A viewer emailed wanting design suggestions for the 'dead side' of the house. Her view from a picture window in the formal dining room was a weedy side passage and an ugly fence.

Design constraints

This side passage is very shady. The houses are fairly close together and the area only gets a little bit of light in summer. It would be difficult to grow plants under these conditions. Even if plants did grow, they would reach up towards the light and all the foliage would be at the top. The view from the window would still be an ugly fence with a few bare plant stems in front.

Design solution

Don solved the problem by creating a courtyard in miniature. He used hinged panels of artificial stone, which still allow access up the side of the house. He dressed the courtyard with a teak table, potted plants and storm lanterns, giving the impression that the dining room continued outdoors.

Tools

Metal rake
Ruler
Mattock
Post-hole digger
Power/hand saw
Nail gun
Hammer
Cordless drill
Paint brush
Wheelbarrow

Materials

Clad-in-Stoneâ sheeting
Hardwood exterior grade ply (2400x1200x9mm)
H4 treated pine posts (90x90mm)
H3 treated pine rails (90x45mm)
Galvanised gate frame kit (1800mx1800mm)
Quickset concrete
Screws
Fine chocolate gravel (5mm)
Blue metal gravel (10mm)
Spray marking paint
Exterior grade paint
Builder's adhesive

How it was done

1. The area was cleared of dead weeds and old building materials.
2. Don measured and set out the area, using spray marking paint.
3. Two support posts were set 600mm into the ground with rapidset concrete. The posts were braced with three evenly spaced rails.
4. A weatherproof plywood sheet was cut to size and fixed to the rails with wood screws. For the end panels, the plywood sheets were fixed with tek screws to prefabricated galvanised hinged gate frames. All ply sheet backs and edges were painted with exterior grade paint for extra weather protection.
5. Hinges were fixed to the posts and the sheets attached to the gate frames were hung in place.
6. The artificial stone panels were cut to size with a hand saw, and then glued onto the plywood with builder's adhesive, using an occasional screw to hold the panel in place while the adhesive set. The cuts and screws were then patched with ready mixed matching mortar using a paint brush and fingers.
7. Blue metal gravel was brought in to level the area and to ensure good drainage, then a fine chocolate coloured gravel was screeded over the top for the finished look.
8. Don then added the finishing touches: a cheap teak side table, potted plants and a water bowl with floating tea lights.

Costs Line marking paint, about $6 from hardware stores 20kg bag of rapid setting concrete, about $7 Clad-in-Stoneâ panels cost $140 per square metre. For closest stockist phone 1300 783 638 or visit www.std.net.au Coloured gravels, about $10-$25 per 25kg bag Blue metal, about $50 per tonne Teak side table, about $250 from a teak importer

Copyright CTC Productions 2004