Cuprinol Shades 2.5L £15

Went into The Range today and they had Cuprinol Shades 2.5L for £15.

A bit of a bargain I would say.

Edit: Just found out B&M is also doing it for £15.

 

I think the problem these days is that the quality of some of the timber used is poor. It's from "sustainable resources," i.e. it's forced grown like rhubarb. Any "soak in," treatments can't improve the quality. Part of the fence between our drive and the adjacent semi, is a formed from 4ft concrete post and waneylap panels. It's past it's best, but still pretty intact and has had no treatment in "living memory." It was in position when we bought this house in 1972.

Some panels in 6ft fences of a similar construction I've had erected or I've built myself in our back garden in the last thirty years have had to be replaced, one or two, twice. This is despite the fact that I don't attach any planting to the panels, but to wire strung between eyes drilled into the concrete posts.
I have used Cuprinol in the past, for the posts of our two pergolas. Sitting the ends of them overnight in bath of Cuprinol, before building them. But for smooth surfaces you can't beat Dulux Woodsheen. The tea-house I built from mostly rough-sawn timber which I planed and sanded down and roofing ply gets a coat every few years. It forms an impervious polymer seal just like paint.

I also use a pump type pressure sprayer with a long nozzle to give the underside a "go" every few years with Cuprinol, I can't see what I'm doing as there's only a gap of a couple of inches below the skirts, so I just poke the nozzle under it.


I also use it on this shed I built for our daughter's rabbits when she had them, back in 1976. This photo is from last year. We still call it "the rabbit shed," though it hasn't seen a rabbit in 35 years, it's a garden tool shed now.




I did use Woodsheen on the fence I built between the corner of our house and the garage in 2004. This is made from 3" X 2" beams and featherboard panels. Being a rough finish, it didn't go very far. But it's still in good condition. I did give it another coat a few years ago.









I've just bought another 2.5 ltr can as I intend to "freshen up" this rail and panels between the pool and the garage.



And the posts of this pergola




And of course the rails of the tea-house. The rest will be fine.

The problem is that Dulux messed with the formula, they had to go "solvent based," or whatever, it became "for interior use only" a few years ago. But they then brought out the exterior "woodstain," range. This stuff has got very expensive, 2.5ltrs cost me fifty quid last week, from Dulux's own decorator centre. The ten year guarantee, may well "see me out" this time. It comes in a variety of shades.