Fabcol

Hi,
 
Thank you Sad555 for your kind comments. You're well on your way to becoming an Ultimatehandyman having installed a loft conversion; I can well understand you spending time with your grandchildren after all they will have priority. If you wish to resume DIY work may I suggest you join "Ultimatehandyman" where our DIY activities won't be "off topic" 
 
http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/forum1/index.php
 
You've already got a friend on Ultimatehandyman if you decide to become a member please introduce yourself and say you were recommended to join by Col (Retired) the members are a great bunch to get along with.
 
Thanks Expatman for your concern regarding plywood delaminating which I fully understand; as you rightly say plywood starts to delaminate at cut edges. Our bungalow when built new around 1963 had lots of plywood panels to its exterior and many of these are actually still in place but now under the new plywood panels I've just installed; I use WBP grade plywood and take great care in protecting all edges and both surfaces; the edges are protected by both oil based and water based paint receiving multiple coats ensuring no bare plywood remained exposed; the back of each panel has been given one Zinsser primer coat; I Little Greene Undercoat and one Little Greene top coat all oil based paints. The front of the panels have also been well protected with multiple coats of paint; I had the Little Greene paint in stock but I spent around £400 on the American Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior Satin which is now available in the UK through the sole importers Shaw's this paint costs around £70 per US gallon plus delivery. I've wanted to buy the American paint for years knowing that so many American homes are covered in masses of wooden cladding and their paint seems to stand up well after all I can't see American homeowners wanting to repaint so much exterior cladding every two or three years the cost would be prohibitive; I've tried lots of top brands of paint here in the UK but it seldom comes up to expectations; I'll be interested to see how the Benjamin Moore paint withstands our Yorkshire wet black hole? I've also taken a lot of trouble to ensure rainwater and snow are not allowed to gain access to end grain or the panel backs.
 
Thanks Ryman for asking; yes Marine plywood would bring tears to my eyes if I bought enough to complete the bungalow exterior; the softwood frames are the originals and still in perfect condition; I replaced the double glazed units last year the originals just starting to fail at over 50 years old; I wonder how many of the modern plastic framed windows will still be as good 50 years hence? If these new plywood panels do fail it will obviously be a huge disappointment but they are screwed into position so can easily be removed. I did actually not only look at cement fibre boards but I went ahead and ordered enough to cover the job ordering online; my order was accepted and my money taken then a couple of days later the online company cancelled my order and immediately returned the money into our account saying the boards were out of stock? This turned out to be a blessing in disguise; I'm aware of plywood delaminating but looking at the reviews on this cement fibre board it too has lots of problems and can fail quicker than plywood; lots of new builds have cement fibre board installed; there could be lots of problems ahead?
 
Back to the plot and thanks again Sad555; Bron and I are now much happier and feel more settled with our Yeti; each time we go out in the Yeti I switch off the stop/start so the major problem is well sorted and I've no more fear of being stranded with hazard lights running at green traffic lights; yesterday returning from a garden centre I noticed the fuel gauge has started to behave it's needle is once again falling slowly from full tank as fuel is used whereas it had started to suddenly fall from full to the first big marker; this was only a minor problem and I've also been kindly made aware of how the fuel consumption is recorded; I didn't even know about "consumption" where the numbers bounce up and down all the time and still think this function for the average driver to be a waste of time but the "AV Consumption" works fine and is interesting to watch the best reading to date is just under 78 mpg. I still don't know how it tripped over to Consumption from Av Consumption but now at least I know how to change it back to AV Consumption.
 
Bron and I couldn't have got off to a worse start with our new Yeti; with only around 10 miles on it's clock it sitting on our driveway; Bron was ill and I was carted off by emergency ambulance to spend three days in hospital; Bron doesn't drive so was in a panic; it was our 40th wedding anniversary which was totally spoiled; I had lots of problems with the supplying dealer regarding cancelling the previous Gap insurance and the servicing contract; then the problem of the stop/start failing so badly twice at green traffic lights; little niggles with the consumption and the fuel gauge all built up into just one major problem; our own personal problems and the problems associated with the Yeti combined became just too much; we came so near to dumping the Yeti which truly upset me but suddenly now everything is OK in our lives; after 40 years hard graft on our homes I've at last caught up on all the big jobs; Bron has got rid of her nasty chesty cough and I'm clear of doctors and hospitals; the Yeti has shaken hands with me and I do love our Yeti; Bron is now happier with the Yeti because I'm happy with it; neither of us invited or welcomed all the hassles but now time to start afresh; we have a lovely home and a nice shiny new Yeti. I'm sorry if I've been a moaner but I've added the story as it unfolded and wouldn't wish it upon anyone.
 
I don't fall out easily and offered to start over afresh with the supplying dealer but unfortunately it is now clear Bron and I are no longer valued cash customers so we will be dealing in future with RRG Skoda in Rochdale who do make us welcome and who do actually respond on Briskoda forum. I can't help but feel our local supplying Skoda main dealer think they can treat customer's as they wish because they have the Skoda monopoly with customers needing correct Skoda servicing; Bron and I will now deal with RRG only 20 miles distant from us; there is usually an answer to a problem.
 
Anyone wishing to discuss further DIY activities may I please politely request this be done through Ultimatehandyman after all Briskoda is about all things Skoda and I don't want to get my legs slapped for being light years off topic.
 
Kind regards, Col.