Fence building with untreated wood
I'm building a 4' tall picket fence around my front yard. No more free-ranging this little toddler. He moves fast.
Wood options from the home improvement store are (1) old school pressure treated [arsenic] and (2) untreated. Since I'm using my yard for edible gardening, I do not want even a small amount of arsenic added to the soil.
So... My old library DIY books say that untreated wood rots in five years. What?! That can't be right. I know I can weatherproof and paint the bays (panels) and portion of the post above ground. I've heard about putting gravel at the bottom of the post hole to help drainage, and I'll be pouring cement around the base. What else?
How can I build my fence with untreated wood? How do you extend the life of the wood under ground?
I have dreams of making tea out of rose hips from yellow climbing roses that might one day weave and dance over the white pickets. No arsenic, please.
Wood options from the home improvement store are (1) old school pressure treated [arsenic] and (2) untreated. Since I'm using my yard for edible gardening, I do not want even a small amount of arsenic added to the soil.
So... My old library DIY books say that untreated wood rots in five years. What?! That can't be right. I know I can weatherproof and paint the bays (panels) and portion of the post above ground. I've heard about putting gravel at the bottom of the post hole to help drainage, and I'll be pouring cement around the base. What else?
How can I build my fence with untreated wood? How do you extend the life of the wood under ground?
I have dreams of making tea out of rose hips from yellow climbing roses that might one day weave and dance over the white pickets. No arsenic, please.