Garden Arbor Tutorial

At the onset of the CoVid19 lock down I knew I was in for some very rough days. My days were about to be invaded - full time. My family is going to be with me pretty much 24/7 and while I am a very sociable person the thought was totally overwhelming. All the projects that I always said I didn't have time for.... well, I wouldn't have that excuse anymore! Mostly, I was anxious for my husband who DOES NOT know how to be still. I knew he would be looking at project after project with expectations and a pace that I just couldn't and didn't want to keep up with. I've moved past that but in the beginning I needed to have something for him to do.

Fortunately, I had a few projects in mind that I had wanted to get done and I thought this one could occupy him for a few days.

After the garage was built we put in walkway from the driveway to the backyard using pavers and white stones. A year of so living with that taught us it was a bad idea. the stones never stayed put. We liked the cement pavers because they went with the what we used for the bbq shack in the back so we kept them and put down weed barrier and mulch with some dirt in  between. I made a concoction of buttermilk, moss and water and spread it in the cracks. (I will let you know if that works.) It has yet to grow.

And we built the arbor that spans the distance between the house and the garage. Here is how we did it:

1 bag of quick set cement
2 4x6x12' pressure treated posts
2 2x8x12' pressure treated pine
2 2x4x8' pressure treated pine cut to 2' lengths
Galvanized screws
Wood glue

Mister used a post hole digger to dig two holes for the 4x6x12 posts about 2 feet deep.

We bought 12' lengths knowing that we would be cutting some off the top once they were cemented in place. Using a level make sure they are plumb-straight, from two sides. Add the quick set and check your plumb, again. Add water. At this point we secured a strapping across the top to keep the posts in place, level/plumb.

We waited about 24 hours for the posts to set in the cement.

While we waited on those to set we got busy on the top, working in our garage. We measured the distance between the posts adding a few inches beyond each to really fill the span between the garage and house. I want a little detail on the outsides of the post.  I drew a simple design on a piece of card stock for our template for the crossbars and Mister cut them with a jigsaw out of the 2x8x12s. Nothing fancy here. This detail will sit beyond the posts on each side.

Next, we set up some sawhorses and placed our two top rails on them with a piece of scrap wood to space for the where the posts will be.

Now for the cross arms that will sit at the very top. (Not really sure what else to call them.) For these we cut the 2x4x8s into 2 foot lengths and later mitered each end. I measured making sure to keep an odd number of pieces (more appealing to the eye.) I landed on seven pieces. I marked the top of the crossbars for easy placement.

Mister wanted them to sit into the cross bars so he put them through several passes on the table saw making "teeth" that are easily removed with a hammer. (That was my job.)

Once they were cleaned up they sat down, hugging onto the crossbars.

Ready? Let's put this together!

Back outside! We removed the strapping the helped keep our posts plumb. We held up a crossbar at a height that seemed reasonable to us. The bottom of the crossbar is a little over 7 feet high. I wanted it to feel like you were walking into a separate "room" when you came through. The roof line of the house was factored in as well as the trim around the window. It all had to work together. If it went too high nobody would really notice it.

If you have extra hands you can just hold the crossbar or you can temporarily attach to posts. Make sure it is level, but sometimes level doesn't look right and slightly off makes more sense to the eye. Take your time, step back and look at it. Mark your posts where the top (you will notice in the picture that someone started cutting at the bottom) of where crossbars will sit. Remove your crossbar and cut off the excess post. Mister used a circular saw and it took two cuts, one on the front and one on the back to get through.

Attach the front crossbar, screwing and countersinking the screws from the back of the post into the crossbar. Attach the second crossbar onto the back of the posts, I didn't care if the screws show here. We used that previous piece of strapping to help us get both crossbars up and level with each other.

When the crossbars were mounted, one on the front of the posts and one on the back, you can start to place the small arbor arms. Mister lined up the arms with the marks I had made earlier and attached them from the top with galvanized screws.

*The "oops" cut got filled in with wood glue and a strategically placed screw allowed it to dry well and maintain integrity.

The arbor will get a few coats of white opaque stain when the wood has dried out enough. For now this is as far as it has gotten. I will update this post when the stain goes on.

So, what do you think? A good use of time? Here is the breakdown:

Time: 2 days
Skill level: Beginner, if you keep your cuts simple
Cost: $100
Worth: Priceless, as it kept Mister busy and is a great addition to the property.

**UPDATE
A couple coats of opaque white stain and some temporary pot fillers were added. Also, my attempt to grow moss with the buttermilk mixture did not take. I ended up transplanting some from another area in my yard.

Linking parties: Our Home Away From Home, The Dedicated House, Blue Sky At Home, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Create With Joy, Lou Lou Girls, Grammy's Grid, Anything Goes, My Little Shop of Treasures, Across The Boulevard, April J Harris, Dabbling and Decorating, Ducks N A Row, Ginger Snap Crafts, Life Beyond The Kitchen, Katherine's Corner, The Pin Junkie, Shabby Art Boutique, The Answer Is Chocolate, Chic On A Shoestring, Coastal Bohemian, Create With Joy, Imparting Grace, The Cottage Market, Pieced Pastimes, Our Hopeful Home, Finding Silver Pennies