Treated Landscape Timbers?

[big rockpile]

How long will Treated Landscape Timbers last set in Concret for Post?

big rockpile

Duh , till they rot off !!! Just kidding , I don't have any idea .

[sandc]

We have some in AR that have lasted since '93, and some that rotted off by '95.
I seem to remember that the ones that are still standing were the ones that were extra heavy which I think was because they were still green or fresh treated. My grandfather also had us use a roofing nail to nail the lid from a #10 can to the tops of the posts and then beat the edges down to create a cap on the tops.

[Old John]

Not very long, I'm thinking.
Seven years ago when we were getting ready to move out of the City, to this place in the Country, my DBrudder, talked me into using them for fence post....."Heyy, they're a lot cheaper And they are treated."

So we put up the dogs yard, out back with treated landscape timbers. We set them in the ground 30", and stretched 48" woven wire, tight on them. They are in hard clay soil and packed tight as can be.

Within the last 6 months we have lost a few, 6 or 8, already. They are rotting off at ground level. We also have a couple that the dumb woodpeckers are working on. Must be some insects in there or the Woodpeckers wouldn't be digging those rows of holes, hunnh. We are replacing most so far with steel t-posts. Oh, the Corners and braces are good 7/8" treated fence posts. Those are fine. It's a 140' by 140' yard.

Do Not Waste your Time trying to fence with landscape timbers. I think in time, you'll just regret it.

[oregon woodsmok]

"Treatment" is only painted on, not pressure treated. They don't last long.

The newer pressure treated posts don't last long, either. My new fence started breaking off at ground level after only 2 years.

I can still purchase the green arsenic/ copper treated peeler poles, but only from an agricultural company. I guess different rules for farmers. I expect those posts to last well. But they are about $12 - $16 each--- cheaper than disassembling the fence and re-doing the posts.

I've been using some of the metal poles, like for cyclone fencing. There are all sorts of brackets to attach different types of fencing to them. I don't know how long they will last, but I see the commercial fence companies are using them to put up board fences now instead of the wood posts.

[Bearfootfarm]

They don't make good fence posts

They tend to warp badly and will only last a few years

[TnAndy]

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

"Treatment" is only painted on, not pressure treated. They don't last long.

Yep...they are dipped in preservative, not pressure treated. They aren't even that good as landscape timbers, much less fence posts. Don't waste your money.

As Oregon said, go to a farm supply place and get CCA ( the green salt treated ) posts, and they will last right on.

[big rockpile]

Ok I'm wanting to fence in at the Cabin for my Dogs.Can't get T Post in the ground.I'm thinking of making 6"X12"X6" concrete Blocks with some Rebar drove into ground as well as I can going up into Concrete,setting T Post in the Concrete.Put 4' 2"X4" welded Wire on that.

I'm hoping this will be solid enough for my Dogs.The real problem I think I might have is them pushing up under it but I think I can put these Landscape Timbers along the bottom.

What do you think? Or ideas?

big rockpile

[rambler]

Landscape timbers are often kinda poor wood, and not real heavily treated. Frankly they aren't worth much. Knotty, weak, and only placed in the treatment, _not_ pressure treated with the treatment. Designd to lay around flower beds and just kinda rot away as they lay, don't need any strength or nothing....

There is often a better quality landscape timber that costs more, but is much better treated - under pressure -, so it can withstand some real contact with dirt.

I don't know which type you are looking at, but the 'cheap stuff' is not worth the effort to throw in your pickup. Poor stuff.

Here in MN putting wood in concree is always a bad idea, it rots off quick. Just doesn't work. But I hear of it more in the souhern states, so it must work out for some regions of the US.

--->Paul

Edit - oops - I see others covered this....

[greg273]

rock, your down in the ozarks, do you have any hedge (osage orange)? Heck you could even use cedar, just stuck in ground for the corner posts and then just use the Tposts for the rest. I realize its the cold season and the ground is a little on the frozen side...

[springvalley]

They won`t last long at all, they are made out of such crappy wood it doesn`t take long. > Marc

[Bearfootfarm]

If it's fairly level, you could just build a 2 X 4 frame for the fence

That's how I did my chicken run:



It's just like building a wall, and you could do it in sections so you could take it apart to move it

To anchor it to the ground, drill some holes in the bottom plate and drive in some rebar

[big rockpile]

Originally Posted by greg273

rock, your down in the ozarks, do you have any hedge (osage orange)? Heck you could even use cedar, just stuck in ground for the corner posts and then just use the Tposts for the rest. I realize its the cold season and the ground is a little on the frozen side...

Thing is I can't get T Post or any other in the ground because of rock.

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

If it's fairly level, you could just build a 2 X 4 frame for the fence

That's how I did my chicken run:



It's just like building a wall, and you could do it in sections so you could take it apart to move it

To anchor it to the ground, drill some holes in the bottom plate and drive in some rebar

Not sure if it would be sturdy enough got a 50'X90' run and nothing to sturdy it up.

big rockpile

[agmantoo]

Landscaping timber are a bi product of the plywood industry. The core of the peeled log is what becomes the landscape timber. I have been told that the treating of the core is a problem as it doesn't want to take the penetration of the preservative. Most treated lumber is either southern yellow pine or loblolly pine because the large growth rings for the sap portion of the lumber readily accepts the preservative.

[oregon woodsmok]

To keep your dogs in, attach poultry wire to the bottom of the fence so about 6 inches or a foot is on the fence and the rest lies on the ground. Weight the wire down with some heavy rocks.

The dogs will try to escape right at the base of the fence. I've never had one who would back up away from the fence and try to go under the wire that's laying on the ground.

If the dogs dig out, they will try to dig at the base of the fence where the poultry wire in on the ground. They will find they can't dig through it and give up.

I've got the worst escape artist in the world. She can get out of almost anything and she is very determined. The chicken wire trick keeps her in.

[big rockpile]

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

To keep your dogs in, attach poultry wire to the bottom of the fence so about 6 inches or a foot is on the fence and the rest lies on the ground. Weight the wire down with some heavy rocks.

The dogs will try to escape right at the base of the fence. I've never had one who would back up away from the fence and try to go under the wire that's laying on the ground.

If the dogs dig out, they will try to dig at the base of the fence where the poultry wire in on the ground. They will find they can't dig through it and give up.

I've got the worst escape artist in the world. She can get out of almost anything and she is very determined. The chicken wire trick keeps her in.

I don't think they will dig out mostly rock just couple inches below the dirt.

big rockpile

[jwal10]

How about using round chain link fence posts in the concrete?....James

[texican]

Originally Posted by big rockpile

Ok I'm wanting to fence in at the Cabin for my Dogs.Can't get T Post in the ground.I'm thinking of making 6"X12"X6" concrete Blocks with some Rebar drove into ground as well as I can going up into Concrete,setting T Post in the Concrete.Put 4' 2"X4" welded Wire on that.

I'm hoping this will be solid enough for my Dogs.The real problem I think I might have is them pushing up under it but I think I can put these Landscape Timbers along the bottom.

What do you think? Or ideas?

big rockpile

If you have 'dirt', if they get bored, they'll dig out. If you have rock that close to the surface, mightn't be an issue.

BTDT.

You might consider just building 'squares' say ten feet long, or as long as your longest boards... board on bottom and top, and two uprights, to staple the wire onto... then zig the next block, then zag, then zig back and forth to make a pen... thissaway, you wouldn't really even need posts in the ground. To keep it steady, drill or nail in a short board at every corner, to brace em a bit. Sorta like a split rail fence type pattern, just loop em back to the beginning...

[ceresone]

Rock, When we installed our chain link, we ran a barbed wire along the botton, fastened to the wire every little bit-they never tried digging more than once--but landscape timbers--bad idea, waste of money.

[arabian knight]

Originally Posted by ceresone

Rock, When we installed our chain link, we ran a barbed wire along the botton, fastened to the wire every little bit-they never tried digging more than once--but landscape timbers--bad idea, waste of money.

What I did when I had a dog run next to the horses pens, I ran very close to the bottom one electric wire, as I had my horses pens electrified it was real easy to put on a few insulators on the chain link and bingo stop my dog not only from digging next to the fence but kept him from it lol.