vita Carolina 57 inchW x 88 inchH Composite Vinyl Arbor

We wanted an arbor to frame our fountain and match the color of our deck and support some vines. To save money we looked at several vinyl arbors instead of wood; while most looked flimsy (and were considered so by several reviewers), this one looked more sturdy so we decided to take a chance, thinking we could return it if it didn't look solid. We also had concern that it was lighter in color than our deck, but again we thought we would check it out first.We were pleasantly surprised on all counts. Assembly was quite easy with a little patience and occasional help. Had to drill a few pilot holes that were missing, and had to use some of my own cement when the tube that was supplied ran out. The pre-drilled holes on the top beams are set for exactly 50" inside width, and we wanted to reduce that slightly so had to drill new pilot holes and adjust the spacing of the end filters.We wanted to mount the arbor with the front legs on the deck and the back legs on the ground, about 12" lower. In order to do this, we turned the two lattice end frames upside down, since the longer legs that were on the top would reach the ground. Then we cut the front legs about 6" so they would rest on the deck, drove a pressure-treated 2x4 into the ground at each back leg and slipped the back legs over them until the front legs rested on the deck. We then screwed the back legs to the 2x4s and screwed an L bracket to each front leg (with a wood insert inside the leg) and to the deck. The result was a solid base, and while the arbor itself flexes slightly if pushed against, I'm sure it will withstand any winds. We also transplanted a vine on each end and weaved it into the lattice. The final result was very attractive, and the arbor color is close enough to the deck color that it is not noticeable.

We love our arbor/trellis and are going to buy a second one to place on the opposite side of our patio. It was time consuming but not difficult to put it together, the two of us. It would be more challenging without two people working together. The instructions are clear and concise. We are very happy with the finished product. The boxes at the bottom in the photo were built and attached by my husband because we had no way to secure the arbor into the ground. We also added the leg extenders which raised the height a few inches. We are pleased that we will not have to stain a wooden arbor and believe that this will hold up much better over time. The cost was reasonable. We love the look of the new arbor and have planted purple clematis in the planter boxes.

This is an excellent value for an arbor - with a few shortcomings. On the plus side, the color for the main structural pieces is very good and very wood-like in appearance. Once assembled and firmly installed, it looks great. On the minus side, the plastic end pieces (finials?) are a markedly different color from the vinyl structural pieces and appear to be, upon a not-too-close inspection, a darker, and rather cheap, plastic. This definitely detracts from the overall look of the installed arbor, particularly close-up. Assembly was not difficult, but would have been greatly eased by some additional pre-drilled pilot holes for the self-tapping screws. While the screws will self-tap, I found that drilling pilots holes greatly eased the process. I assembled it by myself in about 2.5 hours, and I think it would take considerably less time with a 2-person crew. Bottom line: this would be a 5-star review but for the color differences in the main pieces and the end caps.

This arbor turned out beautiful - I love it! But there were a few issues with assembly that may have been easier if the instructions were clearer. The instructions said "no need to use excessive force" but we couldn't get the "rungs" on the side to snap into the vertical supports. Called the mfr. and they said to wiggle them back and forth and completely insert them because they DID need to snap completely in. What we found worked was to wiggle them back and forth while another person put strong downward pressure on them. whew! finally snapped in. We ended up leaving a space of 52" rather than 50" between the supports because that's what worked best with our gate, and it worked perfectly. We found that cutting a length of wood 52" to use as a spacer, and using a carpenter's square to line things up, helped too. And we found it was easier to keep the arbor lying down rather than standing it upright for Step 2. We did make a paper template for the 4 screws on the end of each beam, because...we're picky! All in all - it's perfect. Matches our new vinyl fence and gate as though it was made to go with them. Couldn't be happier with this arbor.