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phang_nga
Jul 28, 2006, 7:35 AM
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I was wondering if there is any problem with building a wall outside in the weather? Does it affect the holds or anything else?
I'm thinking about building the wall with marine grade plywood, but if that proves to be a bit pricey, I might go for regular wood with fiberglass resin.
Any thoughts on the matter are appreciated...
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phang_nga
Jul 28, 2006, 7:43 AM
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Hmmm, once I put my question online I saw a bunch of older threads on the matter. :?
But, here's a question: would textured paint be worthwhile? I'm thinking about latex outdoor house paint.
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wax
Aug 3, 2006, 6:06 PM
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phang,
being in the building industry i might try to answer a few of your questions... regular indoor plywood will rott if left outside in the rain... best to stay with marine grade or in the very least exterior grade. Even painting and sealing indoor grade plywood will not work but actually make the problem worst, as it prohibits the wood's ability to breath... so while it may protect it initially from the elements, if it were to be scratched, moisture would then be able to get in, but not escape, speeding the rotting process.
But exterior grade and especially marine grade plywood is treated to resist moisture, so there you go.
As for paint, textured paint ould be nicer to climb on, as latex house paint will just make it slipprier. I'm not sure what type of options you have is Phuket, but in north america there are exterior grade paint like products for exterior porches which are used to give a faux granite like finish and also to resist slipping (as it is illegal to have a smooth exterior surface)... you might wanna look for a product like that!
also, especially with wood, do not build any areas where watter can collect. Also, do your best to use stainless steel hardware. Galvanized steel under dynamic loads (i.e. those created by activites such as climbing) can get scratched and water can infiltrate.
hope that helps with you technical side of building your outdoor wall!
~f
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oldrnotboldr
Aug 3, 2006, 6:37 PM
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Wax has good advice, as I've had to replace two panels on my outside wall because I did not use exterior treated wood. The biggest areas I found for water intrusion was around the hold placements.
I used textured paint on my wall. It works very nice but can be a real skin grating experience!
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wax
Aug 3, 2006, 6:42 PM
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if you wanna really be knit picking, you can goop on non hardening silicone caulking on you T-Nuts wherever they are going to come in contact with the wood to ensure water does not migrate into the wood at those points... but that's ALOT of work and can prolly get pretty expensive...
can you build a rain canopy over your wall? like with a simple tarp? that'll save SOOOO much wear and tear not only from direct rain, but also from the sun... UV will degrade severly the plywood (of any grade) as well as the plastic holds
~f
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thespider
Aug 3, 2006, 7:07 PM
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In reply to: if you wanna really be knit picking, you can goop on non hardening silicone caulking on you T-Nuts wherever they are going to come in contact with the wood to ensure water does not migrate into the wood at those points... but that's ALOT of work and can prolly get pretty expensive... can you build a rain canopy over your wall? like with a simple tarp? that'll save SOOOO much wear and tear not only from direct rain, but also from the sun... UV will degrade severly the plywood (of any grade) as well as the plastic holds ~f
Wow, why didn't I think of a rain canopy. That basically solves all your problems. with only a few tarps and 2x4s you could keep most all of the rain off! Trophy for wax!
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phang_nga
Aug 4, 2006, 1:15 AM
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Thanks guys! I appreciate you sharing your experiences and knowledge.
I'm actually leaning toward renting a building in Phuket Town. I can get a place for around US$120 per month. This will allow me to go nuts with a big wall.
I made some hand holds yesterday. I followed a method I found online wich used clay for the mould. I've also ordered a few from Bangkok. In other words, I've got the ball rolling.
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mturner
Aug 5, 2006, 12:21 AM
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I've tried the rain canopy and it works pretty well unless there is sideways rain or a lot of dew in the air. In the end my regular plywood lasted about two years before I took it down cause it was boring and an eye sore.
P.S. - is Phuket pronounced the way I want it to be?
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phang_nga
Aug 5, 2006, 1:41 AM
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In reply to: P.S. - is Phuket pronounced the way I want it to be?
Nope, it's pronouced Poo Ket.
Hmmm, dew could be a problem. During the rainy season, everything gets a little bit wet.
I found a source for marine grade plywood. Each sheet is about $40. That's a bit hard on the wallet, but I would rather build something that lasts a while.
Thanks
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mturner
Aug 5, 2006, 2:27 PM
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In reply to: I found a source for marine grade plywood. Each sheet is about $40. That's a bit hard on the wallet, but I would rather build something that lasts a while. Thanks
$40 is probably worth it. I think I paid that much for regular plywood with sanded surfaces.
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jeep914x4
Aug 9, 2006, 4:32 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: I found a source for marine grade plywood. Each sheet is about $40. That's a bit hard on the wallet, but I would rather build something that lasts a while. Thanks $40 is probably worth it. I think I paid that much for regular plywood with sanded surfaces.
That's worth it. I paid $35 a sheet for regular ply. Mines been outside in the rain and it's starting to show. Put some tarps over it when I'm not useing it seems to help.
Holds faded fast in the sun but other than looks nothing else changed.
Peace
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tattooed_climber
Aug 9, 2006, 5:23 PM
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if their under cover or not, if its an outside wall you'll get moldy holds (if left up all year around)....soap, water and a plastic scrub brush can fix it not too bad in the spring
this depends on how much rain/humidity/how cold/etc you get over fall and winter
that is why i ripped my wall down, store all my holds until the next place i move to i can put up an indoor wall
i never had a prob. with paint peeling.....though, i used high qualitity exterior paint (with sand mixed in with it)
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wax
Aug 10, 2006, 12:12 PM
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be carefull, UV (ie sun) rays breakdown polymers like plastic holds and they will not last as long as the should, so you should try to keep them shaded as often as you can
~f
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machino
Aug 10, 2006, 3:45 PM
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I agree with the above posts. I have had two outside walls, and after learning a lesson with the first wall, I purchased pressure treated wood the second time around. Try to face your wall into the sun to keep the holds dry and clean.
Another problem that hasnt been addressed is T-nut corrosion. SInce your holds are going to be nice and dry on the sunny side, the T-nuts will be in the shady side. Moisture could be an issue, and from prior experience you will since rusting on the T-nuts. Holds will be hard to remove in particular. With my second wall I sprayed T-nut with WD-40. I did this in a big box so as to spray both the inside threads as well as the outside of the T-nut keeping it lubricated.
After recently traveling back to my presvious home in Pennsylvania, I had the chance to climb on my wall. I had look at the back and saw mild to low rust, but in particular, holds were easily removed in comparison to my first wall where holds seemed to seize up sometimes in the T-nut. Long story short, make sure to keep the inside of the T-nut lunbricated, it will make hold changing much less annoying.
Dean
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mturner
Aug 13, 2006, 3:00 PM
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In reply to: I agree with the above posts. I have had two outside walls, and after learning a lesson with the first wall, I purchased pressure treated wood the second time around. Try to face your wall into the sun to keep the holds dry and clean. Another problem that hasnt been addressed is T-nut corrosion. SInce your holds are going to be nice and dry on the sunny side, the T-nuts will be in the shady side. Moisture could be an issue, and from prior experience you will since rusting on the T-nuts. Holds will be hard to remove in particular. With my second wall I sprayed T-nut with WD-40. I did this in a big box so as to spray both the inside threads as well as the outside of the T-nut keeping it lubricated. After recently traveling back to my presvious home in Pennsylvania, I had the chance to climb on my wall. I had look at the back and saw mild to low rust, but in particular, holds were easily removed in comparison to my first wall where holds seemed to seize up sometimes in the T-nut. Long story short, make sure to keep the inside of the T-nut lunbricated, it will make hold changing much less annoying. Dean
So true! Make sure you use stainless steel t-nuts that don't (shouldn't) rust. I learned the hard way and had to literally rip the t-nut through the wall to get several holds off because the t-nut had rusted so bad. I made some interesting huecos in the process but wouldn't recommend.
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