Display Benches- Part II

Thomas_J.

Way back in the archives from last year, I did a thread on the display benches I built after a move to a new subdivision. New subdivisions don't come with nice big shade trees like I had at my last residence to help keep some of the Texas sun at bay. I was pretty much finished with the benches last year except for some lattice that I needed to put for some sun protection, when I got walloped with a huge hail storm that some of you probably remember me crying about. That's where part two comes in.
Here's what the benches looked like in the rough stage.

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Thomas J.

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Thomas_J.

Here they are a few days before the hail storm without the lattice work.

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Thomas J.

Thomas_J.

And with the lattice up. I'm glad I didn't have the lattice up when the storm hit because I would of had to redo it all over.

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Thomas J.

Thomas_J.

The lattice would have been no protection at all for the hail we got that night, and ever since then I've been going ape trying to decide what to do since hail season is just about on us. More on that in a minute. Anyway here is what I hope will work now. I made these frames and covered them with a double layer of steel mesh.

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Thomas J.

Thomas_J.

The frames went on both the top and the front of the benches.
They will be in this position most of the time. They will also get a sun screen over them when the temps start to rise. Last year the lattice still wasn't enough shade for my some of my maples and zelkovas.

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Thomas J.

Thomas_J.

And when the hail comes, we'll be in lock down. And your probably gonna think I'm making this up, but guess what it did two hours after I finished this job today. It hailed

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Thomas J.

spoonman

wow looks like a lot of hard work, looks great though, wish i had the time and money to make something like this. good job.

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"Little laurel trees, your roots can find
No mountain, yet your leaves extend
Beyond your own world into mine
Perennial wands, unfolding in my thought
The budding evergreen of time."
-Kathleen Raine, The Trees in Tubs

agraham

Thomas,

Very nice work.....good thinking on the hail protection.The trees,the trees you sure have some nice ones

andy

Lesley

Thomas,

I remember the hail storm from last year and I cried with you when your trees were damaged and I know how you feel when you loose them (I experienced a similar loss after a heatwave while I was on vacation this past summer)! Your benches are very special and I sure hope your invention works! I'd hate to see you loose more trees to that Texas hail!

Lesley

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Ladybug