Q: I am making a redwood raised planter bed using 2×6 material obtained from the local retail supplier. I elected not to use pressure treated wood because we intend on growing vegetables. Since the wood will be in direct contact with the ground, what type of finish would you recommend?
A: Generally I don’t suggest film forming finishes for decks and planters. Since you chose redwood, that leaves you two very good options. The first is to leave the wood unfinished; redwood does just fine unfinished as it has a natural resistance to rot and bug infestation. The other option is to use an impregnating finish, such as an oil based deck coating. These help shed water and keep the wood color a bit better, but should be renewed every year or so. They are very easy to apply and are relatively inexpensive, and are available from clear through lightly tinted to pigmented. There are lots of good deck coatings to choose among, from very reliable companies, including Wolman F&P, Flood CWF and Olympic Maximum, to name just a few that are widely available.
Michael Dresdner
straight talk about wood finishing
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