Garden bench feet - best way to slow rot?

[Phil Pascoe]

Well that's miraculous! Most timber left outside for 18 years would rot to dust. What do you treat the timber with?

It was made from treated timber originally. I treated it every two or three years with 5* Cuprinol or equivalent. As suggested above - the bottoms of the legs were soaked for a few days in preservative then allowed to dry before the flashbanding. Get you retaliation in first.

 

[Marischal Ellis]

Add yes to 'Flashband'. Had a soft wood table 'x' frame picnic table I made and it lasted nearly 30 years from tantalised wood.The top not so good as it was r/w with 'cuprinol'. The legs did rot up inside so damage was not seen. Left out all year...its wet and cold up here. If it lasts 25 -30 odd years you are probably doing well. Park benches last well do they not? All my life I have thought about longevity....elect wiring, cement pointing, wood sills, putty (ugg), slating, grass trim boards and so it goes. All these will see me out, well possibly. Just a thought.
Best wishes to all .

 

[Stevekane]

My softwood table is sitting on a paved area (so I would go for small pads under legs on grass) but Ive also added some scraps of teak scewed and gorilla glued to the feet as pads and the whole lot is sitting on nylon glides,,phew! That sounds complicated when spelt out, but the idea is to try to lift the softwood off the wet, the teak pads should be more durable and in any case could be cut off and replaced if they deteriorated,,,mind you its possible that moisture could find its way into the joint between the pad and leg and I will still find it rotting! But we do the best we can. I will report back on how its doing in 20 yrs,,
Steve.

 

[TheUnicorn]

When I put together a garden table a few years ago I cut up an old plastic chopping board and screwed it on as feet, it sits out on a patio all year round and seems pretty good (maybe 8 years ago).

Whatever I make for outside use I try and avoid any water being trapped and maximum airflow

 

[johna.clements]

When I put together a garden table a few years ago I cut up an old plastic chopping board and screwed it on as feet, it sits out on a patio all year round and seems pretty good (maybe 8 years ago).

Whatever I make for outside use I try and avoid any water being trapped and maximum airflow

Lifting up the bench 10 - 20mm on some plastic will increase the airflow around the bottom of the legs but I do not know how much. The friction of the patio on the air will slow the wind down, so it will not dry as much.

 

[TheUnicorn]

Lifting up the bench 10 - 20mm on some plastic will increase the airflow around the bottom of the legs but I do not know how much. The friction of the patio on the air will slow the wind down, so it will not dry as much.

not quite sure what you mean by friction of the patio, but essentially I'm just saying keep it off long grass, where it will always be wetter than a hard surface

 

[hlvd]

One cheap idea I thought of a while at work was to put a coach bolt into each leg where it touches the ground.

Drill an interference fit hole into the end grain of each leg, then knock the bolts in.

This would only work if the bench was on a hard surface and would lift it off the ground enough to prevent it standing in water.

 

[Stevekane]

One cheap idea I thought of a while at work was to put a coach bolt into each leg where it touches the ground.

Drill an interference fit hole into the end grain of each leg, then knock the bolts in.

This would only work if the bench was on a hard surface and would lift it off the ground enough to prevent it standing in water.

Be a bit scratchy on slabs though, I was going to chop a chopping board too but in the end had large glides and used them, I think anything to save them sitting in the wet might help.
Steve.

 

[johna.clements]

not quite sure what you mean by friction of the patio, but essentially I'm just saying keep it off long grass, where it will always be wetter than a hard surface

When air moves over a surface it is slowed. The rougher the surface the more it is slowed. The further you get away from the surface the less the effect. Even flat paving slabs or concrete will produce some resistance to the wind. Slower wind less drying.

 

[morqthana]

Rebuild the bench with legs 300mm square - they'll see you out.

 

[Henniep]

I'd drop them in epoxy to seal the ends.

Best suggestion so far Jameshow. Bitumen might be a bit cheaper and may need annual re-application

 

[hlvd]

Be a bit scratchy on slabs though, I was going to chop a chopping board too but in the end had large glides and used them, I think anything to save them sitting in the wet might help.
Steve.

Once down how often do you move a bench

 

[Stevekane]

Once down how often do you move a bench

Have you seen how some of those big old fatarsed birds throw themselves down?
Steve.

 

[hlvd]

Have you seen how some of those big old fatarsed birds throw themselves down?
Steve.

You could always add a spring washer to absorb the impact

 

[Wildman]

cheapest way is to soak in old engine oil, it soaks in and dries does not smudge on clothes etc.

 

[custard]

"One cheap idea I thought of a while at work was to put a coach bolt into each leg where it touches the ground."

Yes, I've taken that route as well and it worked well enough.

I don't make many garden/joinery projects, but my wife wanted a "Plant Theatre", a sloping shelf arrangement to support plant pots. It's made from untreated Oak and you can see the stainless steel coach bolts that raises it out of the wet. It's stood outside a little over ten years now and judging by the "thumbnail test" the Oak at the bottom is in as good condition as the Oak elsewhere.

Incidentally, the shelves were let into angled housing joints with a small dovetailed lip and glued with UF glue. They've stayed solid and resisted racking, so another practical endorsement for simple solutions properly executed.

 

[robgul]

Our wooden grarden furniture (2 benches and a table) all have plastic discs screwed to the bottom of the legs to keep them about 8-10mm off the hard surface - I used the moulded discs that are fitted to the headboard of a bed to stop the struts damaging the wall. Just fixed to the leg with a washer and wood-screw - they've worked perfectly to keep the legs from rotting for over 15 years. Cheap as chips solution.