Golden Gate

Dress up your yard with a well-designed entrance.

By Rachel White

Gates and fences often serve as the doors and walls to your outdoor rooms. While offering privacy and easy entry, these elements also can help you incorporate beautiful as well as thoughtful design. The possibilities are almost endless, but the gated arbor project featured here shows you one way to add style to your yard.

General Instructions

Consult a registered surveyor before moving or constructing a fence along roads and around your property so that property lines, setbacks, and restrictions can be marked.

Cut all parts for the arbor per the Cut List.
Build the side assemblies.
- Assemble the four posts by joining pairs of 2 x 4s, with the 3 1/2-inch rough sides facing, using glue and 8d nails.
- On a flat work surface, lay two posts 26 inches apart with the top edges aligned. Place a side rafter support flush with the top edge of the two posts, overhanging each by 1 1/2 inches. Attach using one 16d nail.
- Measure 36 inches below the side rafter support, and use a combination square to mark a line across the face of both posts. Below this mark, attach a short lath to each post with one 16d nail. Check the assembly for square. Drive additional 16d nails through the side rafter support and lath to secure them to the posts.
- Place a short lath directly below the side rafter support, and attach using glue and 16d nails. Measure and mark 10 1/2 inches below the lath. Attach a third lath to the posts with glue and 16d nails. Repeat with the fourth lath.
- Find the centerline of the upper and lower short lath, and mark 3/4 inch on each side of the centerline. At these marks, attach a tall lath flush with the top edge of the uppermost short lath and extending 12 1/2 inches below the lowest short lath. Secure it to each short lath with glue and 4d nails.
- Measure and mark a line 13 inches below the lower short lath, and install a stringer with its top edge along this line. The 1 1/2-inch side should be facing up, and the other side flush with the inside of the posts. Predrill pilot holes to prevent split wood, and attach the stringer to the posts with deck screws, inserting them through the bottom of the stringer into the posts at an angle.
- Measure and mark a line 25 1/2 inches below the bottom of the stringer, and install the second stringer below that mark in the same manner as above.
- Repeat Step 2 to construct the remaining side panel.
Install the side assemblies.
- To determine post locations, place four 16d nails into the ground, spaced 33 inches apart from side to side and 29 1/2 inches from front to back. Check for square.
- At each location, dig a hole measuring 12 inches in diameter and 16 inches deep. (Note: Before digging holes, call 1-888-258-0808 for your state's toll-free number to locate utility lines.) Add sand to the holes until they are approximately 12 inches deep. Place one side assembly into the holes that are 29 1/2 inches apart.
- Have a helper hold a level atop the side rafter support. Adjust the amount of sand in the holes until the support is level and measures 7 feet above the ground. Then use the level to make sure the posts are plumb.
- While your helper steadies the assembly, pour dry concrete mix into each hole to a depth of 6 inches. Tamp the mix around the posts until they are secure. Temporarily brace each post with scrap board while you are installing the other side assembly.
- Repeat the steps above, and adjust the posts until they are 30 inches apart and the side rafter supports are level with each other.
- Mix enough wet concrete mix, following the manufacturers instructions, to fill the balance of the holes. Pour wet mix into the holes to allow the concrete to slope from the post to the edge of the hole. Use a trowel to smooth the concrete, and taper the concrete toward the edges. This angle will divert rainwater from the posts and increase the longevity of the structure.
- Using glue and 16d nails, attach the front/back rafter supports to the assemblies while the concrete is still wet. The ends of the front/back rafter supports should be flush with the outside faces of the side supports. Allow the concrete to cure according to the manufacturers instructions before beginning Step 4.
Cut and install the rafters.
- Mark the layout of the rafters on the 2 x 4s. Using a compass, draw a 2 3/4-inch radius at each end of the rafter (see rafter detail).
- Use a jigsaw to cut along the 2 3/4-inch radius mark.
- Measure 5 1/2 inches in from each rafter end, and mark along the bottom edge. This will align the rafter with the face of the front/back rafter support.
- Locate the centerline of the front/back rafter support, and mark 3/4 inch to each side of the centerline. This is for placement of the center rafter.
- Attach the center rafter with glue, and drive 8d nails through it and into the front/back rafter support at an angle. Install the two outer rafters flush with the outside faces of the side rafter supports in the same manner.
- Install the other two rafters equidistant between the center and outer rafters.
Cut and install the brackets.
- Mark the layout of the brackets on the 1 x 6s. Using a flexible metal ruler and the bracket detail as a guide, draw the curve on one bracket section.
- After cutting the curve with a jigsaw and sanding the face of the curve, use this piece as a pattern to mark and cut the rest of the brackets for both the gate and the arbor.
- Join the eight brackets for the arbor into four pairs with glue and 8d nails driven in at an angle. Pair the brackets with rough sides facing.
- Attach the bracket pairs to the posts using glue and 8d nails, as shown.
Install the pickets.
- For this fence that faces a street, we cut a 6- x 8-foot fence panel to 36 inches the maximum height allowed by the home's local building code. The drop pieces will be used for the extra pickets needed along the interior of the arbor and the facing on the posts.
- Use a power miter saw to cut the drop pieces into pickets with a dog-ear pattern. Using 4d nails, attach the pickets to the post faces and the stringers per the illustration.
- At this point, you can attach the fence panels to the arbor before starting on the gate assembly.
Build the gate.
- Measure the width of the opening at two or three points. Subtract 1/2 inch from the smallest measurement for the width of the gate. (The gate pictured is 28 3/4 inches wide.)
- Cut the top rails, bottom rails, and the gate cap for the gates width per the Cut List. Cut the stiles per the Cut List.
- Assemble the two face frames per the illustration using glue and pocket hole screws. Attach the brackets (cut in Step 5b) to the face frames using glue and pocket hole screws.
- Cut the filler boards per the Cut List from nine of the extra pickets. Starting at the center, attach the filler boards to one of the face frames using glue and roofing nails. Scribe and rip the last filler board to fit.
- Attach the second face frame to the assembly using glue and 4d nails. Secure the gate cap to the top of the assembly using glue and 4d nails. Set the finished assembly aside until the glue has cured.
Install the gate.
- Cut several 1/4-inch spacers from scrap, and use them to center the gate in the opening. Use 3/4-inch-thick scrap to space the gate above the ground.
- Install the hinges using the fasteners provided, and be sure to center the hinge pin on the 1/4-inch space. Install the gate latch according to the manufacturers instructions.

Fancy Fencing

Consider these tips to create fencing that suits your needs and achieves the look you want.

Check local building codes before installing your fence. If you live in an area that requires shorter fencing along the streets, you can cut the wooden fence panels to the size you need.
Create a handsome, uniform view from the street, as well as from the backyard, by sandwiching the fence panels.
Paint or stain an existing wooden fence to instantly enhance your landscape or coordinate with your home’s exterior color palette. Lowe’s carries Olympic Maximum exterior products, which include great colors and sealants to prolong the life of your fence.
For ideas to dress up fences with a border of colorful plants, see “Fantastic Fence Borders” on page 56 of the September/October 2005 printed issue of Lowe’s Creative Ideas.

Illustration

Cut List

Part	Material	Size (in inches)	Quantity
Arbor
posts	2 x 4	1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 96	8
side rafter supports	2 x 4	1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 36	2
short laths	2 x 2	1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 33	8
tall laths	1 x 2	3/4 x 1 1/2 x 50	2
stringers	2 x 4	1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 26	4
rafters	2 x 4	1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 47	5
brackets	1 x 6	3/4 x 5 1/2 x 9	8
front/back rafter supoorts	2 x 4	1 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 39	2
pickets	fence panel	3/8 x 3 1/2 x 36	26
Gate Note: The dimensions given here are for this specific project, and lengths are determined by the actual opening. Your dimensions may vary and should be adjusted to your specific opening.
top rails	1 x 4	3/4 x 3 1/2 x 28 3/4	2
bottom rails	1 x 6	3/4 x 5 1/2 x 28 3/4	2
gate cap	1 x 4	3/4 x 2 3/4 x 28 3/4	1
stiles	1 x 4	3/4 x 3 1/2 x 24	4
filler boards	fence panel	3/8 x 3 1/2 x 33	9
brackets	1 x 6	3/4 x 5 1/2 x 9	8

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