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December 29, 2006
Another Resource for Custom Gates
We recently received a flier from Williams Gate Works out of Santa Cruz, a maker of wood garden and entry gates. They specialize in mortise and tenon construction and have some interesting style prototypes to choose from. A custom gate can give that unique touch that really sets off an entryway- definitely worth a look.
Image from Williams Gate Works Website
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 01:47 PM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2006
How We Track Local Weather
On a day where I am sitting in my office, warm and dry, while our crews are rained out, I have been tracking the rain progress online. We use a few different websites to track storms, and play amateur meteorologist. Here are some of our favorite sites-
Weather.com- Doppler/Satellite of West Coast to track storm fronts
Weather.com- 10 Day Forecast for North Bay
National Weather Service- North Bay Forecast
CBS5-Channel 5 local news- Weather site with News Videos
KGO7- Channel 7 Accuweather
NWS- Climate Prediction Center- Gives general information on likelihood of normal or above normal rainfall and weather. This is the type of information meteorologists use to make predictions (take with a grain of salt).
Dryday.com- Long term forecast that are supposedly 85% accurate using historical and climate modeling. In reality your odds are about as good in Vegas.
What our crews often quip: Weathermen and women are mentirologos (liarists), from the Spanish mentira (to lie) and meterologist.
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 02:13 PM | Comments (0)
December 26, 2006
Favorite Materials for 2007
Not all materials are created equal. Here are some of our favorite materials for inclusion in landscape designs.
Flagstone- Bluestone: Available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes (irregular, precut, custom slabs), Bluestone works well with most color schemes. It is available in blues and grays (select blue), or in a wider range of range of browns, purples, blues and greens (full range). Makes great stone for wall caps, patios, pool coping, BBQ counters, flagstone pathways or just about any other place stone can be used!
Wood- Ipe (aka. Brazilian Walnut, Pau Lope): Incredibly dense and durable wood is the new in vogue material for deck construction. For good reason- it's several times harder than redwood (also referred to as Ironwood) and has a usable life span up to 40+ years. For those who want to stain (and maintain with recoats every 1-2 years) it has a finished look of mahogany.
Bluestone Patio Meeting Ipe Decking
Plants- Ornamental Grasses: This class of plants is also quite in vogue, allowing for creative massings and quick impact. Our favorite varieties- Purple Fountain Grass (Penesetum), Miscanthus, Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia), Fescues, and Sedge (Carex) varieties.
Bold Masses of Miscanthus
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)
December 23, 2006
Hawk Hunting
From somewhere other than work... Happy holidays, merry Christmas, Hanukkah and a great 2007!
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 08:26 PM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2006
Current Project- Block Wall
In construction- A split faced concrete block wall to hold back and create room for a new garage and driveway
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 05:08 PM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2006
Winter Time is Drainage Time
Driving from a hillside project this morning, I snapped the the photo below- water pouring over a wood retaining wall. This time of year, scenes like this underscore the importance of good drainage. The solution in this situation, a gravel drainage field and perforated pipe would absorb this surface water and solve the problem. It is possible that this is being caused by existing drainage lines, but it would be a better solution if they didn't daylight over the wall.
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)
December 12, 2006
Our Blog: We're #2
Browsing some links on our blog, I noticed a ranking by the blog directory Eponym, ranking us the second best blog in their landscape directory, and the 11th best home improvement related blog. Not too shabby!
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 05:54 PM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2006
From the Drawing Board: Water Feature
Here is a design detail for a water feature in an elevated walled bed. The water feature being used in this installation is a Mizubachi black granite piece from Stone Forest. The wall surrounding the stone will be faced with Sonoma Fieldstone Veneer and capped with a bluestone seating ledge.
Photo from Stone Forest
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)
December 08, 2006
Common Landscape Mistakes: Fences
A continuing entry in our Common Landscape Mistakes series:
Fences are a fairly basic element in landscape construction, but one where we see common mistakes in design and construction. Here is a guide to fence types and ways to avoid common mistakes.
Proper construction of fencing really depends on the type of fence being installed.
The basic fence types are as follows:
1 -Perimeter Fence- metal, wood or wood and wire. Typically constructed for privacy on back or side yards. Heights typically 4-6’
8' Fence with Lattice
Examples of Standard 6' Fence and Alternating Board "Good Neighbor Fence"
2 -Front Fence- Typically a picket style, or semi-transparent design, heights typically to 3-4’
Mock-up of vertical picket fence on top of wall
3-Deer Fence- to restrict deer access, typically wood and wire, or wire and Metal T-post construction, heights typically 4-6’
Wood and Wire Deer Fence on Sloped Terrain
4-Railing: Typically wood, tensioned cable, or prefabricated metal. Heights typically to 3’
Wood Railing on Top of Retaining Wall
Cable Railing with Wood Frame
Construction: Fences are composed of a few key elements-
-Posts: typically set in concrete
-Stringers: Horizontal boards connecting posts
-Fill: Fence Boards, wire mesh, tensioned wire, etc.
-Decorative elements: Wood lattice, extended trellises, kicker boards, decorative detailing
Biggest Mistakes:
Here a few of the most common fence construction mistakes we see:
1-Horizontal Stringers: 2x4 boards are the most common stringers used in fencing. These boards typically span posts, spaced 8’ on center. Because wood at this span will have a tendency to sag, it is important that the strongest orientation of the board is used- in this case the 4” side, not the 2” side. Horizontally oriented 2x4 stringers spaced at 8’ spacing will show a noticeable bow over time.
-Insufficient stringers- we prefer 3 stringers for some styles of fence, especially over 6’. There are some fence designs where 2 stringers are insufficient.
2- Poor Posts:If the style will allow, pressure treated posts can be used to help resist weathering. In cases of finished fencing, a decay resistant wood such as redwood or cedar should be used. Untreated wood used outside will weather and decay rapidly. Post should be set in concrete, typically 9-12” in diameter and at a typical minimum of 18” in depth, with gravel installed at the base of the base pier to allow water to escape. Posts poorly set, will result in a structurally unstable fence, that will likely lean, or blow over in a storm.
3- Ugly Styling: Some fences are just downright ugly. Take a look in your neighborhood to find fences that have a good style of construction and a good aesthetic.
4- Poor fastening: screws or nails can be used for fastening the fence depending on application. Nails and screws should be galvanized at a minimum to prevent excessive rust and weathering; on high quality fencing stainless steel screws or nails should be used.
5-Too tall: Fences over 6’ need special construction considerations- 4x4 posts are typically not strong enough, 4x6 or 6x6 posts should be used. Sufficient stringers should be used on tall fences, 1” thick fence boards should not exceed a 5-6’ span vertically between stringers, if they do, they are likely to warp. Check also with your local building department, frequently fences over 6’ require permitting (sometimes 2’ of wood trellis is allowed, totaling 8’)
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)
December 02, 2006
Current Project- Arbor
Here is an image of a completed arbor for a current project. This secondary area was designed as a separate destination away from the house. The painted heavy timber arbor is tied into stone pillars, surfaced with Sonoma Fieldstone veneer and capped with bluestone. The back edged of the arbor are enclosed with seat walls with similar treatment.
Posted by Michael O'Connell at 02:29 PM | Comments (0)