Protect fence from rot

[EV77]

We just had a new timber fence installed and I want to protect the bottom from rot.  The fence is in a dark damp section where water runs off into the garden bed adjacent to the fence line. The area is also prone to leaf drop from a neighboring river red gum so we often get buildup of leaf debris in the garden bed.  I was considering putting builders plastic along the bottom of the fence line in the hopes of stopping the wet soil from the garden bed coming into contact with the bottom of the fence.  Would that help or would it make it worse because water can not freely drain? What other solutions are available to stop damp soil and leaf litter touching the fence?

[Jason]

Hi @EV77 and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you as a member. 

I'm sure the community will have some interesting ideas for you on this topic. Let me tag @Adam_W and @MitchellMc who might like to kick off the discussion. It might also be helpful if you could share a photo or two so members can see the fence and the area that you are working with. 

Please don't hesitate to post anytime you have something to share with the community or need a hand with a project around the house and garden. We're here to help.

Jason

[MitchellMc]

Hi @EV77,

I'd also like to welcome you to the Bunnings Workshop community and offer some advice on the topic. You are correct about it being a good idea to prevent the soil from being in constant contact with the fence if it is a damp location. Ideally, you should prevent contact and still allow airflow at the same time. My advice would be to run edging directly in front of the fence to hold the soil back from it. You would only need to leave a five-centimetre gap in between the fence and the edging for airflow.

There are a variety of edging products available but I would suggest using a solid variety like Cyclone 250mm x 3.2m Corrugated Garden Edging if it is to hold back the soil.

For an extra layer of protection, you could use TWA Woodcare 300g Ecoseal Tanalised Timber Treatment which will give the timber an H5 (Suitable for constant contact with moisture) treatment rating. You would need to ensure all surfaces of the timber are thoroughly coated for this to be effective.

Please let me know if you require further information or had questions.

Mitchell

[EV77]

Thanks for the great suggestions @MitchellMc! I have now picked up both product from Bunnings 👍

[MitchellMc]

@EV77,

Thanks for the update.

Please let me know if you need advice on the installation of the edging or the application of the Ecoseal.

Mitchell

[EV77]

We finally got around to finishing the garden bed last weekend. Here's a snapshot of the edging we used along the fence. Thanks again for your wonderful advice!

[MitchellMc]

@EV77,

I'm glad to see that worked out well for you. Not only does it serve a purpose it looks fantastic too.

Many thanks for sharing the finished result with the community. We look forward to seeing what your next project is around your house and garden.

Mitchell

[Trevz]

Hi everybody, I too am interested in protecting my timber fences from not only rot from raised garden beds but also the intrusion of grass runners from Kikuyu and buffalo grasses from an adjoining property. My idea was to use lengths of cement sheet by 400mm deep into the soil against and below the fence where the grass intrusion is and also to stop the fence rotting where I have raised garden beds.

Will this work or is there another preferred method?

[Jason]

Hi @Trevz,

Thanks for joining in the discussion.

Sounds like you have a good approach to the problem. I would encourage you to take a look at this recent discussion - Keeping Kikyu grass out of garden beds

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. Please don't hesitate to post anytime you have something to share with the community or need a hand with a project around the house and garden.

Jason

[Trevz]

Thanks, I have read that discussion and have taken some ideas from them. What I'm curious about though is will the cement sheet, if I go down that path, remain stable long term or will if break down and become useless in time? I don't know how cement sheet lasts when it is buried in soil.