The porch stairs were outside of the roof line and were exposed to the rain and snow. I find it to be better to have exterior stairs protected from the elements if at all possible. There was adequate room both on the porch and the landing to relocate the steps. One of the future projects is to remove the brick patio and put in a concrete stamped slab. Bricks will work if they are set on a concrete pad, but having them set in stone dust does not hold up to the frost.
The hatchway was due for an update. The doors I had replaced for Alison 4 years ago using Cypress and they are in good shape. The sills were Spruce set in the dirt and there was not much left of them. Everything has been replaced with some old (the stuff that actually lasts) pressure treated wood.
