Wooden Gate Question

[Potstubsdustbins]

Sorry G4 not always the case.

I do the plumbing at a Nottingham timber company where they have their own treatment plant. The timbers are set out on a steel framework with a small space between them before being placed in the pressure vessel. The next lot being prepared whilst the first lot are 'cooking' so to speak.

Potty

[Jasonjones]

Ask your joiner if it is tanalised timber he has used. If it is then I'd be tempted to give it a coat of end grain preservative - it's the stuff you use if you make a cut or drill a hole in tanalised timber, your joiner should be able to advise.

Personally I'd also be tempted to either paint or stain the gates, the preservative on it will give protection from rot etc, but you won't get any protection from uv/sun damage which will mean the gates ultimately will discolour to a grey-ish colour and potentially also split.
More info here - Treating your wooden gates | Gate Expectations

If it's not tanalised then it's probably a preservative added (brush coated or sprayed) once the gates were made, in which case I would definitely get something else on as protection.

Your dad is right regarding the endgrain as it is always prone to taking water in. If you've got a bit of DIY skills you try add a capping rail like (doesn't have to be as fancy) http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/9...d5b84db061.jpg

Hope that helps!

[Bigmallly]

I'm with your dad SM. For the extra cost incurred & peace of mind, I would get some cappings.......you could preserve the cappings once fitted.

[Spirited Mama]

Thank you for all of the replies. This may be a stupid question, but why do tradesmen always seem to do a bad job? I have never had a positive experience with one, not once. This joiner has hung gates that need sanding and treating, as well as leaving me with a hideous raised mound of concrete and dangerous metal plate sticking out in the middle of my driveway. I found him via Rated People and he had good reviews. I really resent having to spend more money and a great deal of my family's time finishing the job. Apologies for the rant.

[chris]

That is one reason why I do everything that I can, myself. Thankfully my father used to be a plumber & before that a sparky too, so he's helped me move pipes etc.. The only thing I don't touch myself is gas, or notifiable work.

I did tot up all the quotes I had (but had done the work myself) once, it was shocking - and literally every penny of them has gone off the mortgage.

The only thing I've paid for, is a new boiler, fence and windows (I was a bit naive then, next time I'll do them myself (windows and fence - but they were done to speed things up))..... however I am getting a patio laid, I would love to have a go myself, but it'll take me so longer as I need to raise 4 drain levels, and drop 1.

But yes, I've only ever come across 1 decent tradesperson, and he fitted by boiler.

[Spirited Mama]

Sadly there aren't any particularly skilled or experienced people amongst me and mine :/


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[vikkib]

There are decent trade people out there but finding them can be tricky!

Word of mouth / genuine personal recommendations tend to be the best way. I've never trusted those websites having been approached by some touting for business... certainly seems that the amount you pay helps with your rating!

Are you a member of freegle/freecycle? My local groups have a 'cafe' where people can ask for recommendations so you might find someone through that for future use.

Have you tried getting the guy back to make good the cement/metal plate? I guess if you've paid him and he's not an honorable sort it might be tricky.

Sorry you're having these troubles!

[chris]

Sadly there aren't any particularly skilled or experienced people amongst me and mine :/


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I bought a DIY book, which is where I've learnt most of the things I've done.. Worth it's weight in gold!

[Spirited Mama]

Thank you Vikki and Chris, valuable suggestions. Before I paid him I argued about the driveway and he absolutely refused to accept that there was any other way of doing it :/

I've left feedback on Rated People and got a pop up message saying they investigate all negative feedback, so I guess we'll see what happens.


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[Potstubsdustbins]

The problem with so called 'tradespeople' today is perfectly simple, they are few and far between. Most are handymen learning as they go usually in your home.

It started way back in the late 70s early 80s. The government of the day decided that apprenticeships were slave labour and changed the pay scale in the large nationalised industries.

What they failed to realise is that most building trade companies are small one or two man bands and these chaps just could not afford to pay the going rate hence no more apprenticeships, therefore a lack of proper tradesmen today.

I have trained a good few lads over the years the last being my son. When I hit 60 I decided I would train one more person before I packed it in (no that didn't happen either). I had several people come on works experience and eventually found what I was looking for.

A decent, clean, articulate, numerate and literate young man. I was going to take him on for 5 years in total, college would have been 3 years basic and advanced plumbing and 2 years gas with me paying all the fees, insurance's etc.

With the shortage of skilled men/women in our industry at the end of this time with the proviso he passed all his exams he could have gone anywhere and walked into a job paying in excess of £800 per week.

Then his mother got involved and started talking minimum wage........plus of £200 a week from day one, after all he would have to pay her his board don't you know. I got my calculator out and did the sums, when it reached plus of £70,000 I gave up now seven years on he is a labourer for a roofing company.

Potty

[gardener8019]

re trade people standards

Hi as a tradesperson myself i stumbled across this forum post from google

I would like to add my experience in answering this is I am primarily a gate manufacturer but I am not here to advertise just answer some questions that have been posted

Firstly in answer to the first question about endgrains yes this will be a weak area for water ingress and your dad is right really the best way would be to weatherstrip the top
also stating that timber is tanilised and pressure treated will NOT mean that the timber does not need treating as the timber will have been bought in in treated lengths and cut down to size exposing un-treated ends
now yes some peoples response to this comment will be "well if its pressure treated the treatment will penetrate in" ..... not neccesarily pressure treatment does penetrate further than soaking or brushing but to say it will go all the way through is wrong and very niave

If a gate has been made from pressure treated timber ensure the end grains throughout have had an end grain treatment applied

Now my next comment will cause a backlash but I do not use pressure treated Timber
I use planed vth grade scandinavian redwood i make the frame then treat the frame with a solvent based water repellant uv stabilised treatment i then add the tongue and groove timber making sure the timber is first treated where it attaches to the frame
then after fixing I treat the whole gate

I do this for a number of reasons
1 water based timber treatments add moisture to the timber and this is what tanilith e is if you add moisture to timber when it dries it can warp or even split this can lead to the gate being unfit for purpose
2 a solvent based treatment with water repellant properties will help to prevent swelling and the above problems
for a number of reasons

ok the next issue you stated having a metal plate sticking out of the ground im with you on this you do not quote a job and expect this to not be part of the job if it is in the gate area fair enough if it was something half way up or drive and unrelated

the most worrying comments I have seen on this thread are i haven't met a tradesman yet that i would be happy with

The problem is our culture now a days is lets get the cheapest price and to hell with the consequences until we hit problems ........ now don't shoot me down straight away hear me out

I am genuinely a man that does a job how i would expect it to be done for myself
when i was starting out i got sucked into "well this guys said he will do it for so much less than you" and to start with you say ok i will do it for that

i used to accept work go out and do the job but faced with the choice do it properly and work for less than minimum wage with all the hassle of filing accounts and stress of overheads or cut corners and do a substandard job

I am pleased to say I only did the latter once and I hated myself for doing it

so now if people try to knock me down i tell them if you want a proper job this will be what it will cost and I give the customer a choice so if you do want something a little cheaper this is what you get

What i would recommend is never take anything for granted when you get a trades person in tell them exactly what you expect to every detail don't assume this is what you get as this trades persons maybe some one who has been brow beaten into thinking that a customer just wants a cheap job and no longer recognizes quality

I am not saying all traders are saints we all know there are cowboys but please don't say we are all the same

[Glutton4...]

You'd best remove your link at the bottom, before the Mods see it!

[veggiechicken]

Too late - G4, I've removed it

[gardener8019]

sorry didnt want to be seen as advertising like is said my post was for information only