Fixing the landing
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fixing the landing
This is a long timber landing, that is exposed to the weather, these timber landings need to be repaired very often, here we have just replaced the outside board, because it was rotten, as you can see from the photo below.
This is how the outside timber looked like before the repairs, as you can see, the timer is rotten and falling apart.
Fixing those timber landings
Dear readers, we have
called this hub fixing the landings, so, let us describe
here how to do that and how to maintain timber buildings here in Australia, and
in other parts of the world, if the buildings are build the same way as they
are built here. In this article, we are going to talk about how to maintain and
fix those outside patios or landings. But first, let us explain to those that
are not familiar with these types of old timber buildings, the reasons why we
have those landings outside the main building.
The reason that here in Australia we have stairs
and sometimes even patios or landings outside the main building is to save
space under the roof of the building itself, we do that, because it is cheaper
and also easier to build, the Australian climate is always rather hot and in
most places dry, so, people like to live in the open, and therefore they don’t
mind at all if the stairs and the landings are outside, therefore a lot of the
cheaper houses have these stairs and landings outside.
Now, because they are in the outside they need more
maintenance. Here we need to add that even though the climate is hot, and in a
lot of places is usually on the dry side, it is not so all the time, so, all
those buildings that happen to be near the sea side tend to receive too much
rain, so they need more maintenance that those building that are in a dry
place. Anyhow, I think that here I have been able to explain the reasons why we
build them this way, and the reason why we need fixing those landings that we
are talking about.
As you can see from the title of this hub, this article
is going to be a D.I.Y and also a handyman point of view about timber
buildings: We have to admit that all timber building need more maintenance than
concrete building, especially those parts of the building that are exposed to
the weather, because the timber rots away easily when it becomes wet, so, those
timber landing outside need a lot more maintenance than usual, they need to be
painted every second year or there about, they need to be looked after and
those nails that every now and then pop-up need to be driven and punched down,
but that is not all, the worst part of it all, is that they rot very easily, at
least it seems so from our point of view, because we need to fix and paint them
more often that we would want to.
These types of work that we are talking about here
need to be done soon or later, and it would be better if we do them as soon as
it is obvious that they need to be done, whether it requires fixing or painting
or both, but sometimes it is not possible to do them soon enough and they might
create a problem; because, sometimes it is obvious that some flooring may start
to rot away to the point where you need to replace them, sometimes this can be
only a few single pieces of flooring boards, at other times most of them, if
not the entire floor boards, anyhow today I have got to fix this long landing,
in this block of flats, which could also be said that is an open patio or
perhaps a long balcony, depending on the way that you see it.
Today fixing this landing problem.
As we have said above, we should know that from
time to time some flooring may start rotting to the point where you need to
replace them, sometimes this can be only a few single pieces of flooring
boards, at other times most of them need to be replaced.
Anyhow these days I have this problem to solve; the
edge of this long landing that was fixed about fifteen years ago with hardwood
timber that was supposed to last a long time is again rotten away, so, I need
to fix it again, I believe that the timber that they sold us then, was not
properly treated, or it is the sign of the time, because of some shortage of
good mature trees, the timber mills use any timber and some of this timber does
not last as long as it used to last in the past; because it starts rotting away
too soon and very easily.
Now if you look at the photo beside here you would
understand what I am going to say next, I believe that this is not going to be
an easy job to do, because there is this long steel hand rail on top of it and
cannot be removed easily, as it would cost a lot to remove it and then replace
it again, so I have to try to remove the rotten timber from underneath a short
section at a time, while at the same time I prop up that section of hand rail.
As I have said this landing was renewed about fifteen years ago, and at the
edge we used a larger piece of hardwood timber instead of the simple flooring
boards, because we needed some good grounds to attach the hand rail to it,
anyhow it has worked out all right for fifteen years or there about, but now it
needs replacing because it is rotten.
Today because the grounds have rotten a bit more, I
have decided to use a larger piece of timber, so that it can bridge better the
outside edge of the landing to the timber joists, the timber joists come from
the building itself and in this case work as a cantilever, just like a very
long balcony in a concrete building. Now because the hardwood has rotten in a
very short time, I am going to replace them with treated pine slipper, because
they are cheaper, lighter and easier to nail, I know it is a new approach and
most builders may not approve what I am going to do, but I am going to try, I
believe that the sleepers will last at least as long as the hardwood did.
Anyhow we will see how it works out soon; and then we will see if they are
going to last in a few years.
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Replacing the timber edge
I have started to work to replace the old hardwood
landing edge, with these new pine slippers, it is going to be harder than I
thought it would be, to remove the old edge is very hard because there is the
hand rail in the way, but as I said any other way is going to be very costly, I
know it is going to be a real struggle for me but I am stuck with it. You see,
we don’t want to spend a lot of money on these landings of this old block of
flats, because the building itself is becoming old and in fifteen to twenty
years is going to be demolished and a brand-new building will be build. We are
saying this because this is how these timber building usually last in Brisbane
Australia, old timber building reach a stage when it becomes necessary to
replace the existing building with a new one; very likely the new building will
be a concrete building, nobody really knows, what it would be the right thing
to build, in fifteen to twenty years’ time, because the local by laws may
change and also the way we build seems to change continually.
Anyhow the other day I have pulled up some of the
old edging and I have set the first sleeper in place, but I still have to
replace about another three of them, and also remove and replace any other
timber that needs replacing and then paint at least what I have replaced; but
really I am going to paint the entire landing and also the steel hand rail that
is rusting, it is going to be a long job, since I am going to do it a bit each
time, when I have some times to spare. Anyhow I believe that it is going to turn
out all right, as you can see from the photo in this hub.
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Other building things
Dear readers,
we have called this hub fixing the landing, but we have a few more things to
tell you, before we finish this article. To do that, let us go back to see what we have done in our
last articles, D.I.W. house repairs,
we have talked some general repairs and about stairs repairs, and also
other things that we are going to review here, since there are many other
things that could be done on these old timber buildings. We have also written
about, House renovating,
where an entire house was renovated; and also fixing an old timber landing, of
course there are lots of other things that need to be done on a timber
building, these things could be done, if the owners feel like doing it, anyhow
try to do some D.I.Y, you will be proud you did, you see I did and every time I
see what I have done, I am proud about it.
Anyhow, here I
want to add another thing that could be done in these timber houses. For
instance here in Queensland most houses have a roof over their patio (veranda)
most houses have too much space for verandas, (since these are spaces that have
a roof on them but they are open and have a hand rail around for safety reasons
if the building if off the ground) so, if an owner feels like that he is short
of space in the house and he needs a small room for the kids or a study, he
could enclose some of the veranda space and have an additional room at this
house, because there is no structural alterations and the roof is already
there, this could be a D.I.Y. job, as long as you know enough how to do it.
Anyhow this is just an example how easy it would be to do some repairs or small
alterations to these timber houses.
I believe that
I have said enough in this article, so see you in our next article, where we
are we are going to talk about, fiends are there to help.
See you soon.
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