every year I build a cool room on the roof ..to overwinter things... in the spring I use the foam for a few projects... usually planters... this year it's a u shaped sectional...and other projects to come.. like a roof cooler for beverages.. built into a planter ...

OMG!!!! Gordon - YOU ARE BRILLIANT!!!! Seriously! What a fabulous idea! I really love the look and the fact that it is quite weather resistant! It looks awesome!!! What kind of foam is that which you use and where do you get it? It sounds very cost effective and just beautiful!!! Very easy to custom build seating using that foam! I love it!

COOL room is the right word Gordon! You've given me an idea for my deck, thanks!

Jon - You know what I was thinking ...

Because of hurricanes here, the foam wouldn't be safe, BUT ... a wood base would. And even better, add a storage area inside the base of the sectional with a hinged top to store the cushions and other items should a storm blow through!

Becky the foam could be glued to the base. Like the Idea of storage space something I'm rather short on too, feel a combination idea coming on

Do share!!! I'm all ears and eyes!

well...when the water rises.. it's all foam... I bet each of the sections could float 400 lbs.. I should include some hand holds.. perhaps a few seat belts to keep you on in a swell..
My grandfather would always keep a long boat under the house..after the '27 flood... just to load everyone on.. if it would flood his delta home

How did I miss this cool posting. Thanks for linking us up Becky! Gordon, I am always impress with your NY garden room! Love it!

Well...thanks Lili...always a pleasure... Jon.. A DIY Pro.. I'll go visit.. Becky...well thanks..
the foam is your standard building foam like @ homedepot.. and Lowes.. it's the 2" foam here..for insulation.. but I also use the 1 1/2" and 1" for things also.. the 2" has great rigidity and strength and provides lots of surface area for connections..
I've got another couch base for inside planned.. I made a king size thermopedic bed into a queen sized bed for a client.. that was moving... and didn't want to spend another two grand for his favorite bed in a queen size..which was the biggest he could use in the new place... I took the cutoff.. about an 18" x 80" hunk of the highend foam about 14" thick.. I'll work this into something.. outside I'm sure it would hold enough water to always stay wet.. outside that might be a cooling seat for someone without a pool..like a sponge chair..
OH Jon.. my cutting tool of choice... for the rigid foam.. as well as the thermopedic soft mattress foam is the standard old Japanese style pull saw..
picture is of the cool room... before it became the sectional

Gordon - Thanks for sharing more details about your projects! You come up with some wonderful ideas! That sectional is really awesome! Great idea that many may copy! Cheap seating is a must here in my yard!

I may have asked this before, but I don't remember your answer... What is the dimensions of your roof top garden?

Gorden have you ever tried cutting the foam with an electric carving knife and if so did it cut easily?

Becky... the roof is about 22' x 65' about 1430 sq ft... the same as my space on the top floor...but don't loose anything for the hallway and have bult above the skylight in the hall... where it occours on the roof .. I had a lovely grid around it for the last few years... made of cherry that I'd taken out of a high end law offce... t had been left as all the other cherry was a lamanite.. and ths was peged for the same... but I knew it was solid.. it held up great for these last 8 years.. but the joints that were dowelled wth maple.. lost their glue and the maple rotted... making it real loose... as this boxed grid supported the flag pole... I replaced it before it fell apart... it was prolonged the last few years wth metal mending plates... cherry if not wet all the time wll scarcely decay at all outside... cherry.. was called the mahogany of the colonies.. as after we split with England.. we were cut off from their great mahogany.. and thngs here were made of cherry.. the cherry part of the grid is pristine... 1/64 of an inch below the silvering... but it was redone and now the flag can again fly in heavy winds..
Susan.. they use a hot wire to cut it and cut shapes out of it .. the wire is super hot and doesn't melt but the tinyest bit away from it.. and it's so thin there's not much excessive melting.. I'm not sure what a craving knife is.. like a woodburning item ... styrene emits a cynide gas when combusted.. so it's best not to burn it,, or do it well ventilated .. unless the tem cutting it is real hot... the build up of 1/2 burned plastic will quicly build up on your heat soure.. and your cuttng will be greatly diminished.. till the burn off is more complete to sculpt curves and organic shapes I use a sander beltor disk with about a 40 or 60 grit.. a mask i s helpful... oh... no mask is helpful n burning.. only an oxygen tank.. like scuba
here's the foam under the now refinished hunk of cut matterss foam.. [ earlier post ] now covered with a matterss cover and then a velvet upolstery fabric..

well garden rooms is about brng the house rooms out nto the garden.. this is smilar.. bringing the garden inside.. here's trells did for this lady on the 6th floor for her Brazlian vine...i t sits in a window box on the window sill.. it gets good sun and she cas a great vew of it from inside

mMM well another type of garden room... it's a travel trailer garden... an art piece

Gordon - Wow! Your roof top is large! NICE!!!! No wonder you can squeeze all those plants up there!

Love your foam seating that your added mattress foam and covers! You are too much! Where do you get these ideas? I love them!

Cracking up seeing that trellis on the window from the 6th floor! Amazing what people think of and can create!

I love that trailer park garden! Good thing you posted a photo of the trailer door looking in, otherwise I couldn't figure it out! That's really neat! Thanks for sharing all these photos! You are such fun to read!

Wow!! Gordon, you alway doing interesting projects....

well... nothing says a room in the garden like having it draped with cloth/curtains... yesterday I beefed up the room image of the sectional to have it draped with sheer curtains.. it was included not to do much.. but flutter about some.. and give the look of comfortble habitation..

Gordon, looks fabulous. I was inspired to decorate my screened porch this year. Over the years I have not been able to sit on the porch and see out into the garden. Now that it's done I'm sorry I waited 25 years. We are really enjoying the space now and feel like we are at a resort every morning sipping our coffee out there.

Very nice Susan... yes it's hard to believe it took you so long to use the space... it looks great at the resort now.. I love coffee in the garden.. maybe with a few raspberries or strawberries.. compleatly ripe and sweet.. slightly warmed by the sun..

Amazing, this is really one of the best and simple way to grow sitting. Actually, I had never heard about it before, I will definitely try to make it as soon as possible. Nice to see and read about it.