Raised bed, untreated wood, lined with tile

I'm building a raised bed for a friend of a friend.
I love building beds and I want to perfect my craft, hopefully it will be my retirement occupation.

I got some 2x12 dimensional lumber on markdown from a 70% off cull pile, so I used them for the structure.
To slow the rotting of the untreated wood I used hex headed roofing screws and washers to affix 1' x 2' tiles to the inside walls.
I did cut two tiles to make it work, but I could have probably got  away with no tile cuts if I had been more careful.
I've begun filling the bed, adding one bag of peat  and  woody debris from around her yard.
The hoops will hold netting and later weight cover that with plastic.

That's neat. Are the tiles leftovers or curbside scrap? If not, I wonder how tile cost and embodied energy compares to cement block. Also, I wonder what the result would be of skipping the screws and overlapping the tiles like sideways shingles. You'd need to load the bed, partially, as you were lining with the tiles, to hold them there, but it might form a more preservative layer.

I like the tile idea.

We used old roof tiles to make the GAMCOD bed, which I keep not getting round to writing updates for...

The tiles were the ones we took off the roof.



We fitted the bed to fill the available space, working it between the trees until we got the size we needed.



Then filled it with cut grass, leaves, kitchen scraps, ash from the fire etc and planted in it.

I've had great luck with 2" lumber making garden beds. Where mine are 'failing' are the corners where I put in screws similar to the way you have.

As a 'fix' I have stretched some pipe strapping around the corner and anchored it to the two different boards with a set of screws. This will at least prevent the gap in the corner from widening more for some time. If I would do it again, before the dirt was in the beds, I would probably try putting pieces of 4x4 in the corners to mount the boards against as well.

I use these for the corners:



I get them at Home Depot and the only drag is that mowing against them is harder, but I'm in process of putting thick woodchips everywhere to make it less of a problem.

My untreated 2x fir in those with no protection takes more than five years to rot. That is, after five years, I have few boards that want (but don't demand) replacement but most are pretty sound.

The tile comes from the Cincinnati Recycle And Reuse Hub, which specifically exists to redirect material away from landfills.
The tiles can definitely be used without screws, just held in place with soil/fill.
Adhesive could be used, but I haven't vetted them, so I didn't use them.

I needed the tile to stay in place so the bed will be simple to fill.
Ultimately,the 2x12s are too heavy and cost to much to make them my default choice for beds.
Eventually I would like to build beds of tile that are either just tile or tile with a bit of wood or mortar/thinset.

William Bronson wrote:Ultimately,the 2x12s are too heavy and cost to much to make them my default choice for beds.
Eventually I would like to build beds of tile that are either just tile or tile with a bit of wood or mortar/thinset.

I looked at your pictures in the first post and wondered just that - how to support the tiles to minimise the wood use....
What are the tiles made from? Would they support the soil without cracking? Durable in freezing conditions?


These have sturdy corner frames, and for some reason are also lined. I would think you maybe able to overlap the tops to prevent the tiles from tilting though?

raised beds with galvanised steel panel sides

source

Or - corner /side posts with slots that the tiles will fit in like these posts - you'd need at least a frame at the top to support the posts if not set in the ground:

raised bed with posts with slot in panels

source

Is the purpose of the tiles to prevent dirt from touching the untreated wood?

If the goal is to increase the longevity of the (slowing rot and UV degradation) then you would have added many years by charring them. I dont use tile but I do heavily char all my untreated wood.

My first tile lined beds were made of pallets.
They are like much less pretty version of the galvanized/wood bed.
So far they have held up well.
Two feet deep, not overlapped, it has been through a winter.
With minimal water adsorption and not being firmly connected to anything, freezing isn't much of a danger.

Christopher posted something ideal, except for the cost(I'm cheapskate) and it's suited for 2x lumber, not tiles.
I could cast my own, but since tiles are short, I would need a lot of them.
I am also not very good at concrete work...

Routing a deep channel in 2x4 pallet wood could hold provide a cheap and easy way to connect tiles together.
It will rot, but it shouldn't be hard to replace.
Uses a spade or  lawn edger to cut a slot in the soil, slip the tiles in place, tap the connector down on top of the tiles.
You could also make a notched lumber connector by layering different widths of wood together, for example a 1x2 sandwiched between two 1x4s.
I have the supplies for this, and a place that needs a wall...


If you put notches in the tile, I think you can make long sections of overlapping tile, secured with wire.
Short using adhesives, I think this maybe cheapest/easiest way to build with them securely .
Copper wire could give quite the look.


I also have some ideas on building "pools" with these tiles.
The main idea would be to cast a thin slab, then thinset tiles to the slab, cast a  narrow curb around this base, then thinset tiles to that, and finally pour a narrow concrete wall In between the two tile walls.
Since Im not confident about keeping tile on concrete in a place with freeze thaw cycles , I have not pursued this.
This is also why I haven't tried sticking them in a slot in the ground overlapped, with thinsest in between.

Thom Bri wrote:Is the purpose of the tiles to prevent dirt from touching the untreated wood?

Yes, in this build.
It think it will help keep the wood from rotting, but it might actually make it worse, by keeping an impervious, condensation attracting surface near to the wood.
Time will tell!

Ron, I like what you are doing there!
I wonder if I could do it with a rocket stoves?