I’ve learned a few lessons over the past 18 years, not the least of which is how fast 18 years goes by. When I built my first arbour on the spot where this new one stands, I simply stepped into the forest for a few hours with a chainsaw, cut some balsam fir poles, then used deck screws to assemble them into a structure that eventually became engulfed by climbing bittersweet. If someone had told me back then that this original arbour would last until my then-toddler son would be driving my truck on his own, I would have thought that this lifespan was more than enough. As it turns out, as this same “toddler”—now taller than I am—helped me rip the rotting old arbour out to make room for this new one, I realized that my original ideas about building for the long haul didn’t take a long enough view.
The design here is not only more refined than what I originally created, it’s designed to last much longer than a mere two decades. It uses standard, pressure-treated lumber, with several joinery tricks tailored especially to suit this material.
Skill
3
| Part | Material | Size (T x W x L*) | Qty. |
|---|
| Posts | Pressure-treated lumber | 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 12' | 4 |
| Crosspieces | Pressure-treated lumber | 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 1 12" | 2 |
| Lattice top/bottom | Pressure-treated lumber | 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" x 30 1/2" | 4 |
| Roof boards | Pressure-treated lumber | 1 1/2" x 7 1/2" x 68 1/2" | 7 |
| Long lattice strips | Pressure-treated lumber | 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 76"** | 12 |
| Short lattice strips | Pressure-treated lumber | 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 30 1/2" | 14 |
**Vary length to create a pattern |
|---|
* Length indicates grain direction
circular saw
drill
mallet
chisel
handsaw
48
socket wrench
tablesaw
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