Raised bed kit wood tested 2023

The Additional module of Raised Bed Kits by Truly Timber was in a stable, but absurd large shipping carton delivered. With a length of over one meter and a width of almost 60 cm, the shipping carton has a volume of over 280 liters. The product box inside takes up the entire length, but is significantly narrower and flatter – it only takes up 15% of the volume. The rest of the shipping box is filled with air and recycled paper, but far too little to hold the product box in place. At best, the recycled paper has a dampening effect here. With a smaller shipping carton, not only packaging material could be used save up, but also increase the utilization of the logistics vehicles – the almost 250 l of air require a lot of space in the cargo hold.

Alternatively, as with base module, the shipping carton can be dispensed with entirely. Here serves the Product packaging, which is very similar to the product packaging of the base module, simultaneously as a shipping carton. Since the cardboard tightly closed and stable is, from our point of view, this is completely sufficient. Scissors or a knife are required to open the boxes.

Within of the product packaging are the components of the basic and additional modules compact and non-slip arranged. The space in the cuboid box that remains free due to the components is filled with enough recycled paper so that the individual parts cannot slip. The instructions for use are in a resealable bag inside an envelope along with the nails and connecting rods recycled paper additionally packed. This means that the parts are quickly to hand.

All boxes and components came intact and in perfect condition. Due to the stable product box and the good arrangement of the components inside, both the basic module and the additional module are safe during transport well protected.

The base module consists of eight prefabricated Planks of wood, four metal connecting rods with cover plugs, two pieces of bubble wrap and a variety of roofing nails. The supplementary module contains another four wooden planks, two connecting rods with cover plugs, a section of bubble wrap and also roofing felt nails.

The Instructions can be found in the envelope and is supplied with both the basic module and the additional module. It is identical in both cases, as both the structure of the basic module and that of the additional module are described. The instructions for use are written in German and are easy to understand. A large part of the assembly instructions is explained by drawings. In addition, the assembly instructions contain further information on use and care of the raised bed.

The Contact details are not found on the instructions for use, but on the product box. Here’s a side one sticker attached, which is not only printed with the company name, but also with the company address, the name of the managing director and an e-mail address. The only thing we would have liked was a phone number.

The Truly timber raised bed consists of wooden boards that are connected with rods to form a closed shape at the side. The inside is lined with a knobbed foil that protects the wood permanent moisture protects. The wooden planks are exactly one meter long, three centimeters thick and 14,5 centimeters high. Due to the high thickness are the boards very stable and keep too long-term high forces stand.

At both ends the planks are halfway up each 3 cm shortened to one overlap to allow with the adjacent board. The longer section is pierced in the direction of height to insert the connecting rods to facilitate. The used Wood is according to the manufacturer Douglas of domestic origin and appears untreated. The individual boards are massiv and the natural grain is clearly visible. Longitudinal joints are milled into both sides of the wood high quality three dimensional optics generate. However, the width and number of joints on both sides of each board is different, so when assembling you can choose whether to decorate the outside with a few wide joints or many narrow joints. The millings on the sides are precisely executed and result in a natural surface. The ends are geschliffen, so that no splinters protrude. There are only a few splinters left behind in the drilled holes, but these can easily be removed with a finger.

The connecting rods are made Aluminium and 26 cm long. Its diameter is 8 mm. The surface is matt, but not visible in the assembled raised bed. Since aluminum does not rust, is with a long lifespan of the connections to be expected. Black ones are used to cover the connecting rods Plastic caps provided by a plug-in mechanism be held in the hole.

The bubble wrap consists of dark grey Plastic. The film is tear-resistant and non-stretchable, but can be easily bent in its longitudinal direction. Each section is 27 cm wide and almost exactly 2 meters long. So the slide is something small as the Inner surface of the raised bed, which is two planks and thus 29 cm high and (in the basic configuration) has a total length of four by 94 cm. The individual pimples taper in a cone shape and taper in diameter from 19 mm at the base to 9 mm at the tip. Their height is 8 mm. The dimpled foil has almost 2000 dimples per square meter. The plastic film is attached with 17 mm long, silver-colored Nails. According to the manufacturer, these consist of galvanized steel. Due to its wide head, its holding power is evenly distributed over the film.

All components Make a stable and high-quality Impression. The application was very well, whereby this is particularly noticeable with the clearly visible wooden planks. These represent the elementary components and characterize the design of the raised bed.

The field test let’s start with that Construction of the raised bed in the basic configuration. To do this, the wooden planks are placed at right angles to each other and linked with the connecting rods. through the precise bore fall the connecting rods in the holes provided, and from the Gravity held in place. Already after about two minutes has always been basic framework completed in this way. The cover caps can simply be put on the holes and prevent them from filling up with water when it rains.

The next step is the Foil appropriate. Since this is already cut to fit, it can be attached directly. For the strong Nails becomes a (small) Hammer needed. Although this takes significantly more time than putting the planks together, this step can also be carried out without any technical skills.

The assembled base module has one square base with one metre side length and a height of 29 cm. About a ground The raised bed does not have this, but it does not have to, as excess water can easily seep away. Now you can start filling and planting.

Since the individual planks are only plugged in, the plank connections can still be easily rotated around the axis of the connecting rod. At the latest after the raised bed has been filled, this is no longer possible and the raised bed can no longer be moved.

When spraying the wood with Water shows that this not treated is. The water does not roll off, but wets the surface evenly and is slowly absorbed. The natural design of the untreated wood looks in new condition looks excellent, but it is to be feared that this will not remain the case outdoors for long. We therefore recommend a suitable Wood preservation to apply. But even without wood protection, Douglas fir wood can be Storage between 10 and 15 years can be assumed.

The Width of the raised bed is included one metre just large enough that the plants in it can still be easily reached, provided the bed is easily accessible from at least two opposite sides. One good accessibility is important for sowing, digging, transplanting, watering, tending and harvesting the bed. If the gardener is physically fit, we believe that accessibility from one side is sufficient. The large width allows a large usable area of the raised bed and thus the cultivation of many plants.

The low altitude from only 29 cm Unfortunately, the advantage of the raised bed of not having to bend down when using it is no longer available. In order to be able to manage the raised bed without bending down, several boards must be stacked on top of each other. through the modular structure of the raised bed is this problem-free possible. For example, two basic configurations can be built directly on top of each other to achieve a greater height.

Thanks to the modular design, the raised bed can also be placed in the Width expanded become. For this we test it Additional module, with which the Usable Space of the raised bed almost doubled can be. For this purpose, two side walls of the raised bed are extended by a plank, creating a rectangular base results. The height and width remain the same, and the length grows due to the middle joint overlap 197 cm at. The wood and connecting rods correspond exactly to those of the basic module, so that the elements can be easily put together and a coherent overall design is created. Unfortunately, the nub spacing of the nub foil does not correspond exactly to that of the main module, which means that the bubble wrap not intertwined. Otherwise, the advantages and disadvantages of the additional module correspond to those of the basic module.

By the easy assembly of the basic framework and the high flexibility can the raised bed in a practical test inspire. The high width creates a large usable area, and many plants can thrive in the raised bed. The downside of low altitude can be balanced by stacking multiple sets on top of each other.