Is Pressure Treated Wood Safe for Raised Garden Beds?
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- Опубликовано: 18 фев 2022
- Pressure-treated wood is an option for many outdoor garden situations. Many gardeners have concerns and questions about using pressure-treated wood for raised garden beds. Gardener Scott reviews the history and science behind wood that has been pressure treated with fungicide and pesticide chemicals. (Video #340)
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Once again...I learned something new! Thanks for the video. I've always thought that currently pressure treated lumber at the store was Copper Arsenate. I avoided it and paid an arm and a leg for cedar. Gardening is hard with only 1 arm and 1 leg remaining.
Before 2006 this would definitely have been a NO. but AQC is now used and this is safe to use. So many people think that CCA was safe but it was found that it was absorbed by plants so better to use it for ornamentals. I wrote an article on it last year. I now have no issue at all using pressure-treated wood. Great video mate
Hi. Where can I read that article? Thanks.
@@suffolkshepherd i cant post a ink here its not my channel but if u dm me I will give it to you
@@suffolkshepherd simplifygardening.com/treated-wood-vegetable-gardens/
Stapling geotextiles to the wood will act as a barrier between the wood as well as the soil regardless of whether it’s treated or not
Here in the States, the EPA mandated this in 1998 or so. It went into effect by 2002, here. I'm a retired general contractor and a conservation officer, and I use it myself as well.
Thank Gardener Scott for this informational gardening subject! Truly appreciated! Take care my friend!
Thank you for this . I have wondered about it for several yrs. But now feel more comfortable using it for my raised beds .
Once again, thank you for being so clear and explaining so thoroughly about the wood. I have an accidental bed not treated and 2 that are treated. I agree with your findings.
This is such a well done video. It’s presented in a cohesive way. Thank you.
Thank you for this reassuring video. I built my first raised bed today after watching one of your videos. All pressure treated from HD. Your system worked great for me and now I don’t need to worry about the chemicals in the wood.
Thanks for the info, it is by far the best explanation I heard so far. Take care!
You just saved me money and headaches down the road! Thank you for explaining things so clearly
I am just thinking of putting in a raised bed, this was a big question I had. I feel better now.thanks.
Hey Scott thanks for the video I am just about to get my raised beds built-in and have been wondering about this very subject so it has been handy I will be growing organically so your video has helped me big time many thanks.
The untreated wood will break down quicker in parts of the country with humidity and more rainfall too. Your climate is much drier and that wood is showing wear already. It breaks down real quick where I live . Thanks for the this information. I really need to use the pressure treated.
Another great history lesson thank you no one actually explain the science behind like you do
Good job on the content
Thank You for explaining about pressure treated wood. Very informative!
This is fab. Thank you for taking the time to do all this research.
0:30 I am the same. I use both ...I figured there are more crap out there in life to be concerned about. Im really enjoying raised beds set ups to the fullest. Making biochar, activating it with compose we make, etc, understanding nature all together has been so rewarding. Ill be going into my second year growing a few things here and there. Thank you and others for taking the time to make videos sharing their knowledge . It really gives me more insight of what I am doing. Have a great weekend Mr.
Thank you for this video. This was exactly the information I was looking for
Great knowledge, thanks for taking the time to share.
I feel so much better now after watching the video. I started my raised bed garden three years ago and have added beds each year. All but one 10" cedar 4x4 bed are treated 2x4s on the ground and 2x10s on top. I did it this way figuring ground contact would be worse for wear on the boards and roughly 10" of untreated would be "safe". However, I always had a back of the mind nagging feeling about the treated lumber. Now, if I could stop doing most of the now 20 mistakes commonly done with raised beds, I'd be gold!
Thank you for clarifying. Home Depot employee told me this when I was buying wood for my now 11 raised beds. Other staff in that department didn’t even know.
I'm lucky if I can even find a Home Depot employee, let alone, a helpful one lol
I am so excited to learn that I can use treated lumber. I had been under the impression that it was toxic and cedar prices are insane. I will be making a trip to the hardware store to price out materials and hopfully have new beds in time for spring plants.
Room for one more raised bed where a tree stump used to be. Will be using cedar fence pickets vertically as the ground is so uneven. Most of my raised beds are untreated, the costs were prohibited for treated lumber at the time. I did line the interiors with house wrap, stained and sealed the exteriors. I will try and nurse them along and hopefully get some good years out of them.
Thanks for your research and spreading gardening knowledge.
Great Video Will definitely use the treated wood in my next raised Bed. Did some searching on ACQ treated wood and noticed that its recommended to use certain types of nails or screws when using the ACQ treated wood.
Scott you just saved me so much money...
Great information and great delivery! I will definitely be watching more of your videos! Liked and subscribed!
Thanks! Welcome to the channel!
Thanks for the information. I feel better now!
Excellent information and topic.
This was extremely useful; many thanks.
Great video. Thanks for the info.
Great video. Answered some of my questions about safety; well, rather it alleviated concerns I initially had. Seems that many gardeners harbor some skepticism still and are wary of using pressure treated. For me, that’s ultimately what led to my decision to use untreated wood; however, I did treat every side of my wood with a product called “Outdoor Defense Oil” from Real Milk Paint. It was expensive, about $65 for a gallon. The oil is a mixture of pure tung oil (not tung oil finish with metal salts that you find cheaply at a retailer like Home Depot, but food grade tung oil), pine oil, and citrus oil. It not only coated the beds well, 4 coats each side pre-construction, but it smells amazing and provides a nice rich amber color to other unimpressive eastern white pine.
After construction I was able to treat with about two more coats on the interior and will likely touch it up once a year. The pine and citrus oil provide good treatment against pests, but the oil also contains zinc which acts well in preventing UV damage. Time will tell how it holds up, but it allowed me to have good coverage and treatment, looked nice upon building, and avoid using plastic liners in the garden.
I used it too! I love it! It smells great and my raised bed looks like a piece of nice furniture😀
Super helpful! Thanks!
Thanks a lot for this Scott! I would really be interested in the results of a soil analysis from each of the three beds to see if there is a difference at all. Regardless thanks for the info!
Thanks~ I'll stop feeling bad about using pressure treated for my garden. For whatever reason, it was actually cheaper for treated wood than untreated and that's what I could afford.
I began building my garden 3 years ago and treated lumber was still mostly a no-no. But I thoroughly researched and determined it to be safe. Not only did I use treated but I lined the inside with galvanized and also put the beds on gravel. And I used 4x6s so I should be good for a very long time. I also treat the wood with pure linseed oil every year.
A primary reason for raised beds for ME is to line the bottom with galvy wire mesh for gopher barrier. I too was wondering about linseed oil or similar.
Pure tung oil is another suitable product.
When copper and galvanized come together , they create an electrical current that destroys the galvanized. If using pressure treated lumber for framing , you have to use stainless steel screws. If not the copper in the wood will create a current that will rot the screws.
If you put a galvanized lining on PT, it will accelerate its disintegration. That’s why you can’t mix copper and galvanized pipes.
Well I don't see any deterioration after 3 years. So far. The screws are further under the soil so I don't know. But I'll try to uncover before using this method again.
Galvinized coating is made of lead and zinc.
Fun fact, ACQ has become increasingly more rare among treaters and CA (Copper Azole) is becoming the dominate preservative, at least north of the border.
ACQ shares ingredients with hand sanitizer, through covid chemical suppliers had an increasingly hard time getting it resulting in an industry shift towards CA.
Thanks for the video!
A lot of gardeners are also recyclers. The PT wood you pruchased this weekend at the big box store may be fine, but be careful when using wood obtained from an old deck or outbuilding that has been torn down - especially if you don't know how old it is.
I used PT wood on two beds I built 13 years ago, and in three newer ones built 6 or 7 years ago. The old beds weren't constructed well and started falling apart. I just finished replacing one. When I tore it apart, the PT wood had extensive damage. When I built those beds, I put medium-duty polyester weed cloth in the bottom and part way up the sides. The wood in the lower boards that had the weed cloth lining was still in pretty good shape, but the top boards with no weed cloth were deeply decayed. So, in my new bed I lined the inside with two layers of heavy-duty weed cloth right up to the top. I'm hoping that will help it last longer. When I replace the second bed, I'm thinking of lining the bed also with cedar fencing boards (~5/8 inch thick), thinking that it will extend the life of the PT wood. The cedar fence boards could also be replaced once it decays without too much work, and they would act like a sacrificial layer, while the structural PT wood would hopefully remain intact.
The second-generation beds built 6 or 7 years ago were constructed much better and still look good, on the outside. But when I dug into the beds a couple years ago, I found that the corner 4x4s had extensive rotting. I didn't use any weed-cloth lining in those beds and I'm thinking that might be the problem. But I didn't expect those 4x4s to decay so much in just 5 years. They are holding up for now, but I don't think they will last beyond 13 years.
I use used ex vineyard CCA pine logs to make my garden beds. .
They’re free and abundant.
Using some 2.4m long posts with a 150mm diameter to frame up a new shade house at the moment.
Counting the cost of screws and shade cloth a 6m x 6m shade house will set me back less than $50. I’ll make the door out of pallet wood.
Love the stuff
Great info Scott! It is obvious that you did a lot of research for this video. Have you ever considered plastic lumber for making garden beds? I've also seen beds made out of what look like flat copper looking sheets of metal welded together at the corners for beds.
Yes, I am planning to add some beds made from composite materials. No plans for copper beds yet.
I have used a lot of treated wood for raised beds but it’s always been reclaimed wood several years old. Most of leaching has already taken place.
Excellent video! Very well done and very informative. I liked and now subscribe to your channel. I am new at gardening and recently purchased 20 acres of land. Trying to make my own fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks! Welcome to the channel.
I had some old CCA scap laying around i saved for a raised bed. Because of all the controversy, I used a deck sealer, then exterior paint and last a plastic liner to prevent any leaching into the soil. I think I'll be safe.
Dude you are AWESOME!!
Thanks
Thank you
I'm new to raised bed gardening
thank you
This has been talked about for some time on RUclips Scott. I commented on videos 3 or ,4 years ago. I would now say that I would not use wood. Not because it's bad for you but because it just doesn't last long and or it warps. If I had to do it again I would not use wood of any kind. 😊 Update - 04/26/23 A year later and I stand by my statement from a year ago. The 4x4's I used in the corners of my beds have rotted and the rest of the treated wood is warped even more. When I start to rebuild my beds they will be metal with minimal or no wood. I recommend new gardeners to avoid wood when building raised beds.
That's a big reason why my new beds are metal or concrete. The warping of the pressure treated boards can be ridiculous. Thanks.
I’m thinking of charring cheap pine to create a barrier between soil, moisture, fungi and the raw wood inside.
good job
After listening to your knowledge , I trust you.. I’m just not too sure why I should trust the EPA
You can use a blow torch to char the untreated wood, that helps it last a bit longer.
I would recommend checking with the specific manufacturer of the Pressure Treated wood your looking to use. In 2020 I was looking to build 4 raised beds, owner of local Lumber Yard contacted the manufacturer of their pressure treated boards to check safety of the chemicals used. Manufacturer replied that the chemicals used were safe to use around landscaping plants but not safe within 3 feet of plants that would be eaten.
Sounds like that once contacted, the manufacturer simply had to CYA for liability reasons, nothing else. I’ve been using treated wood constructed raised beds since 2008, and NO issues whatsoever.
Double check the end tags for the treatment my big box store has 2x12s that aren’t ACQ
They may be copper azole, also a copper based treatment that is perfectly fine, no arsenic.
This is a great and through video Scott!
I used bucket foil inside the bed as a isolation between soil am wood. It's work like a charm. Cheap, easy to apply and no visible.
We used a piece of 6mill plastic on ours
What is bucket foil?
This is exactly the way to earn a thumbs up on a video.
Thank you for this! There's almost 20 years of research behind modern pressure treated wood and it's safe to use. The fear mongering has to stop.
Gardener Scott would love for you to go into information on beneficial Nematodes.
That's on my list of future videos. Thanks for the reminder.
Great information! Here in South Florida, untreated wood only lasts 3 years at best, so I'm glad to make the switch to treated. I'm just wondering what weather treatment were you referring to when you talk about preventing chemicals from leaching?
A general wood sealer is what is often used.
@@GardenerScott I would think wood sealers would be filled with chemicals. I've used unboiled linseed oil, but it doesn't do much to seal the wood for the long-term in garden beds.
Thanks!
Thank you, again. I appreciate it very much!
Pressure-treated wood. You bet. Thanks Gardner Scott. I just spent a grand on wood for my veg beds! Feel much better now.
I just spent $300+ for 12 2x10s and 2 4x4s. All pressure treated. Very heavy because HD lets it get wet before they stock it. I was going to line with plastic but now I won’t. Cheers.
Good idea to wear face, eye and hearing protection when cutting any wood these days... oh my old school wood working classes were we reached across with a thing stick to cut lumber down on a table saw with no guard and riving knife... how we made it out of the 70s and 8-s is a mystery to me! :D
off topic but I was helping a friend so some demo/DIY in his house, I had a spare set of ear defenders and made him use them... he thought it was amazing that he didn't have ringing in his ears afterwards... I left them with him.
Great video - detailed but to the point! Do you use any sort of sealer for additional waterproofing or is the pressure treated wood fine on its own?
Thanks. I will occasionally use linseed oil or wood preserver but the pressure treated wood is fine without it.
Yup and Roundup/glyphosate was marketed in the late 1970s as being so safe you can drink it. All this stuff is “safe” until it’s not! I love the perverse logic mentioned of prior generation of preservatives being safe because they kill the plant before it is mature enough to eat!
I recognize value of raised beds for those with physical limitations, when dealing with wet soils and aesthetically when part of a hardscape. For me though I find them (especially the wooden and plastic versions) an expensive, likely dangerous, inflexible and aggravating so-called “solution” pushed by people and entities that are relatively ignorant on the topic or receive financial gain by promoting them the technique. I’m in Northern Colorado where there is little rain and challenging soil/climate. I gradually ripped out my approximately 20 4ft by 10ft raised beds in favor of in-ground beds and the garden is happier with about the same amount of work and I think less water though I can’t quantify the water for sure.
I just make the beds out of cinder blocks... In my area lots of people give them away for free... I do have a couple pressure treated beds though. I'm not worried to grow in them....
This is some great info, thank you. Didn’t you say in a previous video that you treated the treated wood bed with linseed oil? If so, was that just for added protection?
The linseed oil helps keep the wood from drying out. I don't have a big rot issue in my area because it's so dry and the linseed oil is extra protection against the sun.
@@GardenerScott I appreciate the info and such a fast reply. I live in the panhandle of Florida so our water table is high. Love your content sir!
You can still buy CCA timber retail for DIY jobs at hardware stores in Australia!?
I’ve been using pressure treated wood in my garden for 10 plus years and it hasn’t killed anyone yet! LOL My partner has bad knees so she can’t get down at ground level to harvest or pull weeds. So I built it her raised bed tables on 4x4 legs with a waterproof plywood covered in plastic laminate that the raised bed box is made of. Build these over 10 years ago and they all still look like new no signs of degrading at all. These materials are not cheap, but considering how long this material lasts and not having to rebuild the raised beds or tables every few years or so. The cost as far as I’m concerned more then pays for itself eventually over time. Btw, I’m a woodworker by trade and been working with pressure treated materials most my life and never used gloves nor masks and I’m 65 years old now and no signs of being poisoned from the pressure treated wood yet! I’m way more concerned about chipboard or particleboard that comes with warning stickers stating the materials may have cancer producing chemicals in it. Don’t see no warning stickers on the pressure treated wood as of yet anyway!
Thanks for the video, Scott. I am thinking of replacing the top of the existing deck with pressured treated wood just like everyone else does. Being very sensitive to chemical odour, I am concerned of the off gassing issue. Does pressure treated wood off gassing last only a few days, and the odour is minimal? Thanks.
Off gassing should not be a problem if the wood is dry. I have noticed a slight odor if there is visible liquid on the wood when purchased, but it dissipates quickly.
CCA is unfortunately still by far the most common timber treatment in Australia with limited ACQ available.
Wonder if old pressure treated wooden 4x4 fence posts that have been leached by rain over at least (20-25) years would be safe.
When driving fasteners through the pressure wood, is it a concern for breaking the seal, and would you recommend a sealant over the screws?
The wood is treated through the interior so there really isn't a seal to worry about sealing.
is it time to surmise if the cost per bed was worth the cost of treated lumber over untreated?
Thank you for yet another helpful video!! Last summer I used coco lined baskets with a tin pie plate along bottom for cherry tomatoes and they did really well. The liners were showing their age so were composted in the fall. What is a good food safe liner for hanging baskets? Are coco liners from the dollar store ok to grow food?
Coco liners can be okay but they might have been sprayed with chemicals. Rinsing well and leaving to dry in the sun a few days can help.
Thanks, @@GardenerScott ! I will start doing that : )
Thanks for sharing. Could you please explain if the treated mulch sold in Homedepot is safe for gardening. Thank you so much,
There is some debate about some of the treated mulches. Color is often iron-oxide or carbon-based dyes. It should be safe for landscape use, but I'm not sure of its benefit in a vegetable bed.
If you read the fine print on the mulch bags, it says right on them that they cannot guarantee that there are no pesticides in it.
who makes the greenhouse shown in the video background? Are you happy with its construction? (great video... i have used pressure treated wood for raised beds for over 15 yrs... I am a retired research soil/plant scientist)
It's a Planta greenhouse. It has held up to 75mph winds and the construction is very sturdy.
Hi master garden thank . This one of the topics I been waiting for . I have been worried about
Bed for two years . I have pressure treated wood. I bought them from Home Depot they written Micronized copper Azole. Is this also ok for garden bed .
Yes it is.
@@GardenerScott Thank you master
I'd like to know your thoughts on using recycled tires as raised beds and planters. I've heard a lot of mixed reports and I'm still on the fence.
I'm not as favorable toward using tires. I think the numbers of chemicals and the potential hazard is higher.
Hi Scott, I am looking to build beds but in my area the only readily available is kiln dried fir, pine, spruce combination. Should that be ok?
That is okay. They should last for years.
This is off topic but was wondering if you could companion plant tomatoes and sweet potatoes? I get that regular potatoes would be a bad idea since the 2 crops related and share diseases. Sweet potatoes are related to morning glories so not related to tomaroes so was wondering if you had tried it and if it had worked or not?
They are different species but the growth of the sweet potatoes could interfere with the roots of the tomatoes. They can grow in the same bed with enough room for each.
What about the copper-green treatment used on the exterior surfaces only, maybe in combination of lining the interior surfaces of the planks with black plastic? Would there be a leaching problem with either of those options? Would the black plastic lining have a preservative effect from the wood being in contact with the soil?
That may be the Copper Azole or something similar. It may leach some copper but shouldn't be harmful. Lining can eliminate that concern.
Moisture can accumulate between the layer of plastic and the wood, creating a further problem.
If I remember correctly you mentioned the use of lin seed oil as a preservative. What does the science say about this?
Linseed oil is plant-based with no artificial chemicals and is not toxic.
thank you my friend for the information.... also i have a question someone told me i can used panliner the one they used under shower tub ,,,,,,,can you tell if is safe
If it is standard plastic, it should be okay.
@@GardenerScott thank so much my friend for reply I love you videos😁
Is using old redwood decking ok? It’s obviously been stained in the past when it was a deck. I was going to put the underside of the deck facing inward.
That's a good way to re-use the wood.
I have a very old retaining wall at my house that’s falling apart. I came here because I was wondering if it is safe to plant anything next to it. I’m not sure what was used to treat it, but it’s very old decaying wood.i was hoping to plant some blueberries here.
Chances are if it is old and decaying any chemicals used to deter decay have dissipated.
i torched my untreated fir boards. Cut them to size and burned them all around before screwing them together.
Not applying diesel or motor oil like for posting only heat from torch
Is this for all over the country? Or just in the state you are located in? Also, I’ve used untreated cedar planks for my beds what should i use to seal them with?
It is standardized through most of the U.S. You can use tung oil, linseed oil, or one of the many wood preserver products.
Correction - CCA is readily available at retail timber outlooks, home depot type stores etc. It's only restriction is in close contact products such as furniture and handrails.
I might add that the simple cheap solutions to using CCA in a vegetable garden bed is to line it with plastic film or paint it internally.
Hey Scott, I had you on my headphones while building some boxes the other day. I can’t remember if it was this video or another (since I wasn’t looking at it, had you on like a podcast-which I would totally listen to by the way hint hint), but you mentioned finishing your garden beds.
Do you linseed oil, pine tar, or something else? How much of the stuff do you think I’d need for four standard 4x8 beds?
Linseed oil is my preferred method. Depending on how dry the wood is, a quart should be enough for four beds.
@@GardenerScott
Scott you’re the best, seriously.
Two more questions if ya don’t mind…
How many coats do you like to do, and how long do you let them cure before filling them?
We’re down in the swampy, humid SC lowcountry, so even though we’ve got PT wood, I think a little more protection is called for!
I agonized over going linseed alone vs linseed + pine tar, but I think the dark finish of the pine tar might make the boxes too hot in our oppressive summers.
A single coat every year or two is often all that's needed. If the wood is so dry it soaks it up right away, a second coat is probably a good idea.
I used pressure treated and just as a precaution use polycarbonate sheets to line it. Poly carbonate is also used for food containers!
Polycarbonate is not safe for food (as a chemist I can tell you this - I was shocked when I learned it several years ago).... A quick reference from Wikipedia: Studies have shown that at temperatures above 70 °C, and high humidity, polycarbonate will hydrolyze to Bis-phenol A (BPA). After about 30 days at 85 °C / 96% RH, surface crystals are formed which for 70% consisted of BPA.[34] BPA is a compound that is currently on the list of potential environmental hazardous chemicals. It is on the watch list of many countries, such as United States and Germany.[35]
@@shdwbnndbyyt wow that's not what I read
@@saltlifess6226 ^^^ haha, what he said.
Do you plan to test the soil every other year?
That is my basic plan.
Wonder if the copper in the pressure treated wood has any benefits for our garden plants on the fungal side of things. Most organic fungal treatments use copper so maybe it does
It isn't likely to provide anti-fungal treatment for plants because it is in small amounts that will stay close to the boards.
I'm also concerned about all the plastics that are often used to plant in.
If you buy grocery store produce (organic or not...) you are having tons of food grown in plastics...of varying kinds!
Charring untreated wood would also be an option, which would be perfectly safe.
shou sugi ban has many tutorials
That is a genius idea!
Most, not all of the studies that Im aware of were funded by the lumber industry. Yes PT isnt as dangerous as it once was but its still full of chemicals that arent reccomended for human consumption. The other factor that keeps me from using modern PT lumber is that it doesent last that much longer than non treated pine when in contact with the ground.
Do you need to apply a wood sealer to any cuts done on pressure treated wood for a garden?
That is not necessary.
@@GardenerScott would the wood breakdown faster if I do not treat the cut parts of the pressure treated boards in my garden?
Is the ones with copper azole safe for garden beds?
Yes it can be. Studies have shown that the copper doesn't leach into the soil except at the edges. One study showed young children could be exposed to the copper if they ingested it after getting it on their hands and feet.
Is it safe to use plastic to line your beds??? My bed is on concrete and I just want to line it to keep the soil from coming out between the boards.
Most plastic is safe to use. If you construct beds that are level and the boards are straight, there is little chance of soil coming out. It's never been a problem for me.
@Gardener Scott, I was just about ready to start buying lumber for my raised garden project going back and forth on which type of wood to buy. The most readily available in my area is pressure treated southern pine or non-treated douglas fir (slightly more expensive). I was almost set on the PT pine when I read that as the PT dries it will shrink and possibly cause warping. Now I am worried the PT wood will ruin my project unless I buy the wood and wait MONTHS to let it dry before building. I don't have access to kiln dried pressure treated wood. Has anyone had issues with warping after building with recently pressure treated wood?
Dan, I have had a lot of problems with warping and bowing when using pressure treated wood. I try to let it sit for weeks and only use the straight wood for important projects. A few of my beds have wood that warped after building. It doesn't look as good as I'd like but hasn't created big problems.
@@GardenerScott Yeah, that's what I am worried about. Which is why I am currently leaning towards Douglas Fir. Though I seem to change my mind every day. I can't wait till this is built. I will send you photos when it is done. I came up with a really nice design for my space.
@@dangalimidi5609 Which wood did you go for in the end and how did your project turn out?
@@katec9893 I went with untreated douglas fir. The build is beautiful! I treated it with something that is supposed to be eco-friendly but I don't think it provided much protection. While the wood isn't in horrible condition after one season, I feel like I should protect it with something more durable and long term.
When I built my 2nd-generation beds with PT wood, I used large, high-tech lag bolts to secure 2x10-inch boards to 4x4 posts. Warping has been minimal. But, 2-inch wood just wants to cup away from the water source. Since the beds get watered a lot, the inside of the boards absorb water causing the grains to swell and cupping the boards toward the outside. You can reduce it by using a wood sealer on the inside and using aggressive lag screws to secure the sides to 4x4 posts, which (I think) is better kept on the outside.