Bargeboard replacement

[perran]

Hello,

This is my first posting.

I live in half of a 3 storey granite property in Devon built about 1885.

The bargeboard and finial are badly in need of replacement and I have just ordered scaffolding to be installed so that I can do the work. The board faces east so is not subject to the prevailing wind and rain.

I would like members advice on the best readily available materials to use to give a reasonable life and the longest redecorating interval
as access requires scaffold each time.

I want to match the original bargeboard reasonably well but was thinking that a thinner material such as marine ply with (say) cedar edging would be
lighter and easier to handle, particularly in sections.

For the finial, maybe (western red) cedar would be suitable.

Finally, suggestions as to the surface treatment (final colour white) would be appreciated.

Thanks for all suggestions.

Perran

 

[robgil]

Hi , I am using untreated , unpainted oak on mine.

 

[88v8]

If it's that hard to access, I would use teak or oak, oil it with teak oil and forget it.
If you feel you must stick to a painted finish, use the best kiln-dried softwood you can find and, painting on dry warm days only, apply a four coat system of Sikkens AZ Rubbol.

Timber selection is very important.
You might get more recommendations of timber merchants here:
http://www.getwoodworking.com/news/article.asp?a=789

Ivor

 

[Penners]

Welcome to the forum, perran.

I feel sure that you won't want to change the wholw character of the building by using unpainted wood for those bargeboards.

So you might find this web page interesting: http://www.holkhamlinseedpaints.co.uk/index.php?id=9

Other brands of linseed oil paint are available!

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

Hello, Perran, and welcome to the forum.

Lots of good advice here, and you'll get a diversity of answers to any question. If nothing else this helps you to consider options which you may not have thought of yourself.

Lovely looking house! The original bargeboard probably lasted for 100 years+, so don't be too concerned about durability of timber; it's the paint system which needs more careful selection.

Clearly to maintain the appearance of the house you must aim for an exact like-for-like replacement. This may mean building up new mouldings from available profiles, or getting a joinery to run up bespoke mouldings - I don't know what woodwork skills you have. Either way I would steer clear of plywood, as this will give problems in future. Good quality redwood (selected to be as defect-free as possible) would be fine. Oak would probably be more inherently durable, but an expensive upgrade. Either way you'll not find anything appropriate in your diy store; you'll have to track down a very good proper timber merchant. Getting quality material is vital - no point in investing all that time and money if you compromise on this aspect. Get it right and the job will be good for another 100 years.

Detailing is very important - making sure that end grain exposure is minimised, that water-traps are avoided, that seasonal movement is accomodated, that all glues and sealants used are appropriate. Avoid steel fixings - use stainless screws / nails, or silicon bronze nails. This will avoid the problem of rusting in years to come.

Whatever paint system you choose must be applied with great care. Preparation and application must be in accordance with mfrs instructions. Everybody on here has their own favourite paint, ranging from high-tech (Weathershield, Sikkens) to trad (linseed). My current favourite is Osmo's Country Colour range of opaque woodstains. I've used this on my new sash windows and it ticks all my boxes.

Hope this helps. Keep asking questions, and posting pics.

 

[Moo]

Thanks for posting that photo, Perran - there is an almost unsatiable appetite for pictures on the forum (and, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words).

But another helpful addition would be to put, in your Profile, a hint as to your whereabouts. No need to be too precise (privacy and all that), but a general idea would enable people to recommend sources of supply (eg woodyards), tradesmen, etc that are in your neck of the woods.

 

[88v8]

Everybody on here has their own favourite paint.....

Very true. My favourite was lead, before the 'safety' crackpots made it vanish. I've tried various, the worst being Farrow & Ball - great, indoors - and Sikkens gives me the best durability, So it should, at £30 a litre.
I wouldn't paint oak, or teak, they throw the paint off.

Ivor

 

[Penners]

the worst being Farrow & Ball

Oh dear, Ivor. I fear you may just have elected yourself Public Enemy No. 1 among certain interior design/decor enthusiasts on this forum.

I strongly recommend you to scourge yourself intensively and regularly, to avoid their retribution.

 

[88v8]

the worst being Farrow & Ball

Oh dear, Ivor. I fear you may just have elected yourself Public Enemy No. 1 among certain interior design/decor enthusiasts on this forum.

Ah, it's fine indoors. I'm surrounded by it as I write.
But outdoors... chocolate teapot...

Ivor

 

[MatthewC]

the worst being Farrow & Ball

Oh dear, Ivor. I fear you may just have elected yourself Public Enemy No. 1 among certain interior design/decor enthusiasts on this forum.

I strongly recommend you to scourge yourself intensively and regularly, to avoid their retribution.

Tut tut, Penners, scourge yourself for such a selective quote:

the worst being Farrow & Ball - great, indoors - ....

I agree with Ivor. I had only trouble with F&B exterior stuff - huge price for a great finish that lasted barely one summer.

 

[Carol]

I agree with Ivor, indoors I love F&B but am seriosly narked that I must have my new (well, eighteen months old) softwood external gates repainted again, due to the F&B "Exterior (Ha!) Paint" cracking, flaking and just drifting off! I nearly convinced the builder to do them in Holkham the first time and am regretting not being more forceful and paying a bit more first time.

 

[Keithj]

The scaffolders managed to clip my gates with their lorry as they backed in. Not a LOT of damage was done, but the decision was made to repair the damaged bit with oak rather than whatever would otherwise have been used.

It seems (per the joiner who did the repair) that the rest of the gates (and the posts) were already oak. I've now stained the new bit to match, using the paint left to us by the previous owner - Johnstone's Trade Woodstain. I suppose for oak it really doesn't matter what's used. I expect these gates to outlast us (scaffolders permitting).

The new bargeboards are softwood, sadly. They do have two undercoats and two top coats, of whatever the builder was using. I didn't realise that "brand" is so important - although it was stressed on me at the previous church that Sadolin is the way to go.

 

[Penners]

Well if they're coming to you ready-painted, Keith, then all other questions are academic, really. I would just make sure that you get the joiner to tell you exactly what paint he's used.