What is a round timber stake?
A round timber stake is a round wooden pile with a pointed end, driven into the ground to support or anchor a structure. In Dutch it is called a perkoenpaal. It is used above all in hydraulic engineering: for revetments and bank protection, on dike slopes and groynes, and for fences and small retaining walls in gardens.
Material and sizes
Traditionally these stakes are pine or oak. In the modern version, pressure-treated softwood is used, which will also last many years above the waterline. Oak and black locust are used untreated, because their heartwood is naturally durable.
Common diameters run from roughly 6 to 12 centimetres, in lengths of about 1 to 3 metres. The stake is machine-rounded and pointed at one end. Rule of thumb for a revetment: about two thirds of the length into the ground and one third above — more in soft peat or clay, slightly less in sand.
Installation
- Drive, don’t jet. A stake washed in with water stands looser. Use a hand driver, a vibratory hammer or a mini excavator with a driving attachment.
- Protect the head. Drive through a driving cap; a split head takes up water and rots first.
- Cut as little as possible. In treated timber the protection sits mainly in the outer centimetres (the sapwood). If you do cut, treat the cut surface with a suitable end-grain preservative.
- The waterline is the weak zone. Timber below water survives a very long time through lack of oxygen; most decay concentrates around the fluctuating waterline.
Use in a garden
For a simple bank revetment, set stakes at 1 to 1.5 metre centres with revetment boards or sheet profiles behind them. Do not forget to anchor the retaining face with anchor stakes or a tie rod once the retained height exceeds roughly half a metre — otherwise the wall will lean into the water within a few years.
When working on a bank, check the rules of the local water authority: work on a watercourse or flood defence often requires notification or consent.
Checks for a simple garden bank revetment
- Set stakes at 1 to 1.5 metre centres: Place revetment boards or sheet profiles behind them.
- Anchor the retaining face once the retained height exceeds roughly half a metre: Use anchor stakes or a tie rod, otherwise the wall will lean into the water within a few years.
- Check the rules of the local water authority: Work on a watercourse or flood defence often requires notification or consent.
Related terms
- Revetment
- Treated timber
- Palisade
- Pile dike
- Boundary fence
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