HOW TO MAKE TRELLIS FENCE

How to Make Trellis You can buy ready made trellis , but you may want to make your own to get the look that's just right for your garden. You need to use pressure treated timber. For trellis panels, tiling battens or roofing laths are ideal. You'll find these at builders' merchants and timber yards. Paint or stain the timber to match other timber in your garden. Paint pads and sprays give better results. Either use an outdoor paint, wood stain, or dilute an interior paint in a 1 : 3 mix with white spirit or water, according to the type of paint. Diluted interior paint will not hold its colour outside as long as specialist exterior materials. Sketch out your design and work out what quantities of materials you'll need. The size of openings or gauge will depend on the amount of privacy or screening you need.

Level space to work; lengths of 38 mm x 18 mm tiling batten; galvanized nails or staples; saw; hammer; a spacer - a piece of timber the same width as the spaces you want to make your trellis. Optional: paint or stain; plastic sheet to cover ground; treated timber to make a frame for a more substantial trellis panel - 25 mm x 75 mm, 25 x 50 mm, or to suit finished size of trellis. You will need a double frame to 'sandwich' the trellis, metal corner fixings, nails or screws. Frame - optional: make two rectangular frames the size you need using the large treated timber. Cut the corners at 45°, to give a neater finish, and fix pieces together using metal brackets. Lay one frame on the ground and make up the trellis as shown below, securing the battens to the framework. Trellis - cut the vertical battens to length and lay them out on the ground. Space them uniformly to your gauge, using the timber spacer. Cut the horizontal battens to the size you need. Put the first one in position on top of the taller pieces using the spacer. Use nails or staples to attach the top batten to the bottom pieces at every intersection. Continue with the other pieces until you have built up your trellis. Frame option: place the finished trellis panel on top of one of the frames. Lay the other frame on top to complete the double frame. Fix the frame to the trellis. Use either nails as before, or for a more decorative effect use brass screws with cups. You may need to drill holes for these. For taller framed trellis, you may want to add a bracing bar across the middle of the panel to strengthen the structure. Fix finished panels to the posts you have positioned. Fix the battens together to make panels Fix the finished panels to the upright posts Make sure the panels are

How to build a raised vegetable bed

You will need

• 3.9m scaffolding planks, 3.7cm thick, x 2
• Soil
• Organic matter
• Pliers
• Hand saw
• Jigsaw
• Tape measure
• Ruler

Do it: autumn - winter

Overview

Raised beds are ideal for vegetable growing - maintenance is easier, as you don't need to dig, and the soil doesn't get walked on and compacted. A robust raised bed can be constructed from interlocking scaffolding boards, which look attractive and are inexpensive.

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How to do it

1Remove the metal banding from the ends of the planks with pliers.

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2Using a hand saw, cut each board in two to give one 2.3m and one 1.6m length. This is about the maximum width of bed that can be easily tended, but the dimensions can be altered to fit your site.

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3Mark out the vertical slots. On the long edge, measure 8cm from the end and draw a line down to the exact centre of the plank, parallel to the short edge. Draw a second parallel line a further 3.7cm (the thickness of the board) from the first, and join up the two lines. Repeat this step at the opposite end, along the same edge, on each plank.

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4Using a hand saw, cut along the two parallel lines the centre line. Then get the jigsaw and position it two-thirds of the way along the first cut and saw diagonally towards the centre line, turning the jigsaw as you go. Once the main portion of wood has been removed, go back and straighten up the shorter line.

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5Slot the planks together to form the bed. This is easier to do with two pairs of hands, as you need to keep the boards level so that they drop into place. Fill the bed with soil and organic matter, ready for early-spring planting.

How to make a wooden planter

You will need

• 5cm x 5cm pressure-treated timber in these lengths: 9 x 100cm, 7 x 60cm, 23 x 40cm, 1 x 45cm
• 3.45m length of 15cm x 1cm gravel board
• Saw, drill, 3mm wood drill bit
• Screwdriver, try square, pencil, tape measure
• 75 x 7.5cm and 20 x 5cm zinc-plated screws

Do it: spring - autumn

Takes just: one weekend

Overview

A wooden planter is a great way of creating a bed to grow plants and vegetables in if you are short of space. Your wooden planter can be adapted to fit any corner, depending on your needs. And as it's made of pressure-treated timber it can be stained in any colour and won't rot.

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How to do it

1Mark and cut all the pieces of timber to the correct lengths, cutting the ends as squarely as possible for a smooth finish. Using a 3mm drill bit, make a hole around 2.5cm from the end of every length to stop the wood splitting when you put in the screws.

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2Lay out two 100cm, 60cm and 40cm lengths to form the frame. Butt one end of each length up to the next with the drilled holes on the side. Check the angles with the try square before fitting a screwdriver attachment and fixing the frame together with 7.5cm screws.

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3Cut treated gravel board to the appropriate lengths for the planter bottom. Place the bottom boards on the frame. Don't worry if there are gaps up to 5cm wide between the boards as the planter will be lined. Pre-drill the bottom boards, check the frame is square again, then attach the boards to the frame using 5cm screws.

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4Flip the frame over onto the other side so the bottom boards sit on the ground. Lay the next course and alternate the corner joins. Check all ends are flush and fix with 7.5cm screws.

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5Build up four layers in this way. Instead of a final 60cm piece, lay a 100cm length across the gap to support the raised square.

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6For the perfect fit, measure the cross-bar piece when it's in position across the frame and cut it in situ.

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7Attach one end of the length with a 7.5cm screw from above, as shown. Fix the other by screwing into it from the outside of the frame.

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8Lay the 45cm length across the other gap, lining it up with the adjacent side to make a rectangle (see picture). Check the angles and screw it into place.

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9Finish this layer by placing two 40cm lengths at right angles to the 45cm piece, then cut the final length to fit the remaining gap. Continue adding courses of 40cm lengths of timber, with alternating joints, until the raised section of the planter is four layers deep.

How to Install Outdoor Lighting

Skill Level: Beginner

Highlight your home with outdoor lighting.

Looking to make a dramatic change to your landscape without a dramatic change to your budget? You can provide safety, security and curb appeal to your home by installing decorative outdoor lighting. We'll show you how to create highlights and shadows with some strategically placed lamps. It's a fairly simple project that you can easily complete in a weekend.

Tools and Materials

• Lawn Edger

• Wire Cutters

• Tape Measure

• Light Kit

Lighting Your Yard

Low-voltage outdoor lighting systems are inexpensive to operate, easy to install, safe and movable. Installation is truly a do-it-yourself project. Low-voltage lighting is shock-free and safe. The hardest part is choosing from the wide assortment of styles.

Outdoor lighting around your home will make it a safer place to walk after dark, helping to deter crime. Reports show that a well-lit home discourages criminal trespassing. On the practical side, well-designed exterior lighting extends the evenings for outdoor activities.

To make it easier for guests and emergency vehicles to locate your house, light your house numbers. You can place them so your porch light shines on them, or just direct a small spotlight up from the ground to illuminate the address.

What to Buy

Outdoor wiring must always be grounded. It must also be rated as water-resistant-U.L. approved for outdoor use (U.L. stands for Underwriters Laboratories). Fixtures rated for interior use should never be used outdoors. For pool and fountain lights, use only fixtures that are especially labeled for use in these areas.

Sets — Prepackaged light sets offer the most convenient way to purchase complete, low-voltage outdoor lighting systems.

Separately — Mixing and matching light fixtures allows different lighting effects to be produced. Create a custom light set of any size. A complete line of accessories and components are available — power packs, cable connectors, bulbs, etc. — for completing custom lighting projects.

Architectural Grade — Fixtures are made of high-quality die-cast aluminum or industrial polymers that feature commercial durability and brightness.

Landscape Lighting Designs

Take a tour around your yard. One way to determine what areas you want to accent with lighting is to observe the effects created by the sun and moon on your home and yard.

Select a focal point or main element to build your lighting plan around. Elements to consider are large trees, the main entrance, a front walk or a specially landscaped portion of your yard.

Look for dark spots in corners and behind large bushes. Look for potentially hazardous steps and curbs. Light these areas for safety and security.

Combine lighting techniques (see Lighting Techniques) for interest and appeal. For example, backlight a row of bushes along a wall, uplight a nearby tree while bordering a pathway with soft downlighting.

Sketch out your yard and home on graph paper. Be sure to include landscaping and walkways. Next, sketch in the locations where you wish to install the fixtures and light patterns. After installation, test your plan. Rearrange or add to the plan as necessary to achieve the look and feel you want.

Be sure to check local codes when planning your lighting scheme. Outdoor electrical work sometimes requires a permit from your town or county before you begin installation. Also check for the location of easements. An easement is an area on your property where the city, town or county is authorized at any time to build a road, lay sewer, run wires, etc. If you don't have a site plan with this information, check with town hall.

Next, check for underground gas lines, plumbing or cabling. Most areas are served by a dig safe service. This service is free and includes an inspector coming to your home to locate any underground lines. A quick and easy solution is to plug into an existing grounded outlet, on a deck for instance.

Soft lighting is the best for creating effects. The most common form of outdoor lighting is holiday lighting. Ordinary Christmas tree lights use less power than you might think: one-kilowatt hour for nine hours of light, which is about the same amount a small kitchen appliance would use in an average month.

When designing your outdoor lighting system, give thought to the most convenient locations for installing switches. You may wish to have them indoors so you can turn everything on or off from inside.

Special photocells attached to your lighting system will automatically turn the lights on. You can also equip your outdoor lighting with a programmable control system.

Plot Plans

1. Get a quality measuring tape. The longer the tape, the easier it will be to measure long distances accurately, with minimal use of stakes or other items to mark your place.


2. Measure the outline (border) of your property first, and then measure the distance from the property line to the house and other structures. Show all the walls, masonry and all the flower beds.


3. Be sure to write down all the measurements you make on your grid.


4. Add the shape of trees, shrubs and flower beds last and label them appropriately. Place a cross where the center of the tree trunk is located. (All trees over 6 inches in diameter should be drawn to scale.)


5. Now you can accurately plot where you'll place your outdoor lights.

Lighting Techniques

To make choosing a little simpler, first determine what lighting effect you're trying to achieve. Safety and security are both an apparent benefit when lighting up the dark however you choose to do it. Tier lights on steps and walkways create safer passage. Floodlights are a good choice for eliminating dark areas around windows and doors. With little effort, you can bring out the colors and shadows of foliage and the many textures your landscaping has to offer.

For further enhancement, consider adding more color to your outdoor lighting. Accessory items are available in red, green, blue and amber for creating just the right mood. Consider using one color scheme, such as blue, for a cooling effect, and amber for warmth. A mixture of colors will add drama to your outdoor lighting.

Consider the following techniques:

Downlighting — Lights are mounted high up in a tree or arbor and aimed downward for a soft and romantic feeling. Use spots, floods and spreads.

Uplighting — Fixtures are surface- or ground-mounted and angled upward to highlight a key object. Use spots, floods or in-ground fixtures.

Cross Lighting — Lights are mounted on either side of a tree, gate or arbor to reveal detail and soften shadows. Use spots or floods.

Shadowing — A light is placed at ground level to throw an object's shadow on a surface behind it. Use spots, floods or in-ground fixtures.

Silhouetting — The surface behind an object is lit for a striking effect. Use spots, floods, or in-ground fixtures.

Accent Lighting — Intense light is focused on a specific object to contrast it against a dark background. Use spots or minispreads.

Spread Lighting — Circular patterns of light illuminate flowers and low shrubs from above. Use spread fixtures.

Grazing Light — A beam of light just grazes the surface of an object to reveal its texture. Use spots, floods or in-ground fixtures.

Transformers

You'll need to compute the total wattage of your outdoor fixtures to determine the necessary transformer.

Compute the Total System Wattage

Multiply the quantity of each fixture by the watts for each fixture, to determine the total wattage necessary to power them. Then add all total fixture wattages together to determine the total system wattage needed.

Determine the Right Transformer

Now that you've determined the total wattage necessary to power your lighting plan, you must select a transformer to handle the total wattage. Divide the total wattage by the transformer wattage to determine the number of transformers needed. Then select the control option (timer, photo control, manual on / off) you desire to control your lighting plan.

Estimating Your Cable Lengths

1. Determine the length of your individual runs, the distance from the last light to the closest outlet (transformer).


2. Select the gauge wire you need, which will be determined by the length of the run.

Installation

1. Connect the transformer (follow the instructions included with the transformer).


2. Lay the cable. Low-voltage cable can be covered with wood chips or decorative stones, or simply hidden under bushes or foliage.


3. A lawn edger cuts just the right depth in the ground to bury your cable. Or you may prefer to make a cut in the yard surface at a 45-degree angle, pry up the sod, drop in the cable and press the sod back into place.


4. Place the fixtures where you want them, adjusting for the desired lighting effect.


5. If the system has an automatic timer, set it to the desired on / off times.

BUILDING A TIMBER CUPBOARD

WELCOME TO OUR BUILDING A TIMBER CUPBOARD PROJECT

Summary: Building a cupboard. Timber frames for storage units

This project contains basic principles for building a frame for a  basic cupboard. It can be expanded on by using different designs, the struts can be moved to accommodate shelves or simply left open plan. It will give you the idea of building storage space onto your home and can even be adapted to make a corner cupboard. The timber sizes can be changed and more struts can be put in to ensure greater strength if you feel you need it. The structure can be fixed to any wall, ceiling or floor using our guides to fixing. Check the wall, floor and ceiling area for pipes and cables before you drill anything.

Tools you will need. Most of these can be found at the bottom of this page, the rest can be found by clicking on the toolstore link at the bottom of the page.

We suggest for this simple cupboard you use 50 x 50mm PSE timber. This stands for Planed, Squared Edge and simply means prepared for joinery, as opposed to the "sawn" state timber is in when it leaves the timber mill. It is also called, in its prepared state, PAR which is Planed All Round.
With the number of different door designs available from kitchen and DIY stores these days we suggest it may be a good idea for you to find the doors (if you intend to have them) first. The frame can easily be built around the door size and you will have guaranteed matching your existing decor.
We have deliberately not given any dimensions in the project. Even when planed timber can vary by a mm or so and ceiling heights can vary considerably. Measure your own timber and other dimensions carefully and remember.>Measure twice-Cut once
Use a carpenters square to make all cuts. Neat joints are impossible without a completely square face to begin with. Also if the timber is not square at the end, a measurement to the other end will vary, depending on which side you measure from. This can make it impossible to get a decent finish.

A variety of joints can be seen in our timber joints projects and some special joints are shown here. The principle of cutting them is exactly the same as shown in the timber joints projects. Please remember it takes many years to become a carpenter or joiner. If this is your first project, or you have not done much carpentry, buy an additional length of timber and practice your joints before embarking on a project which will become a feature in your home. An 8 foot length of sawn timber to practice on will cost pennies compared to the waste of materials if you mess up with the real thing.
Check your walls are square to each other using our 3, 4 5 method shown below.
 HOW DO I CHECK MY ROOM IS SQUARE (click on link for more tips and tricks)

Floor tiling, carpets, any number of things around the home require a degree of setting out. Remember a quarter of an inch out at one end of a 12 foot room, means about 2 inches out at the other end. It is important to start any appropriate projects with straight and square lines and it is very easy to accomplish. The method is called 3,4,5 and for the technically minded is based on Pythagoras's theorem which we won't go into now ! Suffice to say that if you measure along one wall 3 feet (or metres or any other unit), and along the other wall 4 of the same unit, the diagonal line in between the points should measure 5 units. If it does your walls are square, if it doesn't, you need to mark some points that are square to start your work.

Draw your plan before you start.

All joints need to be "made" before any of the frame is fixed to the wall, floor or ceiling. Once cut, fix the two uprights absolutely vertically on the walls using the struts as spacers to get them in the right position. Fix the struts and the centre upright together using glue and screws. Make sure the screw heads are counter sunk into the timber or they will push the cladding out. Use a tenon saw to cut the skirting back if your prefer that to cutting the frame around the skirting. Frame can be fixed to the wall using a 7mm masonry bit with red wall plugs and (for 50mm timber) 3 inch, number 8 screws. For fixings to plasterboard use our guide. Also fixing to lathe and plaster.

Floor/ceiling + cross rail joints

Cross rail to post joints

Mark the position of the struts lightly on the walls when your frame is in place. You will not be able to see them when you are attaching the cladding, making fixing to them a bit of a lottery. The pencil marks can be rubbed out later.
Next, cut and fix the shelf or shelves. This can be done more easily when you can get to all sides. The side rails which support the cladding should be fixed at no less than 600mm centres for 12.5mm cladding and if your cladding is thinner than that, they should be spaced at 450mm centres.
The shelves and cladding material we have left up to you.

We always prefer to use screws to fix the cladding to the frame even if we are using plasterboard. Sink screw heads into the cladding and fill over them to get a flush face on which to decorate.
The joints between the cupboard and the wall/ceiling can easily be filled with flexible filler or decorators caulk using an sealant or "applicator" gun as shown below. Alternatively you may like to fix some coving or a shaped timber moulding.