A DIY PROJECT AT WEEKEND

It is a nice day on Sunday. I decide to fix up the problem with our BQQ shed - a problem supposed to be fixed up long time ago.

Take a look at the bottom end of this supporting post. It is so decayed and rotten that a wind blow might bring the entire shed down at any time. Of all six posts, two of them must be replaced without further delay.

For a load bearing post, this could result in hazardous consequencies

Basic tools are readily available and timber to replace the old ones have been purchased during the weekedays. As the posts are of load bearing and replacement work could involve safety risks, I have planned it very carefully before I start, making sure the safest approaches are adopted and emergency actions prepared in case something nasty does happen to me.

Tools used for the job

As a first step, I have to remove the rotten post out of its original position. I put a car jack on the top of the ladder which is strong enough to support the weight of the truss and the roof.  When the truss is jacked up, the ladder has become a temporary supporting post, making the existing one load free and easier to get out.

A car jack is used to jack up the truss, making removal of the post possible

Second step is the most time consuming one. Because the size of the old timber is no longer available in market, I have to cut the new one to fit into existing metal bracket and sitting base. Repeated adjustments have to be made to the required measurements. I am sure, to professional tradesmen, this hardly could be an issue as they have specialized tools and equipment for diffetent uses.

Third step is to put the timber back to its position and fix it up with bolts and nuts. Having learned the lesson from the previous rotton timber, I fasten the bottom end of the post by using timber screws with rubber seal instead of bolts and nuts which make timber vulnerable to weathering. For bolts and nuts, a hole must be drilled in timber, allowing rainwater to get in and stay, thus speeding up the process of getting rotten.

A new post is put in its position

Last step is of course the final touch. The timber posts replaced are treated for outdoor use, but look as raw timber, so I must paint them in a color consistent to the rest of the supporting posts.

Voila! here are how it looks like before and after the job is completed.

Before                                            After

I spend one day and approx. two hundred dollars to complete the job. (Labour cost is not included, I have to say.) In return, apart from having my peace of mind back, I have this wonderful, very rewarding experience.You plan it, you do it, and you deliver it!

P.S. I am only happy to share  my experience in detail should anyone want to know more.