My garden odyssey: The Tea House rises

Episode XXX

HE SAID: I had read that, in early days, people living in areas prone to freeze/thaw cycles would build structures on foundations of dry set stone. The stones would move and shift with the seasons, and the building would float on top of all that activity.

I decided to adapt that approach using tumbled concrete pavers, both for their regularity and for the rustic look of the chipped edges and subtly varied color. I dug a foundation trench, including an outlet trench on the down hill corner for drainage. I packed the bottom with several inches of crushed limestone, and added four inch perforated drainage tubing along the perimeter.

In determining the dimensions of the tea house, I began with the size of the concrete blocks. I determined that I could lay a foundation 7' 7" X 9' 7" without any cutting. That meant that once I added a 4" X 4" frame on top, I would be left with a floor space of 7 X 9 feet. If I used 2 feet of that space for the Tokonoma (display area), I was left with a 7 foot square. If I made the ceiling 7 feet high, I would have an area for tea that was a perfect 7 foot cube! No, I'm not into numerology or anything; but the idea of being able to sit in a 7 foot cube and look out onto the pond while sipping tea (or bourbon, for that matter), pleased me very much.

With the foundation in place, I turned my attention to wood. I started with two 10 foot-long and two 8 foot-long 8" X 8" cedar timbers. I notched these in order to join them at the ends and to establish the locations for the floor joists and the upright members.

I had back-filled along the inside and outside of the foundation wall with pea gravel to facilitate drainage. The gravel on the interior of the foundation reminded me so much of a Zen garden that I couldn't resist adding an arrangement of small rocks. It is a secret garden that I am sharing with someone other than Linda for the first time.

Once the project was underway, I got into a rhythm of measuring, cutting, and hauling lumber back and forth between the tea house and the saw in the garage. I was working from a plan of sorts, but an awful lot of the building was made up as I went along. Problems I hadn't anticipated would crop up, often requiring modifications in my plan. But, before I knew it, I had the basic frame of the tea house in place and Winter was bearing down on us.

I added some temporary rafters and a tarp to keep the snow off, and wrapped the sides in plastic sheeting for additional protection from the elements until I could get back to work in the Spring.

There were things I had to do before I could add the roof. The overhang at the front and back of the structure was such that it would need additional support. The previous Fall I had purchased five large stones to arrange as stepping stones and support stones in front of the entrance. There was also a large cut-granite block to function as the front step to the tea house. I drove the stones home in my truck without giving any real thought to how I would get them to the tea house. They were too heavy to pull up the hill, even with a dolly.

I imposed upon the generosity of the neighbor behind us once more. From his house, it was all down hill to my yard. We slid the stones off the truck using wooden ramps and onto a sled cobbled together out of plywood and rope. We dragged the stones down to the fence gate where they waited as patiently as rocks can wait for Spring.

But my problems weren't over yet. I still had to get them across the stream. I managed this with a combination of PVC pipe rollers and more plywood. The trouble with working alone, is that I frequently forget to take pictures. I think you would have enjoyed seeing that little engineering project.

As with almost everything involving the garden, the roof took longer and was more complicated than I would have imagined. I wanted it to look attractive not only from the outside, but also looking up at it from the inside. That meant that the pattern of the supports for the shingles had to be both functional and appealing. It also meant that I had to use a variety of nail lengths, depending on the number and thickness of the shingles, in order to keep any nails from showing on the inside.

A small miscalculation meant that the roof and a tree insisted on occupying the same space. I built the roof around the tree, although it may not be all that many years before the opening will have to be enlarged. With any luck that will be a problem someone else will have to solve. 

Many years ago my doctor told me that I was genetically prone to hernia. He was right. I've had four! They tend to develop gradually, with subtle symptoms that one wants to ignore; and for a while you can. Eventually, however they become unmistakable. That was the case while installing the roof. I think hauling those bundles of shingles up the hill and then up the ladder to the roof was what really pushed things along.

The roof got finished and the surgery was a success — laparoscopy this time, very cool. 

Everything, as I've said, takes longer than you plan. I managed to make some progress on the carpentry details last summer, but family obligations meant that I wasn't able to begin filling in the walls with stucco. And so far this season, I've been lucky to keep up with basic maintenance chores. But it's still only June, and with any luck we'll have a long beautiful Fall to continue working. In the meantime, even in it's unfinished state, the tea house is a welcome shelter in our garden.

Comments

[Katie]

Wow, like the rest of your projects, this is impressive and ambitious! Your craftsmanship is superb.

[Pam/Digging (Austin)]

Yes, everything does take longer than one plans. Your tea house looks good so far, and I know it will be superb when finished.

[Lisa at Greeenbow]

How can you stand the unfinished tea house?? You must be the most patient person on the planet. I would be fretting over the project. It will be wonderful when finished. I could just see you tugging and moving the stones..then coming to a creek. OMG. It is amazing what we can do when we really want to.

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

Katie — As always, Mark is a great craftsman.

Pam — We just started a project that should take a week or so, but it's too hot to work on it — and we're both busy with our jobs. So, as you note, who knows how long it will really take.

Lisa — SHE SAID: I am the patient one! I just told Mark that if we had done one of the versions of this project that was just a sitting platform with a roof, we'd have been done two years ago!

[Gail]

It's fantastic...and it looks wonderful unfinished...that is a sign of art!

[MNGarden]

The tea house is a wonderful compliment to the pond and vice versa. It is beautiful in each stage of its development. It is wonderful seeing something being built with intense attention to detail.
Donna

[Randell Jeffries]

Good job in finishing the foundation, and the shingle support. The way you constructed the frames, it looks durable enough to withstand anything. By the way, what type of roof were you going to use? Were you planning on putting a unique design on the roof?