- Joined
- 27 Jan 2008
- Messages
- 28,955
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- Location
- Llanfair Caereinion, Nr Welshpool
- Country

Nest (Nest is a Welsh Government scheme which provides free advice and home improvements to help you save energy and money.) have put up handrails, and very thankful for them, they look a bit like scaffold poles, but they work and were free. But in the Winter they are cold, and in the summer on a day like today can't use them without wearing gloves.
So I needed some more steps, so another handrail, and looked at getting plastic coated rails, but really expensive, so thought OK what about wood, that is far cheaper, and lengths will fit in car (2.4 meters) selected pre-treated wood, but risk of splinters, so vanished them with yacht varnish. Sanded as well, so a nice smooth surface, no splinters.
I thought they would be cooler, maybe they are, but still too hot to grip. And touch them OK, but to grip you pull one's self up the steps, they are still too hot today.
Steps other side of sleeper wall
and you can see the metal railings further up. I can't think of a cure? May be once the heat wave abates they will be OK, but this has caught me out, I did not see wood as being a problem heat wise.
So I needed some more steps, so another handrail, and looked at getting plastic coated rails, but really expensive, so thought OK what about wood, that is far cheaper, and lengths will fit in car (2.4 meters) selected pre-treated wood, but risk of splinters, so vanished them with yacht varnish. Sanded as well, so a nice smooth surface, no splinters.
I thought they would be cooler, maybe they are, but still too hot to grip. And touch them OK, but to grip you pull one's self up the steps, they are still too hot today.
Steps other side of sleeper wall