> Next: Building a Window-Box Planter
Building a Climbing-Rose Archway
This three-day building project combines wooden-carpentry skills and love of climbing or pillar roses to fashion a distinctive attraction to adorn your yard.
Garden arbors have a long history. They are growing in popularity again as easy-care roses enter the market.
The sight of this graceful, arch-topped arbor laden with sprays of colorful roses provides a finishing touch when placed in your home’s garden or landscape.
Building it requires careful attention, but only average skills and common carpenter’s tools. Make it from alternatives of California redwood, cedar, hemlock, eucalyptus, or other durable, rot-resistant woods.
To build your arched rose arbor, gather the materials listed below and carefully follow each step shown in the demonstration.
Materials and Fasteners
Required Materials:
4 – 4 x 4 x 120-in. (89 x 89 x 3,048-mm) uprights
4 – 2 x 4 x 36-1/2-in. (38 x 89 x 927-mm) crossrails
5 – 1 x 1 x 84-in. (19 x 19 x 2,134-mm) vertical lattice
20 – 1 x 1 x 28-in. (19 x 19 x 711-mm) horizontal lattice
2 – 2 x 2 x 41-in. (38 x 38 x 1,041-mm) mullion crossbars
4 – 1 x 1 x 6-in. (19 x 19 x 152-mm) short mullions
2 – 1 x 1 x 8-in. (19 x 19 x 203-mm) long mullions
4 – 2 x 12 x 60-in. (89 x 292 x 1,524-mm) arch stock
4 – 4-in. (102 mm) lathe-turned decorative finials
Fasteners and Hardware:
6 – 8d (457-mm) galvanized finish nails
150 – 3d (171.5-mm) galvanized finish nails
40 – #8 x 3-1/2-in. (4 x 89-mm) tempered weatherproof deck screws
12 – #6 x 1-1/2-in. (4 x 38-mm) galvanized wood screws
8 – 3/8 x 6-in. (10 x 152-mm) galvanized carriage bolts
1 – 1 pint (475-ml) waterproof carpenter’s wood glue
1 – 1/2 pint (1 l) matching wood dough or putty
1 – 1/2 gal. (2 l) each, primer/sealer and paint/varnish
Step-By-Step Instructions
After construction, installation, and planting it with climbing roses, this decorative archway will grace your home’s gateway, path, or the entry to your garden.
Follow the demonstration’s step-by-step instructions for a great result:
How to Build an Arched Rose Arbor
Rip a fillet from one edge of each piece of arch stock. Sand smooth. Apply glue, align edges, and clamp. Dry for 24 hours.
On layout paper, draw two concentric arcs with radii of 21 in. (53.3 cm) and 27 in. (68.6 cm).
Draw parallel chord lines 12 in. (30.5 cm) and 20 in. (50.8 cm) from the outer arc.
Mark two points along each side of the top chord line, 10 1/2-in. (26.7 cm) from the large arc, and along the bottom chord line, 8-1/2-in. (21.6-cm) from the small arc.
Use a square to draw a 3-in. (7.6-cm) line down from the upper mark. Join the line to the bottom chord with a 5-in. (12.7-cm) radius circle.
Transfer the paper pattern to the laminated arch stock. Use a bandsaw or jigsaw to cut the arch.
Reinforce the two arches’ glued joints. Use a cordless drill with a 1/8-in. (3-mm) twist bit to drill pilot holes top and bottom through each joint.
Enlarge the first 1 in. (25 mm) of each hole with a 3/8-in (9-mm) twist bit. Fasten with #8 deck screws.
Fit mullions to the arches Mark a line 4-in. (10-cm) above and parallel to the bottom of the back of each arch.
Align bottom of crossbar to line, glue, and nail.
Mark crossbar centerpoint. Measure left and right 4-1/2-in. (11.5-cm), and mark the two points. Mark the centerpoint of the arch top, and points 9-1/2-in. (24-cm) to each side on the curve. Extend lines through the marks.
Center a mullion on each line, flush to the arch top. Mark the short mullions’ bases at the crossbar, and cut bevels in the mullions.
Glue and sidenail the top of the mullions to the arch; only glue their bottoms to the crossbar. Reinforce bottom mullion glue joints by drilling 1/32-in. (0.8-mm) nail holes through the crossbar underside into each mullion, fastening each with an 8d finish nail.
Repeat for second arch.
Cut 8 spacers, each 5-1/8-in. (13-cm) long.
On a layout table, use the spacers to position the lattice vertical bars parallel to each other and flush at their top. Tack or clamp the bars securely to the table’s surface.
Nail the first horizontal lattice bar flush to the top ends of the bars, using 3d finish nails.
Use 2 spacer blocks to position and nail each subsequent course of horizontal lattice bars.
Repeat for second lattice assembly.
Butt the uprights to the lattice units and position crossrails flush with ends, checking for square.
Use a 1/8-in. (3-mm) twist bit to drill pilot holes in each corner joint. Fasten uprights to lattice units with four deck screws.
Turn the assembly over, and fasten the lattice frame to uprights with 3 #6 wood screws, and to the crossrails with 6d finish nails.
Drill holes atop each upright for finials.
Tack a temporary diagonal brace to uprights to facilitate transport to garden installation site.
At site, apply wood preservative to bottom of uprights to protect them from decay.
Dig 22-in. (56-cm) deep postholes and backfill with 4 in. (10 cm) of crushed aggregate for drainage.
Stand each frame assembly upright in the postholes, set final height, shim, level, and square sides to one another.
Secure the assembly’s level and square positioning with temporary diagonal braces.
Fill each posthole with posthole concrete mix, tamp to to settle it firmly around the uprights, and apply water according to its package instructions.
Cure concrete for 24 hours.
With an assistant’s help, flush the arch assembly with the tops of the frame’s side uprights.
Using the mullion crossbar as a spacer, square, level, clamp, and drill two 3/8-in. (10-mm) holes through each joint. Throughbolt the arch to the frame assembly with lag bolts.
If finials were not installed during frame assembly, install them now. Seal exposed wood. Putty, prime, and paint or varnish.
DIY how-to do-it-yourself step-by-step directions instruction demonstration example tip prepare building project hobby hobbies garden gardener gardening plant plants planting foliage flowers vines roses climbing roses arbors gateway arches paths garden entry materials tools directions requirements steps choosing choice specifications dimensions size height width depth wood fasteners hardware screws dimensioned lumber garden landscaping project installation assembly frame arch laminate glue screw fasten install concrete level square transport