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Before going further on how to build an arbor, it is best to know the benefits that an arbor brings to your garden. An arbor does not only provide support to your vines or climbing plants - such as hops, roses, ivy, clematis, grapes, and wisteria, it can also serve as a decorative gateway to your garden and enhances its scenery. Arbors shade the weary gardener form the heat of the midday sun. It provides a picturesque backdrop for picnics, parties, and other affairs held in your garden. And, did you know that an arbor project can be a means to family bonding?
Here is a simplified method on how to build an arbor
First, it may thrill you to know that building an arbor requires only minimal woodworking skills; but, you may have to know how to operate some power tools.
Step 1 Start by digging 2 holes for your posts. It’s up to you how far apart you want these holes to be; but, the holes should be 1 foot wide and 3 feet deep. Place about a half foot of crushed gravel or stones into the holes. Put the posts in each hole.
Step 2 Put a board across the tops of the posts and place a carpenter's level on the board. If the board levels off, the height of your posts are equal to each other. To ensure that the posts will be plumb (vertically ‘level), you can make temporary braces.
Step 3 Fill the holes with a mixture of concrete and water. This may take at least one day.
Step 4 Cut the arbor crosspieces and rafters in accordance with your desired height and width of the arbor. Make a ‘mock’ arbor – experiment with the crosspieces and rafters until you have come up with the design that you want, but don’t screw them yet.
Step 5 Screw the crosspieces and rafters in accordance with the way that you want your arbor to look. Fasten the crosspieces between the posts and screw these tightly, making sure their heights are even.
Step 6 Notch the wood on the crosspieces. Add the rafters. Ensure that the resulting structure is secured and tight. You have now completed building your arbor!
How to Build an Arbor Over a Deck
Arbors can also be built next to your home. Arbors cool your house by shielding your windows, walls, and glass doors from the heat of the sun. Here are the basic steps for this purpose:
Step 1 Pour quick-setting concrete on the footings for your posts. Attach the post in each footing using a carpenter’s level and temporary cross braces to keep the post plumb. Posts should ideally be 8 feet high from the surface of the deck, ground, or patio.
Step 2 Mount the beams and attach these to each post. Screw or nail the beams so that they are even with the tops of the posts. Bore or drill two one half inch holes through the beams and posts and secure with two 7 inch machine bolts. Remove the temporary bracing once the beams and rafters are installed.
Step 3 Cut and attach the braces. Mount or install the rafters.
Step 4 Add louvers or lattices to filter the sunlight in the pattern of your choice.
How to Build an Arbor Trellis
A trellis is a decorative wall piece that supports upward growing vines. An arbor trellis is a trellis in the style of an arbor. Here’s how to build an arbor trellis.
Step 1 Start by digging the holes for your posts. Fill the each hole with about 2 inches of gravel.
Step 2 Place each post on its end in a hole and brace upright with boards. Use a carpenter's level to ensure that the braces are upright. Fill each post hole with cement to secure the supports in and allow this dry for about 2 days.
Step 3 Lift the two boards to the top of the posts to form crosspieces. The arbor sides should form two U shapes that are upside down.
Step 4 Drill through the crosspieces and into the posts. Slip your lag bolts into the holes that you drilled. Tighten these such as by using a wrench.
Step 5 Screw clothesline hooks into the sides of the arbor every 1 ½ to 2 feet on each side of the arbor. Tie the two arbor sides together by connecting the clothesline hooks with clothesline.
Arbors indeed support your climbing plants, and also add an aesthetic dimension to your garden! And now you know how to build an arbor!
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about landscape gardening and gardening information at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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