Landscape timbers for electric fence?

[Trails2004]

I do not believe either statement is factual. I use them with great success. Some of this depends on which timber you actually buy and soil types do vary.

Perhaps the "landscape timbers" you have used are different than the what I have seen- I would describe them as "Cherry colored half round" that weight next to nothing????

 

[SPIKER]

I have had them rot out in 5 or so years as LANDSCAPE timbers, framing flower bed and framing parking area which was gravel on one side and they are about 7/8 rotted in 10 years.
Though below ground is away from air which may help except at the air to ground contact areas

Mark

 

[Ken45101]

The pressure treating used 25 years ago was a lot more effective than what's used today, thanks to EPA regulations.

It is my understanding that current EPA regulations do not allow the use of the more effective preservatives for yard and landscape uses where children might come into contact. True agricultural products are allowed to use more effective preservatives.

It used to be that the labels on pt products said they were guaranteed for 20 years. Check the labels and see if they still say that.

As far as what they come from, I believe they are what's left of the center of the log as the peel off the layers to make plywood from softwood trees. They are the core that's left.

I've used them occasionally for fence posts but they don't seem to hold up nearly as well as other posts. I've seen rot. I might use them for a shorter term fence, something that might be up for 5 years or so.

Ken

 

[Phast12]

I have never used landscaping posts since we use Cedar and Locust post around here. I would be worried about the strength of them though. The Posts in my opinion need to stand up to a larger load than the fence board/line itself. I have seen our horses snap a square 4x4 like a twig and won't use anything for posts that is not a whole round or has been section cut. last thing I would want to see is one of our horses snap a post and get impaled on it. We use ElectroBraid fencing which is under tension and have a lot of our pole spacings at 50ft except where the pasture layout prohibits it. So we tend to go bigger because of that.

 

[bp fick]

Around here, HD sells two different kinds, and Lowes yet another, which makes it very difficult to say with specifics this or that about them. All three are indeed different colors too, which speaks to both the species used and the treatments.

I think for some applications, like a deer fence, in my case, they are just fine in our soil, again soil types differ greatly as does climate and insects.

For a quality fence, what with the bother of setting and the expense of wire and all the labor, I doubt I'd risk it with most of these timbers.

 

[QRTRHRS]

The pressure treating used 25 years ago was a lot more effective than what's used today, thanks to EPA regulations.

It is my understanding that current EPA regulations do not allow the use of the more effective preservatives for yard and landscape uses where children might come into contact. True agricultural products are allowed to use more effective preservatives.
Ken

I have not picked any posts up at the plant for a year or so but that was true then and I have not heard otherwise.

Agricultural and power line applications can still use the CCA process. Treated lumber for other uses mainly uses the ACQ process. ACQ requires hardware that will hold up to it.

Personally, if I was building some kind of playground application with wood, I would be using composite material for the decking, etc. PT splinters too easily.

 

[whistlepig]

This place was built 12 years ago. When we moved here 3 years ago I replaced a lot of old fence and posts and cleaned up some old treated landscape timbers. All of these I put in a pile behind the house until I have time to haul them to a dump. The treated fence poles and treated landscape timbers in the pile are the same age. The treated fence posts are still straight. The treated landscape timbers are bowed and twisted like 'tater chips. I guess that's one reason why I never considered use treated landscape timbers for posts.

 

[nickel plate]

Do these landscape timbers have a stapled plastic treatment content sticker on one end? It will tell you what chemical treatment was used and whether it can be used above ground, in ground or ground contact. No sticker-don't use. If they are truly peeler cores (left over from plywood veneer spinning) chances are they will react and twist or split as they season.
Whatever you use and if you have livestock contained, spray the posts with a solution of diesel and finely ground cayenne pepper to keep the stock from chewing on them.

 

[mkane09]

Upon further review, I think I'll just go with treated 4 x 4 posts. This is probably not the place to cut corners for a few bucks. Wish I could get locust posts locally, though....(Knoxville area if any fellow TBNers know of a local source).

mkane09

 

[LogChain]

Good choice (4x4's). You can try Tindell's, Witt, Christmas, 84 Lumber, or the big box stores. I installed forty-four 4x4x10' ground contact posts around my garden/orchard about five years ago for 78" high-tension fencing to keep out deer. All the posts still remain solid and straight, but who knows in 20 years. I bought mine from Home Depot because it was on the way home from works, the price was competitive, and I could pick them up as needed. Enjoy your project.


- LogChain