Decking boards direct on the ground

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I have some decking boards under parts of my line, my soil is clay so stays wet in some parts, hence the decking boards as the railway sunk alot, after 3yrs there is very little change to the boards, i would think they will do 10yrs before they need looking at.
 
38thfoot said:
Whilst trying to find out which way up to lay some decking boards I hit upon the question of will they rot if laid directly onto the ground?

Anyone got any experience?

cheers

38
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I'm no expert, but I'd imagine they're bound to rot faster laid on the ground than if they're supported on posts?

Stockers is probably the best bloke to ask.
 
I think either way it will take a ling time. I have them on posts andw down at ground level, after three years no discern able difference
 
I laid some Wickes decking directly to the ground with no bracing. Within a year some of it has warped to silly shapes and has been replaced with patio stones and similar. It will rot quicker as moisture will take longer to disperse, especially around joints.
Although more expensive have you had a look at recycled plastic decking or lumber? I've used it for my platforms and it seems quite stable.
 
Any timber on the ground will rot, the time will depend on the quality of the timber and how often the ground is wet.
The quality of deck board varies quite a lot with er.... Wickes being about the worst. You could also by recycled plastic deck board which although more expensive will never rot.
 
They should be ok assuming the cut end are sealed again with end grain preserver.
Should last for fifteen years
 
yb281 said:
I'm no expert, but I'd imagine they're bound to rot faster laid on the ground than if they're supported on posts?

Stockers is probably the best bloke to ask.
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And I agree with you Mel. Best to let a bit of air all round if possible.
Wickes do different sizes of board and it has to be said - the cheap stuff is poor.
Decking boards should be 6" x 1 and a half" or 150 x 38mm (Before being planned and grooved) anything less is asking for warps and rot.
Someone said (above), it depends on the timber and preservative sysytem used - 'tis very true. Good boards are made from red wood (nothing to do with them huge American trees), as are good fence posts. White wood is softer and cheaper. It all depends on the type of tree used and also where the timber is cut from within that tree.
Best to use a timber merchant rather than a DIY shop, if you can find one. Probably cheaper too.
 
the ground round lazy is moist, on a dry day.. so, concreat foundation blocks(not thermalight) are set into the ground.. all the wood, fensceposts, tanlised timber/decking, all sit on the concreat blocks, not directly in the ground
 
Totally go along with what has been said.
I built our decking snuggling into the corner of two fences but due to the wacky way that our garden slopes this way and that, it meant that some of the decking is about 3ft above ground and some either resting on a section of wall or even a small section having to make contact with the ground. The planking that is making contact with the ground was laid on top of bearers that were fixed to uprights sunk in metposts. Where the bearers touch the ground , the ground was excavated slightly and roofing felt with pierced drainage holes laid. On top of the felt is a layer of tamped granite chippings, as they do not wick damp, and then concrete pavers laid on that for the bearers to touch. The decking is now about 8 years old and, touch wood :bigsmile: , still as firm as ever with no warping etc.
BUT I have used pressure treated log roll elsewhere for the railway and it was supposed to be guaranteed for ten years but in had rotted in places within only two! :wits: Softwood in contact with bare earth, no matter how good the pressure treatment, will always rot faster in cases very fast.
 
Good move Mike. Is there a damp proof layer between block and timber?

Edit - too many Mikes. The above was intended for Mike Mike, not for Beavercreek Mike!:bigsmile:
 
Another layer of roof felt and a sheet of plastic membrane..I do like a boot and braces job :rolf:

edit..... ....Whoops just seen the second line of Stocker's post
 
Thanks anyway - you cant have too much damp proofing!
 
yes allan,..:bigsmile:
 
Would definately suggest Plastic where boards touch the earth. Then Wood Decking where it can be raised above the ground, decking that is covered with Roofing Felt will last pretty well indefinately if in tha 'air' a bit and not in contact with the ground. Track beds in contact with the ground can sometimes last little more than 5 years so it may well be false economy to save money here.

Remember though the plastic decking will expand and contract MORE than your track so the normal physics of contraction when laying track onnplastic needs to be reverced.
JonD
 
Most of Ruritanian Railways is on wood laid directly onto the ground. I started the line with 150m wide, 22mm deep tannalised timber. This has not rotted in the past 3/4 years, but several sections warped as they were inadequately braced. Had I followed the good advice in several books I might have got away with it.

More recent sections and those relaid after the original wood warped are on 38mm deep timber, braced underneath with offcuts of the same and postcreted into the ground to prevent movement. Where I've moved sections to change the line, there is zero sign of rot or warping. Should last 10 years minimum. Probably longer.
 
I'll put my two cents in here because I can't stop myself. The only wood that will never rot when in contact with the earth is wood that is still growing. :rolf: If at all possible, use some form of masonry. Wether it is concrete, natural stones, etc.
Look at it this way;

Wood-grows, dies, rots, mushrooms.
Stone-been around for millions of years, does not die, does not rot, may grow some moss:thumbup:

If you must use wood, keep it from remaining damp. Use mahogany. There are numerous forms of it coming from South America and Africa. You will be helping to deplete the rain forests.:brokeheart: In truth I believe some of the mahogany sold is from farmed sources. Seal it with linseed oil/turpentine mix once every couple of years. Forget all of those chemicals like Thompsons Water seal, no pun intended Ian. Or any of the other deck sealers on the market. Go back to basics.
 
It does a bit depend on one's climate as well; rot is not really the issue in this part of the world, but termites certainly are!
:cool:
 
Concur with Ross..... I used 9" hollow blocks, placed with the holes vertically, to raise my track to a decent working height and two years later there is negligible movement, water (and we have our fair share of rain) drains nicely away....
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Regards
Rob
 
38th listen to Madman and look at what rbs has done, this is exactly the way to do it if you want your line to last long term. If you think you will be moving in around 5 years just put your wood in the earth and see what it looks like when you move. If you are going to stay long term you could always build a bit smaller but better shot term and extend in a quality way as finance allows.
JonD
 
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