Fountain Timber Products

Protecting Timber in the Garden.
Understanding Timber : A natural product

Timber is a natural product and will be subject to movement and weathering as it seasons. When used outside timber contracts as it dries and expands as it picks up moisture and will often cause splitting and warping, this is nature at work and should not be considered a fault, both effects are generally rectified when the moisture content equalises.

What is Pressure Treated Timber ? ... also known as Tanalised.
In basic terms all rot and decay is caused by living organisms, pressure treatment forces liquid as deeply as possible into the timber. The liquid is 97% water with the remaining 3% being the chemical that creates a shield that protects the inner core from attack.

The chemical shield protecting the inner core can be compromised when treated timber is cut. To retain protection it is critical that cuts are treated with an end seal, which is absorbed by the timber to re-establish the chemical shield.

This advice applies to all timber but never more so than posts, which are constantly being exposed to moisture in the soil. Cutting the bottom off posts should be avoided at all costs, it's much better to cut the top off the post and fit a post cap.

At Fountain Timber we operate our own on-site pressure treatment plant using Tanalised, probably the most recognised and well-regarded brand in the wood preservation business.