Treating Raised bed timber in a veg plot

topmanamillion

I am making a raised bed from some pallet wood and im wondering what I can treat the timber with to extend its life.

Borzoi

topmanamillion wrote: »

I am making a raised bed from some pallet wood and im wondering what I can treat the timber with to extend its life.

Not sure if you can for a veg bed, due to the risk of the preservative leeching out and into your veg

worded

Consider polythene against the wood.

Google it ?

rickmoister

As I read your post I remembered my grandfather charring the end of fence posts to protect them in the ground. I don't how feasible it would be to do it to pallet boards.

topmanamillion

Borzoi wrote: »

Not sure if you can for a veg bed, due to the risk of the preservative leeching out and into your veg

This comment got me thinking, is pallet wood safe to use? the pallets im using, were used for cattle meal. They don't look like they were treated with anything.

Day Lewin

In my experience of pallet wood, it is very durable. Quite hard to cut and not much good for burning. Just think how many bits of pallet you might see discarded on waste ground...!!

I would just use it as-is, and be prepared to replace after five years if needs be: after all, pallets may be cheap or even free.

keltoms05

:eek: pallet wood is great for burning, especially in stoves!

topmanamillion

keltoms05 wrote: »

:eek: pallet wood is great for burning, especially in stoves!

I agree they are great for burning that's the only thing ive been using them for so far but I was out in the shed the other night breaking it up and I saw all the planks and wondered if there was something I could make out of them hence the raised beds idea.

I have bought a tool specially designed to take them apart, due to arrive this week.

They are very hard to cut I've been using a big teeth hack saw and a hammer and it could take up to an hour. I considered buying a reciprocating saw but spending E60+ on one kind of defeated the purpose of "cheap fire wood".

keltoms05

yeah i find a chainsaw the easiest way!

topmanamillion

aw jesus I wouldn't go near one with a chair saw! best case a nail hits the chain worst case the chain and nail hit your head!

topmanamillion

aw jesus I wouldn't go near one with a chain saw! best case a nail hits the chain, worst case the chain, nail and all the light timber hit your head!