P2P Blog Do it yourself projects around the World

Can I cut rogue trees and “bury”

ABOUT ME: I’m a former Peace Corps Volunteer, now back from Latin America, Africa & beyond - most recently Afghanistan. I just bought a real fixer-upper home a few doors up from my parents’ house in Maryland. The previous owner was an elderly gentleman who did very little maintenance.

MY BACK YARD SITUATION: In the back yard, at least a dozen “rogue” trees have grown in the front and back yards, some of which are close to the house and could cause problems. Some are now quite a bit higher than my 2 story, 1,100 square foot cape cod house. Behind my house, I have about a 100 foot deep, 60 foot wide back yard, which has
a medium grade, side-to-side slope. I’d estimate that the ground on the lower side is 7 feet lower than ground on the upper side.

MY GOAL: I’d like to have a reasonably level back yard. I’m thinking that I could build a 5 foot high retaining wall on the lower side, and then start to fill in the gap using 1-2 feet of dirt that I’d excavate from the higher side, and wood from the trees that I’d cut down. Eventually, I’d like to use the (level) back yard for a vegetable garden, fruit trees, a shed, and a garage that I’d build at the back of the lot.

MY QUESTION: After cutting down the rogue (i.e., spontaneously grown) trees, could I use the cuttings to fill in the low spots, before I begin to add dirt from the higher part of my back yard?

CONSIDERATIONS: I think this idea would help me recycle the trees into organic matter that would help enrich the soil. It would also solve the problem of what to do with the felled trees. However, I don’t know if burying the felled trees in this way could introduce subsequent problems, such as termites.

Any thoughts you folks might have are very much appreciated!

Sweating pipes, maybe??

The corner of my basement was waterlogged this morning. It happens to be the corner where my water meter and house shutoff valve is. The pipe from the outside going into the meter, the bottom of the meter, and the pipe coming out of the meter were wet and dripping…from condensation?

Could this really be condensation?

We live in the midwest. Our area has been very wet - thunderstorms 5 of the past 7 days, maybe.

I did clean up the wet (including surrounding boxes, etc.) and dry off the pipes/meter. I put a pan under the meter. 3 hours later and there are a couple of drips in the pan and the entire pipe/meter is sweating again.

As an aside, the closet under my front stoop has always “felt” damp. I caulked the gap between the baseboard and floor with clear caulk last year…it has a milky color (thus indicating it is a little more damp than usual.)

Last summer I ran a dehumidifier. I quit running it and enjoyed my power bill significantly decreasing.

Do I need to worry about this? Can I simply leave the pan under it and empty it regularly? If more radical action is required, what would my course of action be?

Hole under concrete patio

We have a tunneling hole under our concrete patio (covered by a deck) that seems to go back pretty far. It has formed a crack the whole dstance of the patio. After digging it out a bit, it seems our septic line from the house to the tank is there, but no signs of leaking. We did see a groundhog enter our yard a few times, not sure if that is what it was or not. How can I fill in this “tunnel” to support the patio without completely removing it and re-doing it? I thought of gravel, but I dont think I can get it far enough in the “cave” to keep the needed support so the 2 halves of concrete do not continue to seperate. I cant patch until the hole is filled.

Any ideas?

Water cooler problem

Does anybody here have any experience with water coolers? Like the office ones, where you put a five-gallon bottle on and it cools/heats the water?

I got one some years ago, and I really like having it (I have it on a timer, so it’s only on during the hours it’s needed), but lately the refrigeration doesn’t turn off. It is a lot warmer in the house than it was in the winter, of course, but it’s not THAT hot. And besides, it was warm all the other summers too, and the cooler part was only on sometimes. So I don’t think that’s the problem.

Trying to fix it, I vacuumed the back (it really didn’t seem very mucked up) and when that didn’t work, I also blew the whole back cavity out with compressed air. Still no luck; the cooling light never goes off.

Mine is an Avanti WD50. I looked at the manual, but it doesn’t have anything relevant in the “troubleshooting” section, and I can’t do much with the parts breakdown.

The water does still seem to get cool, though since I noticed the problem, I haven’t left it on long enough to make sure it’s still getting as cold as it used to. If I leave it on for an hour, it’s cool but not cold. I have no idea how long it took to cool down before–I never paid attention. I’d be surprised if it used to take more than an hour, but not all that surprised.

Any ideas? I expect it would cost nearly as much to have it fixed as to replace it, but if there’s an inexpensive way to fix it, that would be preferable.

Repairing old concrete front porch entrance

Hi, Our home was built in the mid 1950’s and there is a 5′ wide, 40′ long elevated porch that runs the length of the front of the house.
It has 3 right angle- to- house cracks in the old concrete and that concrete is pitted and darkened in areas.
There is not enough room from the level of the porch to the front door bottom to install pavers and I doubt that I have enough money to do that anyway.

My wish is to seal the porch, allow it to cure as needed, and apply two or three shades of cement paint, in layers to give a textured look that will be more eye-pleasing than a flat color.

Yes, I do realize it should most likely be removed completely and redone but I haven’t the money to do that.
Also we might be selling the home in a few years and we believe it, and all the out buildings will be removed and the property turned into commercial instead of agricultural.

I am 64 and I want to do this on my own and any instructions or hints will be greatly appreciated.

Mold on walls during remodel

I have been remodeling our house over the past year and have gotten some mold on the inside of the exterior walls over the cold winter months. Exterior was always finshed with siding etc. and interior was always open with rough framing and insulation, no drywall.

The area had to be heated and insulated and moisture was able to get to the outside wall wood in some areas and that has caused some mold. The moisture is only from the air in the house, nothing leaking from inside
or outside.

I want to be sure I treat it before installing any drywall. Any ideas on how best to remove it?
Thanks a lot!

Air in pipes

Every time I get into the shower, its a nightmare!!!! You have to know your story! First you have to open the cold water full and let it run for a few minutes, then only can you open the hot water slowly and just as the water is the right temperature, an air bubble, or air, runs through the pipes and it makes the most horrible sound and all the pipes start rattling like crazy!. I then have to start the whole process all over again!!!! It takes about an hour just to get into the shower!! Can anyone help please.

Rerouting gas lines

hi,my old house has pipes running everywhere,no basment so i can get at pipes fairly easy..can i just redo them,musta had space heaters cause pipes go to walls then are capped…main line in,connects to a tee,short pipe nother tee,going no where we are moving stove,so gotta move pipe…?how do ya check for leaks around fittings…i heard soap and water…any sugestins..

Kitchen light switch

When I first moved into my house the kitchen light there was a string that hung from the kitchen light that was on the ceiling. I broke it twice and finally a friend of mine changed the it to a wall switch. now when i try to turn on the light I see spark behind the switch and the light will not turn on. I don’t know how to change this or tighten up was has become loose, how should do I do this, one of the fuses in the basement have been blown, I have checked.

An electrical question

My question has to do with electricity. I am not sure if anyone can help or not. First of all we live in an older house with a little over 2000 sq ft. Our electric bill runs us around $200 more than our neighbors and I know that we cannot be using that much more (if any) than them. My hubby went into the attic and said that there is wires just laying everywhere. We have also noticed that several rooms are tied to one breaker. Another thing is that when our A/C unit comes on, all the lights dim. I was wondering if any of this could be causing our bill to be SO HIGH!

Water Hammer Problems

We recently completed a new bathroom on the main floor of our home. Since then, anytime water is running anywhere in the house there is a steady knocking that drives me nuts. It is not the typical bang-bang that occurs when a valve is quickly closed but a steady tapping noise that I can’t seem to pinpoint. I have tried the dampners on the washing machine hook-ups but they did nothing. Any suggestions??

Thank you.

Using a 40-foot ladder

I have a 2-story house with a walk-out basement. To calk around some windows, etc. I am going to need a 40 foot ladder. When I have been shopping for a ladder, the even the aluminum ones seem very heavy. Does anyone have any tips on how to handle a ladder this big? How do you carry it around the house? How do you stand it upright and lean it against the wall? It seems I would need a 2nd person, yet I have seen painters in the neighborhood apparently handling a ladder of this size by themselves. Are there any trick I am missing?

OMG I NEED HELP!!

I have a septic system, and something is wrong, way wrong! The water wasn’t going down, flushing like it should, so we dug it up, and had it pumped. And now it is worse than ever! I can’t flush the toliet, I can’t take a shower, And I don’t know what to do. The vent pipes are clear, checked them.

The septic is 1000 gal concrete tank in good shape, but it is 5 foot down in the ground, and where the leech line ends, you can see water pooling. Someone tell me what to do please — it has already cost me 400.00 and don’t have the extra cash to do much more, I need it fixed, I have a teenage girl living at home, I need a bathroom.

Any Ideals anyone??? Help!!!

Testing a Hot Water Heater??

Geezzzzzzz, It’s been a many years & me getting older. How the heck does a person check the elements in a Electric Hot water Heater??? I got one that is a little over a year old & it’s not heating. I checked the reset button on the heater & a no go. So I know it has to be the elements. I bet it’s been over 30 years that I checked the elements on one to be sure they good & Lord save my soul, I can’t remember how to do it with a Meter or what kind of Meter to use???
Thx’s a head of time.

Caulk under windows

I had Armstrong windows installed and they caulked the sides and top of the new trim work but they didn’t cauk the bottom. I can see the old siding under some areas and there are a few spots where the new paint was chipped away exposing bare particle board siding. I want to caulk under the trim and them touch up all the paint problems.
Why didn’t they caulk under the trim? and Should/can I caulk?

Thanks

Playhouse plans

I recently came into possession of 4, 11ft 6×6 landscaping ties. I am ripping them with my table saw into basically 1×6 boards that are 5.5ft long. I want to make a frame for a fort for my son with the boards. I’ll have 32 total when done. Anyone have any ideas or know of any websites to look for some ideas.

Refinishing gold trim on a shower

We have bought a new (to us) home and one of the things I wanted to change was the gold fixtures in the bathroom. The faucets, etc are easy enough, but there is gold trim around the glass shower. Is there some paint or finish that you can paint over that to change it rather then having to replace the whole enclosure itself? It’s in good shape, I just hate the look of it.

Need some advice

I did got through some of the arcives tonight but not all of them so it this a repeat question I am sorry.
I am pretty good at doing most of the things around the house myself but this one is beyond me…..I do not mess with electrical or any electrical things………

My freezer is not acting right, it will freeze ice ok, keeps the meat frozen but the ice cream and icey pops are not frozen by any means! the frigde is cooling but not as cold as it has been, now usually this time of year I move the dials up because of the heat and humity messes with it and even doing that it has seemed not to make a difference.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestion on what the problem could be and what an “easy” fix would be????????

Thanks……

Frigging water everywhere

Yes we have ground water, lots of it, begining to wonder if my mobil home is sitting on a underground lake, lol.
I have trenched out the back where the water is pooling from the end of the leech line in the woods, and it is ever so slow trickling down the hill (kinda).
Went to get a pump, if that don’t do it, I am moving! Anyone interested in a mobil on a half acre lot? In Arkansas? With this problem? Cheap! I have had it, I want a place where the lanlord worries not me! I am to old for this stuff!

Hello :)

I live between Italy and USA. I’m the one in charge of the house here in the USA. My husband is in charge of the house in Italy.

I bought my house about 9yrs (way before I got married) and I have been remodeling even since; you can say buy the time I’m finish I have a new house.

I don’t have the the answers to everything, however I do consider myself very resourcefull, I take my time to read instructions and read books, magazines about construction. Unfurtunatelly, being inform has been a disadvantage for me. I have a hard time finding contractors or handy man, there is very little space in construction for a woman. Once they see a wonman, they think I don’t know or they can take advantage of the situation(I have TOO many storis to prove
them wrog, but they are too long to tell you LOL).

I’ve hired people to come to work because the of lack of time; however, I’m giving up in contractors! (sorry guys I know not all of you are the same). Now I have become a DIY!!! I’ll share my knowledge and help as much as I can to find the answers.

Blower motor 2004 Malibu

I only have high speed on my Malibu and suspect that the module that creates the lower speeds is shot. Used to be that this part was screwed into the system very close to the blower motor. But, on this car, I can’t even find the blower motor.

Anybody know where to find this beast? I have pulled out the glove box but that did not help a bit.

Pictures or drawings would be great.

Manual (human-powered) lawnmower question

Am hoping that someone has a helpful idea re. the above type lawn mowers so that I can keep the one I have(&the accompanying peace&quiet).It shortens the grass just fine but any weed stems just pass on through&pop back up.So DH says it has to go. It’s one that you don’t sharpen,the rotary system just shoves the grass into a metal bar&the two pieces clip it off~but not the ‘weeds’.They’re made of sturdier(survivalist)stock!lol Looks as though it can be adjusted but also looks as though the two parts of the system are as close as they can be already…. any ideas?

Major Problem-floors

we are looking into renting an older building as an apartment. its an upstairs one. im not sure how old the building is. we are going to fix it up but came across a problem. in 3 ouf the rooms in the front there is a gap between th floors and the brick wall. in the back of the building there is a small gap. when you walk to the bottom of the stairs, there is also a gap where you can look back up into our apartment. my inlaws think that within time like a yr the building will fall down, my husbands boss says he thinks its where the buidling has been hot then cold and the wall has expanded….does anyone know if this would be safe to live in? we have a 3 yr old son who jumps around alot and not sure if that will cause it to seperate more…please help!

Counter top

I like tile counter tops

Ripped out the last one as within days the grout was horrid despite multiple coats of sealer.
So this time I thought I’d go with the granite tiles and no gap so to speak with the epoxy grout.

However - while still in the lay out stage someone fixed a couple sandwiches on the counter ( no big deal ) and the granite itself is now stained..

My question is are there different granites? Is it that porous thus no a good choice for counter tops?

I’m frustrated and ready to go back to the laminate formica as the counters here do see very heavy use by a house full of slobs.

Finish/sealer for cutting boards and wooden spoons

I am a very good lurker, but my DW has asked me to get whatever we need to seal/protect our wooden cutting boards and wooden spoons. I remember reading one little blurb about rubbing them down with an oil many years ago, but I don’t have a clue what kind of oil it was. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t tung oil. I’m thinking lemon oil; does such a thing exist?

Thanks in advance!!