[JohnB47]

Hi all.

Just finishing constructing a compost 'bin' using some pallets. What would people recommend as a method of protecting the wood from rot? Hopefully not too expensive. Oh and I do intend to put a roof on it and collect the rain water off it, so that will help.

Or is it not worth the bother?

[lucywil]

if you are going to put a roof on it that means you will have to water the compost, it needs moisture

[Gandan57]

Agreed, a piece of old carpet would be ideal for the top. I think with pallets you`ll just have to accept that they won`t last forever.

If you have a good scource of pallets I`d have some stored for when the ones in use fall to bits.

[BabbyAnn]

You should get a few years out of them though - my first pallet compost bin has been erected 5 years now (and to make it look neat and levelled off and give it stability, I had dug a little trench for it to sit in) and it seems fine 

[compostqueen]

Mine's been going strong for about 7 years.  I lined mine with flattened out fertiliser bags to try and keep in some of the heat and I guess that may have helped protect the wood a bit.  Mine is unpainted but I think some Cuprinol wood stain etc would do a good job and make it look handsome too

I cover mine with a folded up tarp as you need to make life easy when it comes to adding and removing your compost. I water mine when it's dry

The front of mine comes away (screw at each corner) for removing the finished compost

[JohnB47]

Thanks all.

Some useful hints there.

[compostqueen]

My neighbour gave me an unusual compo bin recently. It's a great big round one with a series of holes in it and panels which slide up and down to get the compost out. The whole bin is made up of these sliding panels so it's very wobbly when it's empty. It has no lid (it may have once had) so yesterday I stirred the compost, bashed it about with a spade and made some air holes in it with a long metal pole and then I folded up a large tarp and covered the compost, tucking the tarp in very snugly, to keep the heat in. Hopefully I shall have some cooked compost very shortly 

I do love a freebie    It was just cast aside, sitting there, unloved