Timber treatment

[sticks]

I've got a load of pallets and various other length of timber from my work. I'm planning on making a small raised bed and also edging the paths of my plot with it.

It's all plain sawn timber so I'm thinking I ought to treat it before I use it to make it last a bit longer. What sort of wood treatment would be most suitable - oil based creosote substitute/water based fence paint/solvent based fence preserver?

[sticks]

[saddad]

Anything is better than nothing... what can you afford... where do your "organic" scruples lie?  :-\

[plainleaf]

linseed oil.

[Melbourne12]

There's no doubt that creosote is still the best wood preservative.  But you can now only buy real creosote for trade or professional use.

There's a substitute called Creocote, but it's more expensive and less effective.

[sticks]

I'm not really in a position to spend £43 on a 25ltr drum of creosote - do you think the oil-based creosote substitute would be any good? I can get 5ltr for under £10. If I leave it to dry for a week or so will the oils leach out into the soil?

Linseed oil looks very expensive too.

[manicscousers]

We used fence paint on our raised beds, the posts in the corners rot anyway after a few years sat in the damp but we just replace them  :)
pics in our gallery

[Robert_Brenchley]

I got 25 litres of creosote substitute from creosotedirect recently; he seems pretty efficient. He didn't have proper creosote on eBay, or I'd probably have got that. I'm sure the stuff I have works though.

[Melbourne12]

I'm not really in a position to spend £43 on a 25ltr drum of creosote - do you think the oil-based creosote substitute would be any good? I can get 5ltr for under £10. If I leave it to dry for a week or so will the oils leach out into the soil?

Linseed oil looks very expensive too.

From anecdotal evidence only, a good soak in Creocote will prevent a fence post rotting for 3 years, whereas creosote will be 5 years or more.

[green lily]

What have you got in your stash/ back of the shed/ garage....At the moment I'm mixing some old creosote with brown woodstain  coz that what I've got.The next batch go green with some old green cuprinol and left over green stain from the wood on the house. pick an mix but make sure they are all thoroughly dry before you let them get in contact with soil or plants. Immerse the stake ends in the tin for several days to soak up as much as possible.

[gaz2000]

need to stain my raised beds over the coming weeks

i have used fence stain on them before,was cheap but it doesnt last very long,lucky to get through a summer with it and looks awful when its lost the colour

im thinking of creosote now or a substitute,il wire brush the timbers first to remove the few remains of fence stain

[Buster54]

I'm using old car engine oil on my shed and fence posts and any wood I use

[grawrc]

Since June 2003 it has been illegal for amateurs to buy, store or use creosote because of its toxicity. As well as protecting wood from rot, it kills off wood-boring insects. It is also, apparently, carcinogenic.

I remember, as a child, helping my Dad paint the garage with creosote and noticing that any plants it was spilt on died within a few days. Even if it were legally available I would be extremely reluctant to use it anywhere near food crops and certainly not for the wood edging for raised beds. Anyhow it's not a choice since it is banned.

My only proper raised bed is edged with bricks. The other beds are raised (i.e. the soil is higher than the grass paths between them) but have no edging. I found the edging became a haven for slugs and bugs so decided not to bother.

[Deb P]

I made my raised beds and compost heap fron old pallets back in 2006 and painted them with a Cuprinol type wood stain/preservative. I have since retouched them with Wilkinsons similar type of cheaper stain and it has lasted pretty well.It does fade over time but I quite like that, some of the wood is only now starting to split a bit but I thought 5 years was pretty good for old pallet wood!