Seattle trellises for sunny or wet days

Sunset, Dec, 1988

Adding glass-topped trellises above their rear doors and windows gave these two Seattle houses bright and dry porches. In each case, a solid glass roof offers shelter from drizzle and rain, but, because the trellis is transparent, interior rooms stay bright.

Designed by Seattle landscape architect Thomas Berger, both rain protectors use panels of wire-reinforced safety glass. Spaced 1/4 inch apart, they were bonded to the joists below with silicone sealant. Screwed-down 1-by-2s or 1-by-3s cover the seams,

Barely noticeable above the 2-by-8 joists that span a 10- by 24-foot deck, the glass roof pictured above replaced corrugated fiberglass panels that darkened the interior of Linda and Charles Barbo's house. The expanded deck has plenty of room for entertaining and seating, and the enriching details on the trellis and grouped 6-by-6 posts blend with the architectural style of the two-story house.

Wrapping around the corner of a brick house, the other rain protector has the gentle pitch and shape of a hip roof. The glass rests upon, and extends from, three turned-wood columns that repeat details from the front entry The structure protects new French doors that open onto a widened porch and new deck. Owners are Jean Lind and David Berger.