Critique from my neighbor changed how I build raised beds

Last spring my neighbor Bob walked over while I was building a 4x8 raised bed for tomatoes. He watched me screw the corners together with deck screws and just said "you're gonna regret that in a year" before walking away. I was annoyed but he was right - by August those screws were rusting and the wood was pulling apart. I rebuilt it using galvanized lag bolts with washers and now after two seasons it's rock solid. Bob told me the trick is to pre-drill the holes and use a socket wrench instead of a drill driver so you don't strip the heads. Has anyone else had a neighbor or friend call out a mistake that ended up being the best advice you got? What did they say?

2 comments

2 Comments

cole_baker1d ago

Pre-drill the holes, how deep do you go?

margareto261d ago

Pre-drill about an inch deep or just a bit longer than the screw threads, not the whole way through the board. That way the threads have something to bite into but the wood won't split right at the corner joint. Bob's tip about using a socket wrench instead of a drill driver is solid too, stops you from camming out and stripping the hex head flat. One thing though, you actually want bolts with nuts for a raised bed, not screws alone even if they're galvanized. The nuts hold the whole thing together way better over time and you can tighten them again if the wood shrinks.