Landscape timber project
April-May 08

This project was done, not knowing that the timbers were no longer treated wood ... so the whole project ... money and labor ... was a waste. In 2012-3, I tore out the timbers and replaced culverts with genuine treated 4x4s and 4x6s.
I scoundreled the 4x6 off a fallen sign out by the freeway, plus took the plywood to make a storage cabinet for tools and another for my water heater.

Earlier this year I did the attic insulation project > that project still needs the final touches
The insulation project followed on the heels of the new AC unit
Our electric bills dropped to 108 per month following the new unit
Offsetting that was the property tax valuation increasing by $30,000 to $150,000
It could be worse > if we had that detached garage and covered walkway, our house might be appraised at $250,000 from looks alone > the way it is now, our house looks tiny.

The new AC unit followed on the heels of the termite project > the termites required remodeling Holly’s office which remains unfinished and lacking the final coat of paint > I’m waiting because I don’t want to put everything back before inspecting for termites again

The landscape timber project had been looming for a few years > it was obvious that the timbers were rotted > I replaced a few of them in 2001, but now they were visibly falling into crumbles

One night several months ago, a man stopped by looking for a friend > I directed him to drive up the other street > he backed out and drove off the culvert edge > his truck was hanging over the culvert and the axle was pinned on the landscape timbers over the culvert > after a few tries, we got Chad to come over with his big truck and tow chain > Chad pulled the truck off my culvert but the timbers came out too > the timbers were rotted beyond repair

The truck-on-the-culvert caused the landscape timber project to become front-burner.

It had just rained a day or two before and the ground was soft. I went to Lowes and bought a few timbers. That day I removed the remaining culvert pieces and began.

I rounded up all the tools. Sledge hammer, vice grips, hammer, drill and bits, shovel, rake, hoe, extension cord.

The first three pieces went in and by chance alone they came out level. I drove the long pieces of re-bar straight down.

The next day on the project was a Sunday. I didn’t work very many consecutive days because of concern for my health. I put the top piece over the culvert and drove two long re-bar in at angles to complete the culvert. Next I ran the first piece starting up the driveway.

I used the shovel and a 4x4 fulcrum to remove each timber and then I used the vice grips to twist out the old re-bar spikes. The old spikes were still in good condition, so I used them on the new timbers.

I went back to Lowes for more timbers > they were 1.97 each > they are usually 3.50 – 4.00 each > after realizing that I received a sale price, I returned quickly with my trailer and bought all the timbers needed for the project. (before the project was complete, the timbers had gone up in price again)

The next work day was later in the week. I laid 4 timbers and then went and laid down.

To make the timbers level and get them up out of the holes that the old ones laid in, I used 2x4’s at the ends of each timber. This raised them up and hopefully will extend their lifespan.

The next work day, I laid 4 timbers again. But then I looked at the project and told myself that 4-per-day would cause me to end the project before it was complete. I steeled myself and decided I would lay 10 timbers each time out. So instead of stopping at four, I went ahead and finished the long side of the driveway PLUS the three pieces on the opposite side nearest to the hose. I was elated with my progress.

The next work day, I started at the tree nearest to the hose-corner of the house. I began laying the circle and did 5 timbers almost around to the other tree. I also laid the three pieces between the front porch and my usual parking spot. I didn’t quite make the 10-piece minimum, but I was happy with the progress.

I had been connecting the trailer each work-day because the new timbers and several hand tools were stored there. This was adding an extra step and was a deterrent for ‘starting.’ I decided to load timbers directly in my van and then lay them out in place ahead of the work-day. I decided also to keep all the tools in the back of the van. This made ‘starting’ more spontaneous and less of a psychological burden.

The first day, I used the electric chain saw to cut the timbers. I also tried the 8” chop box. It turned out that the regular power saw was faster, more mobile and easier. I took the chain saw back to the barn. The one good thing is that I fixed the chop saw so it would open all-the-way as it did when it was new.


Each new timber has two straight ends. To make a curved shape from several timbers, the ends have to be cut at an angle to make a professional-looking joint. When the original timbers were laid in 1992, we made joints by keeping one end straight and cutting an angle on the end of the joining piece. This meant that only one end on each timber had to be cut. I decided to use the same labor-saving technique on the new timbers.

Where the two timbers joined, I drove nails to hold the joint together. The first timber was spiked into the ground, but the second timber lay loose until I could nail the joint together. To keep the loose timber in place while driving nails, I butted a 4x4 or short timber cut-off next to the loose joint. I stepped on the 4x4 while driving nails and my weight kept the joint together while the nail was driven.


The next work-day began at the front porch. I pulled up 5 consecutive timbers and installed the new ones. This put me almost half way to the last culvert. Moving to the inner circle, I replaced 4 more. Again I fell short of the 10-piece minimum, but it was a good go.

I changed tactics over the next few work days. I pulled up all the old timbers ahead of replacement. Before I had been pulling up a timber and then replacing it. This pull-replace technique caused so many steps that it slowed progress. Next I pulled up the stakes ahead of replacement. These were little steps that avoided a full-afternoon of timber replacement. Maybe I was resting, but still wanted to move forward.

One evening after dark, I went out to the remaining culvert and removed the timbers. I was expecting a big fight getting them out, but they were plenty rotted. All that was left were the long lengths of re-bar.

The next work-day I took a plastic tray out to the culvert. I held the tray at the bottom and then used the shovel to cut down the sides. The loose gravel fell into the tray which I then dumped on the driveway overlooking the culvert. Doing this cleared the way for the first timbers.

I needed to pull out the long re-bar. Fortunately one of the old timbers was still in good shape PLUS it had a hole drilled too big for the re-bar. I slipped this hole over the long re-bar that was stuck in the ground. I pushed the timber down over the rebar as far as it would go and then clamped the re-bar with the vice grips. The vice grips held the re-bar firmly while I use the long timber as a lever for pulling out the re-bar. It worked great. After re-setting the vice grips several time, the full 4-foot lengths of rebar came out. That was the end of that work day > no timbers laid but progress made.

Around this time, I decided to use real treated 4x4s for the bottom of the culvert. I calculated that the next time the culvert needed replacement I would be too old to undertake a full project. I needed real treated wood on the bottom. It’s too bad I didn’t decide this when replacing the first culvert a few weeks earlier, but at least one culvert will good for a lifetime.

In the trailer I had a painted 4x4 which had been part of a sign lying along the road. I sanded the paint off one side and used that 4x4 for the bottom piece on the culvert. This time I put the level on it. The first spike cause the 4x4 to tip out away from level. Before driving the next spike, I had to make that 4x4 right. I drilled a hole in the side of the 4x4 and inserted a re-bar. Then I used a short landscape timber to push up the 4x4 and make it level. Next I drove the second spike which held good and the first culvert piece was in. That was the end of that work day > not much accomplished, but it was a necessary step.


I bought 2 long 4x4s from Lowes. Later I had to go back and get treated 2x4s too.

The next work day I excavated for the 4x4’s and discovered that a 4x4 and 2x4 would come out the right height. Another day passed. Now I was ready to complete the culvert.

With all the boards present, I cut the pieces and drilled for the long spikes. Earlier I bought a 20’ section of 3/8” re-bar and cut 4 lengths to use as my culvert spikes. I drove two spikes straight down and two more at angles.

After getting the 4x4s situated, I backfilled with big rocks and pieces of asphalt. I used the big pieces on the bottom so the smaller pieces wouldn’t fall out into the ditch below.

The culvert was finished but before quitting for the day, I ran the first timber over into the yard. I laid it on top of 4x4’s. Next I pulled up the last remaining old timbers and pulled out a few more spikes.


The next day I hooked up the trailer and loaded all the old timbers. For some reason those old timbers laying around in the driveway were a psychological barrier to completing the job. Anyway I loaded them all on board. It rained a tiny bit the night before so I decided this was a good time to burn them off.


I pulled out to the burn pile and got the fire started. I figured it would take 3-4 days to unload the trailer full of timbers into the fire. I was wrong. The fire burned through those timbers fast. within a few hours, all the timbers were ablaze and the burn pile got smaller by the minute as the fire consumed those rotted boards. By nighfall, incredulously, the full count of 50 timbers were reduced to red embers.

Gene Haynes