Explainer - how our Arbors are built

Our arbors are built to last a very long time. We can't say how long because they've yet to fail!

The wood: We start with 2" thick, Western Red Cedar. We only use western red cedar because of its superior pest and rot resistance. And beware of sellers who say they use "Cedar", this usually means "Japanese Cedar", which is cheaper and inferior.

Surfacing: We "surface" the lumber which means we take it through two steps to ensure it's straight, smooth and all the same size. This ensures the boards fit snugly together and frankly, just makes it look more like furniture than a garden box!

The Lattice: We "rip" all the lattice pieces using our table saw and then "mortice" them into the Arbor frame. This ensures they stay in place and also adds a beautiful look since you can't see the ends of the wood. We then screw the lattice pieces together. This takes a lot of time but we think it's worth it.

The Top: We rip the top pieces and screw them into the frame. This ensures they stay in place and look great. The pieces are about 5" apart, which is adequet for your vines to grow across. But it you're looking for more shade underneath ask us about adding additional top pieces.

The Epoxy: We custom pour a colored strip along the front of your arbor. Of course you can choose no epoxy, but we think it adds a nice touch. To keep it in place we go through a two step process, using both a morticing bit and then a dovetail bit (see the video).