A garden always needs good quality compost. As summer approaches, composting is a great way to recycle all your veggie scraps and organic matter to use in your garden. It’s incredibly easy to build your own compost bin, as long as you have a hand saw, drill, and some screws. Today, I’m going to show you how to build your own DIY compost bin with pallets. Reusing old pallets will make an amazing compost bin. Just make sure there are no chemicals. I’ll tell you more later, but for now let’s get building!
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Where can I get pallets?
The best place to look for pallets is local small-medium business. They’ll have a small quantity of pallets that they’re trying to get rid of. Large companies, like Rona, Canadian Tire, Lowes, and The Home Depot, can easily have none, since people always take the pallets. Local small-medium companies are your best bet, but if you don’t have time to drive around and ask the small businesses, you can search for it on Kijiji. You can even find pallets along the side of the road.
What pallets to look for?
Some pallets are treated with Methyl Bromide, a pesticide. Therefore, it’s very important to choose your pallets carefully. Although some pallets are treated with Methyl Bromide, the most common method is heat treating it. On the pallets, look for the symbol “HT” on it. That means it has been heat treated and safe to use. Grab those.
While it’s important to choose “HT” pallets, another thing to look for is the size. A compost bin should have equal sizes. Look for pallets that are the same sizes. You should also choose a rot-resistant wood. Oak and cedar are usually the best. If you can’t find them, pine will still work great. Pine is easy to find but is not as strong. You might just have to build another one in a few years.
What materials I need to build a compost bin
There are only a few materials and supplies needs to build this DIY compost bin with pallets. Before you build your compost bin, make sure you have the supplies.
- 3-5 inch screws (your choice, the longer the better)
- hand or electric saw
- drill or impact driver
- 5 heat treated (HT) pallets
- chicken wire (optional)
That’s really it. Chicken wire is optional, but it will help keep the compost from falling out. We’ll need 5 “HT” pallets. 3 for the sides, and the fourth for the door. The last one is a spare. Once your supplies are gathered, let’s get building!
How to build the DIY Compost Bin with Pallets
Step 1: The first thing is to to create a level area where we’re going to build our DIY compost bin with pallets.
Step 2: Take 2 of the pallets and stand them up, creating a corner, making sure the top of it is facing inwards. Screw them in with 2 – 5 inch screws through the supporting blocks of the pallet. Do it for the 3 supporting blocks in that corner. Make sure the corner is squared.
Step 3: With the next pallet, do the same thing as we did for the other corner. Make sure that the corner is squared. A squared corner will make it easier to fit the sliding doors in. If there’s any missing slats on the pallets, take one of the spare pallets and remove some slats with a crowbar. You can then use the slats to fill up the space.
Step 4: Take your last pallet for the door and cut it in half. Put a block underneath and rest the door on it. Attach a medium to big hinge to half of the pallet and half on the other part to the left or right wall.
Step 5: You can cover your compost bin all around with chicken wire if you like. You can also build a roof to keep the sun from beating down on the compost and keep the rain from soaking it.
Other Tips and Common Questions Answered
How long does it take to build this DIY compost bin with pallets? Depending if you’re a beginner or an expert, it should take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes. It’s quick and easy.
Are pallets safe? The pallets are safe as long as it’s heat treated. It should have “HT” on it.
Does pallet wood rot? Eventually, all wood rot at some point.
Does a compost bin need to be in the sun? A compost bin can be placed in the sun or the shade. When it’s in the sun, the composting process speeds up. But on the not good side. The compost will dry out faster, which means you’ll have to water it often, so the microbes and bacteria will not die.
Do compost bins attract rats? Normally, if you’re doing it right, a compost bin will not attract rats.
Should my DIY compost bin be covered? A lid will help the soil stay moist for longer. A lid can also limit airflow. If you want a lid, build it so that it could stay 1/2 to 3/4 open.
How far should my DIY compost bin be from the house? Don’t put it near the house as it could attract raccoons, bears, and flies. Put it about 15-50 feet away from your house.
Final Thoughts
With this amazing DIY compost bin, you’ll be able to have compost in 3 to 5 months. This project is very cheap, easy and fun to do. We built a lot of these types of bins over the past years and they still make amazing compost.
