Building an arbor

Soldato
Joined
14 Jul 2005
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9,526
Location
Birmingham
Planning to build a wooden garden arch/arbor to replace an old metal one that is almost falling over and which is carrying a mature climbing rose.

Just wondering if anyone's made one and what timber you used.

I was originally thinking 8 ft 3x3 posts, with 1 ft concreted in the ground leaving 7 ft above. But this might not be enough. I could instead go for 10 ft 4x4 posts possibly buried 2 ft into the ground which will make an 8ft tall structure. Obviously an intermediate size could be 4x4 posts 8ft long with 1 ft buried. I can also get 4x3 posts.

I don't want to dig down more than 2 ft. Even that might be difficult hence originally planning for 1ft.

Top cross member was planning to be 6x2.

Would be built around a prefab piece of 6x2 trellis on each side. So the structure will be just over 2 ft front to back.
 
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The depth depends, its just a small structure with holes in so wind load isnt like a row of.fencing when you go 600mm deep. I wouldnt overthink it tbh.

Softwood fence posts will be fine, oak posts look better.
 
If I were you, I’d probably skip the 3x3 and, if you’re replacing a metal arch with a fully grown rose, go for a 4x4. Just so it doesn’t look a bit flimsy in a year or two. If you dig the posts about 45 cm deep and attach the top brace properly, 2.4 m seems sufficient to me. Drive-in stakes can work, but for a heavy rose I would still opt for posts set in the ground.
 
Have you considered punch in Met-Posts
Yeah looked them, don't seem to get much love online really. a lot of comments saying they work loose over time.

There's also concrete-in stub met posts. And I've seen concrete-in rebar type brackets that you then bolt the post onto.

It's probably a lot simpler just to concrete the posts directly in the ground I'm just not sure of the depth and appropriate height of the structure.

There's quite a few arbor making videos on you tube but almost all of them use 2x4.
 
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Yeah looked them, don't seem to get much love online really. a lot of comments saying they work loose over time.

There's also concrete-in stub met posts. And I've seen concrete-in rebar type brackets that you then bolt the post onto.

It's probably a lot simpler just to concrete the posts directly in the ground I'm just not sure of the depth and appropriate height of the structure.

There's quite a few arbor making videos on you tube but almost all of them use 2x4.
I've used them for fencing, the driftwood pier ends in my garden as well as the bbq table I built and so far haven't budged a cm.

It might be down to how well they are anchored
 
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@danlightbulb
I was looking for some stuff on B&M and noticed this, I tend to buy ready made garden stuff when I can (I find you end up with ready made to tweak/erect for the same as the materials let alone taking time into account) so thought it was worth letting you know in case you thought it was worth looking at

 
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