Landscape Carpentry

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Reverend Blair
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Landscape Carpentry

Post by Reverend Blair » Sat Mar 13, 2010 6:22 pm

Landscape carpentry is just a fancy term for the crap you build in your yard. Mostly it works out to be fences and decks, but raised flower beds, wood retaining walls, picnic tables, wood gazebos, wheelchair ramps, sheds and rough housing for livestock, and even a free-standing stansion for two milk cows are all things I have some expertise in.

With the gardening/building season coming up, I thought I'd offer to answer questions anybody might have.

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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Bella Fortuna » Sat Mar 13, 2010 6:39 pm

How long before my arbor/trellis thing covering my patio collapses since I've noticed that one of the posts has completely rotted away and the base of it is gone? :cry: That's facetious, of course, but any recommendations for mitigating measures to prop up said post that wouldn't be horrible-looking? :?
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Mung Bean » Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:46 am

Post pics. Helps if we know more about what the structure looks like. If it's nothing major in the way of loads (like is it just holding up bugger all or a fully grown wisteria?) then you can probably get away with nailing a 4x2 up the back of it for now. It takes very little to hold a roof up if the loads aren't great. I've ripped out the entire front wall of a house and had the roof held up by a few Acrow props.
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by JimC » Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:04 am

My son and I made this a few months ago, to cover up a corner of the garden where I keep my compost bins:

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I have recently planted a couple of creepers which will eventually cover it...

We also made this climbing frame, destined to be covered by 2 passionfruit vines...

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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Bella Fortuna » Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:17 pm

Mung Bean wrote:Post pics. Helps if we know more about what the structure looks like. If it's nothing major in the way of loads (like is it just holding up bugger all or a fully grown wisteria?) then you can probably get away with nailing a 4x2 up the back of it for now. It takes very little to hold a roof up if the loads aren't great. I've ripped out the entire front wall of a house and had the roof held up by a few Acrow props.
I'll take a few photos when it gets light out. :cheers:
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by CJ » Sun Mar 14, 2010 1:25 pm

:pop: Tagged for future reference :cheers:

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Reverend Blair
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Reverend Blair » Sun Mar 14, 2010 4:04 pm

How long before my arbor/trellis thing covering my patio collapses since I've noticed that one of the posts has completely rotted away and the base of it is gone? That's facetious, of course, but any recommendations for mitigating measures to prop up said post that wouldn't be horrible-looking?
Okay, the best thing to do when something like this comes up is to replace the whole thing. You might be able to re-use some components, or repurpose them elsewhere, but when outdoor lumber construction starts to rot, it never stops.

That's expensive and a pain in the ass though. Most arbors are complicated bits of carpentry and pressure treated and rot-resistant lumber are expensive. So you can repair it.

If it's just one post, it's likely easiest to just replace the post. Usually if one is gone, the rest are on their way though. You can replace the posts (best repair option), or you can reinforce them with 2x4 or plywood gussets, or even use flat metal joiners. Cover the repairs by building some boxes at the bottom of all posts. Put some decorative trim around the edges. A problem just became a design feature. It's a bit of a cheat, and a temporary fix at best, since the rot will continue and the problem will recur, but it saves a lot of money and work for now.

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Reverend Blair
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Reverend Blair » Sun Mar 14, 2010 4:10 pm

jimC wrote:My son and I made this a few months ago, to cover up a corner of the garden where I keep my compost bins:
Cool. I have one composter that's just three old pallets nailed together, and one of those big black plastic ones that somebody asked me to throw out so I threw it out in my back yard. They look like hell, but they work. Some day I should build a trellis around them.

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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Mung Bean » Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:52 pm

Rev Blair is right about the rot continuing. Check all your other posts too. Try shoving a screwdriver into the bottoms of them and see if they are soft.

Important points when considering cheap, quick and temporary "fixes" are loads the structure has to deal with. This includes not just static loads but also things like wind loads. For instance, if the other posts are also dodgey and you get a lot of wind where you are then frankly there is no easy way out. You will really need to do the job properly. If the other posts are more or less ok for now and you are in a sheltered spot, and particularly if the structure is braced (or can be braced) by the actual house then you have more options. In that case I'd do the following.

Prop up the lintel with an Acrow or some 4x2's, then cut the really rotten bit off the bottom of the post so you have something approaching sound timber left at the end. This is best done with a power saw and two people: one to hold the post to stop it wobbling around while you cut.

Cut the post so you can half lap another bit of post onto it. Make a matching bit of post long enough to reach the ground. Drill a hole in the bottom of it and hammer a galvanised bolt or a bit of reo bar into said hole.

Dig as much rotten crap out of the concrete footing as you can and fill with new concrete. Plonk the new half lapped end in place and secure the two bits of post with some strategically placed dirty great screws.

Once the concrete has cured for a few days (assuming the temperature allows concrete to cure) remove the temporary props. Sorted.
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Bella Fortuna » Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:57 pm

Here are a few photos - it's really bad. The two posts on the left side are rotted - one completely gone where it's not making contact with the ground anymore. As you can see, it's a pretty elaborate trellis, which I'm not looking forward to having to replace (especially considering I just moved in here a month ago :? ) so I hope it'll stave off for awhile.
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the post without contact is where the cat is...
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Xamonas Chegwé » Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:58 pm

Better invite WB down for a *ahem* holiday. :hehe:
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Bella Fortuna
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Bella Fortuna » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:03 pm

I'm gonna need a whole work crew... I think I should invite WB, Mung Bean, & Rev. Blair for a "relaxing California holiday" (aka get that new trellis up as fast as if this were one of those terrible home makeover TV shows). :plot:
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by CJ » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:04 pm

Isn't an assistant due in a couple of weeks :hehe:

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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Bella Fortuna » Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:09 pm

He's gonna have plenty else to work on. :coffee:
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Reverend Blair
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About me: If I had my way I'd buy a few acres of land and an old tractor. I'd drive the old tractor around the land and passers-by would stop to ask me what kind of crop I was farming. "Crop?" I'd say, "Crops are work, I'm planting ideas."
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Re: Landscape Carpentry

Post by Reverend Blair » Mon Mar 15, 2010 3:46 am

Yeah, you should replace all of the posts. The upper section looks solid enough. Tough to tell by the pictures. I see some dark parts around the lag bolts up top though, is that just moisture or is the wood soft there?

Are the posts set in concrete? How deep do they go? Does code/soil and weather conditions there require concrete? It's the best solution in most places, but where I live setting posts in concrete is just a bad idea.

Mung Bean's method is an excellent temporary solution, but that much work for something that should be fixed properly within a year or so seems kind wasteful. The thing is that if it fails and comes down by itself, it will damage your patio furniture and possibly your house.

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