Project description
I need a carpenter or outdoor-structures builder to construct a three-bay compost bin system along the back fence of my yard. The idea is simple but the execution needs to be solid: three side-by-side bays, each roughly a yard wide and a yard deep, built from rot-resistant lumber — cedar, cypress, or pressure-treated lumber rated for ground contact are all fine, whichever is more available locally. Untreated pine or fir should not be used for the posts or base boards since they will be sitting in constant moisture and will fail within a season or two.
The three bays represent the three stages of the compost cycle: fresh material goes in the first bay, partially broken-down material gets turned into the second, and finished, ready-to-use compost sits in the third. Shared walls between bays keep the footprint compact while still letting each pile breathe on its own.
Front access is the part I care most about getting right: each bay needs a removable slat front, built from horizontal boards that slide down into vertical grooves or channels on the corner posts, so boards can be pulled out one at a time as the pile gets turned or emptied, and slid back in as the pile is rebuilt. No hinged doors, please — they warp and jam over time once wet compost swells the wood.
Airflow matters as much as access. Leave consistent gaps of about half an inch to an inch between the side and back boards rather than butting them tight, so the pile gets cross ventilation without material falling straight through the cracks. The base should sit on leveled, tamped ground, ideally with a layer of coarse gravel or a few inches of open soil contact so worms and beneficial organisms can move in from below.
I'd like the whole structure to be roughly waist height on the sides, sturdy enough that the posts don't rack when a bay is full and heavy, and built so an average adult can comfortably turn material with a fork without straining over a wall. A rough materials list and a plan for anchoring the corner posts into the ground would be part of the job, along with actually building and installing the unit on site. Timeline is flexible within the next couple of weeks, weather permitting.
The three bays represent the three stages of the compost cycle: fresh material goes in the first bay, partially broken-down material gets turned into the second, and finished, ready-to-use compost sits in the third. Shared walls between bays keep the footprint compact while still letting each pile breathe on its own.
Front access is the part I care most about getting right: each bay needs a removable slat front, built from horizontal boards that slide down into vertical grooves or channels on the corner posts, so boards can be pulled out one at a time as the pile gets turned or emptied, and slid back in as the pile is rebuilt. No hinged doors, please — they warp and jam over time once wet compost swells the wood.
Airflow matters as much as access. Leave consistent gaps of about half an inch to an inch between the side and back boards rather than butting them tight, so the pile gets cross ventilation without material falling straight through the cracks. The base should sit on leveled, tamped ground, ideally with a layer of coarse gravel or a few inches of open soil contact so worms and beneficial organisms can move in from below.
I'd like the whole structure to be roughly waist height on the sides, sturdy enough that the posts don't rack when a bay is full and heavy, and built so an average adult can comfortably turn material with a fork without straining over a wall. A rough materials list and a plan for anchoring the corner posts into the ground would be part of the job, along with actually building and installing the unit on site. Timeline is flexible within the next couple of weeks, weather permitting.
Design and multimedia Cash, Bank transfer
