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SUMMER HOUSE

FOR THE SMALL GARDEN

A QUIET RETREAT.

The Summer house is octagonal in form, with a width (over all) of 7 feet. The height to apex (excluding finial) is 10 ft. 3 ins.

HERE is an attractive garden shelter, suitable alike for children or for the old folks. The favourite octagonal shape has been adopted and the first step is to set out the plan in full size.

This may be done on the floor of a spare room. Fig. 10 shows the method. Chalk out a square of 7 ft., squaring the corners by measuring the diagonals which are also chalked. With a lath about 4 ft. long and a couple of nails draw the circle indicated, this having a diameter of 7 ft. Complete the octagon by chalking in the remaining four sides, these of course being parallel to the diagonals. Test the length of each side; then mark a template by nailing eight strips of wood together. Brace them with cross pieces to keep all angles correct.

A concrete foundation (Fig. 4) will be advisable. Failing this, bricks laid header and stretcher-ways under each of the eight angles will serve.

Timber.—Sound red deal is suitable for the purpose, using weatherboards for roof and sides, and tongued and grooved 1 in. boards for floor.

The house is sectional, with eight side frames, the roof, and the floor; hence construction can be carried on in the workshop. All the side frames are equal in length and width, five of them (A, B, C, D, and E) being as shown in Fig. 1. The two frames (F and H) on each side of the door opening will have lower cross rails 36 ins. high (Fig. 2). The door frame (G) has of course no cross rail and the top and bottom rails will be the same thickness as the posts.

Side Frames.—Those shown in Fig. 1 have the rails set back the thickness of the weatherboards, say, about 3/4 in., to allow the boards to come flush with the posts (Fig. 6). The same applies to the bottom rails of frames (F and H). All frames are mortised and tenoned together, the tenons being taken right through. Use thick paint when assembling and pin the joints with oak dowels. Shoot all edges straight and true and then bevel off to the correct angle for meeting (Fig. 1, section).

Erect the frames on the site prepared, using handscrews to hold them together. The frames can be bolted together, or, alternatively, screwed and braced with galvanised angle irons (Fig. 1). If bolted, then three bolts to each joint should be enough. Drill the holes and put the bolts in before nailing on the weatherboards. For convenience, the nailing on of the weatherboards can be left until the roof is ready to go on.

Roof and Rafters.—Prepare wall plates (Fig. 5), half lapping them together at the angles to form a frame to sit on top of the sides. The outside edges of the frame should be about flush with the sides (Fig. 4). The finial (Fig. 3) must be of tough hardwood such as oak or teak, and is from 6 in. square stuff. Cut and plane it to the octagonal shape, taper the top, and Shape or turn the bottom end. Sink mortises in all faces for the roof rafters, which are tenoned to it somewhat in the manner of an open umbrella. The plan of the complete roof frame is shown in Fig. 8.

The rafters are notched over the wall plates (Fig. 5), cutting off a bit of the corner for the purpose. All the rafters are uniform in size, and the length determines the pitch of the roof. A weatherboard covering is most effective, but the roof could be boarded with 3/4 in. thick match-boarding and covered with zinc or felt if desired, slips being nailed over the joints.

FIG. 1. ELEVATION OF SIDE FRAMES.

The weather-boards to the sides (Fig. 9) may be vertical as indicated in Fig. 4, or, alternatively, horizontal. Fillets are nailed down each post (Fig. 1) to form rebates for nailing.

Decorative bracing pieces might be introduced over the door and window openings as shown in the perspective sketch, or windows could be fitted as indicated in Fig. 2. A removable door would also be valuable for use in bad weather and to protect the interior through the winter months.

THE SIDE SECTIONS ARE BOLTED TOGETHER

FIG. 7. FLOOR PLAN.

FIG. 8. PLAN OF ROOF FRAME.

FIG. 9. SIDE, ROOF, AND FLOOR BOARDS.

The Floor.—Should be of stout boards out of 1-inch stuff, properly planed, tongued and grooved (Fig. 9). It rests upon the bottom rails of the side framing and on a couple of joists across the centre (Fig. 7). The boards are notched round the posts and, to facilitate possible subsequent removal, could be screwed to the rails instead of nailing. The fixed seat (if required) should be placed upon bearers screwed to posts.

The timber list is as follows:—

Approximately 200 feet of tongued and grooved weatherboard for the sides in 25 lengths at 7 ft. long and 10 lengths at 2 ft. 6 ins. long at 6 ins. wide by 3/4 in. thick

Approximately 160 feet run of weatherboard or match-boarding for roof at 6 ins. wide by 3/4 in.

About 80 feet run of planed, tongued and grooved floor boards at 6 ins. wide by 7/8 in.

FIG. 10. METHOD OF SETTING OUT THE OCTAGONAL PLAN TO 7 FEET.

A saw to be used for outdoor woodwork should generally have more set than one used for furniture making. This is chiefly because the timber is often damp, and a saw with small clearance is inclined to jam. In any case keep a rag soaked in oil handy and wipe over the blade occasionally. It will also be useful to ease the working of such tools as the plane.

If you are tackling a piece of outdoor woodwork for the first time you will find a tendency to become careless with your tools. You bring them out in a bag, and you soon find yourself flinging them in in a heap as you finish with them. Avoid it as far as you can. Tools jarring across each other soon lose their edge and the quality of your work deteriorates.