Garden railway baseboards and their support structure will be subject to significant thermal and moisture movement and, possibly, foundation settlement. Some potential construction materials are also vulnerable to degradation from exposure to sunlight. They can be attacked by mould, fungi, wood boring insects, vermin and, in some parts of the world, larger creatures.
The table below shows potential materials suggested in a recent forum thread and the notes below were extracted from the same thread.
| Name | Description | Weather Resistant? | Available from | Typical Size | Link to more information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel boards | Pressure Treated Softwood | Yes | DIY Stores and Timber Merchants | 1800x150x22 | 1 |
| Decking Boards | Pressure Treated Softwood | Yes | DIY Stores and Timber Merchants | up to 4200x144x27 | 2 |
| WBP Plywood | Laminated timber | No | DIY Stores and Timber Merchants | up to 2440x1220x18 | 3 |
| Marine Plywood | Laminated Timber | Yes | Timber Merchants | up to 2440x1220x18 | 4 |
| Buffalo Board | Plastic Coated Laminated Timber | Yes | Chiltern Timber | 2440x1220x18 | 5 |
| Filcris | Recycled Plastic Board | Yes | Filcris | Can be supplied cut to shape | 6 |
| OSB3 | Wood Particle Board | Yes | DIY Stores and Timber Merchants | up to 2440x1220x18 | 7 |
| Hardie Backer | Cement Based Board | Yes | James Hardie | 1200x800x12 | 8 |
| Trycoya Extreme MDF | Wood Particle Board | Yes | Medite Trycoya Extreme MDF | up to 2440x1220x25 | 9 |
| Foamex | uPVC Board | Yes | Plastic sheet Merchants | up to 2440x1220x5 | 10 |