# Forum Home Renovation Fences & Screens  Merbau Screen Questions

## Boeing777

Hi All, 
Will shortly be embarking on a project to replace rotten lattice down the side of mum's place with some merbau screening (Plan to use 42x19 w/19mm gaps). I'll just be attaching to the existing 75x75 hardwood posts which are still solid. This will be my first time using merbau, so please excuse my dumb questions! 
1. Is it pronounced "Mer-bo" or "Mer-bow" or something else (just so I don't sound like a knob when I ring to order it  :Blush7: ) 
2. Is there something of comparible price in the same size (42x19) that I should be using? 
3. She would like them to be a uniform colour, can anyone recommend a good coating to put on them to achieve this? Obviously I'm looking for the easiest solution, as it only needs to last about 12 months until she sells the place. 
And if anyone has any suggestions or warnings for me any info is appreciated. Thanks!

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## ringtail

Apparently, its pronounced mer - boo. I hate that name so I call it kwila ( which it is ). Kwila is the most available timber for screens and decking, so you may aswell stick with it, even if it is morally wrong to use it. I'd be using something water based for ease of application. Take your pick.

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## sports fan

what is the distance between posts?  you may find that 42x19 will bow/ twist if it doesnt have fixings every 600-900cts max 
i avoid using merbau as it is a rainforest timber logged from places such as indonesia thats why its so cheap

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## Boeing777

The spans will be about 1800 on average, with one at 2650 - I was hoping I could get away with running a vertical piece for a bit of bracing over that distance.

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## fubar

this is some merbau screening using 64x10mm finger jointed longest span is 1300 been up for two months no problems so far  finished in an exterior oil  I did another job using same dimension merbau 5 years ago  1200 span no problems

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## Boeing777

Hi Fubar, thanks for the pics, looks great. What did you use to stain/seal this?

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## fubar

gday boeing777
used this finish Welcome to Preschem Pty (Ltd) - The Smarter Timber Protection

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## AlexJ66

Hey Boeing, I used the same size to build my screens. Mine were spanning about 2200, so I fixed a solid support at each end and one in the middle, and then used a strip of the same size Merbau on each side of that, at about 550-600mm as also suggested by "sports fan". The reason I did this is because not all of the boards will be perfectly straight, and I wanted to keep my gaps at 3mm if I could without any bowing or bending.  
I used 2 coats of Cabots decking for it and they look fantastic. I also screwed mine from the back as I didn't want to see all of the screw heads. 
Let me know if I can provide any more details.

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## jiggy

just be aware that merbau has a tendency to leach, ie the tanins seep out of the timber and will stain anything under it .Not a problem if it is on a garden bed , but can look unsightly on a painted  balconey wall  or a sandstone paver !!

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## d00biez

i used sickens on mine. bit expensive but great result. you can prolly get away with something cheaper as you only need 12months from it.  
a few other things that i found useful- pistol grip clamps. great for holding the battens in place. i also popped a few 50mm brads into the battens to give them additional hold while i fastened them. i used those square bit stainless steel screws and drilled a hole about 1mm so i could sink them in flush with the batten. 
good luck

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