TRELLIS IS EASY TO BUILD AND EASY TO ADMIRE

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 4, 1993                   TAG: 9304050274
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: E-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Curt Richert
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
TRELLIS IS EASY TO BUILD AND EASY TO ADMIRE
With the arrival of spring, it's OK to start planning that trellis you've wanted to build.
Trellises serve many uses: allowing flowering vines to grow; being a screen for unsightly spots in yards; and providing shade to a portion of a yard.
While there are different types of trellises, the basic design is much the same. Essentially, a trellis is a frame placed in the ground or attached to a building that allows plants to climb freely. The frame is constructed according to how it they be used and what it will support.
A free-standing trellis, not attached to a larger structure, is built with 4-by-4s or larger lumber serving as uprights. The bottom is set in concrete.
Larger lumber should be used if you plan to add onto the trellis or if you're not sure it's strong enough.
Begin by placing the uprights in the ground parallel to one another. If you plan to connect one trellis to another and creat an arbor, build all the uprights square with one another. The distance between the uprights is up to your needs. Attaching smaller strips of wood between the uprights like a ladder rung will help prevent swaying.
Building-supply stores carry large sheets of prefabricated lattice to simplify construction. These sheets come in assorted sizes ranging from 2 feet square to 4 by 8 feet.
To create an arbor, all you have to do is connect the top of one trellis to another with crosspieces. Use a 2-by-6 to carry the weight of the lattice across the top or a 2-by-8 to carry heavier materials. Attach metal angle brackets to the crosspieces to add strength and rigidity to joints.
For a more complex trellis, such as one with a seat, add a larger crosspiece where the seat will go.
The seat can be built of 2-by-8s or 2-by-10s attached horizontally with the larger side facing up between the uprights. The height of the seat may vary, but 18 inches is a general guide. Use metal angle brackets under the seat for support.
One tip - since the trellis will be outside, use pressure-treated lumber to prevent rot. If you want to paint the trellis, be sure to use primer so the paint will last awhile. Without a primer, the paint likely will peel. I built a trellis a few years ago and had to apply a coat of paint every season.

Curt Richert is a staff writer for this newspaper.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB