How to Build a Beautiful Trellis
A beautiful trellis with flowering vines crawling in and out over the supports is a focal point of a garden or walkway. If you plan it right and install it correctly, the trellis will last for generations. The installation is not complicated, but it does require some strength to dig the support holes and secure the lumber. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Support poles
- Pole digger
- Shovel
- Work gloves
- Tamping bar
- Wood slats
- Wood screws
- Drill/bits
- Decorative iron braces
Instructions
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Develop your plan. Since there are so many variables involved, you will need to consider the height, width and length of your trellis. Visualize how the trellis will add shade to your existing garden and how the sun will shine on it during the day. Make a drawing so you can add the different aspects, like the width of a walkway or the height over your head. Plan on a height of at least 7 feet and width of 6 feet for a small trellis.
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Purchase your supplies. A normal trellis is built with strong supports, usually 4-by-4 or larger weather-treated posts, connecting lumber like a 4-by-4, and lighter lattice-type wood. Concrete is not necessary, since the posts will be buried deep enough to hold the weight of the trellis. Check to see if your lumber store will cut the pieces for you, saving you the extra work. Find wood screws that will stand up to corrosion from the weather and that are long enough to penetrate the width of the lumber you are using.
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Install your support posts. Bury one-third of the length of the posts in holes dug with a post hole digger. Rent these from a local rental company or buy a manual tool if you plan on using it for other projects. Keep the dirt to refill the hole once the posts are in. Check the height of the posts in comparison with each other by running a string over the top of one post and over the top of the second. Check with a level to make sure their heights match. Hold the posts straight up and down, using the level for checking as you fill in the hole around the post, tamping it down with the tamping bar every few inches.
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Attach your connecting lumber, pre-drilling holes for the screws to prevent any cracking. Make sure you are using lumber that is strong enough for the weight of the type of plant you wish to grow on the trellis. Use a stacking affect for extra strength by attaching the connecting lumber to the tops of the support posts and then the lattice on top of that, screwing each piece down from the top. Attach the lattice to the sides starting at about 6 inches from the ground and continuing evenly to the top so your plants can reach up to climb.
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Add the more decorative lattice-type wood, pre-drilling and screwing into place down the sides. Check each addition to the trellis with the level to make sure you are installing everything straight and plumb. Pre-drill each connection and use a wood screw to hold it in place, keeping the slats approximately 6 inches apart, depending on your pattern.
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Add iron corner braces for a more aesthetically pretty trellis.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a pre-made trellis for the sides.
References
- Photo Credit Tsuneo Yamashita/Photodisc/Getty Images
