Of Lumber and Liner

[TCLynx]

So why not make grow beds out of wood and pond liner?
In a word.
Termites!
If you live in a place where termites can't happen, then check on carpenter ants.

One of the drawbacks with lumber and liner is that all sorts of creepy crawlies get in between the wood and the liner. Wood chewing creatures are no exception and they may not notice the difference between the wood and liner until they have already chewed through it and caused a leak.

I've been in the process of replacing my lumber beds with rubbermaid stock thanks for much of the past year.

Benefits of lumber and liner tanks are that you can build to suit a particular size space.

Things to take into account,
1-Wood will tend bow out with the pressure of water and gravel in it.
2-Wood deteriorates in a constantly wet environment like around an aquaponics system.
3-TERMITES
4-Plumbing through liner and wood can be done but research how to do it before assuming it is the best way to go.
5-Make sure treated wood can't drip water into any tanks or grow beds as the chemicals used to treat the wood isn't so good for fish or food systems.
6-make sure the stands won't provide a path for termites.

[TCLynx]

I do think there is some safety margin using lumber and liner for raft systems. Mainly because if there is a leak, you can get at it to patch it. Trying to even find the leak with a gravel filled bed would be a challenge, let alone having to move the gravel to patch it if you could find it.

I know many people build raft systems with lighter weight liner or even plastic with the plan that it would need to replaced within a few years.

[Raychel A Watkins]

I use lumber and liner but have changed the way I was doing it. I built 2 large troughs on the ground. Thats to hard for my back so now I am putting all beds up to counter height. I have one 4' by 8' on line right now. I just had 6 2' by 8' food beds made. I love doing the gardening at that height. I am having a 4' by 24' bed made. I can hardly wait to plant this one. It helps to keep the creepy crawlies out. You can look into my on ground troughs and see the buffo toads resting under the leaves of the ung choy. I have had one crop of tadpoles in the system already. I prefer not to have these visitors. If they find water they will try to get in it. Also we have wild chickens in the area. They haven't found it yet but they will and it could be bad. If you plumb throuh liner and wool use through the bulkhead fittings. They work very well.