The list below of timber and sheet materials contains the most common types used by the home DIYer.

• P.S.E. Planed square edge or P.A.R. Planed all round as it is sometimes known is suitable for indoor framework, studding and general use. It is available in a wide range of sizes and can be used externally but will require treating with wood preserve.
• Sawn treated is a rough sawn timber protected with a wood preserve and is ideal for most exterior jobs. This is available in a wide range of sizes.
• P.T.G. Planed tongue and groove is suitable for floorboards.
• Traditional cladding is a smaller version of tongue and groove floorboard. It can be indoors and outdoors providing it is treated with wood preserve.
• Shiplap cladding is more suited for exterior projects like sheds or containers and is normally pretreated.
• Hardboard is used for cupboard backs in kitchen and bedroom units among others, it is only around 3 – 4mm thick and can be bought with a white finish.
• M.D.F. Medium density fibreboard comes in a wide range of sheet sizes and thickness. It is a very versatile material that gives an excellent finish.
• Strand board is used mainly for roofs that will be covered with felt.
• Plywood is a sheet material that can be used both internally and externally.
• Melamine chipboard (Contiboard) is a melamine faced chipboard suitable for cabinets, furniture, etc and comes in a wide variety of finishes, Beech, oak, etc.

When you are purchasing timber, if it is sold in single lengths always have a look to see if it is warped or twisted by simply looking down the length from one end to the other. Some DIYers prefer to use rough sawn timber rather than P.S.E. / P.A.R. if it won’t be on show as it is cheaper to buy. Any timber which is to be used for projects in damp or wet conditions should always be treated with a good quality wood preserve, pretreated in the case of fence posts, etc. This will increase its resistance against adverse conditions and probably improve its appearance. Some of the larger DIY stores such as B & Q offer a free cutting service which is invaluable if only so the timber / sheet will fit in your vehicle.

I find M.D.F. an easy sheet material to work with, there are no knots to contend with, you get a good clean cut and it has a good flat finish for painting. Ornamental pieces of woodwork are popular and can improve the finished look of your project, there are Lot’s of quality patterned and moulded beads and trims available in most DIY stores and these along with various mouldings can be easily attached with an adhesive such as Liquid nails. As an example you can buy a plain fire surround fairly cheap, add some ornamental mouldings and a couple of coats of paint / varnish or woodstain and it can be made to look like a much more expensive purchase.

Remember to use safety equipment, goggles, face mask and gloves, when handling and cutting these materials.

Garden planters can add colour to a  patio or grassed area without costing a fortune, you can also build them to the size and shape you require rather than ‘making do’ with whats available at the local garden centre or DIY store and you can of course move them around to suit your preferred layout.

They can be built using basic tools (as listed above) and can made from a variety of timbers, then finished with coloured / clear wood preserve, paint, or varnish, it is entirely up to you.  

As an example :-  To build a trough or rectangular planter around 2ft x 10″ (600mm x 250mm), saw a piece of sheet material, i.e. 3/4″ (20mm) plywood to  size for the planter base. If you choose decking board, again as an example for the walls of the planter, saw 4 x 2ft (600mm) lengths for the longest sides. 

Now saw four pieces of timber to length for the ends, this measurement will be minus 2 x the thickness of the boards, therefore if the boards have a depth of 1 1/4″ (32mm), the measurement will be 10″ – 2 1/2″ = 7 1/2″ long or 250mm – 64mm = 186mm long.

To fix the sides together saw six pieces of  2″ x 2″ (50mm x 50mm) from rough sawn timber, to obtain the cut length add the width of two pieces of board and subtract 1″ (25mm) , therefore if the boards are 6″ (150mm) wide cut the six pieces of timber at 11″ (275mm) long. this will keep the timbers out of sight from the surface of the planter.

Finally saw three pieces of the 2″ x 2″ (50mm x 50mm) rough sawn timber  10″ (250mm) long to use as feet for the planter base.  

Use a piece of medium grade sand paper to clean up any rough edges on the cut timber, boards and plywood.

You should now have sawn to length :-

• 1 of 2ft x 10″ (600mm x 250mm) piece of plywood
• 4 of 2ft (600mm) long pieces of board
• 4 of  7 1/2″ (186mm) long pieces of board
• 6 of 2″ x 2″ (50mm x 50mm) x 11″ (186mm) long pieces of rough sawn timber
• 3 of 2″ x 2″ (50mm x 50mm) x 10″ (250mm) long pieces of rough sawn timber

The planter can now be assembled :-

Place the four longer lengths of board on a level surface face down in pairs, position the sawn pieces of  2″ x 2″ (50mm x 50mm) timber on them as shown below in fig 1. These pieces now require fixing to the back of the boards, one piece should be in the centre, the other two should be fixed 1 1/4″ (32mm) from each end, use coated or galvanised screws and choose a length of screw that will not protrude through the face of the boards when fixed, in this example I would use 4 x 2 3/4″ x 10s coated or galvanised screws for each piece of timber. Drill clearance holes in the 2″ x 2″ (50mm x 50mm) to stop the timber from splitting.

fig 1

When the sides are all fixed in position, place the assembled planter walls, top down onto a level surface and fix the plywood base in position (see fig 2). Drill clearance holes for the screws through the plywood in line with the six timbers that hold the planter walls together, if the plywood is 3/4″ (20mm) thick use 6 x 2″ (50mm) x 10s coated or galvanised woodscrews to fix it in place.

fig 2

Now fix the three 2″ x 2″ (50mm x 50mm) timbers to the base (see fig 3), one in the centre and the other two approximately 3″ (75mm) from each end, after drilling clearance holes they can be fixed in position using 9 x 2 3/4″ x 10s coated or galvanised screws. 

fig 3

The planter should have a couple of coats of wood preserver applied and  the inside of the planter should be lined with thick PVC sheet to reduce water damage. It can now be finished with whatever you wish to apply to the timber. You can of course build your planters any shape or size you want and depending on your skill level you could create some fantastic shapes and styles at a fraction of the cost of shop bought items.