Scaffold boards for raised beds....

[weekendwellies]

Why does everyone recommend these. I can see that they are ideal for the job and scaffolders can use them for only a limited time before disposing of them, but all the builders round here say they are like gold dust. The scaffolders have caught on to the fact that they are in demand from gardeners and charge a fortune for them.
Anyone else got good ideas for raised bed timber? I have to make loads of them plus 2 or 3 compost heaps and would like to reduce my costs as much as possible. At the moment I am using decking boards. I can get 3 pieces of 2.4m in my car and they go from windscreen to boot door. 3 is enough for one bed... 1 cut in half for the short sides and the 1 for each of the long sides.

[sewer rat]

Why does everyone recommend these. I can see that they are ideal for the job and scaffolders can use them for only a limited time before disposing of them, but all the builders round here say they are like gold dust. The scaffolders have caught on to the fact that they are in demand from gardeners and charge a fortune for them.
Anyone else got good ideas for raised bed timber? I have to make loads of them plus 2 or 3 compost heaps and would like to reduce my costs as much as possible. At the moment I am using decking boards. I can get 3 pieces of 2.4m in my car and they go from windscreen to boot door. 3 is enough for one bed... 1 cut in half for the short sides and the 1 for each of the long sides.http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...s/confused.gif

Scaffolding boards are good as they give good depth and are by their nature strong and will last forever but I agree that they are getting expensive for what they are.
Keep a look out on your travels for building / renovation work - especially loft conversions or dormer installations - I got a load of 8" x 2" joists for nought and used these to make 4 raised beds in my garden.
I also got a dozen old railway sleepers for 3 hours work - they were not in the best nick but more than sufficient for my purpose - they now form the central path down my polytunnel, and I'm getting some old telegraph poles cut to size to divide different beds off of this central path.
Alternatively, with a bit of work, a hammer and crowbar, you could dismantle pallets (you should be able to get these pretty much anywhere you care to look and ask) and use the timber from these to make your raised beds.

[vegnut]

You also mentioned compost heaps weekendwellies. I make mine (and i know many others) out of old pallets, either tied or screwed together. Ideal.

[jackie j]

My OH raided a skip on his way home from work last night lol ( office refurb ) A friend of mine has his own scaffold business and I asked him for some boards ( would be willing to pay ) and he said when they want a short length they cut down an old one and reuse them until they are too short for anything.

[Peter]

....A friend of mine has his own scaffold business and I asked him for some boards ( would be willing to pay ) and he said when they want a short length they cut down an old one and reuse them until they are too short for anything.

Likewise, a friend working for a big scaffolding company told me the same and laughed at the idea of anything useful being available, 'cos when they're too short a couple of employees have open fires or wood burning stoves........

[weekendwellies]

I like the sound of the pallets. This may be a good excuse to visit an old pal that I havent seen for years,... He used to have bonfires of old pallets.

[Gwyndy]

Pallets are ideal if you can get hold of them. I use gravel board from Wickes - about £14 for a pack of 5 pieces 19mm x 150mm x 1.83m.

[Snadger]

Of course.......you can still have raised beds without edging boards! Some of mine are STILL like that (after 3 years!) and I edge them once I've scrounged something to edge them with!
Digging the beds and only walking on the paths automatically 'raises' the beds!

[BilboWaggins]

If you are near a branch of Travis Perkins (builders merchant) get a quote from them for 2.4m long, 8" x 2" tannelised planks.

I've just had a load delivered and the price was a fraction of the cost of scaffold boards and when I asked my usual wood yard for a quote (they're almost within sight of the house and very nice folk so I wanted to give them a chance for the order) the lady who runs the place coughed and spluttered at the T.P. quote and said "order it QUICK, I can hardly buy it in at that price".

It was delivered yesterday (must update blog . . .) and looks fabulous, although it's in a big stack everything seems straight and true and I haven't seen any horrible cracks or warped lengths.

As Snadger pointed out, you don't HAVE to use boards but our veg area is right in front of the house and Management wants it to look nice, so who am I to argue with him?

[RedThorn]

I was fortunate enough to get as much as I wanted, was a one off though. All I had to do was collect. I missed out on a load of food industry plastic boards!

[zazen999]

Of course.......you can still have raised beds without edging boards! Some of mine are STILL like that (after 3 years!) and I edge them once I've scrounged something to edge them with!
Digging the beds and only walking on the paths automatically 'raises' the beds!

And I nabbed that tip from you and keep telling my OH that the edging is WIP...Work in Progress.

[jackie j]

Got a quote from wood merchant today for enough wood to edge paths and some to top the fencing with and it was just over £40 delivered free. Will get some later.

[sauzee]

B&Q do pressure treated boards (200mm x 25 mm x4.8mtr) about £4.20 cut in half 2 would give you an 8ft square i first bought these to build my hut 5 years ago £1.07then a week later £2.14 then another week later £4.20 and same price since then funny how the price kept going up every time i went in and bought 20 boards

[snohare]

Well, you can't get scaffolding planks in Aberdeen for love nor money - I've been trying for years, and the local scaffolders all say they use psp (pierced steel planking) because it doesn't need replacing like timber boards. Mark you, I've seen them up there as kick boards, so someone must use them... I did meet a friend who had got some spanking clean new ones, and she said they had cost an arm and a leg.
As I don't have a car, and bus drivers on the B & Q route have an aversion to six foot planks, I am restricted to pulling pallets apart. Boards that long, I can carry on the bus. I really hate those ridged nails some companies use, they are why I have such a long nail puller...

[Snadger]

The allotments closest to ours take delivery of new packing cases which are surplus to requirements, for nowt. They strip the planks of wood (10 foot long) and sell them at 50p per plank! All profits go towards allotment funds along with their shop profits.

Where else can you buy brand new timber for 50p per length?