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Planter made from wooden gravel boards

seatbeltnoob
seatbeltnoob Posts: 1,311 Forumite
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in Gardening
Anyone made planters out of gravel boards? How long did they last?


I have built an intricate starwberry tower out of treated gravel boards and want to get an idea of how long they last.


3 years ago I made a planter out of pallet wood. What a mistake - they rotted out after 2 years and made a mess as all the soil containing 200litre of soil started spilling out.

Comments

  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    Proper tanalised gravel boards ought to last 15 years. I have some here of that age, inherited from a previous owner, which I'm still using.


    But not all 'treated' gravel boards are created equal, so the question is where to they should be bought. Personally, I'd go to a long-established timber merchant, not a DIY shed.
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    It may be that a local saw mill has no pressure treatment facilities. I know mine hasn't.


    I have a good timber merchant within 20 miles, but otherwise, I buy stuff like fence posts etc from a farmers' store, where they buy nationally and have guarantees in place. I know they would provide sub-standard materials to farmers at their peril!
  • seatbeltnoob
    seatbeltnoob Posts: 1,311 Forumite
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    Davesnave wrote: »
    Proper tanalised gravel boards ought to last 15 years. I have some here of that age, inherited from a previous owner, which I'm still using.


    I have the original gravel boards that came with the property, they're over 30 years old and still fine. But would decades outdoors as long as the moisture can drain out of the wood.


    A planter is very different, it's going to be in constant contact with moist soil and never fully dry.
  • seatbeltnoob
    seatbeltnoob Posts: 1,311 Forumite
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    I would have thought pressure treated is exactly as it says, and they have to be treated according to clearly established standards by the timber industry. I get all my timber from arnold laver and are all very cheap and high quality.



    Being gravel boards they're not going to be the best quality timber. They will have eyes, knots, etc., they will be cut from weaker part of the tree. But at £1 a meter you can't argue with the price.
  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
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    seatbeltnoob wrote: »
    I would have thought pressure treated is exactly as it says, and they have to be treated according to clearly established standards by the timber industry.
    People might think that, but I have 9 fencing posts going back to the supplier which failed after 8 years of a 15 year guarantee.

    Knowing how these things go, it'll be another 9 next year.

    Of course, even if they do a full exchange without deductions, as Shield Fencing does, they still don't cover the cost of banging them in.
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