Using biscuits outside

[Chabsy]

Hello I have just joined.

Being stuck at home I am sorting out jobs that have been on my list for a while.

I have some barge boards and facias that are a bit soft at the ends, my plan is to cut back and join onto the existing facia, I was thinking of using biscuits to join the new facias to the old, are biscuits going to ok for this and are they waterproof?

I thought 10s would be an ok size

Thanks

 

[Racers]

Beech biscuits aren't durable, You could make some from oak, iroko etc

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If there's enough water there to rot a biscuit, your fascia's already falling apart.

 

[Yojevol]

By design biscuits are not waterproof. The best ones are made of compressed beech which swells slightly as water is absorbed from the glue. They will last as long as your boards and that will depend on how well you maintain them. Your joints are going to be a weakness where paint cracking will start and allow moisture in. So it may be a solution that will will last a few years but sooner or later a proper job will be needed. If you do go down this route avoid cheap plywood biscuits and I would use 20's.
Brian

 

[Doug B]

I’ll start by saying these days if I’m using biscuit type joints outside I will make the biscuits out of the same hardwood I’m using for the project in hand.

That said I’ve read arguments that if you coat the biscuit it a waterproof adhesive prior to installing then it should resist rotting.

What I can say for definite is well over 13 years ago I made two gates for my wife’s uncle these were jointed with regular beech biscuits & the Joints are still holding up well, far better than the soft wood I made the gates from.

 

[owen]

If you cut back the fascia at the centre of a rafter and fix both pieces of fascia to that, I can't see why you would need to bother with biscuits. I've certainly never seen anyone use them on a fascia board before.

 

[Chabsy]

If you cut back the fascia at the centre of a rafter and fix both pieces of fascia to that, I can't see why you would need to bother with biscuits. I've certainly never seen anyone use them on a fascia board before.

Its belt and braces really, on the facias I have a full rafter but on the barge boards half of the facia is floating.