new top skirt piece on the south side. We had to account for the angles of the notch for the structural member and ensure the mitered corner for the skirt pieces was clean. I really fretted about getting this right. I drew upon my distant memory of high school geometry and mocked up the mitered corner angle first. Then much to Barry’s surprise, I admitted to having dreamed about how to figure the angles for the notch. Most often, solutions derived from my dreams fail, but this one happened to be accurate. I was totally surprised, and Barry was impressed, although not as impressed as when he heard Beth comment favorably on our mitered edge at the northeast corner. Who knew the depth of her construction knowledge?
Barry and Beth were again the quintessential hosts. Not only do they fully understand and support that we work for food, they ensured we wouldn’t leave without having fun, often combining both. MFI and I have created a quasi Michelin-esque ranking system for family-project and friend-project cooks. Daughter Sarah takes the top family award, and Barry is the winner hands down in the friend category.
We pretty much ate the same menu for breakfast: eggs, bacon/sausage, and toast/english muffin. Not everyone can cook consistent scrambled and over-easy eggs, yet Barry hit a home run every day. Our needs for lunch weren’t very sophisticated either, but Barry created a huge macaroni salad that we finished in about three days. A cold salad was a perfect part of lunch given the oppressive outside heat. I particularly loved that he included chopped celery in the mix. Love that crunch! But the best meal he prepared was the Bucatini Pasta Bolognese. Absolutely 4-star dish.
Beth wanted to take us out once the project was completed. They drove us to one of their favorite haunts to eat and listen to one of their favorite bands. We enjoyed some great pub grub and beer and took in some fantastic tunes performed by the “The Kootz,” as in old ones. The nucleus of the band played together as OMJ (Old Man Jam) starting in the late 90’s and renamed themselves The Kootz in 2002. Their adopted credo is “Rock n’ Roll with fiber.” The musicians, who hail from north Jersey counties, are over 50 years old and are very proud of that fact. They share a passion for performing classic rock, pop, soul and blues and put on a great show. Very enjoyable evening!
We also spent one entire afternoon out in the boat. Once we got gas, Beth skippered us down river and onto a very windy and choppy Barnegat Bay. Barry was sitting up front, and while Beth tried to avoid hitting too may waves, one crashed over the bow and soaked him thoroughly. MFI broke out in laughter, but Barry was understandably pissed. There was an intense discussion over whether we should continue, and luckily we decided to press on heading south. They took us to a shoreline restaurant in Bayville called Martells where we could dock and dine. But as we approached, Beth was panicking about tying up under such awful conditions. MFI leaned on her sailing experience, took charge, and got the boat secured and everyone safely onto the dock.
Barry recovered from his drenching, and he and I started our meals with these delicious spicy oyster shooters. It was all fun and games thereafter. Our lunches were outstanding!
We sat along the windows facing the bay. While eating, a boat attempted to moor and wave for a tender to bring occupants to the dock. Tenders only respond to a call from an airhorn, so the captain maneuvered the boat to the dock, and that was when the comedy continued. Seems no one had a clue on how to properly tie off the boat. Once again, MFI jumped into action. This photo doesn’t do justice to the amount of discussion and instruction we witnessed. They received it whether they wanted it or not.
After lunch, we headed for the calmer waters of Dillon Creek. Early in the town’s history, Dillon Creek was a branch of Tom’s River flowing north of the city, cutting it off from the mainland, and thus technically making it an island. Through time and development (mostly the latter), however, this branch was filled in to the point of no longer separating it from the mainland. If you look at a map, the eastern stretch of Dillon’s Creek remains wide and accommodates a marina, while the western part is but a trickle, vanishing altogether near Island Beach at the western end.
We returned to the bay, which had calmed substantially, and headed north. Beth wanted to show us the swans. Hundreds of them congregated in a protected cove, and when they changed locations, they swam in single-file. I would have needed a wide-angle lens to get a proper picture of this interesting occurrence, but did what I could. We tried to have dinner at another shoreline restaurant; however, the tide was out and docking wasn’t feasible. They treated us to a river view of some of the new housing popping up on the barrier island and an extremely picturesque sunset.
So once again our dear friends helped us hit all of our retirement hot spots. They presented us with a great project, fed us for our work, and provided sightseeing and entertainment. We couldn’t ask for anything more. We thank and love them dearly and promise to return for a third go-around in the future.
