[utigers]

Hi there I bought some scaffold boards and asked if they were treated, and they arent.

Would you treat them before making raised beds?

I was only thinking of using clear stuff, would you bother? Looking at some sort of clear varnish?

Thanks

[mumofstig]

they can rot away pretty quickly if you don't treat them 

Varnish wouuldn't stop them rotting......you need to use a proper wood preservative (not shed paint stuff either - that's little more than a colour)

[utigers]

What would you use?

One of these : http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/search?q=*&parentCategoryRef=96&pdxttype=Wood+Preservers

Or something different?





Edit link to allow it to work.

[arugula]

From that list, I'd go for the 2.5 litre £17.95 one. You might get it cheaper elsewhere though, so if you have DIY or builders merchant stores near you, try them too. Don't forget to soak the ends of the planks.

[greenthing]

I always try to source untreated wood and leave it untreated if it's going to be used near edible crops. I'd rather replace it every few years than have chemicals leaching into the ground and therefore my food....but I'm an organic freak 

[utigers]

Thanks for the replies, going to work out pricey by the time I have made all my raised beds etc.... might have to wait for some special offers  


Just found this, not sure if it would be ok? : http://www.screwfix.com/p/sikagard-universal-wood-treatment-clear-5ltr/66962

[arugula]

Just found this, not sure if it would be ok? : http://www.screwfix.com/p/sikagard-universal-wood-treatment-clear-5ltr/66962

I think not, it seems to be a treatment against nasties, rather than a preservative against weather etc..

[jrko]

mine have been down 3yrs without treatment and are still fine.  You can get them so cheaply (or at least we can in Newhaven) its probably not worth the bother

[utigers]

The boards around me are pretty cheap £2 for 6ft, but I just wondered what the best thing to do was.

[Goosegirl]

I got some about 10 years ago for raised beds and have just had to replace them this year as they did eventually rot. I did use a wood preservative on the outside at the beginning, but you can't repeatedly treat the inside of the boards as they are covered by soil, so the rot starts there.

[Tenhens]

How about lining the inside with plastic sheeting , dustbin bags, empty grow bags anything like that. I made a raised bed a few weeks ago using pallet wood and used the latter.

[Amilo]

I use railway sleepers, yes I know that they are soaked in creosote (that is why I use them) and the are more expensive than sleepers. to counteract the creosote I wrap the timber in pond liner type plastic, even my green house is treated this way and I can see or taste or smell nothing that worries me.

IF I ever use scaffold boards I will use creosote and wrap them in plastic the same way

[mumofstig]

Only certain proffessionals are allowed/licensed to use/buy Creosote now, it's lethal stuff!
I didn't think you could still get the creosoted railway sleepers either

What you see instead is often called Creosote substitute on the tins.

[carlrmj]

When I made my raised beds (I've got 15, 8x4 ft )I first painted them with fence panel

preservative from asda 4quid for 10 litres ( on offer last year).

This won't protect totally but will slow down the rotting process,I was also lucky to have 100's

of old slate roofing tiles lying around,which I put between the soil and the scaffolding

boards,to give extra protection .

Cheers Carl

[Amilo]

Only certain proffessionals are allowed/licensed to use/buy Creosote now, it's lethal stuff!
I didn't think you could still get the creosoted railway sleepers either

What you see instead is often called Creosote substitute on the tins.

Second hand sleepers dripping in creosote are still for sale in south Wales. Maybe the supply will eventually dry up.