I think hypertufa might give you the perfect results, go check out the hypertufa forum, lots of recipes and pictures to inspire you. Cindy

don't use chickenwire-- it will rust and eventually show through the concrete.

Try searching for "faux bois" and see what you can find.

You could roughen up the surface of the pvc, then apply the concrete in a dry, rough mix, to the pvc, wrap in plastic and let it dry. You'd have to do one side at a time, then roll it over and do the next side would be my thinking.

OR...you could insert the pvc inside a large cardboard tube (the diameter of the 'tree' you want. Pour the concrete (again a dry mix with no aggregate, or you could use perlite as the aggregate) into the tube around the pvc. Let cure a while, then peel off the cardboard. While the concrete is still green you could scrape it up with your tool to give the appearance you want.

A dry mix you add moss to will also give a rough appearance. You could add sawdust too. Cement and sand are the basics for concrete, with water added to get the fluidity and bonding. We've made some concrete stuff using different aggregates (sawdust gives a very aged look). Mix up your mix with just a little water, then 'tamp' into the mold. You want a mix that barely holds together.

Good luck! Sounds like a cool idea.

Saw an artisan in France once make a faux-bois railing. Used rebar to shape the railing (posts and rail), and wired multiple pieces of rebar together. Dipped what appeared to be long strands of a fiber material (?horsehair - won't rust) in concrete until well saturated and gradually wrapped around rebar. Multiple wrappings and molding of shape. Final coats just conrete with added color and created details of bark. Other thouht would be to use 1/2 inch pipe insulation (sponge like) to dip in concrete.

I don't think you would want to use hypertufa for an arbor. 'Tufa is fine for containers and decorative objects, but it just doesn't have the strength of concrete.

You can use chicken wire as support, but use galvanized (aka zinc-dipped) wire, but make sure it's covered by at least 1/8-1/4" of concrete EVERYWHERE to prevent rusting and staining.

'Pup

i have never made an arbor out cement or hypertufa, but i am thinking about trying this next summer, i think the pvc pipe would do but rebar much better, i would use drywall tape (the sticky kind) and wrap it around the rebar or pvc pipe first, then do your concrete or tufa mix , i think for an arbor you would want a strong mix so bonding agent should be used, well , i am cheap and have always used elmers glue in my water it works fine,

Very interesting website with more info on both concrete and tufa structures than you'll ever use...

Here is a link that might be useful: Website link

wow, think this stuff would be strong enough to hold up a wisteria??? It might be the solution to my arching problem...

I need an arch about 8 feet high at the peak, 4 to 5 feet long and crossing a 3-4 foot sidewalk....

Check with Kylie on the Garden Junk forum. She posted a picture of one made exactly as described, except without the fork. Very dramatic.

Janie