Thread: What timber for under-house work bench in termite area?

Cypress pine is supposed to have a certain amount of natural resistance. Or you could use a metal base, with hardwood top....\
TM

About the only thing that termites won't eat is steel, so as mentioned above go for steel frame and hardwood top and regular termite treatment is the only way to keep them out

Originally Posted by TermiMonster

Cypress pine is supposed to have a certain amount of natural resistance. Or you could use a metal base, with hardwood top....\
TM

Ditto to the above,however I have used Jarrah & Wandoo with copious amounts of Creosote (not sure if this is still available ) on the legs many years ago,seemed to have deterred the little buggers

Cheers

Thanks guys. Hardwood top sounds like a no brainer, now for the hard part - the frame!

A metal frame maybe somewhat problematic for me as I cant really weld. The steel shelving / framing like which Bunnings use to store & display things would (Im assuming) be too expensive.

I did call my local timber merchant yesterday and they suggested that I use H2 treated pine - commonly used indoors for framing apparently. He said any cuts & end grain should be sprayed with the treatment to keep the critters out also.

I then found this that describes H2 - http://www.pinetimberproducts.com.au...ctual-pine/h2/


Ive also seen on the Bunnings website a bitumastic paint that I thought maybe a good thing to put on all the legs from ground level to say 300mm up - Not sure if this would be of any use though.

Any thoughts on the H2, otherwise I think my next move is to figure out how much timber I would need for a frame, price it and then compare that cost against the cost of 2nd hand steel shelving that I could adapt.

Thx
J

How active are termites in your immediate vicinity really? Do you see alates in season? If not there might not be any nests nearby. Unless you are going to leave the bench unused for long periods of time, with accumulated crud all around you might be worrying too much. It should be much easier to regularly inspect bench legs in full view than the building framing inside clad walls. A stash of timber on the ground is much more likely to be a problem than 4 isolated bench legs.

First up what sort sort of bench are you planning? A Roubo bench built of hardwood is a mighty heavy beast and as Paul Sellars demonstrates a quite functional woodworkers pine bench is much easier to construct.

You could take an old school approach and think metal termite caps to isolate the timber from the threat, you could then just use whatever wood suits your build and budget and put tin boots on the legs so you can watch for any termite attack around the metal barrier. I would think simply making sure each leg was centred on a paver is probably sufficient, the termites would have to build mud tunnels from between the cracks across the paver to get to you bench and should be obvious. Termites are more likely to attack if the surrounding ground is moist, in those condition you might find a metal frame is prone to rusting out to.

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

How active are termites in your immediate vicinity really? Do you see alates in season? If not there might not be any nests nearby. Unless you are going to leave the bench unused for long periods of time, with accumulated crud all around you might be worrying too much. It should be much easier to regularly inspect bench legs in full view than the building framing inside clad walls. A stash of timber on the ground is much more likely to be a problem than 4 isolated bench legs.

First up what sort sort of bench are you planning? A Roubo bench built of hardwood is a mighty heavy beast and as Paul Sellars demonstrates a quite functional woodworkers pine bench is much easier to construct.

You could take an old school approach and think metal termite caps to isolate the timber from the threat, you could then just use whatever wood suits your build and budget and put tin boots on the legs so you can watch for any termite attack around the metal barrier. I would think simply making sure each leg was centred on a paver is probably sufficient, the termites would have to build mud tunnels from between the cracks across the paver to get to you bench and should be obvious. Termites are more likely to attack if the surrounding ground is moist, in those condition you might find a metal frame is prone to rusting out to.

Thanks for this. The house is (or was last year - due another inspection) free of termites but they are in a tree close by (approx 10-15m). A house 100m away was eaten by them a few years ago and the neighbours say they are / can be a problem... We've been in the house 18 months or so. Ive never seen any traces of them in / under the house though.

Placing the bench legs on pavers sounds like a good idea and very easy!

To give some idea of what I have to work with, Ive attached a few photos of the pig-sty the area currently is. Clearly a good tidy up is in order once I create some storage capability!

Shelf_1.jpgShelf_2.jpg

This is the existing shelf - Its 600mm high and 600mm wide and nowhere near strong or level enough! Id also like to make more use of the wall - not sure whether to line it or what just yet. The mortar between the bricks was never pointed so the wall isn't smooth. A bolster would soon knock off the excess mortar which would allow my to get straight French cleat rails attached and still leave the wall exposed so the termites don't take up home in the cavity that a plywood liner would create.

The room is 2.9m long, 2.3m wide and has a ceiling height of 1.9m. Probably ought to say that this isn't my primary working space, but is one that I use and need to tidy up!


Side Wall_1.jpg
This shelf will be removed and a French Cleat system put on the wall to create more space. I'll then make several shelves / storage things to hang on it.

With regards what type of bench - I'm no carpenter so just want a solid & sturdy bench on which I can sit projects on as and generally create a workable surface. Im not planning on a carpenters bench with the channel in the middle, nor vice dogs etc. Underneath the work surface will have a shelf to hold my power tool boxes etc along with my small parts washer and some large paint tins. If I have space Id also like a stack of shallow drawers.

Short of laying down a termite barrier on the floor, and then a concrete slab over this, I would use steel frames that may be bolted together. No need for welding. Stay away from any cellulose, such as MDF or plywood - that is a smorgasboard for termites. Dark, damp corners are also inviting to the little buggers, and so good lighting and ventilation would help.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I made mine out of a steel shelving unit system from Bunnings. The one I used is called 'Rack It' but I'm sure you can get something similar at most places. The system I used, has ends that are 900mm high and I think about 600mm wide. I then got 2400mm beams. They do have a few different size beams. The system is designed for MDF boards to fit into it but I used a laminated pine door instead. You could use something a bit less of a termite treat for the work surface. I have to admit, it wasn't cheap but it was a snap to bring home and install.

Another suggestion - go up to 'H3' treated softwood for the base, its both termite and fungus/rot resistant. Gives the termites a real tummy ache and they are more likely to go after that than the house timbers - it was part of a termite defence system that was on the market some years ago, bury termite treated pine in the garden as a bait and poison. The fungus/rot treatment would also be handy since the bench looks like it will be living in a damp environment. With all treated timbers use Galvanised screws or similar fasteners marked as suitable for treated timber/corrosive environments, not 'zinc plated' or whatever the Big Box stores are selling cheap this week.

Definitely treat any cut ends and cut joints with one of the re-treating solutions - usually in the 'Trade' area, very toxic - use rubber gloves and a dedicated brush to put it on, lock left overs away in the poisons cupboard.