Roofed Gate

[Herb]

This roofed gate is in the Takata Japanese Garden at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific (Glendale Gardens) on Quayle Road, in Victoria, B.C. I put a picture of it in my album at Pbase some time ago -

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/image/50526214

but recently I took two more of it, showing the underside of the roof & details of it's construction -

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/image/86274683

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/image/86274687

As it happens the house next door to ours has a new window that we can see from our garden -

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/image/85978398

It occurred to me that a similar roofed gate in our garden could screen the neighbours' new window so I've hired a builder to make it. I've told him that I'd like it to look something like this - (picture made using Photoshop) -

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/image/85978399

I haven't asked the builder to use the same sort of construction as the Takata Garden one - I'm leaving how he puts it together entirely to him. My guess is that he'll use a much more conventionally western type of construction, but he's done work for me before & I'm confident he'll do a first-rate job. If anybody's interested, I'll post a picture of it's construction too, when it's completed.

Bert

[wishiwere]

I posted on your last regarding this matter, that 'I' think that's a great solution. Would love to see the finished product. Should look great and take care of the new view the neighbors have into your yard, and vice-versa

[VThosta/daylilylover]

Agree with Jane, a great solution to an annoying problem. Please post a picture of the finished gate!

[Herb]

After our builder looked at my mock-up picture of our proposed roofed gate, he said the perspective didn't look right. After he explained why, I had to agree!

He also explained why a roof with a typical Japanese shallow pitch (10/4 or 10/5) would not really suit this particular location and again I had to agree. So he's going to make one with a steeper pitch.

I'm not sure, but I think that what he builds may turn out looking a bit more like this -

Bert

[George Nesfield]

Hi Bert,
It looks ok but I prefere the Japanese style could he make the front of the gateway like that and the back which is in your garden in the Japanese style as you will not be able to see the front and the back of the gateway at the same time.
Just a thought.
George.

[whis4ey]

You may well have already seen my 'new' gate Bert
Just an idea

[Herb]

Sam & George,

Thanks for the ideas. I think I'm going to have to wait & see how the gate building progresses, but we'll probably follow Sam's example & either replace or build up the existing gate so that it's taller, because it'll likely need some screening at its top to help hide the window. The guy who's going to construct it suggests that we wait till he's nearly finished the roof before deciding what sort & height of screening will work best.

I think he has in mind using wood shakes on the roof, which is why I Photoshopped the wood shakes into the picture. They're copied from a picture that I took a few years ago in Oak Bay, Victoria, of an English-style Lytch Gate at the street entrance to a garden not far from where we live. Here's the Lytch Gate - it has a steeper roof & the whole thing's a bit lower, I think, than the usual Japanese style? -

Bert

[George Nesfield]

Hi Bert,
I lilke the photo it looks good.but Sams gateway looks brilliant and could be the answer to your problems.
George.

[VThosta/daylilylover]

Voting with George on Sam's gate! Great solution to the top of the gate problem and lovely too!

[Herb]

I agree - the roof on Sam's gate is very handsome, but it's covering appears to be some form of thatch & sadly, thatching material is virtually unobtainable here, nor can there be many artisans with the skill to install it. So we're confined to tiles, wood shakes, or asphalt shingles: and since our other roofed gate has wood shakes, it looks like we'll be using them here too. It'll be some weeks before he can do the job, but I'll post a picture when it's complete. Meantime, here's a guess (this time, hopefully, without serious errors of perspective) at how it may turn out.

Bert

[whis4ey]

Not thatch Bert
It is a french brushwood screening often used for fencing. It looks like a thatch so I have used it on my teahouse and on this roof. Because it is like thatch the roof is made deeper (not as shallow as its Japanese equivalent)
It ought to be available in your local Garden Centre or B & Q
Here is a little piece used on my Torii gateway

[George Nesfield]

Hi Bert,
I use the same as Sam, on my teahouse roof and on my asumaya also all the fencing around my garden I have faced with panels that I made out of it, it is called heather screening and as Sam says is readily available here in the UK.
George.

[Herb]

Seeing that you've all persuaded me that thatch or something like it would look great, I've done the nearest I can, in practice, get to it - I've modified the picture to look like a thatched roof. If I could have it like that, it certainly would, I think, look good.

I've noticed some use locally of a tall growing, bamboo-like grass for fences (Miscanthus someting or other) so it might be possible, with enough diligence, to get some, but I'm afraid it still can't be used for this particular gate roof. It's because the roof will be so close to the house that it will actually be touching it - and having thatch as a roof, or even in contact with the house, is apparently viewed with very great disfavour by the fire insurance company....

Bert

[Herb]

Now that the weather's more like Spring, the contractor who's building the gate has begun work. He's very meticulous & I've found it's best to follow his advice, so the first change is that the gate isn't going to stand at a right angle to the house, it's going to be rotated somewhat anti-clockwise - a bit like the first picture in the new gallery. He says that this way it's going to be a lot stronger & will hide the windows better.

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/roofed_gate

I'll post more pictures as the work progresses.

[largosmom]

Wow, what a nice gate...looking forward to seeing the finished product!

Laura

[Herb]

Our builder's now hard at work. He says the structure's going to be strong and I think he's right!
I've just added the three latest pictures -

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/roofed_gate

Herb

[George Nesfield]

Hi Bert,
That's certainly starting to look very profesional.
great.
George.

[whis4ey]

That will mask the windows well
Looking good

[Herb]

The gate's now finished - see the last 2 pictures -

http://www.pbase.com/mtu_fulani/roofed_gate

We could stain it darker, but the wood's Cedar, so we'll probably leave it to weather & let it turn - eventually - into a nice subdued grey colour.

It doesn't hide the two side windows completely, but the Bamboo and the young Mountain Ash are growing well & should soon complete the job.

The window at the left of the picture is a rear-facing one & it will soon be hidden too - a Flowering Currant and a tall growing Cotoneaster are doing well and are going to hide it.

[whis4ey]

Now your neighbours will have to PAY to admire your garden