Well, you have a lot of space to work with. Would it be possible to put the bins back where you have the garbage cans? I was also thinking behind the shed, but I don't know if you'd have enough room to maneuver a wheelbarrow back there when you're ready to empty one of the bins (that was a consideration I didn't think of when I placed mine). I do now know not to put it too close to a house (we had some issuses with ants, and then had to move the whole thing--which was a little heavy!)

I have the 3-bin system with the removable slats also, and it really does make it pretty easy to shovel out the finished compost when it's ready. Did you use the design from the Seattle Tilth website, or did you find another?

Mine is now located in the side/front yard right next to our cedar fence & because the bins are made of cedar it sort of blends in--people don't even see it. Maybe you could stain the wood to match your shed if you're worried it will be too conspicuous.

Here's a picture of mine which I forgot to add to my other post.

Nice. Is it made with cedar?

You will, want at least 4' of space on the working side of the bines, and you need to plan for access to the backside (weeds, vines, whatever will want to grow there, and some may get tall if not dealt with).

If it were me, I'd move the sprinkler head that is in that corner near the shed. Moving a sprinkler head ~ 4-6' isn't much of a project, certainly less than any of the alternative landscape options you noted. I'd put the bin system in that corner, with enough room both front to work and back to keep clear - probably orient the length perpendicular to the fence on the adjacent side, back against the mulch area, right side a foot off the fence on the side. I'd locate the sprinkler head so that the bins would NOT get watered, but the lawn would (as best as possible).

OKAY....well here it is! See pics below.

It took me a few hours to make and cost about $250 for all lumber and screws. It is WAY bigger than I expected it to be.

I followed the detailed plans from organicgardening.com (see link below) but made a few mods in the process. The entire length is 9 feet instead of 12 feet. The depth of each compartment is 39" instead 58". But as you can tell it still looks very very big.

A few things I need to do still.

1) Add the wire mesh

2) Install it on top of patio blocks so the wood on the bottom is not in direct contact with the soil. The compartments themselves will be on direct ground.

3) I didn't use cedar, just plain old pine. What can I use to give it some protection? In the future I may build a cedar replacement if my composting proves a success

4) Add protection from rain and overhead trees that it will sit under. Any suggestions on this? Something hinged of course.

5) Finding a home for it in my back yard given its size.

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Here is a link that might be useful: 3-Bin Compost System

I's gorgeous! Looks too nice to fill with compost. Moving it to it's home will probably be a project in itself.

As far as protection, the major issue will be the wood in contact with the compost inside, far more so than any weathering concerns. The interior of the bins will be in an environment very similar to that of wood in-ground (moist, with plenty of wood digesting microbes around). The soft wood will be a viable food source for the same microbes that will digesting carbonaceous materials in the compost you will be making. In my warm, humid climate I would expect about 2 years (or less) of use before the 3/4" pine lumber would become unsound and falling away. You will likely get longer in the milder NJ climate, a complete SWAG, I'd guess 4-5 years.

Without getting into the lengthy details I can't think of a single commercially available coating that would (1.) not generate a lot of controversy about contamination if used on wood in contact with compost intended for gardening, and (2) provide enough added lifetime to clearly justify the expense and effort to apply it. The only thing I can think of that avoids the contamination controversy is a very old fashioned wax-type coating made up from wax dissolved (with heat) in a mix of turpentine and tung or linseed oil. It will be a sticky coating until it cures well (a couple of months), and even then it will probably buy you, at most, 6-12 months added life .

This post was edited by TXEB on Sat, Aug 17, 13 at 12:10

I prefer these bins since they are individual, stand alone units easily assembled and disassembled. This allows old bins to be removed for a rebuild and new bins to be added. Your large three bin structure would be awkward to handle by one person.

The bins are made from spruce and in our dry northern climate last quite a long time. The legs need to be off the ground on stones or bricks. The soil affects the wood much more than the compost does. The compost doesn't deteriorate the wood too badly other than the floor. Don't worry about a coating; there's no floor in your design.

Here is a link that might be useful: Compost bin

Is there anything wrong with using 1/2 inch plastic hardware cloth over the galvanized type?

Don't use the plastic stuff inside the bins. It may be good as a small animal barrier, but it won't stand up to the mechanical demands in your bins. Most likely it will fail by tearing at the attachment points along the edges.

I too have found that a hot and humid climate rots pine pretty fast. Not to be a wet blanket, it looks great and you'll get lots of great compost out of it.

Discarded pallets are quite durable, especially if you live in an area where you can find a lot of oak ones. White oak is fairly rot resistant, and even red oak is heavier and denser and takes longer to rot away than pine.

Recycled plastic lumber is also a good choice if you can't find pallets and have to buy lumber. It's more expensive but would last many years compared to untreated wood.

I like to make the second bin a bit smaller and the third smaller yet, to account for shrinkage as you turn the piles and start a new one in the first bin.

Keep turning the front panels around. That way they get reduced contact with the damp compost and have a chance to dry out in the air. You're right to think of raising it on blocks too.

Keep in mind that local regulations may affect where in a yard the local government says you may place things like compost bins.

Also keep in mind that the local inspectors, if called in by a neighbor, may not know the code. Some have been known to make something up on the spot!

So what (if anything) can I coat it with to give it at least a little protection? Something easily available at Home Depot, Lowes, Benjamin Moore, etc.

I know it won't last very long, but hopefully long enough to determine if it will be worth making the investment in the future with using cedar wood.

Also, looking for suggestions on how to construct three separate roof panels. Sherm, how did you make yours? Can you take a picture of it? As well as the inside while you're at it? How old is yours? Thanks.

You can use anything you want to for a coating, from simple exterior latex paint to some rather robust wood preservatives. Just appreciate that any coating that will provide enough protection to be worth the cost will probably be something most people wouldn't want to be in constant contact with their compost. In the end, it's a personal judgment call.

For the interior....I would want something that MOST people wouldn't mind being in constant contact with their compost....if there IS such a product.

For the exterior... anything to give it that nice aged flat cedar look.

The problem is I woudn't know one product from another so I'm looking for specific suggestions.

This post was edited by njitgrad on Thu, Aug 22, 13 at 10:14

My husband built this for me about 4 years ago. Sorry, I probably can't answer any questions for you about how he built it. Other than he made one roof panel to cover all 3 bins, not 3 individual panels.

I don't know if this will be much help, but here's a picture of the top (difficult to get a good perspective). I'll follow up with a picture of the inside.

Here's the inside.

And the top (sorry, I couldn't get a good angle without getting a ladder).

Nice, thanks for the pics. How close is it to the fence? Do you have any issues with it being that close? I was thinking about putting the back of it up against my shed, then had 2nd thoughts about it, then realized it may work based on where you located yours.

I'm not exactly sure how close it is, about 6" (there's enough room for my chickens to walk between the fence & the composter). We haven't had any issues & one advantage for me, the fence supports the lid when I open it otherwise it would be more difficult to open & close.

We originally had it next to the house (the wall next to my daughter's bedroom), then had to move it because of an ant infestation in her room.

For the interior, there isn't anything I know that would offer any reasonable measure of protection that I would want in constant contact with my compost. You could try the paraffin / turpentine / linseed oil mix, and it might last 6-12 months in NJ, but that's about it.

For the exterior, if you want that grayed weathered look that comes with aging on cedar, you can try Eco Wood Treatment, which is about as safe as you can get. You can buy it at HD (pretty cheap), mix it with water, and soak the wood with it. Here's a link to the ECO wood treatment website. Regardless of what they say, it's not true preservative, it just accelerates the weathering effect.

Here is a link that might be useful: ECO Wood Treatment

Oaky, I found a reference (actually a couple of them) for the wax-turpentine wood preservative. See the link below to a GW thread from December 2010.

Basically, it is a wax-based water repellent. It would be expected to last 6-12 months on boards exposed to open elements. Your situation is different, so no telling how long it may last. It is simply a water repellent, no anti-anything included. That will help because as long as you can keep the wood moisture content below ~ 20% wood rot microbes can't devour it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Homemade Wood Preservative.

I'll make a comment on the size of the bins. When deciding on the size of each bin, one might consider the materials you will be composting.

For example, if one expected to use a mix of sawdust and leaves as the 'browns', one might make the dimensions 3' by 3'.

If one expected leaves to be the main 'browns', one might select 4' by 4' for bin size.

If wood chips were expected to be the main 'brown' (without small filler stuff like sawdust), maybe a 5' by 5' size would be a good choice.

My mesh bins are 5' by 8' by 2' high, and can reach 150F or more if the mix is optimal.

The reason for the different sizes is due to air movement. Movement thru wood chips is easier than thru sawdust or very finely shredded leaves.

The third number, height, can be less than the other two if the compost pile is sitting on the ground, which can also store heat. Since it is easier to turn a low pile, my compost piles have never been more than 2.5 feet high in recent years.

njitgrad, I wouldn't put the compost bins directly against the shed or the fence if either is made of wood. Plus the bin itself will last longer if there is air all round it.

How about putting the wire mesh on in such a way that the compost is kept away from direct contact with the wood. Maybe you could use small wood blocks to provide some space between the wood and the compost. I'd also use a piece of wire along the front but in such a way that you can bend it down to access the compost.

I hope it works well for you! I just have wire bins but dream of a sturdier set up some day.