OT: No more landscaping timbers in my future

Geo-TH,In · Mar 25, 2012

No more AC2 treated landscaping timbers in my future. They make good termite food. Timbers are 4 years old.

Replaced flower box with cement. If the termites eat this, I give up.

Tom in TN · Mar 25, 2012

George,

You are so right. I've built some flower beds in the past with landscaping timber. They last about 4 or 5 years and have to be replaced.

Pain in the neck.

Tom in TN

5020s rock · Mar 25, 2012

thats funny. i dug up 2 today from someone else. back in the day those were the hot item-lol.

rrlund · Mar 25, 2012

There's a .40 treated and a .60 treated. The .40 are junk. Found that out when a guy just to the south had a new pole barn built and the poles rotted off in a hurry. They said those .40 were nothing but landscape timbers.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 25, 2012

20 years ago you could buy green and brown treated landscaping timbers. I still have some 20 year old brown treated and they still look good.

Frightning to think they use the same lumber in a pole barn.

Bill(Wis) · Mar 25, 2012

Just what perzactly are termites?

ss55 · Mar 25, 2012

I have better luck with used railroad ties for landscape timbers.

JWalker · Mar 25, 2012

My Father in Law worked in a saw mill with a treatment plant for tweenty years. He informed me that "landscape timbers" are not dried before treating. The are put in the treatment vat as soon as they are cut. All other "treated" lumber is dried to a certain percent moisture before being treated. I have used booth .4 treated landscape timbers and .4 treated 4X4s on the same flower bed and the 4X4s lasted two to three times longer.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 25, 2012

You may find it hard to believe, I've seen termites eating the inside of a RR tie. My termite guy says that if wood is in contact with the ground long enough, termites will eat it.

Pitch · Mar 25, 2012

Built a big dog pen, used lanscape timbers as fence posts. Been sitting on shale with two feet of clay on top for close to ten years now. Solid as the day I put them in.

in-too-deep · Mar 25, 2012

Termite.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 25, 2012

"landscape timbers" are a product of a price-driven market. Way back when they were a new category of"treated" for price-only buyers. One gets what one pays for. Had you purchased "treated to refusal" quality, it would have cost you more initially but not as much as redoing it now.

You just believed the name, "landscape timbers" and thought that was just the ticket, which is understandable.

There is nothing wrong with GOOD, PROPERLY-done treated, it's just that landscape timbers are an inferior product.

JMS/.MN · Mar 25, 2012

More of an issue in Southern States.

IA Roy · Mar 25, 2012

I heard not to buy landscape timbers as they are made from what is left from a plywood veneer log, and the center part of the log is not near as good as the rest of the log. Also with buying 4x4 treated, do not buy 8' as they also are from the log centers. Buy 10' 4x4 and they will be a better post.

elmersooner · Mar 25, 2012

I think the concrete will work fine--did ya leave some holes for soil drainage?

MSD · Mar 25, 2012

As said by others, not all treated lumber is the same. If it is to be in contact with the ground you need ground contact rated boards. For above ground you can use the cheaper stuff. Tags on the end of the boards will tell you what you have.

oldironman · Mar 26, 2012

If you locast post they will last forever. I have some on the farm that are over 100 years old and are still solid for fence post.

Stephen Newell · Mar 26, 2012

It's always been pot luck with treated wood. They are suppose to put the timbers into a tank under pressure which forces the chemicals all the way through the wood. The problem is there are many unscrupulous companies that will put the timbers into a open tank with the purpose of just staining it green. Then since the concept of treated wood was such a great idea people started using it for raised beds in their vegetable gardens. The early treated wood contained arsenic and people were poising themselves by the stuff leaching into the soil. Then big brother got into it and made them quit using arsenic. Now the treated wood rated for ground contact is fairly good if done correctly but it pales to the day when it had arsenic.

mkirsch · Mar 26, 2012

Planting beds, feh. Rip 'em all out, level the area off, plant grass, and mow over it.

Texasmark1 · Mar 26, 2012

I don't mean to be offensive sir but I was stumped by your answer until I realized that you were referring to posts made from the Locust tree.

Mark

kyplowboy · Mar 26, 2012

Yep. The wife wanted a raised bed to put some stawberries in. Told me she didn't want to spend alot of money. She has one now, it's 18.4" tall, and 38" wide circle. If any critters eat it, they are welcome to it, I ain't stop'n them.

Dave

eastexan · Mar 26, 2012

(quoted from post at 05:23:51 03/26/12) If you locast post they will last forever. I have some on the farm that are over 100 years old and are still solid for fence post.

If you're referring to locust, it depends on where you live.
Here in the hot humid Deep South, there's no wood that will last underground unless it's thoroughly treated. Even wood laying on top of the ground will soon succumb to rot or termites.

OT: No more landscaping timbers in my future

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