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About This Project
Giving your yard’s front entry area a face-lift will make it more inviting when you come home and add value when it comes time to sell your home. Upgrades don’t have to cost thousands of dollars or make you a yard-maintenance slave. In this special section, we’ll show you low-cost improvements that you can do yourself. Turn the page for the variety of strategies we used to dress up this house. And on the following pages we’ll show you how to do two of these projects: the simple entry trellis/ arbor system and the stone walls.
Entry arbors and trellisUse this simple, versatile design to frame your walk, screen bland walls and decorate with ivy
You don’t have to hire an architect to redesign your front entry to make it attractive and inviting. Sometimes a simple, inexpensive arbor or trellis will do the trick. This home featured a pretty brick facing . . . flanked by a big blank vinyl-sided wall that begged for screening. Our solution was to hide it behind a simple trellis. An even simpler version of the same design is used to frame an arbor that borders the sidewalk on both sides. This feature not only beautifies the entry but also guides guests to the front door.
In this story, we’ll show you a simple technique that’ll allow you to build both projects. This truly is a relaxed weekend project. You just need to be able to dig a few holes and operate a circular saw and a screw gun. You cut and assemble everything in place, so it’s easy to measure and cut the pieces to fit as you go.
A 6-ft.-wide, 8-ft.-tall trellis like ours costs $200. Coincidentally, the pair of 6-ft.-wide, 8-ft.-tall arbors add up to exactly the same price, including everything but the paint.
2x4 and 2x6 “sandwich” posts simplify assembly
The bottom portions of the posts are made from three treated 2x4s to keep the dirt-bound parts from rotting. The center 2x4 is continuous to keep the posts strong, but we cut the outside 2x4s off just above grade so we could transition to better-looking cedar. We chose cedar for its natural rot resistance, its ability to hold paint and its stability. If cedar isn’t available in your area, use any naturally rot-resistant wood that’s available for the above-grade wood. Redwood and cypress are excellent substitutes. If you want to save, you could even use common construction-grade lumber. If you paint all sides and the cut ends before assembly, the project will last for years. Or build it entirely with treated wood. But keep in mind that treated wood is often of low quality and has a tendency to warp, twist and crack. It may not be as handsome down the road as other choices. And you also may have to wait weeks for the treated wood to dry well enough to hold paint.
We designed the trellis grid work with close spacing to support climbing plants. You can make your grid work with larger spaces, or tighter if the trellis alone will be the screen, without vines. We fastened the grid work high enough above the patio to allow space for a planter box below. If you’re building the grid work to look like ours, get five cedar 2x4 “rungs” long enough to span between posts. Also pick up three 8-ft.-long 2x2 pickets (verticals) for each foot of width, or rip them from 2x4s.
Build a template and dig the postholes
A 2x4 template makes quick work of marking accurate post positions and of setting the posts. Decide on the best footprint for the arbors and make the template dimensions to match the corners of the posts. Be sure to square up your template by matching diagonal measurements (distances between opposite corners should be the same) and then add a brace to keep it square. Use screws for fasteners so you can take the template apart easily after you’re through setting the posts.
Drive stakes into the ground at the corners to mark the holes and then set aside the template. Dig 8-in.-wide holes about 3 ft. deep and pack the bottom of each hole with a shovel handle so the posts won’t settle later. After the holes are dug, return the template to the same spot for setting the posts.
Editor’s Note
There’s nothing magical about
the heights or widths of the
trellis or the arbors. Alter the
trellis dimensions to fit whatever
it is you want to screen or
size the arbors to border your
own sidewalks. But if you
build a trellis or an arbor that’s
wider than 6 ft. (our width),
add posts in the middle. If you
want to walk under the arbor,
be sure to make the 2x8 lintel
high enough after allowing for
ground coverings (80 in. minimum
is a good rule
of thumb).
Materials list
Treated wood: For each post, you’ll need a
treated 12-ft.-long 2x4 for the center and an
8-ft.-long treated 2x4 cut in half for the
shorter post sides.
Cedar: For wrapping each post, buy two
8-ft. cedar 2x4s and two 8-ft. 2x6s. Also buy
two 2x8 cedar lintel boards at least 3 ft.
longer than the distance between the posts
(outside-to-outside dimension).
Hardware: Buy a 1-lb. box of 3-in. deck
screws for joining all of the components
except the pickets. Buy a 1-lb. box of 10d
galvanized finish nails for that job. And get
one 60-lb. bag of premixed concrete for each
pair of posts.
TIP: Hire a design
service
Don’t be shy about getting professional
help
with designing your overall yard
plan. Many nurseries and
landscape suppliers offer
design services for a few
hundred dollars. We
spent $400 for our plan,
which recommended
specific plants and
showed where to plant
them. Many companies will
subtract your design fee from
future purchases, so the design work
may not cost anything.
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