Loose pallet wood for garden projects

Some folk have luck with freecycle?
maybe refine your search such as timber or plywood, floorboards etc?....

thanks, Pam

someone is already asking for pallets on the local Freecycle, and the prob there is that one has to collect,w hich means hiring a man and a van.

eBay is just as bad - the only one I've ofund that didn't have "free postage - Collect only" wanted about £400, apprently per pallet!

The larest part of the cost would be getting the stuff home, whether the seller delivers or I have to get a man iwth a van

but I'll try the searches you suggest, and see what comes up - though the above paragraph will still apply!

There are two types of pallets, ones that are reused and there is a thriving trade in these. Lorry drivers make a bit of pocket money selling them to pallet dealers who then sell them on for a profit to other haulage companies. You might want to try one of these companies, they might deliver, but I would imagine that they will need an large order.

The other type of pallets is the ones that are only used once. They are not well made, usually rough (not sanded) and these can usually be picked up for free as they will be glad to get rid of them.

Ask at the local B&Q if they would let you have any damaged ones and offer the lads a fiver to break them up for you.
Or advertise on Freecycle for 'unwanted timber' rather than pallets.
Or ring round fencing companies and ask if they have any off-cuts to get rid of. They have to pay to tip so they may well let you have pieces that are no use to them. Should be a few agricultural fencing companies in/near Shrewsbury

I'm a bit curious as to what you want the wood for - pallet wood, especially the unsanded ones, isn't seasoned, hasn't any preservative nor been pressure treated, and will warp and twist quite readily, particularly in outdoor situations.

You could buy some fence palings/lats they come usually in 6ft lengths and are 4inch wide and treated timber our local timber merchants sell them for £1.70 each and will cut to size.

Thanks, Myron, I didn't know that! I'll certainly refine my search now.

Great ideas, Urbanite! thanks a lot.

lol Bamboo, knowing me, they'd probably stay stacked in a corner up forever! But I need raised beds, and I've been told that I can't have any permanant structures, ie brick or stone built-in ones.

Someone on GoY did some brilliant "raised planters" from pallet wood, and there are a couple of other pallet-experts whose work I've long admired and wished I could have a go at emulating.

Um, hadn't thought of the treating them - seems like I'll have to have a deep rethink. Need something, though, and railway sleepers are a tad heavy - I might be able to knock pallet wood together, but doubt I'd be able to move a lseeper on my own.

Thanks, Steve, another jolly good iea that I'd not hought of - not kinowing what was possibl,e I went for the obvious,

lol probably a good thing that I posted this question - my horizons hae been expanded!

http://www.designrulz.com/design/2013/04/25-ways-of-how-to-use-pallets-in-your-garden/

http://dishfunctionaldesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/creative-ways-to-use-pallets-outdoors.html

PS, my timing is probably totally out here - I maen, i've only just moved in, not got everything indoors sorted yet, so it's a bit soon to be planning major construction projects for the garden! but seeing the pics on those two websites jsut made me want to have a go ...

Fencing slats are generally inexpensive Fran as Steveg says treated too so would save you the hassle of treating - compare the wee bit extra cost to buying the treatment and brushes yourself, that's the way I'd go if you are not needing lots.

pressure treated or tanalized wood would be best to make your raised beds - they won't rot for a good few years.

Thanks, Scottish and Bamboo. *s* I think I was trying to fly a bit too high a bit too soon, and tripped over my own feet - luckily before I'd done something I couldn't undo! I'll check out the fence slat option.

Thank you all!!

Its all a learning curve Fran, nothing wrong with floating ideas and seeing what folks think, there is such a wealth of experience here you will soon have ideas what can or can't be easily achieve, there are things I'd like to grow here but its too open to the winds, and not acid soil either so all those lovely plants ruled out........

I've had ideas for craft projects, and had the bits ready - for years! just not got round to it. of course, part of that's having nowhere to work - need room, under cover, and able to make a mess. Now i've got the room to make a mess - not under cover yet, so I've decided that if I don't get moving on it and then on them this year, they'll go in the bin and that'll leave me room to start collecting more "might come in handy" junk!

Sounds interesting Fran.....I look forward to seeing what you make x

found these while looking for something else, which is usually the way! think even I could make something of these ...

http://www.easybrick.co.uk/garden/