My mock Tudor house needs help please

[happyhero]

Hi, Can you help, I have a mock Tudor house (white rendered panels in between black planks of wood) and the paint on the black timbers are flaking in many places, some bits have come away from the wall and in just a few places the wood is so rotten that I could probably push my finger through which I have resisted in doing. This makes my house sound terrible whereas in fact when you stand back and look at it, it just looks like it needs a paint job.

I recently put some christmas lights up, and when I got up close to the high bits, I saw how bad some of it was. The top funny enough seems quite ok and there's not much timber at all at ground level, so its the middle that is worst. Also I think they are called the barge boards, well the tips are pretty soft.

The question now is what to do, there are some straight bits but there are some fancy bit which would be harder to match.

What wood do I use? And what wood DID they use? I would have guessed the best thing would be hardwood but that would be expensive so what do people use these days, do they normally use softwood?

If you use softwood, would it have to be treated, and if so could it be painted, as it needs to be black? What would it be treated with?

Is there anything I could use where the wood is totally rotten to solidify it again?

I know it sounds a bit odd but could you get UPVC the right size (I knew a guy once said they could make anything out of UPVC) and paint it black?

But how would it weather, would it stay painted a long time or flake easily?

Or could you buy UPVC in black?

Or is there something else I could do?

Any help appreciated.

 

[JohnD]

If it is ornamental trim, not structural, then it is probably planks nailed or screwed to the walls.

So you could take off the bad bits (it is probably just rough sawn softwood, so bound to rot if exposed to the weather) and make some new ones. Use the old ones as patterns (they will not need any complicated joints). You can give them several flowing coats of Cuprinol Green, and stand the ends in a bucket of it overnight.

I would then re-treat with a breathing protective stain. I use a water based one (like you use for fences) as it is very easy to re-apply without needing sanding down and undercoating. It is best to treat before fixing. It will be much easier, and you can do the backs and other awkward bits.

Probably the most difficult part of the job will be getting up to it. A scaffold tower would be handy.

You could buy a more durable hardwood if you have plenty of money, but no-one will get close enough to know.

 

[happyhero]

If it is ornamental trim, not structural, then it is probably planks nailed or screwed to the walls.

So you could take off the bad bits (it is probably just rough sawn softwood, so bound to rot if exposed to the weather) and make some new ones. Use the old ones as patterns (they will not need any complicated joints). You can give them several flowing coats of Cuprinol Green, and stand the ends in a bucket of it overnight.

I would then re-treat with a breathing protective stain. I use a water based one (like you use for fences) as it is very easy to re-apply without needing sanding down and undercoating. It is best to treat before fixing. It will be much easier, and you can do the backs and other awkward bits.

Probably the most difficult part of the job will be getting up to it. A scaffold tower would be handy.

You could buy a more durable hardwood if you have plenty of money, but no-one will get close enough to know.

Thanks for all your help JohnD on all my posts.

Yes I think they are just ornamental and screwed to the walls.

Would it end up black like this ie is there such a thing as black breathing protective stain, or did you mean I should paint on top which seems to defeat the object of breathing a little? I have to have it black because there is so much that is black already and I am in a bank of houses with the same finish. Anyway isn't it a bit awkward to paint on top of new stain?

Also you haven't commented on my UPVC mention or is this a crazy idea? It has some sense ie people are always changing wooden soffits etc for UPVC to avoid maintenance, just not sure whether black paint would stay on them for long enough, or possibly I am taking UPVC a step too far? Its just that it is a pain of a job and I don't want to repeat it in a hurry.

 

[JohnD]

Tudor PVC you mean?

The waxy stains come in various colours. I don't know if that includes black.

I've tried Colron wood dye under, but it flakes off.

There might be a black coloured Sadolin or something (which I don't actually like).

You can't paint on top of braething stain; but you can buy breathing paint systems. In this case use Cuprinol Clear, which you can paint over.

 

[mix]

Tudors used oak for their external wood, if treated properly will last for centuries. Probably not an option for you as the expense will be enormous. If you have access to a local sawmill you could purchase some unused oak or other hardwood railway sleepers and have them sawn to size.
Loads here....
http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=railway+sleepers

If using softwood....I have had a great deal of success with Sikkens protective coatings...its not cheap but will last and protect for very many years, even on softwood, and I think it comes in black.
Link here....
http://www.sikkens.co.uk/en/Sikkens+home+page.htm

Depending on how bad the rot is....I would not attempt to patch up large amounts of rot, just rip out the whole plank and replace.

 

[2scoops0406]

And if you want it to really be in the Tudor style it should be yellow and black, not white.

 

[JohnD]

Brown, not black.

Tudor's didn't have creosote, so it should be natural oak timber colour.

 

[happyhero]

I would love the wood to show and it be real Tudor but unfortunately there are two reasons that will mean it will probably have to be white and black,

1, The existing good condition wood, would have to be changed as well which would make the job bigger more expensive, unnecessarily

2, my house is amongst about 10 other mock Tudor houses so i would imagine I have to keep it matching.