Compost Cost

[PerranOak]

SWIMBO tells me that I want to make compostbins like Monty Don has.

Each will be about a five foot cube with gaps between the boards ... I guess.

My question is, where can I get loads of cheap wood of a low quality that will keep the cost down?

Cheers.

 

[Jamesc]

I gues the most obvious is palets, Failing that have a chat with you local household waste recycling center they may be happy to sell you furniture with good wood in it that would only be crushed otherwise. You may want to specify wooden beds as these are reasonable timber and a good length.

Regards

James

 

[marcros]

i would suggest pallets too.

 

[PerranOak]

Pallets? Where would have them?

 

[marcros]

local businesses that have stuff delivered. They will likely to be glad to get rid- head to your local industrial estate.

 

[Fat ferret]

Four pallets with cable ties to join. They have air gaps which is fine. Once it's full cover it with black plastic and start a new one. My local council used to give big black plastic compost bins out, think you could have a maximum of three.

 

[dm65]

I made my own using gravel boards

 

[PerranOak]

Hmm. When I had some slabs delivered they made a point of saying they wanted the pallet back. They even came out and collected it! Do people really throw them away?

What's a gravel board?

 

[wizard]

Lots of places will give ones away they do not want, but not the blue ones.

 

[dm65]

Hmm. When I had some slabs delivered they made a point of saying they wanted the pallet back. They even came out and collected it! Do people really throw them away?

What's a gravel board?

Where I work, we are always ending up with pallets though someone does call in once in a while to take them away There are different quality pallets around though some good enough to reuse, some are tat. We've had one left this week that is 1/4" ply on what looks like bean and spam cans !!

A gravel board is just a wide, treated, rough board for retaining things like, gravel ! - I bought it from here as I was in the shop at the time http://www.diy.com/search/results/?ques ... avel+board

Mine's still in use after maybe 8 years or so

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ahh, so a "gravel board" is actually a "board"
There was a distribution place on New Portreath Rd. that used to have regular 10' -12' bonfires of pallets - there must be others who do likewise if they get charged for their removal.

 

[dm65]

Ahh, so a "gravel board" is actually a "board"

Not at bee and queue - a board costs say £2, but a 'gravel' board gets a premium attached and is only found in the garden section where premiums are automatic it seems

 

[toolsntat]

Reject scaffolding boards :!:
Worth an ask next time you see a scaffold crew......

Andy

 

[dm65]

Scaffold boards would be good as well. I think the point is, that you can use pretty much anything

If you buy new material to build it, it will look nicer if it's visible, but anything that retains the compost will do

Mine was a cute little 3ft cube with a hinged lid and the posts have grooves cut so that the boards could slide in and out but mine's visible. A friend has 4 sheets of ply doing the same job !

 

[marcros]

decking is another option. Not worth it at retail, but i went to b and q one day and they had their value stuff at a pound a length. as den said above, you can use pretty much anything

 

[wallace]

don't use the blue chep pallets if you go down the pallet route. They only hire them and will go to great lengths to get them back. I have been to numerous allotments where they've been used in shed and animal pens. And then trashed things to get the pallets back

 

[dm65]

Managed to find a picture from when it was being built (and when I ran out of wood )

Taken in 2006

This is 2011

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Technically a gravel board is the circa 1" thick tanalised board that sits directly below the feather edge in one panels span of a close boarded fence. The base of the feather edge rest on its upper edge to bridge the gap between the ground and the feather edge and to keep the water wicking up their end grain

They are a very useful length and width for numerous outdoor projects

But pallets are waaaaaaaay cheaper!

 

[themackay]

Fencing boards from a woodyard only @ £3 they are treated and will last

 

[PerranOak]

Thank you very much all.

SWIMBO has ruled that it has to "look good" too!

How about fencing panels? Often, such things are cheaper than buying the wood to make them yourself! Do they come with gaps?