This project was a compilation of both Accoya and KDII wood. Accoya wood has become one of our favorites for outdoor construction, closely followed by KDII for a more cost effective outcome. (See earlier blog post for more details on Accoya and KDII here or go to Accoya's website here)

The fence depicted below is an all KDII build, designed in a unique and eye catching horizontal pattern with alternating sized slats. This fence wraps the entire back portion of the client's property and matches multiple different aspects of the home. Some of those matching features are the front deck/stairs as well as the stairs leading into the side entrance of the home. The front deck and side stairs we fabricated in Accoya. We provided all of this pre-fabricated and pre-finished for installation by the owner's contractor.

 Front entrance to yard (KDII)

Fencing in the backyard (KDII)

Fencing in the backyard (KDII)

 Front steps and deck...

Column Styles

At FineHouse we have been supplying columns to builders, landscape pro's, and homeowners for over 20 years, hence our credentials for taking an informed look at the market for manufactured columns today.

The most popular styles today would be square, round with taper, and square tapered.

Square columns are by far, the most widely used columns throughout the country, probably because they work architecturally with almost any house style; traditional, contemporary and many vernacular home styles can work with square columns. Square columns can come with different base and capital configurations ie. Tuscan, or just simple trim done in different ways. Square columns are also available in fluted as well as paneled iterations. 

Another category of square columns is the tapered column. This design is often found in an Arts & Crafts or Craftsman style home, and increasingly in subdivisions by the larger home builders.

Round tapered columns are a...

Accoya

At FineHouse we have become increasingly fond of Accoya wood; which is a branded name for Radiata Pine that has been modified by pressure treating it with acetic acid, can you say Vinegar! This process makes it way more durable, stable, and resistant to decay.

 In the picture below, we chose Accoya when the customer asked for a black finish. Any other species painted black will seriously distort under the duress of solar radiation. 

Accoya is sourced from certified sustainable forests and is fully biodegradable at the end of its life cycle. Its durability means it has a longer lifespan than many other wood products, reducing waste and minimizing the need for frequent replacements. This unique combination of sustainability, durability, and environmentally friendly properties makes it an attractive option for a range of applications, both residential and commercial.

To learn more about Accoya go to https://www.accoya.com/ 

An Accoya structure...

So the client eventually settled on this design for the south side of the garden (the private side), but had not decided on a gate or materials yet. We proposed SynCore, our own composite material, Accoya, the premiere natural wood product with a 50 year warranty, or Sapele, a tropical hardwood like Mahogany, but less expensive.

The client ultimately decided on Accoya for all of the components, both for it's long life, and it's sustainability. Also, the decision was made to make everything white.

Arched Entry Scheme Selected for South Entrance

On the North side of the garden the owner wanted to make a more meaningful statement, as this was going to to be the public face of the garden. The gate decision was made here also, and we would be putting a matching garden gate at the South side as well.

 Public Facing Arbor with Gate

  Mid project a lower garden was added to the project along with additional picket fencing,...

Welcome! My name is Rob Whitaker, I am the founder and "Chief of Design" at FineHouse, where we build Architectural Garden Structures in a modular format and have for the last 20 years. I intend to write about the use of structures in garden design, the nuances of construction, new and old materials & methods, and anything else that comes to mind in relation to the "Garden's Bones". 

For this, my first entry, I thought it would be appropriate to share a current project we are working on; The client has an existing stone wall entry to her vegetable/herb garden and wants to finish it off. She installed 6x6 posts while having the wall built so this is a starting point for us.

So our initial scheme with the client wishing to use pickett fencing. I like how it turned out, but will she?

Let me know what you think, and I will keep you posted.