First rain on the finished screen.

Roof & Exterior

The bamboo was fine. The frame holding it was not.

Everyone assumed the whole screen had to go. It did not.

Get a free estimate778-952-1389
Area
Metro Vancouver — exact city not published
Time on site
Two days
Documented
12 photos

Before and after

The same part of the job, compared directly.

Vines growing straight through the panels.Before
Vines growing straight through the panels.
Overgrowth gone — this run is straight and secured with new rails.After
Overgrowth gone — this run is straight and secured with new rails.
Original bamboo lifted out before the failed frame was rebuilt.Before
Original bamboo lifted out before the failed frame was rebuilt.
Done — frame rebuilt, original bamboo kept, deck refinished.After
Done — frame rebuilt, original bamboo kept, deck refinished.
01

The problem

A bamboo privacy screen along the edge of an upper deck had been through too many wet winters. Vines had grown right through it, the timber frame and trim holding the panels had gone soft and let go in places, and the top rail was no longer holding anything down. The bamboo itself was mossy and tired-looking but still sound — which is the part most people get wrong before they price a full replacement.

02

What we did

We cleared the overgrowth, took the failed timber off, and rebuilt the frame: new top rail, new bottom rail and new vertical trim, cut on site and fastened panel by panel so the bamboo is held flat again. Every piece of new timber was sanded and stained before it went up rather than after — slower on the day, but it is the reason the end grain will not drink water next winter. The frame went dark to match the posts, and the deck boards were cleaned and refinished at the same time.

03

The result

Privacy back, frame sound, and the original bamboo kept. Reusing what still works is usually the difference between a repair and a rebuild — and between a few hundred dollars and a few thousand.

Site record

Photos from the job.

  1. Overgrowth cleared — now you can see the frame is the problem.Before
    Overgrowth cleared — now you can see the frame is the problem.
  2. Stripping the failed trim off panel by panel.In progress
    Stripping the failed trim off panel by panel.
  3. Every new board stained before installation, not after.In progress
    Every new board stained before installation, not after.
  4. Cut to length on site — nothing here is a standard size.In progress
    Cut to length on site — nothing here is a standard size.
  5. New top rail going on, holding the bamboo flat again.In progress
    New top rail going on, holding the bamboo flat again.
  6. Working the upper run off a ladder.In progress
    Working the upper run off a ladder.
  7. Sanding the rail before the final coat.In progress
    Sanding the rail before the final coat.
  8. First rain on the finished screen.After
    First rain on the finished screen.

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