Screws for raised gardenbed wood?

[Mattemma]

For those who have built raised wooden beds what screws did you use? Decking,galvanized,or dry wall? I got expensive 3 inch deck screws,and saw where some people used dry wall.

My wood is untreated fir or pine 2 x 10 x 8 cut in half to make a 4x4 box. I know cedar or redwoods last longer,but this is what I could get.So I figured if the wood doesn't last super long do I really need the deck screws?

Also,when you attached did you just do it wood to wood, L brackets, or little pieces of wood to attach too?

Thank you for your input!

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

16 penny nails and galvanized screws, 2nd growing season. Working fine. Old treated and untreated lumber.

 

[calendula]

I would definately not use drywall screws for something that will be outdoors. We used some on a few trellises, and they got rusty.

 

[vfem]

I used untreated wood and sealed the bottoms, tops and outside with deck sealant... leaving the inside unsealed and natural. (My old beds were made of old treated deck boards, but the deck was torn down after being 13 years old... so no leach worries.)

We used galvanized deck screws for more of the beds. The nails we used started to back out of the boards in the few boards we used nails in. So we went back with screws to fix those.

I always say, use what you got on hand... being cheap is OK!

 

[NwMtGardener]

I think you may find that your untreated fir wood beds will last longer than reported. We built ours I think 4 years ago, untreated fir as well. We used, um, I think galvanized big long bolts (sorry to be vague, this is my husband's department!) and we bolted our boards into 4" x 4" posts that we had planted in the ground a few feet. We also left some of the 4" x 4" posts stick up above, and capped them with little fence toppers - then I drilled holes horizontally through the upper part, and I run some jute twine through the holes to help the dogs remember to stay out of the garden

We talked about cedar or redwood as well, but the cost was prohibitive. But I've been super happy with how long and how well our raised bed has lasted, there doesn't seem to be any rotting, looseness or anything, seems as sturdy as the day we put it together. I'd say you can definitely plan on them lasting longer than a few years.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Pictures are worth a 1000 words, NwMtGardener I love that picture!

 

[patandchickens]

Look at it this way -- if you use deck or galvanized screws, if the screws outlive the lumber then you can remove them and reuse them for the next version of the bed (Seriously.)

It sure beats having some rusted-up too-weak-to-hold-wood-together but-in-there-too-good-to-remove-easily-when-scrapping-rotted-wood mess!

Galvanized or coated deck screws for anything outdoors. Well, or stainless steel but that is very ka-ching!! and silly for raised beds

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[hoodat]

When I built the bin to hold my rabbit manure I needed something that would not rust out in that corrosive environment. I found some epoxy coated screws that seem to be holding up fine.

 

[krzybo]

NwMtGardener: Great looking raised garden.

 

[Mattemma]

Thanks for the replies. Will build mine soon.