Material for raised beds

[i_am2bz]

We have a couple of raised beds, made with just regular pine boards which I know will rot within a few years...

...but DH says he has access to some architectural decking; I said, okay, but what the heck is it?? :/

He found it it on a website: "Trex Composite decking"; it's described as "a unique combination of wood & plastic fibers...prevents rotting & splintering...shields the wood from insect damage" etc.

Is anyone familiar with this product, & would it be safe to be used for raised beds?

 

[Collector]

I think that composite decking would work great for raised beds. It would also last a several lifetimes. I do not think that there would be any problems with chemicals from the material, also it is as easy to work with as wood. Good idea!

 

[yardfarmer]

This material was used on a project once. It's made from recycled plastic and natural wood fibers. The plastic is used to bond the wood fibers together.

The wood fibers are shorter than natural wood so it flexes easily, and will not take much loading. I would imagine that the force of the soil in a raised bed will bend the boards. You will need to add more bracing or posts to limit bending.

Also the wood fiber will rot over time, and nails or screws can fail. There are 100% plastic lumber materials around, but it costs quite a bit more than wood.

 

[bid]

I will echo what yard farmer said. Depending on the height, length and width of the beds you need to add some bracing about every 4 feet to prevent bowing. Screws are going to be better than nails for this product unless you use some type of ring shanked nail. Of course you mentioned that DH has access to it. If that means it is free I would give it a try. As far as I know this would be a 5/4 board so maybe double them up and that would provide some additional strength as well.

 

[i_am2bz]

Thanks, ya'll! DH thought the boards were pretty wide (11"?), which I think should be a good depth, & we'll plan on bracing them.

 

[obsessed]

I did a cheap an easy bed. I went to lowes and got 12 x 2. so they are 12 ft long 12 inches wide and 2 inches thick. I cut those to either 4 x 4 or 8 x 4 and just used nails to hold them together. two years later they are still holding up. ---------------------

 

[vfem]

My deck is composite... my husband the carpenter built it.

No need to stain or seal... will not splinter, crack or rot!

There are similar products out made from recycled plastics as well.

Good stuff, we are building a dock on our pond out of it next. Saves you the hassle of replacement over the long run... but they do need special screws that are about $80 a box! Unlike wood, it is more flexible so don't use 12 ft boards with a lot of weight on them... including dirt. You will need shorter beds with these.

Good luck!

 

[journey11]

That is what I *wish* my raised beds were made out of.

 

[i_am2bz]

but they do need special screws that are about $80 a box!

Yikes! That I didn't know!! :/

 

[bid]

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about using the screws that are designed for use with composites. You are not building a deck. If you were then I would say you will be much better off getting the right fastener for your project.

The problem with composites like this one is the plastic tends to build up around the screw head as it is driven in and prevents the screw from being driven flush or countersunk. A bit of it has to do with holding power as well. You can just drill a pilot hole and get just about the same results as you would with a screw designed for composites. A bit of extra work but you aren't going to be driving nearly as many screws as you would be using it for a deck. Just my cheap, I mean FRUGAL, 2 cents worth.