18 months ago I opted for a low maintenance garden with ample decking. The decking was treated at the time but is now looking miserable, a bit green and home to many woodlice. Can I scrub it down now and treat it again or should I wait for warmer drier times?
Please help!!
SOS For my decking!! Advice required please.
Hiya, Wooden Decking
Hello Mr G.
(Thanks Leaf & Annie for the recommendation)
I don't think it would hurt to leave your decking until at least May '07. Firstly it may become freezing, raining and damp half way through your project. When preparing the wood prior to treatment it's best if the timber is totally dry. If you wait until spring at least you'll have longer daylight hours.....Hopefully the hose ban will be fully lifted too!!!
When you prepare the surfaces for re-treatment, use a wire brush and water to remove algae and other deposits. You can use a mild mix of fairy to remove bird droppings and other debris. A high pressure cleaner works very well at preparing the timber using just water alone, so if you can get hold of one, it will save you lots of time and elbow grease.
When it comes to the wood preservative treatment, I would recommend the Sikkens formula. Look up Sikkens on Google. Sikkens is a bit pricey but it really works well. There are various types. I can't recall the specific type you'd need for "Exterior Wooden Decking" but if you take a look on the internet you can read which type best suits the application. Choose a Sikkens type which offers the following protection:-
Sunlight UV, Exterior. Choose either Matt or Clear. Matt looks best I think.
Sikkens is painted on and goes a long way. Two+ coats are unbeatable and would survive virtually any weather condition all year round! The decking would probably require re-treating every 2-3 years thereafter.
(Thanks Leaf & Annie for the recommendation)
I don't think it would hurt to leave your decking until at least May '07. Firstly it may become freezing, raining and damp half way through your project. When preparing the wood prior to treatment it's best if the timber is totally dry. If you wait until spring at least you'll have longer daylight hours.....Hopefully the hose ban will be fully lifted too!!!
When you prepare the surfaces for re-treatment, use a wire brush and water to remove algae and other deposits. You can use a mild mix of fairy to remove bird droppings and other debris. A high pressure cleaner works very well at preparing the timber using just water alone, so if you can get hold of one, it will save you lots of time and elbow grease.
When it comes to the wood preservative treatment, I would recommend the Sikkens formula. Look up Sikkens on Google. Sikkens is a bit pricey but it really works well. There are various types. I can't recall the specific type you'd need for "Exterior Wooden Decking" but if you take a look on the internet you can read which type best suits the application. Choose a Sikkens type which offers the following protection:-
Sunlight UV, Exterior. Choose either Matt or Clear. Matt looks best I think.
Sikkens is painted on and goes a long way. Two+ coats are unbeatable and would survive virtually any weather condition all year round! The decking would probably require re-treating every 2-3 years thereafter.
Hiya Lemonade,
YukAnnie wrote:
BLOCKED UPSTAIRS LOO!!!!
Who dropped the big one?Does the loo have a constant blockage, or does the level eventually go down? Are you able to flush the loo? Does the wc's drainage go into a coupling horizontaly or vertically? Is your loo close coupled or do you have a pipe from the cistern entering the pan from the rear?
Have you lost a mobile phone recently?....You'd be surprised the amount of times this happens when mobiles fall into the loo but get trapped in the waste U bend!
Haha,
Thanks Lemonade i needed a laugh!
You will not believe this but honest it's true...........we had lamb with dumplings and there was a bit left over and hubby in his wisdom threw it down the loo!!!! i will never live down the fact that one of my dumplings has apparentley blocked it!!!
We have tried lots of different things and have decided to get a plumber in.
Have you any idea what a reasonable price would be for clearing the blockage?
because i don't want to be ripped off haha.
Thanks Lemonade,
Dumplings & Loo!
Hello Annie
I reckon you've made the right choice to consult a plumber. Make sure you ask for a plumber to give you an estimate before carrying out any work. Any such estimate is normally free and holds you to no obligation.
When the plumber is inspecting the blockage, ask him (/her to be PC) if they have any PPE such as respirator mask, large gauntlets/wetsuit as these will speed up the unblocking of the loo. Do not be sold into a CCTV survey as this is often time consuming as I would be quite sure the blockage is within either the U bend of the WC or where the outlet spigot pipe enters the stack.
Your objective should be to keep the plumber at you house for as little time as possible whilst the plumber is there to fix the blockage. At most you should have to pay for a new coupling where over time the rubber seals may have perished, but the rest is labour, so you need to keep it to a minimum. Once you're satisfied with the completed job should you hand out the cheque. Do not part with hard earned until you are. I would guess the cost would be approx £200.00. ...Not bad considering the type of job it is. I wouldn't be able to do it though. PPE or not.
Tip for future reference:- Do not make too much stew & dumplings next time
I reckon you've made the right choice to consult a plumber. Make sure you ask for a plumber to give you an estimate before carrying out any work. Any such estimate is normally free and holds you to no obligation.
When the plumber is inspecting the blockage, ask him (/her to be PC) if they have any PPE such as respirator mask, large gauntlets/wetsuit as these will speed up the unblocking of the loo. Do not be sold into a CCTV survey as this is often time consuming as I would be quite sure the blockage is within either the U bend of the WC or where the outlet spigot pipe enters the stack.
Your objective should be to keep the plumber at you house for as little time as possible whilst the plumber is there to fix the blockage. At most you should have to pay for a new coupling where over time the rubber seals may have perished, but the rest is labour, so you need to keep it to a minimum. Once you're satisfied with the completed job should you hand out the cheque. Do not part with hard earned until you are. I would guess the cost would be approx £200.00. ...Not bad considering the type of job it is. I wouldn't be able to do it though. PPE or not.
Tip for future reference:- Do not make too much stew & dumplings next time
Thank's Lemonade,
My dumplings are Safe!!! haha,
plumber looked at it had to take up concrete at the base of the sewage pipe and guess what.............NO DUMPLING haha, a tree like thing with loads of roots is blocking the drain,massive must have been there for years god knows how we got away with it for so long?anyway i think the £200.00 i was hoping for is about to have another zero added to it
Oh well!
