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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
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Products: How to seal sleeper joints on raised beds

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  1.  
    Anybody used a crop growing friendly sealer between sleeper joints when building raised beds?,
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2013
     
    Line with weed control membrane?
  3.  
    An ideas what to stick the membrane with?

    I was thinking of just sealing the joins to stop water running through to the front face, stacking 2 high.
  4.  
    staple gun
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2013
     
    Yup. A few staples and then the soil should do the rest. However..

    If it's the water you are trying to stop getting out (rather than the dirt) then weed control fabric may not work because it's designed to let water through and block light. Something like a roof membrane would be a better choice.
    • CommentAuthorJonti
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2013
     
    How much water do you think you will be using. I would not worry about the water situation just use membrane to contain the soil and still allow the soil to breath.

    Jonti
  7.  
    Posted By: JontiHow much water do you think you will be using. I would not worry about the water situation just use membrane to contain the soil and still allow the soil to breath.

    Agree. If the soil is decent stuff it should be holding on to the water (unless the water is being delivered at such a rate that it can't be absorbed). Our raised beds are made out of odds & ends of boards salvaged from various places, left overs from other jobs, etc. I don't recall ever seeing water flowing out from between the boards.
    • CommentAuthorchuckey
    • CommentTimeAug 4th 2013
     
    I think the real problem is not with water but with plant roots seeking out any any cracks between the sleepers, growing through and opening them up. I would use black DPC membrane, drawing pinned on. FWIW On my raised bed 6" X 1" planking, I sealed the edge to edge seal with clear silicon goo.
    Frank
  9.  
    I build a lot of raised beds of different heights, shapes etc and have never yet had a problem of water seepage or root penetration.
    I tend to use 2"x 6" in 2.4m lengths, pressure treated with a vegetable oil that is edible plant friendly.
    I have designed some hexagonal planters with the bottom plank routered out and a ply bottom slotted in then either painted with an linseed oil based paint or a layer of butyl liner covering the first plank and then stapled on to the next plank above it.

    http://www.tombuild.com/www.tombuild.com/Award_winning_garden.html#5
  10.  
    Just another thought - are you putting them onto soil or a concrete / brick surface? because ideally you would want them to be situated on soil to allow moisture / nutrients / bacteria/ little beasts like worms to help stabilise the soil and enrich it's fertility. If on a hard surface try drilling a few deep holes down to the sub soil.
    cheers
    Tom
    • CommentAuthorRobinB
    • CommentTimeAug 6th 2013 edited
     
    I never heard of pressure treating with vegetable oil. Do you have any links please? Pretty website by the way!
    FWIW I also think weed barrier would do it or perhaps garden clay if you have that.
    • CommentAuthorjohnuready
    • CommentTimeAug 6th 2013 edited
     
    Thanks for that. Think I'm going to use DPC stapled to the inside, that should add protection to to the earth from any nasty stuff coming out of the sleepers overtime and stop moisture rotting the wood.

    My beds are over weed membrane, so no worms getting that way but I'm sure some will get in via the manure I'll use.

    Think I'll use a little silicon to make good any gaps on the outside joints to stop water / freezing in the winter.
  13.  
    my raised beds use a studded tanking membrane (isola platon) which has a geotextile facing for drainage. Idea being the the geotextile/studs on the soil side to allow for drainage of excess water, the reverse side of the studs creates a void for air circulation behind the timber, preventing rot/warping (my woods just boards on posts, not sleepers). hugely overspecced right enough (had the membrane left over from lining my basement) but should work pretty well. if you're anywhere near perthshire i have a few m2 left over.
  14.  
    Thanks Graeme, I'm Hertfordshire, long way away.
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeAug 8th 2013
     
    I was in Hertfordshire on the weekend, it is a long way away. :wink:

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