02-11-1985 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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David A. Kirscht has a degree in landscape architecture from Iowa State University. He has his own firm in Min- neapolis and is the only landscape architect on Minnesota's stafe board of architectural registration. He also serves on his town plan- ning dnd zoning com- mission and, when he can get away from the office, he likes to spend fishing weekends at his cabin —which, of course, has a deck that keeps yard care to a minimum. q( r'PrX Cf f.Gl o r2 N� t°/P.GNe6i�� wu 2 P�rfay- a Ole /w �m atd ` c Backyards with steep slopes can be a maintenance headache for home- owners. Severe inclines are often impossible to mow and, unless terraced, don't make gocd planting beds. And if nothing is done to pro- tect the hillside, there's the potential problem of erosion. Those who have such a hard -to - care -for backyard are urged by David A. Kirscht, a Minneapolis landscape architect, to consider building a deck. Kirscht notes that while any deck is a great way to add outdoor living space, few people realize it can also be a good solution for a problem backyard. "People think of a deck as a rectangular appendage to their house," says Kirscht. "Many have trouble visualizing a multilevel design that can effectively solve a backyard problem as well." A deck built for a Minneapolis family shows Kirscht's design ap- proach. Only 15 percent of the existing backyard wits usable —barely enough space for lawn chairs —and a steep hill dropped 25 ft. to the balance of the yard below. "Natural vegetation was all that grew on the hill and it was impossible to control," Kirscht noted. Use natural building materials To reduce this undergrowth area, Kirscht designed a deck that cantilevered (overhung) the hill by 15 ft. He used redwood throughout, including the 6 x 6 support posts and 2 x 12 joists. The redwood was allowed to weather naturally, some- thing Kirscht recommends to keep future maintenance to a minimum. Kirscht didn't apply preservatives to impede muisture penetration, though the California Redwood Association recommends using them. "It's my experience that there's no apparent difference between decks treated with preservatives and those that haven't been," he added. If you're planning a redwood deck, check with your designer to find out what's best for your project. Scuffs and marks in redwood are self -healing through exposure to the elements. On the other hand, us- ing materials that have to be painted or stained leads to perpetual main- tenance. Depending on climate, this could mean repainting or staining the deck on an annual basis. Controlling erosion Another maintenance benefit with this type of deck is reduced ero- sion of the hill underneath. The deck serves to shelter (lie slope somewhat from driving rains. Kirscht included a large existing tree in his design. Its shade had made flower planting impossible, but as an element in the new deck it provides a natural canopy to keep the living area cool. —John Driemen CREWS 1Y Mao. Dwtl A KrsCN. Nuwwh ro. J Dxv F1066VUs. Terracing Is a guW alternative to a deck. Here K,rscN used pressure-&*~ 6 x6 posts to b,#Ad retatmng walls into the hdtsrda The woks reduce ft polantial for erosion The result is an aestheacalty pieaemg multilevel arrdoor area with space k-W act,vdres a:rd year rowxf olanrmgs tischt des yc.ya, . a, a,sstc._ are, fhe g 'bvse The kenq area.