Assembling Garden Bridge Kits

A garden bridge kit is something like a puzzle. I really enjoy the satisfaction I receive when I have completed a puzzle. A garden bridge kit contains all the pre-cut wood pieces and hardware for a complete garden bridge. It also contains assembly instructions, so this puzzle doesn’t have to frustrate you. In fact, a lot of the garden bridge kits I’ve seen are estimated as requiring an assembly of 2 to 3 hours. So a garden bridge makes a nice project for an afternoon or weekend.

Here are a few practices I’ve found to be helpful in completing similar assembly projects. I think if you try these out, you’ll find that your garden bridge assembly flows smoothly.

Before I begin, I often try to identify all the parts and verify that my kit includes the correct number of each part. It’s much easier to identify at this stage if a part is missing than when the garden bridge is half assembled, and you may have mixed up a couple pieces.

You may also find it helpful, after you’ve verified you have the correct parts, to lay out the parts necessary for each step. Then, as you assemble the garden bridge, you can flow right from one step into the next.

I prefer to complete assembly projects either sitting or standing. So I make sure that I have a surface such as a work bench or sawhorses, or I bring in a chair so I can assemble small pieces in my lap comfortably. I finding squatting and kneeling uncomfortable, so I take time to create a comfortable work environment. This preparation takes extra time at the beginning but allows the rest of the project to flow smoothly.