Medium sized front gardens, especially on wider properties like this one, are often underused. Vehicles have to be considered, a clear walking path, and some planters and beds to soften the look and feel.Bikes, scooters, prams, and Recycling Bins.
Most houses now have 3-5 recycling bins. As collections moved from 1 week to 2 weeks, recycling bins had to become larger. They now dominate a section of the front garden and as important as recycling bins are, they are ugly. Recycling bins destroy designed garden schemes, stand well above beautiful plants ensuring they are visible, and are unfortunately a variety of colours and sizes.
Pram wheels get dirty, unpacking them completely seems a bit pointless, and having them dominate the front entrance to a home also raises its own interior design questions.
Bikes and Scooters are never clean. Never. But always required for every journey.
The idea behind this project was to make use of an area of the garden which was completely unused, tidy up the property boundary in an attractive, modern design style. The fencing was designed to suit both the client and their neighbors and afford both of them some privacy.
The multiuse Bin Store and Shed solved the rest of the issues.
For the fencing, due to the 1.5mt difference in elevation between the two properties, we had to utilise 3.9mt fence posts. Naturally we used Jacksons Fencing posts as they come with a 25 year Jakcure Service Life Guarantee. These posts are the main support structure for the entire project and are the last thing you want to replace. Each fence post also has adjustable Stainless Steel Resin Bolts, with washers and nuts on both sides of the post, attaching them to the wall, as well as being concreted into the ground. Having the posts 15cm from the wall, with washers and nuts on either side of the posts, allows for minor adjustments to be made over time if required. Easy, one tool maintenance, with only a spanner required.
The contemporary screen fence is made of 20x44mm Chamfered and Planed Smooth Redwood Slats from Champion Timber. These slats are smooth to the touch amd are treated to Use Class 4 against insect attack and wood rot, the highest level used in residential environments (Use Class 5 is used primarily in Marine environments). The slats are attached with Stainless Steel nails to avoid the unsightly rust lines that will form over time when Carbon Steel nails are used, regardless if they are Painted, Coated, or Galvanised.
The bin store has 5 bays with top and front opening doors. To secure the front and divider sections of the bin store over time, we sunk a 50x125mm Composite Joist in the ground with Composite Posts. Composite Materials are ideal for underground uses like this as they will never rot. We attached the front sections of our bin store to this buried Composite Bearer to prevent movement over time to keep the doors in good working order. Again, if adjustments are required the fixings are accessible.
The Storage Shed at the end of the bin store was built slightly differently. We had to keep the same Slatted appearance, but it’s function was slightly more important. The top of the Shed has a Waterproof Polycarbonate Sheet which keeps everything dry inside. On top of the Polycarbonate sheet we have a Slat Panel to keep the appearance consistent.
The door to the Bin Store was larger and a slightly odd shape compared to the Bin Store Doors, so it was constructed out of light weight, rust free alumimium.
For the hardware, we used Stainless Steel Parliament Hinges for all doors, 22 hinges in total, with stainless steel screws. This again prevents rust from damaging the appearance. Aluminium is one of the few metals which does not cause Galvanic Corrossion when it is in direct contact with Stainless Steel.
We used small tube handles on the Bin Store Doors to keep their appearance minimal, and a Stainless Steel switch deadbolt latch for the Shed.
This was a bespoke project to meet the specific needs of this property and clients. The main obstacle to this project was the elevation change at ground level. It slopes in 2 different directions towards the front door of the house. The front of the bin store is taller than the back of the bin store, hence the angle on the shed door.
The advantage of bespoke is that everything is made to suit the specific space and no space is wasted. The disadvantage of bespoke is usually the cost when compared to factory made products, however it is not a like for like comparison as one is unique to the space it resides, and the other is a fast-built box which has to fit into the space.
If you like the idea of a solidly constructed Bin Store, but have a level ground surface already, take a look at Jacksons Fencing Bin Stores which also come with a 25 Year Guarantee and are straightforward to assemble significantly reducing the cost.