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If you want protection from the eyes of observers but like to sit
in the sun, the entire shelter need not be covered: part of it may be solid,
another part slatted, and part of it left open so that you have three
choices; and the divisions need not always be rectangular, either, but
may be at an angle if you wish. Snow-fencing, bamboo, and basswood
porch shades or roll-up blinds can also be used for slatting, being rolled
up for storage in winter and held in place by l X2's or other light wood
strips screwed in place on the shelter during the summer. This will
prevent their being blown off or damaged by summer winds.
. . . which shelter for you?
To assist you in choosing the kind of shelter most suitable for you,
how big it should be, where to put it, and so on, we suggest that you
study our chapter on Terraces. This will aid you in making your
decisions, for a shelter is usually used in connection with a paved terrace, and many of the same considerations must enter into the planning.
It is logical to place the shelter on a paved terrace, because it will be
used so much that the maintenance and repair of a lawn beneath it
would be a factor to reckon with. Also paving will make it more usable
in damp and rainy weather. There is a preliminary consideration, how-
ever, which you must take into account.
WHAT DO YOU NEED SHELTER FROM? IS it the sun, the wind, the prying eyes of neighbors and passersby? Once you have decided this ques-
tion you will have a very good idea of where it would be best to place
the shelter and what you will need in the way of screening. Next you
must decide on how permanent you want the shelter to be.
Is it to be a freestanding one which will be a stand-in for a young tree
still too small to give shade and visual privacy from upstairs windows
or adjacent houses? A light-weight but well-built, sturdy structure
would be indicated so that it would last until the tree took over.
Is it to be a really permanent shelter? Then there must be even more
care given to its planning and construction so that it will withstand the
stress of all-year weather and storms, and it should be well-designed so
that it will be a permanent asset, a credit to both the house and the
garden. Don't rush things at this point, for the shelter must stand the
test of future years, which makes the preliminary thinking of primary
importance. The permanent shelter should have permanent paving; its
posts should be firmly embedded in concrete; and if they are of wood
they should be treated with wood preservative before being set.
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