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| I'm putting in a new raised bed vegetable garden and i just got a bid for the lumber for it. I'm going to build the raised beds myself. I got a bid for "construction heart" grade redwood. They said I could save some money if I went with white "construction common" grade but it doesn't have the same resistance to insects and decay that heart grade has. Does anyone have any experience with this? I'd really like to save some money. THANKS! |
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| Why do they have to be redwood. Raised beds can be constructed out of all sorts of materials and have decades of service. Redwood may be cheaper in CA but around here the cost of redwood is 4x the cost of any other lumber, even the composites. Are you required to use redwood for some reason? If so I'd sure opt for the least expensive variety I could get. Dave |
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- Posted by jonhughes So.Oregon (jonehughes@hotmail.com) on Sat, Feb 23, 13 at 0:51
| Yeah...I agree.....go for cheap, most of my raised beds are Concrete Cinder Blocks, but where they didn't fit ,I used Douglas Fir (Cheap)... its been 3 years and they look the same as they did the first day....and no...I didn't oil them nor did I use any preservative.
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- Posted by modern_miss 10 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 25, 13 at 11:45
| Great - thanks - i don't HAVE to use redwood but it has to be some kind of non-composite wood. What about the choice between white construction common redwood and cedar? Is one better than the other? THANK YOU! |
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| Once again why and what you mean by "composite"? Reason I ask is that there is a great deal of mis-understanding out there on why some woods can be used and others cannot. Not to mention what "composite" actually means.. For example - It used to be (10-12 years ago) you shouldn't use pressure treated woods. That is no longer true as the process has changed. Modern composites - a blend of recycled wood and plastic - are used to build just about anything outdoors. and pre-fab raised beds made of these composites are highly rated. But if the choice is between redwood and cedar only then which ever is cheaper. Both work equally well although cedar is much more common. Dave |
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- Posted by melikeeatplants 9b (San Jose) (My Page) on Mon, Feb 25, 13 at 18:43
| Redwood is more common here in CA. OP is Z10 so I'm assuming in CA. You may want to check craiglist first. I've made all my raised beds out of reclaimed redwood. You can get it free when people rip up a deck. Also, check the materials section some sell it there at discounted price... |
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- Posted by creativeguy Zone 6 Connecticut (My Page) on Mon, Feb 25, 13 at 19:50
| I built my raised beds from knotty roughsawn red cedar back in 2001. Cheapest naturally rot resistant wood I could find, and reasonably attractive as aesthetics matter to me. 12 years of Neew England weather and they're still going strong. You have to make sure the knots are tight in the boards you select. That being said... If money was no object, I would've loved a garden made of redwood! |
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| With redwood, the most resistant for raised beds is heart. Jean |
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- Posted by modern_miss 10 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 27, 13 at 12:38
| I'm going to keep an eye out for reclaimed lumber (cedar and redwood) on craigslist. Thanks for the info! |
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