Do-It-Yourself
Weekend Projects: Enhancing Outdoor Living
(ARA) - Trellises have been
adding character and elegance to outdoor living
spaces for years. Better yet, these stylish wooden
structures are practical projects that bring
everyday elegance to your yard or garden – and can
be built in a single weekend.
Now is an ideal time to consider
easy-to-construct outdoor features like a
Western
Red Cedar trellis. These elegant structures provide
calming tranquility and dress up your front or
backyard natural setting.
Here are a few considerations to remember when
enhancing your outdoor living space with a trellis,
and resources where to receive free trellis
information brochures:
Site Selection
Consider attaching the trellis to your home,
using it to shelter a path between the main house
and an outbuilding, or simply frame the view of
another landscape feature. Remember, one of the
greatest appeals of a trellis is its architecture –
so make sure the site and size you choose is
appropriate for its surroundings. Layout
Take special care when deciding the proportions
of foundational posts and overhead canopy. For
instance, a set of 4-inch by 4-inch posts would be
ideal with 2-inch by 6- inch overhead boards. Also,
make sure the posts are vertically straight and even
in height, and ensure the overhead canopy boards are
level and evenly spaced in parallel to each other –
attention to detail is essential here.
Materials
There are a number of choices available, but one
of the most popular building materials for trellises
is Western Red Cedar. Many homeowners specify
Western Red Cedar due to its all-natural look,
pleasant aroma and character that blend nicely with
the natural surroundings. And Western Red Cedar’s
natural resistance to decay and insects has long
been recognized.
“Natural qualities of Western Red Cedar make it
an excellent choice for a wide range of building
projects both inside the home and outside the home –
like trellises,” said Peter Lang, general manager of
the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. “Unlike
plastic or imitation wood products, cedar is one of
the most environmentally-friendly building materials
you can use. It’s naturally durable without the need
for chemical treatment, dimensionally stable,
resilient and lightweight.”
Western Red Cedar is also free of the pitch and
resin found in other softwoods – a quality that
makes it ideal for a wide range of finishes. Whether
you choose a lightly tinted semi-transparent stain
or a two-coat solid color finish, cedar ranks at the
top in its ability to accept and retain a finish.
Construction Tips
Prior to digging your postholes, remove all
rocks, plants or sod that inhabit the area. These
items can be strategically added or relocated after
the trellis has been built.
Also, it’s paramount the posts be put solidly
into the ground or secured to concrete footings. If
you choose to put the post into the ground, the
portion of the post that will below the ground
should be treated with a preservative. Regardless
whether you build or buy the concrete footings, the
foundational posts must be level and true for the
trellis to look correct. And be certain your posts
are long enough to provide enough headroom once they
are entered into place.
Once the posts are in place, consider adding
2-inch x 12-inch x 12-inch square cedar post caps on
top of each post. These post caps ensure the posts
can handle the weight of the overhead canopy boards
by dispersing the load more evenly, and it provides
a nice finishing touch to the structure. However,
you’re using Western Red Cedar to construct the
trellis canopy, which is lightweight and has a fine,
consistent grain making it easy to work with.
Decorative Touches
Consider adding decorative touches to all canopy
board ends. To create a decorative end, perfect your
design on construction paper then use it as a
template to transfer your design to each board end.
Cut, and then sand the edges to create a smooth
finish. Be systematic and symmetric in applying this
decorative design to each canopy board. The
possibilities are endless here, but choosing
decorative flair to complement both the surroundings
and the architectural feel of your house will add to
the appeal.
As you’ll see, trellises can give any backyard
some classical character as well as seasonal charm.
A trellis can make a dramatic change to your outdoor
living areas, and better yet, you can build it in
just one weekend.
The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA)
has developed a collection of easy-to-construct
project brochures for trellises, pergolas, benches
and tables, among others. Available online or in a
brochure format, this compilation of project ideas
includes recommendations for creating new looks,
adding to your outdoor living space, as well as tips
for construction. To order a brochure, call (866)
778-9096, visit www.realcedar.org or pick one up at
your local building material retailer.
Courtesy of ARA Content
For more information on trellises, please read
this article on
copper trellises
and garden arbors.
[more articles]
