land scape timbers for cross members

[DustyH]

Has anyone used landscape timbers for crossmembers on their corner braces? I know you shouldn't use them for post, but I was using 6" post for my corners and was thinking of using landscape timbers for my crossmembers.

 

[cypressfarms]

The only problem with using them is that they usually come from the store (Home Depot, Lowe's etc.) very green - wet. When they dry, they can sometimes move a good bit. However, if you install them while green, and put tension on, it should be o.k.

By the way, I use the same landscape pieces for sections in my horse round pen.

 

[MillIronQH]

You'd be better off finding some old 3" pipe and using that. What I dois cut the pipe about 4' long and use 1/2" rebar. I drill a hole in the post and stick the rebar in about three inches and put the pipe in place before I tamp down my brace posts. You're not exposing as much of the inside of the post that way.Z

 

[backhoeboogie]

You'd be better off finding some old 3" pipe and using that. What I dois cut the pipe about 4' long and use 1/2" rebar. I drill a hole in the post and stick the rebar in about three inches and put the pipe in place before I tamp down my brace posts. You're not exposing as much of the inside of the post that way.Z

And the pipe will not burn if there is a brush fire.

 

[MillIronQH]

You'd be better off finding some old 3" pipe and using that. What I dois cut the pipe about 4' long and use 1/2" rebar. I drill a hole in the post and stick the rebar in about three inches and put the pipe in place before I tamp down my brace posts. You're not exposing as much of the inside of the post that way.Z

And the pipe will not burn if there is a brush fire.

As some friends of ours south of seguin found out this summer. The wood line posts (1-6 w/ts) burned and the railroad ties on the corners and the gate burned but the cross braces and the t-posts were fine. About half a dozen of us got out there, with the wives running coldbeer and painting the t-posts, and had their fence replaced in one Sat.Z

 

[backhoeboogie]

As some friends of ours south of seguin found out this summer.

If you ever lose everything in a fire. you'll learn a hard lesson the way I did. Wood is for fireplaces, nor for fence posts in my book. When I clear those huge cedars, I sell the posts. They'll pay $150 for a 20 foot cedar pole a foot thick. That $150 will buy a whole bunch of 3 or 4 inch pipe. It isn't as pretty, but it stays.

 

[cowboy44]

I have used them but will never use again the treated corner post are still good ,but some timbers have rotted others have twisted and warped and left the post with no support DO NOT USE THEM

 

[MillIronQH]

I have used them but will never use again the treated corner post are still good ,but some timbers have rotted others have twisted and warped and left the post with no support DO NOT USE THEM

A little trick I learned from a neighbor down south. Cut a couple of pieces of 1/2" rebar about 6" long.Drill holes in the post about 3" deep and drive in the rebar. cut a piece of pipe to just fit between the post and cut a notch in each end that will allow it to drop over the pins. Replace the tensioner wire and you're set.Z

 

[jack.diamond]

As some friends of ours south of seguin found out this summer.

If you ever lose everything in a fire. you'll learn a hard lesson the way I did. Wood is for fireplaces, nor for fence posts in my book. When I clear those huge cedars, I sell the posts. They'll pay $150 for a 20 foot cedar pole a foot thick. That $150 will buy a whole bunch of 3 or 4 inch pipe. It isn't as pretty, but it stays.

BHB,

I'd be interested to know who you're talking to about selling cedar. I've got a few I could dispense with and definitly can use some 3 inch pipe.

Jack

 

[MillIronQH]

Remember the good old days when every oil company in Texas was giving away the used pipe when they got done with it? I know one feller in southTexas that got 2 1/2 miles of it when they abandoned a line that ran across his place. I imagine when you get on the bigger outfits out in west Texas that's a drop in the bucket.Z

 

[6M Ranch]

I use those timbers on all new construction. There only $2 at Home Depot. They work pretty well. Use the big rail spikes as brace pins. Sometimes I can scrounge up 3/8" rod, then cut to length.

 

[Auburn_Ag]

This is just some useless knowledge.

Did ya'll know that a landscaping timber is a byproduct of plywood? They roll a log and shave layers off of it to get the sheets and glue them together to make plywood. As the log gets smaller it starts getting flat on two sides therefore they can not shave on it anymore. The timbers used to be ground up for shaving, but in the last few years they found out they could sell them as landscaping timber and get more profit. I know this doesn't quite go with the topic but I thought it might be some information that someone would like to know.

 

[mitchwi]

Another good used crossmember is the metal cross-arms off utility poles. They tend not to get re-used when poles are replaced.

Michele

 

[Cowdirt]

I have used them but will never use again the treated corner post are still good ,but some timbers have rotted others have twisted and warped and left the post with no support DO NOT USE THEM

What cowboy 44 said is true. I've have seen many bowed, twisted and rotten. I use pressure treated 3-4 inch. Wildfires as are common in the west is little risk in my neck of the woods. Hope I don't jinx the area by saying this.

 

[john250]

I once used landscape timbers for braces. I won't again.

 

[DustyH]

another question I had was how many wraps of 9 guage wire do you use to tighten the brace? I will be twisting it in the middle to provide tension.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Has anyone used landscape timbers for crossmembers on their corner braces? I know you shouldn't use them for post, but I was using 6" post for my corners and was thinking of using landscape timbers for my crossmembers.

They are usually undried wood "treated to refusal" which means they are not well preserved. My uncle liked to skimp and used a lot of them, which I got to replace. The end grain obsorbs water and rots to the point were the tension wire no longer holds the brace together. If you painted the end grain they would last longer - - but they are still a poor investment.

Use a 3 to 4" treated post instead.