Home DIY

Definitely use sealant.

It really depends on what look you want, so unless your living in a modern art gallery styled dwelling I would go with the sealant ,

I had a new kitchen kitted. As part of the work the builder moved some electrics, installed new lights and moved the gas hob. It is my understanding that he should have sorted some certificates or something out for this. Am I correct? Am I buggered if I try and sell without them?

Has anyone ever planted bamboo?
And not regretted it?

Cheers all, sealant around the toilet has gone on the snagging list.

My panda farm depends upon it.

Some claim they have managed to prevent the root system spreading, but all the people I know who planted bamboo (eventually) spend time digging out the invasive suckers.

Yes, no regurts. Free draining soil, slight slope, creates a nice screen. Been in probably 10 years and still only about six by six foot footprint and about seven feet high. Will try and remember which variety but wouldn’t have been anything fancy.

I think there are less invasive species. But most people will plant them with plastic sheet (DPM?) around to stop them from spreading further than needed. Or plant them in pots.....

Yes many times but try to get the one with roots that don't spread , a big mistake with bamboo is people often buy it wrongly labelled so I would suggest going to a proper established nursery who will know what's best for your needs , will cost s bit more but then you'll live happily ever after..

That all sounds like minor works. You could ask for a minor works certificate but it's not that usual to be given one, I would expect there would be a charge for it to cover the time involved.

I'll stop worrying about it then. Thanks.

Has anyone ever planted bamboo?
And not regretted it?

Yep. We have a mini-grove of Fargesia Robusta 'Campbell' to hide our next door neighbour's ugly lean-to type extension which apparently they got planning for but that's hard to believe given the windows look directly into our side return (although they do have net curtains).

Super happy with it and I'd recommend that variety (I did a LOT of research). Make sure you know the difference between clumping and non-clumping. Non-clumping is invasive, so you don't want that.

Also make sure you buy bamboo that is hardy enough - ours is good down to -18 but my Mum lost some which turned out to be hardy only down to 0 degrees C.

My only worry about our bamboo is it flowering. When bamboo flowers it dies, and when a particular species of bamboo flowers all plants of that species flower at the same time (wherever they are in the world and regardless of environmental conditions), then all die together.

Sounds nuts but it's true, nobody knows why.

Yes. But it grows back. That's the point of flowering.
Big investment in sex bits, sex, death. Growth.

As a non botanist, I'm guessing molecular biology, clocks, synchrony etc etc. could be a fairly decent explanation.

And after 5 minutes with google: the selection pressure driving this is probably seed predation by rats.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.12442/abstract

But if it dies I'll be able to see my neighbour's ugly extension again!

Was originally asking about using MDF to make this in ‘any question answered’, but now I’ve made it, I have a follow up question - what can/should I stain, treat this with before my one year old eats/destroys/ignores it?

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Water based varnish if you want it to look raw. Not sure on food safe paints but you could probably get away with a zinnser primer and 3 coats of water based eggshell on top if you want a colour.

Milk paint goes over that shit easily, then coat with your favourite clear stuff.

Osmo's Wood Wax Finish. Safe for kids toys/foodsafe and comes in all sorts of funky colours. The 'intensive' range is best

Amazing factoid!

Having just used 30 litres of different Osmo products, its not cheap, but it is brilliant. We have done floors, staircase, skirting board, beams...

Yeah and they'll be able to see you having a bath.

No-one wins.

Yeah, we always specify Osmo for anything timber at work, normally contrators end up using cheap crap instead though.

Shame it really is great stuff. We have a dog and small child, and they have not managed to put a mark on it