Can I use landscape timber as horizontal boards on wood fence posts to enclose a small are around my hay shed which is in one pasture? The perimter of the pasture is shockline.
landscape timbers are 6’ Most fencing is on 8’ centers. They are also 3" deep, you would have to drill holes probably too thick to drive a nail through.
More trouble than it is worth IMO
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And if treated lumber, not safe for horses to chew.
You can buy 2X6 lumber in up to 20’ lengths.
Pine is like candy to horses, so you’d have to paint with something to make it less desirable.
I am no Wood Fencing Pro, I chose to go with coated tensile wire.
My posts are 6" round, set @ 12’, 8’ buried 3’.- pounded in, no cement.
they are actually 3" x 4" x 8’ timbers.
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They have a tendency to split and warp in the sun after some time but I don’t see why they wouldn’t work. May need to replace them at some point but if you are looking for quick and cheap they would work. Personally, i think round pen panels are probably a better investment and easy rearrange later.
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My BO has a lot of fencing up with landscape Timbers. They attach them with L brackets / corner braces to the posts. They look very nice, but are fairly new so I can’t speak to longevity. The horses haven’t attempted to chew them.
I think the answer is - If you want to, sure.
I have found them to typically not be the best quality product out there. They like to twist and bend as they dry. They also might not be the cheapest per linear foot.
I see no problem with them being pressure treated. Lots of fencing is pressure treated. All of my fence posts are.
If that’s what you have, then go ahead, but the advice on the splitting and warping are spot on. They are made of junk wood and just don’t hold up. But if they aren’t going to be under pressure (horses leaning in/on or potential horse running into/chased into) then they should be ok. Are these the round ones or the square ones? So more post-like? Can I ask why you’re using “posts” as “rails” on a fence?
you are right sorry
Clanter is correct. LTs are from the very centers of trees. Very seldom will they be properly dried before they are treated so they will absorb very little of the treatment. When one puts them outside in the sun, they will dry which causes the warping as they shrink. And with very little retention of the treatment, they won’t last very long. They are sold as landscape timbers to be used in landscaping where they are used to line flower beds, not for any structural use. They are cheap for a reason.
