How To Build An Arbor
Keywords: garden, gardening, landscaping, garden design, arbor, build an arbor
You might find it difficult to believe, but building an arbor for your garden landscape can actually be quite inexpensive. If you keep the arbor relatively small, to a two-post size, you can have a very attractive landscape feature for a small cost. Even the novice landscaper can build a small arbor without too much trouble in about two days (probably three at the most). It can be a very rewarding project that provides a sophisticated sense of beauty to your overall landscape design.
When it comes to building your arbor it is sensible to think about it as five distinct phases. This will not only help you to break the project down into realistic goals but will also help you to accomplish the task more easily. Breaking any large projects down into sections always helps the landscaper, as he or she will find that the task does not seem quite so daunting when done in bite-sized pieces. Additionally, a sense of accomplishment at the end of each stage can help the landscaper stay motivated throughout the project.
The first stage in building your arbor is to prepare the site for concrete placed under the ground to secure the structure. In order to lay the concrete, you need to first get some things out of the way. Dig two holes where you want the posts to stand. The holes should be one inch wide and three inches deep. Put half an inch of gravel or crushed stone inside the holes. This will help water drain away, preventing cracks later on in the concrete. Set one post in each hole and lay a board on top of them. Use a carpenter’s level to determine whether or not your posts are standing at equal heights. Adjust, if necessary, until the level shows that your posts are equal in height. If it will help you then you can use scrap lumber, nailed to the posts, to form temporary stabilizers.
The second stage is anchoring your arbor posts (they should be 4×4 posts) into the concrete. Before doing this, check again for equality in height with the stabilizers in place and make your adjustments to the stabilizers to adjust the height. Next, mix your concrete using concrete mix and water from a garden hose in a wheelbarrow; use a shovel to stir the concrete to ensure that you mix it well. Pour the concrete to fill each of the holes and then allow at least a day for the concrete to dry. You can remove the stabilizers once the concrete has hardened.
Stage three of building your arbor consists of laying two 1×6 pieces of wood along the sides at the top of the posts. These crosspieces should be perpendicular to the posts, and they will be opposite each other, one on the inner side and one on the outside. This creates a sandwiching effect for the tops of the arbor posts, as they are surrounded by the 1×6 pieces of wood. If you would prefer, you can cut designs into the ends of your crosspieces with a jigsaw for some added flair.
The next stage in the process, the fourth, consists of using 4×4 rafters to lie on top of your 1×6 crosspieces. These will be perpendicular to the crosspieces, and parallel to the line of the posts. There are five of them, only four inches long, so you will need to cut your 2×4s into pieces of the proper length. They should also be notched so that they fit tightly across the crosspieces. Notching can help you adjust for level differences in the rafters as well.
The final stage is the actual assembly of the arbor. Making sure that everything is properly aligned can help you as you bore the holes necessary for the arbor construction. You will need bolts that will go through the posts and the crosspieces on either side, making sure that the one bolt holds all three pieces of wood together. Additionally, you will need to secure the rafters in place and add any finishing touches you would like to add.
Obviously different plans for simple arbors exist, with variations on different themes and looks (using similar principles it is possible to build an arbor that has four posts). Looking on the Internet for plans and instructions is very simple, and can help you find an arbor that would complement your landscape design. Once you have found that, acquiring the lumber is simply a matter of searching for a good deal in lumberyards or warehouses. It is possible to get your wood for a reasonable price, and most of the other tools needed are commonplace and usually found around the house or are easily rented. Once you have your arbor, you can use it as a backdrop for intimate weddings and for entertaining. An arbor can quickly become one of the focal points of a very classy landscape.
Paul Duxbury writes extensively on Landscaping and Gardening at www.pkblogging.com
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