The following covers questions about garden timber problems……
Why do cracks and splits appear in wood garden features such as fencing, decking, gazebos, raised timber beds, steps etc. Is it a problem with the timber? Are there any timber treatments available to stop this happening?
To ensure Garden Ezee maintains its high standard of landscaping in Swindon, we source quality timber from local reputable and specialist merchants. There is no doubt that our garden timber projects look great and are built to last.
But over time, why do cracks and splits appear in the wood?
Timber is a natural product. With the challenges of our English weather, it will change over time to adapt to the seasonal elements. Rain, sun, snow and ice, along with their dramatic differences in temperatures and humidity, will cause timber to swell and shrink. This will inevitably lead to cracks and splits appearing. Sometimes these cracks can be quite large and cause alarm. Whilst they can happen at any time, they tend to be more noticeable in the drier months of Summer.
Are garden timber problems a cause of using defective timber?
No, absolutely not. These cracks and splits are not a sign of poor quality and do not in any way affect the structure or strength of your timber feature. As mentioned above, they are caused by the wood trying align with the environmental conditions in your garden. Equally, as the core of the wood dries to adjust to atmospheric conditions, the cracks and splits will disappear.
Is there a timber treatment to prevent garden timber problems?
Unfortunately not – it’s a natural process for an organic product exposed to our climate. But you can take action to help slow down the process by applying a good quality treatment such as Ronseal or Culprinol available from garden centres and DIY stores. Also check out the Garden Ezee landscaping aftercare tips for our suggestions on prolonging the life of your fencing, decking etc.
Nature caused – perhaps they aren’t garden timber problems after all?
It may be you are simply fascinated by nature’s ways and wonders on your garden. So you may prefer just to embrace and enjoy the charisma of watching your timber change and respond to different seasons. Giving you a unique natural wooden feature.
Hope we’ve helped to give answers to some of the questions on the inevitable cracks and splits appearing in wood. There is no way of stopping these ‘nature caused’ garden timber problems. But investing in a little bit of time to treat your timber feature will slow the process down and keep it looking good for many years to come.
Untreated timber
Treated timber
The main thing is not to be alarmed, cracks and splits are not a sign of poor quality timber and will not affect the structure of your fence posts, gazebos, decking etc.