Fixing weed control fabric to wood.

[PrincessB]

I've picked up some budget planters which are mainly contructed from decking boards.

Before they can be used, they will need something like a weed control fabric fixed inside the trough area to prevent the soil from leaking out.

Questions:

By weed control fabric, I'm thinking of that woven plastic stuff with a criss crosse weave which should keep the soil in while allowing excess water to drain out.

I don't think a heavy duty staple gun would penetrate a decking board. What apprears be ideal would be something akin to a really sturdy drawing pin that can be hammered in.

The best I can find online are galvanised felt roofing nails:
https://www.toolstation.com/galvanised- ... ack/p11010

Looks like a possibility, but I'm wondering if the width of the pin end would risk splitting the decking?

A second alternative might be a self trapping wood screw with a really big head to hold the fabric in place? Would not know what to search for.

As I write this, a further solution presents, self tapping/drilling wood screws and washers - Both weather resistant.

Unless anyone has a better idea, I'll try that.

Regards,

B.

[dealtn]

I've picked up some budget planters which are mainly contructed from decking boards.

Before they can be used, they will need something like a weed control fabric fixed inside the trough area to prevent the soil from leaking out.

Questions:

By weed control fabric, I'm thinking of that woven plastic stuff with a criss crosse weave which should keep the soil in while allowing excess water to drain out.

I don't think a heavy duty staple gun would penetrate a decking board. What apprears be ideal would be something akin to a really sturdy drawing pin that can be hammered in.

The best I can find online are galvanised felt roofing nails:
https://www.toolstation.com/galvanised- ... ack/p11010

Looks like a possibility, but I'm wondering if the width of the pin end would risk splitting the decking?

A second alternative might be a self trapping wood screw with a really big head to hold the fabric in place? Would not know what to search for.

As I write this, a further solution presents, self tapping/drilling wood screws and washers - Both weather resistant.

Unless anyone has a better idea, I'll try that.

Regards,

B.

At my allotment I use screws to do this kind of job. Not sure why you require a "really big head". The screw holds the fabric to the wood, the fabric does the job of weed prevention/soil retention. Furthermore your fabric is inside the planter, so is held in place not just by the screws, but the weight of soil too.

What am I missing?

[Itsallaguess]

A second alternative might be a self trapping wood screw with a really big head to hold the fabric in place? Would not know what to search for.

As I write this, a further solution presents, self tapping/drilling wood screws and washers - Both weather resistant.

Unless anyone has a better idea, I'll try that.

I would imagine localised nails or screws directly into the fabric might not be a particularly long-lasting solution, although that may well not be what you're looking for here particularly.

If you are looking for a longer-lasting fixing solution, then how about a fairly thin strip of wood along the top edge of the fabric, screwed into the inside of the decking, and acting to then 'clamp' the fabric to the inside of the decking boards?

That might also give a better solution on the eye too, as you'd perhaps not then need to always see the 'naked edge' of the fabric if you used a nail or direct-screw solution...

I appreciate that once the soil is in, then that's likely to hold the bulk of the fabric in place anyway, but I offer the above idea just in a 'how do I deal with the top exposed edge of the fabric?' solution, if indeed there is going to be an 'exposed edge'..

Just an alternative to consider anyway, perhaps.

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[DrFfybes]

I've not seen a planter with gaps large enough to lose the soil, but lining it would prolong life.

There is Weed control and Ground control fabrics - the nylon heavy woven ground control will keep the wood dryer and slow the rotting. We built some steps with sleepers and used fabric behind, the ones with weed fabric rotted out in 6 or 7 years, the ones with ground fabric were fine.

I wouldn't bother fixing it at all, just line it in one direction with the ends hanging out of the planter, then do the same for the sides if you need to, with a 6 inch overlap, spike a few drain holes in the bottom as ground fabric doesn't drain too well, then fill with soild and trim it afterwards. If you do need to fix it then a stapler will be fine as one it is full it isn't going anywhere.

Or you could just use polythene.

Paul

[richlist]

I recently acquired a planter constructed of decking boards. I used plastic damp proof sheeting cut to size with scissors and stapled into place. Just make a few holes in the bottom for water to drain out.....job done.

[dspp]

These fabrics come in three main varieties
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotextile

(I once built a 40-mile road out of these in mountainous rainforest jungle in the mud.)

Staples will be fine for what you are trying to do with the welded raffia type, for the typical longevity of low quality treated ('traitee') decking timber.

regards, dspp

[Mike88]

A staple gun would offer a quick solution as the material only needs to be held in place until the soil is shovelled in. Something cheap like this would be fine:

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/6043456 ... 0gun:1:2:1

[pompeygazza]

Don't bother with weed control fabric, just use a bin bag with holes punched in it stapled to the sides, easily changeable when you renew the compost. I use this in all my planters and change each year (although they will probably last for a few years especially if you use a rubble sack or compost bag).

[PrincessB]

Thanks for the ideas.

I used weed control fabric in the end.

I fixed it to the wood using a combination of gorilla glue which is supposedly weatherproof and hot glue gun to hold it in place while the gorilla glue set.

Did one this afternoon, got a bit overheated and I'll do the other two in the morning.

Thanks again.

B.