When heavy rain occurs such as that which has been falling in many parts of Australia recently, it is a good time to get out and have a look at the water courses in the back or front yard – where the water comes from and where it goes. You can solve your drainage problems now by working out where the water is going. Once the rain stops get out into the garden and change the levels here or there where necessary to make the garden an easier place to walk around during wet periods. Care may be needed to ensure you don’t re-direct water to areas it shouldn’t go – e.g. into sewer outlets.
A new product has come on the market which is manufactured by Able Cooke Pty Ltd. It is a galvanised barb staple that is used in timber construction e.g. decks and aviaries. The old-fashioned staples once nailed into the timber and exposed to rain and hot sun would work their way up and out of the timber leaving the joint loose. The new design has a barb on each side of the staple, like a fish hook, so that the staple hooks into the timber and holds fast. This way they should not come loose no matter what conditions the timber construction is exposed to.
The barb staples are available in two sizes: 50mm x 4mm and 40mm x 4mm but only come in 25kg or 5 kg boxes of staples. The recommended retail price is $124 for a 25kg box and $29.65 for a 5kg box. The barb staples are distributed Australia wide so contact Able Cooke Pty Ltd, National Sale Office, on free call 1800 338 105 for your nearest stockist or ask your local hardware store to order them in.