Dry flex 4?

[Stevebod]

Hi all,

I have recently found a "rot" problem with our conservatory. My wood working skills are limited to a mitre saw, butt joints, doweling and screwing. I have googled for inspiration and come across "dry flex" as a possible solution.

just wondering if anybody with some experience can advise on this route?

many thanks for any input

 

[cowfoot]

It's very useful stuff but there's a bit of a learning curve.
Ideally you want to be scarfing/fixing a replacement bit of wood in the area you've removed then using Dry Flex to fill any gaps. Perspex offcuts are useful for shuttering and levelling out.
It's extremely hard when dry - you'll need a carbide scraper to remove any excess (a block plane might work, but I'm not sure it'd stay sharp for long!).
It's fine for painting over - I use BIN Coverstain on exterior work.
Good luck!

 

[cowfoot]

Oh, and turps or hand wipes (rather than the expensive cleaner they sell) for cleaning up!
The starter kit is pretty good value, you can always ebay the gun for a few quid afterwards if it's a one-off job.

 

[Stevebod]

Hi Cowfoot and many thanks for your reply....I had a chat with the supplier and they offered some good advice. It looks like I may go for the dry flex 4 "single" tube and prep kit. Not looking forward to it, but I need to do something soon!!

 

[cowfoot]

I'll probably be getting through a fair bit once I get round to sorting out the french doors in my house - previous owner seemed to think that screwing a bit of ply to the bottom stiles was a decent solution...dread to think what's underneath!

 

[Stevebod]

..what sort of "thickness" would you go to with dryflex?....and would you normally use wooden "filler" pieces to bulk it out?.

The actual dryflex itself seems an OK price, but the pre-treatment (dry fix I think) seems a but expensive...

 

[cowfoot]

Difficult to answer, really...but this has been my experience (and I haven't had any irate callbacks yet!) -
Let's say you've got a rotten bottom stile. Carefully remove all the rotten wood and at least 10mm more in all directions. If you're looking at a gap that's deeper/wider than 10mm or so then I'd place a wooden filler in. Obviously it's best to get a tight fit - proper chippies will be looking to get a proper fix such as a scarf if possible, particularly if the area forms part of a joint (eg where the stile meets the rail). I've used small dowels and wood glue to hold bits in place. Coat up the area in your chosen wood treatment and allow to dry. Then spread enough flex to fill any gaps behind the bit you're replacing, stick it in and clamp it. Wait until it's stuck solid and fill the remaining gaps with flex - this is the tricky bit, it's different to using two part or sandable filler, you want it as flush as possible.
I might try using replacement bits of wood that are proud of the surface then planing them flat before filling the gaps next time - basically anything that means the flex doesn't have to be worked too much once dry would be a bonus.
I'm not sure there's any difference between the Dry Flex treatment and your average wood hardener - hopefully not as I've been using the latter since I ran out of the expensive stuff!

 

[cowfoot]

(puts on Columbo mac)
One more thing - bits of perspex are your friend here. Screw or tape them along edges so you've got a tight, solid area to fill. Oh, and if you're happy rehanging doors/windows, take them off to work on them. Might sound obvious but took me a while to cop on!

 

[Stevebod]

..brill..thanks for the advice..much appreciated. Just out of interest what preservative would you recommend?...seems to be loads about but never used the stuff before. I will also need to "stain" the wood / filler when completed....

...many thanks