How to Make Landscape Timbers Last Longer
Making Your Landscape Timbers Last Longer
Natural landscape pieces can face a range of stressors from different outdoor elements. Natural decay, rot, termites, other wood-destroying pests, and harsh weather are just a few of the stressors that can wreak havoc on your outdoor pieces and threaten the integrity of your landscape timber. However, there are some steps you can take to help your wood pieces and other natural elements hold up against such conditions. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the top landscape ideas for how to make landscape timbers last longer, including treated landscape timbers, so your timber and outdoor property can last longer and look beautiful for years.
Landscaping Timbers
When you want to take advantage of the extra wood on your property from cut-down branches, from full trees, or simply to give your front or back yard spaces a more natural look, landscaping timbers are a great idea to consider. Also, much of how an eco-friendly yard space operates is by using landscaping pieces to their full potential, and evaluating when you can recycle pieces and use them again throughout your yard spaces. There are many different landscaping timber ideas to help you to make the most of your timbers and other wood pieces for a truly unique landscaping look that you and any guests will enjoy.
Landscaping timbers can be very useful in the construction of borders, pathways, and garden beds. However, these timbers will start to deteriorate over time, and this deterioration can occur more quickly depending on the area in which you live. The Chicago area experiences a great deal of inclement weather that can speed up timber deterioration. Some of the top landscape timber ideas for how to make landscape timbers last longer include adding pressure treatment, ensuring proper installation, waterproofing your timbers with paint or other materials, installing a moisture barrier, choosing the right type of wood, and avoiding overexposure to moisture.
Adding Pressure Treatment
Pressure-treating your timber can extend its lifespan and protect it from various elements. Pressure-treating involves applying a preservative agent and water solution to timber under high pressure. This process ensures the deep embedding of the solution into the timber. Active ingredients can vary, but solutions often include copper azole, alkaline copper quaternary, or micronized copper azole. Also, certain wood types are less resistant, which can help. Treated landscape timbers are essential to protecting the wood from fungus, termites, and moisture.
Ensuring Proper Installation
Proper installation of your landscaping timbers is also essential to ensuring the long-term health and extending the life of your wood pieces. One of the best tricks for installing timber is ensuring the ground area is flat in the area you desire to install timber, and your path is straight if you desire to use landscape timbers for edging, as wood won’t easily conform or bend. Working with Apex Landscaping, you can rest assured of proper landscaping and installation knowing it’s in the hands of landscapers who are familiar with the area and its various potential issues.
Painting Your Timbers
Another top idea for how to make landscape timbers last longer is to keep the timber painted. Certain paints can help prevent your timber from allowing water to permeate it, thus preventing bowing, rotting, and mold. You can use actual colored paint, but you can also use wax, protective spray, quality oils, or varnishes to effectively waterproof your wood. Paint will specifically keep fungus and moisture from wreaking havoc on your timber. Applying a fresh coat every once in a while also helps the wood appear even and effectively fight moisture.
Installing a Moisture Barrier
You can also install a moisture barrier to make landscape timbers last longer. A retaining wall can aid in the prevention of rot by ensuring that your timber doesn’t come in direct contact with the ground or masonry. Just be sure your given moisture barrier is made of the right material to effectively keep out moisture, be susceptible, and not have any gaps or cracks in the joint that might otherwise allow some moisture in. Retaining walls can help hold back soil if you live in a sloped area, and offer a more ideal way of controlling your water flow.
Choose the Right Wood
The right wood type for your landscape timber can also have a big impact on how long it lasts and holds up against weather and moisture. The type of timber should depend on the use. For underground purposes, treated landscape timbers are a better choice. For use in a yard space or other outdoor environments, redwood is an ideal wood choice. Cypress and cedar also make for excellent wood in various landscaping projects. With expert knowledge and experience, Arbeen Landscaping can help find the right wood for your project. You can also stain redwood timbers so long as you maintain the desired color.
Avoiding Overexposure to Moisture
Amongst the biggest detriments to timber is exposure to moisture. However, avoiding overexposure to moisture can be difficult as the outdoors are unpredictable. When frequently exposed to levels of moisture, even treated wood can and likely will rot. One of the best ways to make your landscape timbers last longer is to install them in a relatively moisture-free location and continually monitor weather and moisture conditions that can change. Wet rot occurs when the moisture of the given wood is 50% or higher, an amount that does not dry out at some point.
Make Your Landscape Timbers Last Longer With Arbeen Landscaping
Your outdoor landscape timbers can experience exposure to a variety of stressors, including snow, rain, termites, and other pests. For how to make landscape timbers last longer, consider these top tips from Arbeen Landscaping that can help prolong the life of your landscape wood and effectively prevent rot, decay, and other types of damage. With the right treatment, installation, waterproofing, and wood type, Arbeen Landscaping can help you have a beautiful, lasting landscape and landscape timbers you can easily maintain and enjoy for many years.