How To Build A Shingled Entryway

This attractive shingled entryway separates the patio from the driveway, while maintaining the style of the home.

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Kathleen Austin's striking craftsman-style house in the San Francisco Bay area features a handsome yard on one side to which she has already begun adding landscaping. She'd like to separate the patio from the driveway and attain a fair amount of privacy, but the look of the structure must be consistent with the shingled house.

To implement the project, Austin enlists the help of landscape architect Pete Pedersen, who explains that an entryway should strike a balance between providing privacy and making visitors feel welcome. Pedersen notes that when adding a wall or a fence to a home, it's important to adopt a feature or two from the house to make it appear as though the newer element was built with the house. This gives the project the look of an extension rather than an addition.

Hiring a professional to complete this project would cost around $7,000; a do-it-yourselfer can expect to spend about $2,200 for materials and about three weekends' worth of work. Two separate components--the shingled fence and the trellis--mean that the project is a relatively challenging undertaking: on a difficulty scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the hardest, Pedersen rates the project a 5. Strong carpentry skills and careful attention to detail are essential.

Figure A

Step One: Setting the Posts

To get started, crew members use string lines attached to stakes to determine the locations for the posts required for both the wall and the trellis. Then they use landscaper's spray paint (figure A) to mark the points where the postholes will be dug (about six feet apart for the walls).

Figure B

Once the locations of the posts are marked, workers dig the holes to a depth of two feet using a posthole digger (the depth is determined by local building codes). Next, they set in the posts (figure B)--4" x 4" lengths of pressure-treated Douglas fir for the walls and 4" x 6" redwood posts for the trellis.

Figure C

They use a level to make sure the posts are plumb and brace them on both sides with stakes and scrap wood. Finally, they add a bit of gravel to each posthole (figure C) to improve drainage and fill the holes with ready-mix cement. After the posts have set for 24 hours, the crew is ready to start work on the shingled wall.

Step Two: Building the Shingled Wall and Adding the Plants

Landscape contractor Eric Peterson explains that attaching individual shingles is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, so he's using prefabricated cedar shingle panels instead, which cost about $38 in most lumberyards and home supply centers. The shingles on the panels are pre-stapled and glued in place (with paper underneath), which saves the time of placing and securing the individual pieces.

Figure D

To begin constructing the framework that will support the shingled panels, Peterson first nails small pieces of scrap wood near the top and bottom of each post (figure D) to make it easy to level the crosspieces.

Figure E

Then he cuts the crosspieces to fit exactly between the posts (figure E), positions them on the scrap wood supports and finally toe-nails them in place using 16-penny galvanized box nails. The lower beam, which is placed several inches off the ground, will serve as a barrier to prevent moisture from seeping into the wall along the bottom.

Figure F

The upper length is placed across the tops of the six-foot-high posts (figure F) and nailed in place in the same fashion.

Next, he sets vertical studs between the posts and nails those into place as well. Once the framework is complete, it's time to attach the shingled panels.

Figure G

The 2'x8' prefabricated sections are simply nailed to the posts and crosspieces, starting at the bottom (figure G) and moving upward.

Figure H

Once all sections are in place, Peterson staples a piece of tar paper over the top edge of the uppermost panel (figure H) to create a waterproof barrier beneath the cap, which he adds along the top edge of the wall.

Figure I

The cap is fashioned from 2"x8" redwood planks (pre-treated with clear primer), which he lays flat to create a symmetrical overhang (figure I) on both sides of the wall.

Figure J

After nailing the top pieces of the cap in place, Peterson nails on lengths of 1"x6" trim along the front and back of the wall's upper edge (directly below the 2x8s) to cover the sides of the tar paper and complete the decorative cap (figure J).

With the construction of the wall almost complete, landscape architect Pete Pedersen returns to implement the planting plan, explaining that the goal here is to create the feel of a cottage garden. To achieve the desired effect, Pedersen has chosen foliage in many shades of green and gray-green, with textures ranging from coarse to fine. A billowing look around the entryway is achieved with climbing vines, while a variety of colorful blooms soften the base of the wall and the sides of the pathway inside the entryway. Featured varieties include:

Artemisia 'Powis Castle', Zones 7-9 (a great choice for those in search of deer-resistant varieties)
Lavender star flower (Grewia occidentalis) Zone 11 (this variety can't tolerate cold climates)
Wisteria floribunda, Zones 5-9 (a good cold-climate alternative to lavender star flower)

Figure K

To begin framing the structure, the crew first pre-drills holes into the tops of the 4"x6" redwood posts (figure K) to make it easier to attach the crosspieces.

Figure L

(They also prime the posts (figure L) to prepare them for the stain, which will be added later.)

Figure M

Next, they drill corresponding holes in the 13-foot-long, 2"x8" pre-milled crosspieces and position the boards in place on both sides of the posts (figure M) (sandwiching them in between), with pieces of scrap wood just below to support them in place. These support pieces allow the crew to make sure the crosspieces are level before they're secured.

Figure N

After securing the crosspieces to the posts (figure N) with eight-inch carriage bolts, Peterson attaches four-foot-long support pieces (with the same decoratively cut ends) directly beneath the crosspieces.

Figure O

This makes them perpendicular (figure O) to the longer beams above. He secures these on both sides of the posts as well (creating a second "sandwich" effect from the opposite direction), then sets them in place on pieces of scrap wood attached to the posts. Finally, he checks to be sure the perpendicular supports are level, secures them in place with seven-inch carriage bolts and removes the scrap wood supports from the posts.

With the decorative support pieces in place, Peterson is ready to add two additional redwood crosspieces--one on the front edge of the decorative supports and one on the back--which fill out the top framework of the trellis. These pieces, which measure eight feet in length, are centered directly in front of the thirteen-foot-long beams (which also rest on the supports) and feature the same curved cuts on the ends.

Figure Q

To complete the project, Peterson fills in the panels around the entry with latticework, which he fashions from 1x2s spaced about six inches apart. To keep the distance between the lengths consistent, he uses a scrap piece of wood as a spacer (figure Q); he secures the lengths with 4-penny galvanized finish nails. (For those who want lattice panels without the time-consuming process of constructing them piece by piece, Peterson recommends purchasing ready-made latticework from a home supply center and simply cutting it to size.)

Figure R

For the finishing touches, Peterson paints the wall cap and trellis with an off-white wood stain (figure R) to match the whitewashed look of the house.