How to Build a Garden Arbor

Classic arched lattice with an Asian twist.

An arbor is a wonderful addition that adds to the enjoyment of almost any size yard. Ron visits an Apple Valley, Minnesota home to help a couple create an arbor to serve as a visual passageway between two separate sections of a large, sprawling yard.

Click Here For a list of what you will need in order to complete this project.

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1. Design
The arbor is open on the sides except for a pair of benches looking out in both directions and it is topped by a gracefully curved, semi-open canopy.

2. Orientation
Use 2 X 4s to experiment with the orientation and dimensions of the arbor. Determine how you would like to angle it in the space that you have chosen. Traditionally arbors are a little wider than they are deep.

Once the layout has been determined, use a framing square to make sure the corners are a perfect 90 degrees. Then mark the corners with chalk and remove the 2 X 4s.

3. Dig post holes
You will need to dig a post hole in each corner. In climates where it gets very cold, it is important to dig below the frost line. In Minnesota, where freezing temperatures are common, a 42 inch (3 ½ feet) hole is necessary. If the hole is not deep enough, when the earth freezes and expands it will begin to push the posts up.

A power auger is a time saving tool that is especially useful when digging very deep holes. They are available at most tool rental yards for about $35 a day.

Before digging, it is important to check with the utility companies to make sure there are no underground pipes or cables in the location where you intend to bore holes.

When working with a power auger, it is helpful to lift the auger every few seconds to clear the loose soil from the hole. Once you have dug as far as you can go with the standard auger, you may need to add an extension to go deeper. To do this, remove the steel pin holding the power unit to the auger, insert the extension, slide the pin back in and then remount the motor.

4. Set posts
Pour about two inches of crushed rock (for drainage) into the bottoms of each of the four holes before setting the posts in place. The green colored, pressure treated lumber prevents future wood rot.

After positioning the first 2 X 4 post, use a post level to make sure that it is plumb or perfectly vertical. Next, attach a wooden brace, position the adjacent post and check it for plumb and attach the opposite end of the brace to the second post.

Repeat this process, bracing all four posts at both the bottom and top. The braces will not only keep the posts vertical, but also properly spaced.

Fill each hole with dry, fast-setting concrete, and slowly add water. Continue adding a gentle flow of water until the mix is saturated. If the water starts pooling up, turn it off and allow it to soak back down. As water is added to the concrete mix, continuously check the post to make sure it remains in a perfectly vertical position.

Repeat the process for the remaining posts. Continue adding water as it soaks into the dry concrete mix and the level stabilizes at the top. It takes only about half an hour for the concrete to set, and when it does, the braces can be removed.

5. Add cedar cladding
Cedar planks added to the posts make them more attractive by covering up the green lumber. The cedar also gives the posts more bulk so they don't look so spindly. Begin by measuring and cutting the cedar to length.

Use a power miter saw to cut the sixteen boards (four for each post.) Since the boards are all the same length, set a stop block on the saw, which will allow you to cut each board to the same length without having to measure each one.

Mark a line on the posts at seven feet and then carry that line all the way around all 4 posts. This will indicate where to align the top of the cladding planks on each post.

First attach the cedar 2 X 4s to the faces of the post using rustproof screws. Then attach the 2 X 6 planks to the sides.

Not only does the post look more substantial, but the cedar also provides interesting detail.

6. Beams
The arbor design includes a fashionable curved beam for the canopy.

To create the curve design on the ends of the beams, make a mark at about 3 ¾" on the end of the beam. Readjust the carpenter's square and make another mark 6" from the end of the beam. Use the edge of a bucket to trace the curved outline of an arch between the two marks.

Cut the curve on the end of each beam with a jigsaw.

7. Arched canopy
The second set of beams that span the front and rear of the arbor are arch-shaped and require a little extra detail. These beams also have scalloped ends that are created the same way as the other beams.

To create the large arch, place small nails in the side of the 2 X 12 beam, one at each end of the arch and one at the center or the high part of the arch.

Use a thin strip of wood to weave in between the nails. Since the wood strip is a uniform thickness, it bends fairly consistently, forming a smooth consistent arch.

Trace the top of the arch, then reposition the wood strip and draw the bottom line. After the arch is traced onto the beam, carefully cut it out with a jigsaw.

Secure the canopy in place by angling rustproof screws into each corner.