Want to build a coldframe

[Kirstykbart]

and I have some left over slats from an old bed I was thinking of using. What should I do/use to treat them before using outside? I'm assuming I'll have to use something?

thanks in advance

Kirsty

[Muddypause]

This can be fairly tricky if you are trying to be non-chemical, or organic.

In the short term, you could try simple paint. This may not be the ideal non-chemical solution, but done carefully - preferably using primer, undercoat and topcoat for maximum durability - this should last a few years. But it can be a chore to redo.

Alternatively, boron based products seem to get good reviews, and are much easier to apply. Have a look at this site or this one (for example) for some suitable products.

For long term survival, I would also recommend trying to keep the timber off the ground, because this is where rot often sets in. For example, build a course or two of bricks first, and mount the timber frame on top of that, trying to make sure that no timber sits in a water trap.

But even left untreated, you will probably get a year or two's use before things started to rot too badly (depending upon how wet it gets) - longer if it is hardwood. And I suppose that would be the ultimate organic route.

[Boots]

I use linseed oil on any wood that is outside (picnic tables, bbq's, doors, window frames etc.) and find it to be really good. I very easily got 5 years out of a barbeque setting made of hardwood.

I have also done the pool deck using recycled motor oil - BUT - any run off sits in a pit below it, and I have since heard that this kind of treatment can be disastrous for waterways... so really don't know if that was a good idea or not. I have never noticed any sort of petroleum run off/sheen in the pool and it was done 2 years ago and is still holding up great. So while there is no obvious negative affect noticed here, some folks have made quite a noise about recycling motor oil - so that might be something you would want to research and weigh up for yourself.

I have also used vegie oil to seal one wall of mudbricks and am watching to see if there is any difference to the others done with linseed. So far, no difference (other than a lighter colour) but time will tell.

Linseed darkens your wood quite a bit. Vegie oil not so much.

[shiney]

I use linseed oil as well Boots, it's made a teak table I have in the garden last for years. Mind you, I haven't oiled it for sometime but it's still hanging in there.

I accidently knocked over 500ml of coconut oil on the chest of drawers in my bedroom the other day. I must say the top of the chest looks pretty well fed now. I swore a lot at the time, because it went everywhere!

I wonder if coconut oil could be used on outside stuff as well?

[Boots]

I imagine so Shiney.. I guess anything that comes from trees would be good. And co-conut oil would smell good too!

[Muddypause]

Glad some people have got their brains in - I completely forgot about oils. This is doubly embarrassing, because I've only recently oiled a customer's garden furniture.

I've only ever oiled hardwoods - teak, oak, mahogany, that sort of thing. I would guess you may need more on an absorbent, open grained softwood, and maybe more often, too. And it may simply be more suited to hardwoods.

Also, I've never found out how they harvest teak oil, and whether it involves cutting down the tree, or do they tap it like they would a rubber tree? Anyone know?

[Kirstykbart]

thanks for the replies everyone. I knew someone here would know! I shall look into the oils then. I have some coconut oil about (that doesn't smell of coconuts!!) so that might be the thing to test it on.

Suppose I need to think about starting to build it now

[Shirley]

We've just made a cold frame out of an old divan bed base... polythene cos we had it stapled to the frame and it works well... unless it blows over onto your sunflowers of course lol

Poundland were selling a can of teak oil for - ok... a quid!!

[Wombat]

Um.......be careful about using coconut oil!

Linseed oil is a drying oil - it forms a coating, but coconut oil is a non-drying oil and while it may be good for the wood in the short term, in hot days it will leach out and get all over everything and sooner or later it will go rancid and start to pong!

Nev

[Shirley]

yuk - that sounds awful. I can imagine the smell ewwww...

Didn't know that about the oils though - cheers Nev.