Harshman Drafting Baltimore, Maryland Sole Proprietorship, Mark Harshman, Principal http://www.mahdrafting.com http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 http://www.allexperts.com/ep/724-104627/Landscaping-Design/Mark.htm http://www.liveperson.com/markland Email:
[email protected] The questions below were answered by me: Index To Questions: 1. Sloped Lake Lot 2. Steepness Of Berm 3. Bedding Sand Type For Patio Pavers 4. Walkway 5. Planting Around Trees 6. Red Apple Ground Cover 7. Sidewalk Slope 8. Help with Design for Walkway 9. Rock Patio Over A Brick Paver Patio 10. Saga Palms 11. Patio 12. English Ivy 13. Flooded Yard 14. Pavers 15. Drainage Issues 16. Securing Railroad Ties Used In Retaining Wall 17. Need A Fast Growing Bush 18. Trees Suitable For Garden Wall 19. Flowers On Berm 20. Redwood Trees in Palo Alto, California 21. Water Usage and Grass 22. Raised Stone Bed 23. Driveway Paving Options 24. Raised Bed Garden 25. Mulch Near House 26. Increase Resale Value of Home 27. New Patio and Snow 28. Puddles On Sides Of House 29. Garage Area Drainage 30. Small Decorative Tree 31. Art For Garage Wall 32. Dog Resistant Front Yard 33. Low Retaining Wall 34. Wooden Fence Rail Length 35. Slab or Basement in Michigan 36. Privacy Hedge 37. High Water Table and Slope Drainage 38. Limestone As Landscape Mulch 39. Laying Pavers On Sand 40. Rock And Sand Surface Over Sod 41. Patio Privacy 42. Brick Walk Installation Over Concrete 43. Landscaping for Retaining Wall 44. Mosquitos and Water in Catch Basins 45. Maple Tree Near Sewer Line 46. Stain for Stone 47. Desert Privacy Hedge 48. Plant to Compliment Blue Spruce and Maple 49. Improving Look of Patio 50. Pavers Over Existing Concrete Slab 51. Privacy Plants For Pool 52. High Water Table And Poor Drainage 53. Limestone Mulch 54. Depth of Bedding Sand For Walkway 55. Sand Over Grass to Create Walking Surface,Eliminate Weeds And Reduce Maintenance 56. Sidewalk Drainage 57. Drainage Around Fence And Raising Fence Boards Off Ground 58. Shade Tree For House 59. Mound In Yard 60. Grading And Cover Around House Wall 61. Mulch Blows Away 62. Control Of Highway Noise 63. Rubber Lining For Planting Bed 64. Drainage of Groundwater 65. Staining Concrete 66. Weed Solarization 67. Weed Barrier Fabric 68. Flooded Driveway 69. How to Plant Shrub 70. Problem Mulberry And Use of Desert Plants 71. Hiding Propane Tank 72. Shrubs for Foundation Wall 73. Dwarf Japanese Maple Appraisal 74. Jasmine Vine Caused Damage To Fence 75. Lawn Shaded By Redwoods 76. Can Tree Roots Be Covered With Soil 77. Downspout Buried in Concrete Patio 78. Deer Fence 79. Watering Basin for Garden 80. Grading of Residential Lot 81. Sod Steps 82. Swimming Pool Heater Noise Suppression 83. Plants for Long Hedge 84. Rubble Left in Swimming Pool 85. Driveway Drainage 86. Staining Stone 87. Desert Privacy Hedge 88. Plants to Complement Blue Spruce Trees 89. Drainage On High Water Table 90. Drainage Around Home 91. Garden Tree Hedge 92. Landscape Contractor Job Pricing 93. Paving To Eliminate Mud 94. Pruning Colorado Blue Spruce 95. Landscape Designer Training 96. Pricing For Landscape Jobs 97. Material Choice For Patio Base 98. Pony Wall 99. Floor And Outside Grade 100. Removal Of Old Retaining Wall 101. Drainage Along Fence With Neighbor 102. Drainage Along Fence With Neighbor 103. Design Of Gate 104. Spring Flooding Property 105. Sump Pump Drainage 106. Grass And Trees For English Garden 107. Decomposed Granite Path 108. Maple Seed Annoyance 109. Cleaning Limestone Patio 110. Tree Appraisal 111. Soil Over Tree Roots 112. Noise Control Barriers 113. Pressure Treated Fence Post Rotting 114. How to Plant A Shrub 115. Drainage For Deck Planters 116. Flooding From Old Wheat Field 117. Plants And Drainage For Wet Ground 118. Can Plants Be Used To Drain Area 119. Drainage For Small Property 120. Willow Tree Poses Potential Nuisance 121. Raised Flower Bed Next To Garage 122. Plants Next To Driveway As Snow Barrier 123. Basement And Perimeter Drainage 124. Foundation Wall Grade And Perimeter Drainage 125. Privacy Without Trees 126. Dry Creek Bed 127. Water On Unistone Pavers 128. Can Drain Pipe Be Placed In Landscape Easement 129. Landscaping As A Profession 130. Stump Removal 131. French Drain For Slope Drainage 132. Flower Bed 133. Bad Drainage From Neighbor 134. Italian Cypress 135. Shade Tree For Pool And Deck 136. Retaining Wall 137. Jacaranda Tree 138. Garden Path Border Plants 139. Shrub Types 140. River Rock CreekBed 141. Drain Pipe Decoration 142. Poplar Roots 143. Will Chlorine Harm Plants 144. Lawn Drainage 145. Shade Tolerant Grass 146. Median Strip Planting 147. Structural Integrity Of Cedar Fence Post 148. Concrete Retaining Wall 149. French Drain For Basement 150. Tree For Small Area 151. Root Barrier 152. Landscaping For Driveway 153. Flower Bed Next To Garage 154. Unsightly Outside Basement Doors 155. Soil On Foundation 156. Unsightly Area On Brick Wall 157. Wet Yard 158. Plants That Absorb Water 159. Flooding 160. Invasive Willow Tree 161. Garden Trees 162. Hardscaping 163. Area Of Polygons 164. Stone For Slope Erosion (RipRap) 165. Concrete Dust Killed Cedars 166. Drainage Away From House 167. Planting On Hill 1. Sloped Lake Lot We live in central Alabama and bought a lake cabin for summer fun. The lot was overgrown when we purchased and does not have water access at the moment. The backyard to the lake is between a 30 to 40 degree slope with 4 hardwoods we would like to save. The rest of the growth is underbrush and we would like to clear it so we can get to the lake (stairs or tram) and also have a clearer view. We are worried about what kind of equipment we can use (bobcat?) to clear and also what to do after we have cleared to prevent erosion. We would be fine with a natural setting because we do not want to mow grass and have tons of upkeep since it is just a weekend cabin. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! Answer: Doesnt sound like a BobCat could be used on a slope that steep. Some type of hand held brush mowing machine sounds like a better option,but even that sounds like it could be dangerous on a slope that steep. Perhaps you should consider using a chain saw or even hand tools. There are various types of loppers and scythes for cutting brush and of course the machete. To prevent erosion seed the slope with grass or ground cover. Check with local experts for a suitable variety. The seeding can be used in conjunction with erosion blankets (organic fiber blankets reinforced with biodegradable mesh). Jute fiber is a common erosion blanket material but blankets are also made of materials like coconut fiber,wood and bark fiber. The overlapping joints on the blankets must be sealed with staples and overall the blankets must have good ground contact or water will wash under the blankets and erosion will take place underneath. The tops of the blankets must be keyed into the soil. Use this in conjunction with straw wattles. Straw wattles are tubes about 12 inches in diameter filled with straw. They are staked at various points along the slope. They slow down the water long enough for sediment to be deposited behind them. Instead of straw wattles you could use a silt fence at the foot of the slope and at points on the slope if necessary. A silt fence is a geotextile material stretched along stakes about three feet high. The material must be keyed into the ground and backfilled. The wattles must be placed in a shallow trench and staked. They are biodegradable and can be left in place. Straw wattles will not do well on a slope with heavy rain runoff,silt fences are more suited to that. Since this is such a steep slope,a turf reinforcement mat (TRM) sounds like it might be in order. This type of mesh is non-biodegradable and so provides long lasting erosion control. You will want to prevent future erosion to the slope. All that dense underbrush that is now on it is doing a pretty good job of controlling erosion because the root systems are larger and deeper. Look for plants that provide good erosion control when replanting the slope. Get further advice about TRM and how it may impact planting and wildlife. Some things that could reduce costs would be to chip the cleared brush and use that as mulch on the slope. Cover it with mulch netting. Loose mulch would have to be worked into the soil to prevent soil from eroding out from under it. The seed is sown under the mulch and also under erosion control blankets. Straw bales could be used in place of silt fences or rocks and logs could be used for sediment control. Wood chips deplete soil of nitrogen. In order for the seedlings to thrive you will have to replace this nitrogen with a chemical fertilizer or use some kind of organic source. Use twelve pounds of nitrogen fertilizer per ton of wood chips. Good luck to you. Feel free to ask further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 2. Steepness of Berm: We are constructing a concrete retainer wall for a fire pit area in our yard, the walls are 48" tall and we are hoping to berm soil up to the outside of these for landscaping. How much slope is recommended? We have clay soils like much of western Washington and will add french drains into the design to help with drainage. I'd like to be able to cover this area with shrubs, groundcovers and a few small trees(less than 25ft in 10 years). Answer: The steepness of the berm should not exceed the angle of repose of the soil. The angle of repose,also known as angle of rest,is the natural angle the soil material will slump to when poured in a pile. As a general guide here are some angles of repose for various soil types: stiff clay: 63 degrees firm clay: 56 degrees granular soil (dry): 45 degrees granular soil (wet) 34 degrees saturated granular soil: 26 degrees sand: 33 degrees dry silt: 25 to 40 degrees As a general rule, I would not exceed an angle of 30 degrees for the clay you have or for any other soil type. If possible,backfill the area behind the wall out to eight feet with a better draining soil. You should take extra steps to increase drainage in clay. While you will want a steeper slope for clay,you do not want to foster sliding movement against the wall. Sliding movement increases with an increase in degree of slope. Since clay retains more water than other soil types,hydrostatic pressure will also be increased behind the wall. A swale at the top edge of the retaining wall would also be helpful if a suitable outlet for the water can be found. The french drains also need an outlet in the form of weep holes in the wall or a drainage pipe embedded in the gravel or both. If you install drain pipe,cover it with filter cloth to prevent it from clogging. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 3. Bedding Sand Type for Patio Pavers: We are DIY homeowners installing a paver patio using manufactured stone pavers ranging from 12x12 to 24x24. We already have 1/4 of them down using masonry sand (fine grains) as the bedding sand. Just realized that concrete sand is preferred. We already had plenty of the masonry sand delivered. Is the neagatives of the masonry sand strong enough to switch to concrete sand (to include pulling up the already laid pavers)? Answer: There is a good chance that the masonry sand you have layed under the pavers will not drain adequately because of the fine particle size and so yes, concrete sand would be more suitable for the purpose. My advice would be to take them up and use the masonry sand in the joints only. The masonry sand is well suited for use on joints as it lowers the amount of water that gets under the pavers and will not settle out as much as a coarser sand. The water retention of masonry sand is high because of the tightly interlocking paricles and so if this water freezes the pavers will be forced out of place. You could also experience flooding during heavy rain since the infiltration rate of the water will be slowed down. You will of course have to find a new use for the leftover masonry sand,but I would consider that better than having drainage problems with your patio. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 4. Walkway: I have a blacktop walkway in my yard. I would like to cover it with brick. Could I cover it with a couple of inches of sand and put brick over it, or do I have to remove it and put down gravel first and then sand? Thanks Answer: If you put the bricks over the walkway you will not have adequate drainage and that will result in damage to the bricks in the form of frost heave and possible flooding of the walkway. You do not necessarily need a gravel base. Depending on the soil type you may be able to just use sand as a base. You could just use sand on well drained sandy or loam type soil,but if the soil is clay or silt,install a gravel base of about eight inches deep. A FIN drain installed under the sand would allow you to install the bricks over the blacktop while allowing adequate drainage. A FIN drain is a sheet of sandwiched geotextile with a hollow core for drainage. The top is permeable while the bottom is impermeable. Water seeps from above into the permeable top layer and then flows away on the impermeable bottom layer to an outlet. The design is similar to a baby diaper. Similar type drains made from HDPE (high density polyethylene) are used for land drainage in a vertical configuration but they are thicker than FIN drains. In the absence of a FIN drain,placing bricks over the walkway will result in inadequate drainage and that will result in damage to the bricks in the form of frost heave and possible flooding of the walkway. You would not necessarily need a gravel base. Depending on the soil type,you may be able to just use sand as a base. On well drained sandy or loam soil,use of only a sand base should be sufficient but if the soil is clay or silt,install a gravel base of about 8 inches deep. Sweep masonry sand into the brick joints. This sand is dense and will restrict water movement into the joints. Good luck. write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 5. Planting Around Trees: We have an established willow tree and would like to plant some annuals or perrenials around it. How far out from the tree do we need to be in order not to disturb roots? And what types of flowers can be planted? Answer: Willow tree roots go out a long way,so you cant avoid the roots. Any drought and shade tolerant plant can be planted under the willow,but the willow roots will compete with them for water and so you need drought tolerant plants. Some examples of plants that can be used under willows are: hosta (patriot variety) pulmonaria (majeste variety) laminium (nancy variety) lambs ear feverfew viola foxglove acuba (shrub) nandina(shrub) daphne laureola spurge laurel (shrub) Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 6. Red Apple Ground Cover: I have been told that if you plant red apple ground cover on banks that you can expect it to only last about 12 years and then will need to be re-planted. Is that true? That seems like an impossible job. I guess I need to be getting someone to replant in the bare areas. I have tried replanting with the red apple again but it doesn't seem to want to grow. Would I be more successful filling in with a different type of ice plant ground cover for areas gone bare in the red apple? Answer: Twelve years is a long life span for ground cover and yes,if you want ground cover of this type,you must replant it about every 8 to 12 years. You could broadcast some kind of grass seed but that would have a shorter life span. The various species of sedum are self-propagating and are recommended as ground cover on banks. Sedum spectabile is a vigorous and aggressive propagator,but is not invasive. It is hardy and shade and drought tolerant,but I cannot say that using this plant would free you from having to replant after twelve years. A nurseryman would be a better authority on this subject. I am not very familiar with the ice plant species. As a group they are called ice plants but this group is made up of several different species. Once again,this is a question more suitable for a nurseryman. Has the soil been tested? Did you fertilize? Was wood chip mulch used on the bank? Wood chip mulch will deplete the soil of nitrogen. Have the soil tested and apply fertilizer per the recommendations or just use an all purpose fertilizer with a number of about 15-15-15. These numbers vary but all purpose fertilizers are in the 10 through 20 range. These numbers are known as the NPK (the first number stands for nitrogen,the second number stands for phosphorous and the last number stands for potassium). So the first number 15, in the above ratio would stand for 15 pounds of nitrogen per 100 pounds of the given fertilizer. Organic fertilizers will have lower numbers. There is still controversy over whether they are as effective and I cannot advise you on that. If these ice plants have not been successful, consider other ground covers. The following list is for the east coast,but if you are not on the east coast,some or all of these may be suitable for your region: creeping juniper (juniperis horizontalis) moss pink (phlox sublulata) baltic english ivy (hedera helix "baltica") pachysandra ,japanese spurge (pachysandra terminalis) yucca (yucca filamentosa) liriope,lilly turf (liriope muscari,L. spicata) sedum,stone crop (sedum,spp.) ornamental grasses (numerous genera,species and cultivars) Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 7. Sidewalk Slope: I have a new sidewalk & steps going down a hill. The plan called for "Steps = 4'6" rise approx. with a 7' run would give 7 risers of 7 3/4" with a tread width of 14". They made only 5 steps. At the top of the hill, the sidewalk slopes 3" to 3 1/2" (possibly more) downhill, making it difficult to walk on, especially when wet. The contractor says the slope is needed for drainage. I have never seen a sidewalk that was literally on it's side like this. Its concrete stamping. What do you think? Answer: Perhaps you could take out the side walk and install steps at the top of the hill. You did not say what material the steps and side walk are made of. Perhaps a material with a coarser texture could be used on the side walk to give better traction or grooved concrete. Well from a rough sketch I made five steps would give a tread width of about 16 inches which does seem a bit too wide even for outside. I would have to know more about what the slope looks like and what surrounds it to make a suggestion. Can you send me a copy of the plan by email? I could tell alot more from the plan,but this side walk looks slipppery and what is up with the debri and the pipes on the side? I dont know what kind of arrangement you had with this contractor,but perhaps you could get them to address these issues? The concrete looks like it may have had a waterproof coating applied to it and that can be slippery,particularly when wet. Removing the coating and making traction lines in the concrete if necessary, would improve the traction. The concrete should have had a grit applied or broomed to a rough finish before the coating was applied. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 8. Help with Design for Walkway: I have pictures of this in the above link. My husband is a skilled craftsman, but we need help with design for the following: We added a room to our house. It has a basement with an entrance door... (the door in the picture is temporary) The idea is to finish it and tie it in with the swimming pool... Eventually we will have a bathroom so our grandchildren and their friends can use it without having to go into our house. Since we cannot afford to hire someone to do this we have to do it ourselves... We need a walkway to the pool, but we need help... It has a V shape and it slopes in both sides toward the pool. I think we need some sort of retaining wall...We would appreciate any help you can provide us... Some ideas on retaining wall step-back or slope from top to bottom., etc... Thank you!!!! Answer: I would recommend a segmental block retaining wall. These blocks are made of solid concrete and interlock with a key and groove and some can be fastened to each other by metal pins. They can also be staggered back. This makes a heavy and strong interlocked wall that will effectively resist the pressure of the soil. Ordinary concrete block is not recommended because it is relatively weak and subject to water infiltration. If these blocks are not available in your area another option would be to make your own concrete blocks or to use stone if available. Some points to remember about retaining walls are: Dig a foundation trench for the wall about 1 foot deep. Make weep holes near the bottom of the wall for water to drain. Place gravel behind the wall (along with a drainage pipe if needed). Water that accumulates behind the wall needs an outlet,so determine where the water goes from that slope near the door and make provisions in your design to direct water from behind the wall to the outlet. Do not let the slope at the top of the wall exceed 30 degrees. A swale at the top of the wall can help deflect water away from behind the wall. Live loads (heavy equipment,vehicles,etc..,on the soil at the top of the wall) will increase pressure on the wall. In a do it yourself project,do not construct a retaining wall over 4 feet high. Walls over 4 feet high are subject to forces that require engineering skills to address. Curving the ends of the wall (something like the end walls of a culvert),would increase the strength of the wall and would add to the appearance of the wall. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 9. Rock Patio Over A Brick Paver Patio What prepartion do I need to do & how do I do it: I have a brick paver patio & want to install some rock, (flat rock that I had left over from building a fireplace inside), & I am not sure how to do it. Can you give me some simple instructions or where to go on the internet for it. For instance DO I HAVE TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL TO THE BRICK PAVERS BEFORE I START ON INSTALLING THE ROCK OVER IT? Any help would be great! Thanks so much, Brenda Answer: Installing the rocks over the pavers would not be recommended because you will then not have good drainage. Good drainage is very important for paving. Without good drainage damage can occur from freezing and flooding. Install the rocks over a sand base at least 4 inches thick. Use concrete sand. Do not use masonry sand as it is too fine and will not give good drainage,although it would be good swept into the joints between the rocks,if you intend to use swept joints,as it will repel water to some degree. Use a gravel sub base,8 inches thick,if you have poor draining soil such as clay or silt. Place filter fabric between the sand and gravel to prevent the sand from infiltrating into the gravel. I do not know of any particular internet sites that would be of special help. Just google the subject and see what comes up. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 10. Saga Palms We just bought two Saga palms in gallon containers. We live in Tempe/Phoenix. I would like to plant them in the full sun but the tag says part shade. It would seem that, since they are palms, they could take the full sun, especially now. Answer: The sago palm is not a true palm. It is a cone bearing fern. Full sun is best,but it can tolerate partial shade. The writing on the tag means it can tolerate partial shade. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 11. Patio I just purchased a house at which the previous owner installed slate around the trees and plant beds. This is not really mine or my husbands taste. We were thinking of dismantling the beds and reusing them to make a patio. The pieces are jagged and uneven not tiled like most patio slate. Would you suggest doing this? Is there anything we should do differently before starting? I just think it's better to reuse the materials we have already. Answer: Using the slate you already have sounds like an excellent idea. Slate is best layed on a mortar bed. Use these guidelines: Slate tile of 30mm or less;lay on 35mm to 50mm of a very stiff class 4 mortar over a prepared base. Slate flags of 30mm to 65mm; lay on a 35mm to 50mm of a 10:1 semi dry bedding mix of grit,sand and cement. Slate blocks of 65mm or more; lay on a 35mm to 50mm of semi dry bedding mix. A semi dry mortar mix contains little or no water. Its water content comes from water in the sand, in the air and in the soil below it. This increases the time it can be worked,typically about 8 hours. It will not cure to the hardness of ordinary mortar or concrete,but this is not necessary for a slate patio. If your slate is not gauged (the pieces were not shaped to the same thickness),back butter the uneven pieces (apply mortar to the underside of the piece to make it match the other pieces in thickness). Place the mortar bed and slate over a sand base of about 6 inches thick. Use concrete sand. Do not use masonry sand. Masonry sand is too fine and will not drain properly. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 12. English Ivy Can English Ivy kill a tree if the ivy grows up the tree? I live in Northwest Arkansas and was told that it could. Can you help clarify this? Answer: Opinions are divided as to whether english ivy can kill a tree,but english ivy can cause structural damage to a tree by weighing down branches. Since english ivy prefers shade some experts are of the opinion that it does not interfere with the leaves of the tree getting enough sunlight. Another problem some think english ivy may cause is competing with the tree for nutrients,but this too has not been scientifically proven. So there are 3 things that some think may be a problem with english ivy in regard to trees: 1) Interference with sunlight to the leaves of the tree. 2) Competes with the tree for nutrients. 3) Causes physical damage to the tree. I would not recommend letting english ivy grow on a tree just for the potential maintenance problems it could cause with broken branches. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 13. Flooded Yard My house sits on about an acre. Behind my house is a wheat field (not being used now) that is higher than my yard. When we get lots of rain, it floods my yard. I was told to put berms in and did but the water seems to seep underground into my yard. My biggest problem is that I have a septic tank and lines in the back yard and the water flood them--making my housing plumbing unusable. Two years ago my house looked like it was sitting in a lake. With the berms, most of the water has be rerouted but still my back yard floods. Any suggestions? Answer: You need to install drainage ditches. You should have a pecolation test (test to measure at what rate water soaks into the soil) done, to help determine the size and type of drainage system. You may need subsurface drainage (perforated drainage pipe) in addition to drainage ditches. A percolation test should be standard procedure when installing a septic system. Plant vegetation on the sides of the drainage ditches to control erosion. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 14. Pavers I am installing pavers around my home. A suggestion was made to me to make the pavers on the side of my home higher in the middle, sloping to the sides, and hilly with a curvy wavy up and down flow. I replied that I wanted a flat finish with a slight slope away from the home. Can you tell me what is correct. Answer: I suppose pavers could be installed in this way,but this sounds more suitable for a road or path. You also do not want the pavers to drain water toward your home. The main idea would be to keep the water draining away from your home,so I would not go with the crowned (higher in the middle) idea. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 15. Drainage Issues We have a big problem and are not sure where to go for help. During the fall, winter and spring months our yard is very wet and a ton of water collects in our basement sump pump. The pump turns on every hour and appears to pump out gallons of water at a time. My first question is, what can we do to dry up our yard and divert the water away from the house? Is there a drainage system we can put in to keep the ground from getting so saturated? Also, our pump now empties onto the street so the water freezes when it is cold outside and ices over for most of the winter. Should we install drywells to catch the pump water, and if so, how big and deep would they have to be, and how far from our foundation should we dig? Finally, should we work with a landscaper, plumber, or some kind of engineer on this issue? We have no idea where to start. We live in Connecticut. Thank you for your time. Answer: Drywells sound like they might be useful in this situation. The drywells may require pumping. The sizing of the wells depends on how fast the water percolates through the soil,the volume and speed of the water flow within the wells catchment area,the level of the water table and on any additional water loads from your roof and sump pump. The most important criteria for sizing of the wells is the percolation test. The office of a residential engineer or engineering technician may be able to perform this service for you. Other than that,I do not see where you would have to work with any professional (other than perhaps a plumber as noted below) unless you want to. You could do the work yourself,if that is what you want. You can purchase drywell kits. Plumbers do handle this kind of work,but a landscaper or some other contractor could do it less expensively. Check with your local municipality to see if a permit is required for the wells and the french drains. If a permit is required you may need to submit some kind of plan of your site showing the proposed work. I would suggest using a perimeter french drain around your house,kept a minimum of 10 feet from the foundation walls and tied into the dry wells,discharging directly into the storm drain. Keep the drywells a minimum of 10 feet from the foundation walls. Check your local building code to see if draining directly into the storm drain is allowed. If its allowed there will be a permit fee and some municipalities require a licensed plumber to do the hookup. A french drain is a gravel filled trench,2 feet deep by 6 inches wide,containing a perforated pipe at the bottom. The top of the trench is covered with an inch or two of sod. One or more loops of the drains may be required around your house. In addition,a foundation drain,consisting of a perforated pipe encased in gravel may be desired,assuming one is not already in place. Your rain gutter should also discharge to an outlet away from your house. Perhaps it could drain into the french drain or dry well. The sump pump should also discharge somewhere directly into the storm drain. Sounds like most of this water needs to be pumped out. The situation you have described gives me the impression that the soil gets pretty saturated,so draining the water to dry wells to soak into the ground does not sound like an option. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 16. Securing Railroad Ties Used In Retaining Wall: I have started to build a retaining wall and the highest part will be about 6' high. It is now only about 4' high and now I am concerned about the possibly of the wall falling over and killing someone. We secured the RR ties together with 12" rebar staggering each one. My question is, is there a way to secure the ties into the embankment to keep from possibly falling over? If so, what and how should we do it. I have some ideas, but would like a professional opinion. If you do not have an answer, could you pass this question on to someone who may have a solution! Thank you. Answer: This is why a do it yourselfer should never construct a retaining wall over 4 feet high. Any wall over 4 feet high is subject to forces that must be addressed by an engineer. I cannot give advice on any wall over 4 feet high. If you want a retaining wall 6 feet high you must have it designed by an engineer and built by a qualified contractor. Building retaining walls over 4 feet high is very dangerous,as evidenced by the fact that you are afraid it might fall over and kill someone and it just might. I do not know what your training is,but engineering students with knowledge of engineering have been injured and killed with structures they designed,so have this retaining wall designed by a licensed engineer if you are going to 6 feet. Railroad ties are not a good choice for a retaining wall. If possible,go with a stronger and more durable material like poured concrete or concrete segmental retaining wall blocks. This material is heavy and forms a "gravity wall",that holds the soil back by the weight of the wall. In addition there are various anchoring schemes and cantilever walls that give greater holding capacity to the wall. Segmental blocks fit together by key and groove,can be staggered and can be held together by metal pins. Railroad ties would have to be anchored back with "deadmen" to be effective. The absence of deadmen anchors is probably why your wall is not secure. Railroad ties are just too light to act as a gravity wall. Sloping the railroad ties back at an angle would also improve their holding capacity. The tiebacks,which are sometimes referred to as "deadmen" (actually the deadmen are weights that anchor the ties in the soil behind the retaining wall, but sometimes the ties and anchors together are called deadmen) can be steel cables,treated timber or reinforced geotextile mesh. The geotextile is a sheet running the length of the wall horizontally,sometimes anchored by steel cable and concrete weights. The rule with cable is one cable for every 16 square feet of wall. Place the cable through the face of the railroad tie and back to the deadman,which would be a concrete block a minimum of 1 foot square. The ties must go beyond the fill area behind the wall a minimum of 2 feet. They must go back to undisturbed soil. Keep the cables at least 12 to 18 inches below the surface of the ground on the top of the retaining wall. Staggering the railroad ties does not sound like a good idea. Try to tie them stacked. Use as long a bar as possible to go through each course of ties. I am giving you this advice in case you decide to decrease the height of the wall to a maximum of 4 feet. While a railroad tie wall of over 4 feet would still employ the same building principles,the forces acting on the wall will change and will require the services of an engineer. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comments by Questioner: I asked for suggestions on how to secure the RR ties to make them more secure, I wasn't expecting a lecture and degrading comments on why I shouldn't have built the wall over 4' and I should have gotten an engineer to evaluate the situation. I made the question as simple as possible thinking I could get a simple answer, not a lecture on why I shouldn't have built the wall etc, etc.. I don't know why so called experts seem to think they have a license to chastize people when all they are doing is asking for some help!! My Comments: My answer was given for the benefit of all my readers,so I sought to illustrate why a homeowner should not attempt to build a retaining wall over 4 feet high. My comments were not intended to be demeaning to the reader in any way. Further,it is illegal in all jurisdictions to build a retaining wall over 4 feet high without engineering and the builder of such a wall can be fined. Not only does the law require that a retaining wall over 4 feet high be designed by an engineer, in some cases it specifies that the wall must be inspected by an engineer and erected by a contractor qualified to build retaining walls. Just think of a construction trench cave-in and you will get some idea of how dangerous a retaining wall can be. 17. Need A Fast Growing Bush: I Have 2 windows at the end of my house facing west. Sun in the afternoon is horribly hot and would like to plant fast growing shrubs of some sort to shade these windows. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks Answer: I would suggest crape myrtle ( Lagerstroemia). This is a tree like deciduous (sheds leaves in fall) shrub that comes in a wide variety of sizes. It tolerates poor soil, is disease resistant and doesnt require alot of maintenance. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 18. Trees Suitable For Garden Wall: I am designing a very large rectangular garden 100 meters x 40 meters. I want to plant trees around the whole garden wall in order to shelter the garden from outside elements. I want to plant the trees as close to the outside wall as possible. What trees would be most suitable and least damaging to the wall? The weather is very warm and sunny in the Spring and Summer time but very cold in the winter. Answer: For a windbreak use a combination of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs. On the side of the prevailing winter wind (typically northwest),use evergreen plantings such as arborvitae,junipers and spruces. On the south side use deciduous trees such as cottonwood,silver maple,hackberry and green ash. Slower growing deciduous trees include; red oak,bur oak,white oak,black walnut and white ash. Deciduous trees on the south side will allow winter and spring sun in to warm the ground. This list is a suggestion only. Check with a nursery for varieties suitable for your area. Do not plant one variety of plant of either evergreen or deciduous in the windbreak. Mix two or three varieties together. This is useful in case disease strikes. If disease strikes,it will most likely effect one of the plant species and thus the chances of the entire windbreak being destroyed will be lowered. The windbreak protection zone extends 8 to 10 times the height of the windbreak trees. From the dimensions you gave,this means the trees should on average about 15 to 20 feet high. If you have space,use a two or three row windbreak. This will be more effective in breaking the force of the wind. You might also consider planting a row of shrubs up to about 50 feet from the windward side of the windbreak to act as a snow drift barrier. Position the trees as perpendicular to the prevailing wind as possible. The length of the windbreak should be ten times greater than the height to minimize air turbulence around the windbreak. One Row Windbreak: * For field or orchard protection,snow trip or in urban setting with little space;uses little land;limited value to wildlife. * Densely planted for maximum effect. * Maintenance and replanting essential to avoid gaps from dead or weak trees. * Use shrubs,dense evergreens that retain lower limbs and foliage,such as junipers,spruces and arborvitaes (for moister sites) ,or densely branched deciduous trees,preferably with narrow crowns. Two Row Windbreak: * For field or orchard protection,barn or urban setting;some wildlife value. * Densely planted as with 1 row above. * Twin row high density has trees planted alternatively,with a spruce in one row,filled by a tree in the other row; rows close together; use junipers,spruces and arborvitaes (for moister sites) or austrian pine. * Standard two row (two rows separated by a space) uses two rows of dense evergreens (juniper,etc..) or one evergreen and one shrub or deciduous tree row. As long as the root spreads are kept away from the wall no damage should occur to the wall. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 19. Flowers On Berm: I have a troublesome berm. I want it to be vibrant with colorful plants, either perennials or annuals or both. It is about 80' long. The berm is at a 45 degree slope and about 12'. It divides my property and a city walkway. What ever I do the weeds are abundant. I have tried tilling, roundup (a lot of), pulling weeds even total vegetation kill, which killed some of my plants. All to no avail. I have heard of using cardboard or newspaper then a thick base of shredded bark. This area gets plenty of water from my sprinkler system. Fabric is to much of a problem. What do I do to keep the weeds from growing? I live in michigan and I am getting ready to attack this. Answer: A low growing ground cover may provide some control and mulch is a good weed control measure. You might also want to consider using an inorganic mulch like pea gravel. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: I need a little bit more advice. I want to plant colorful flowers or plants. The slope is at a 45 degree angle so pea stone won't work. And what to do about the weeds that keep growing back? Answer: As I mentioned before,consider using a low growing ground cover and use mulch. There is no way to avoid all weeds and so you will have to do some weeding by hand. The best alternative is to weed by hand and try to make the weeds work for you by using them for compost and then use the compost as a mulch to prevent more weeds. This is sometimes a more attractive alternative than using the various conventional control measures,which often turn out to be a waste of money and labor. Pine straw mulch is effective at blocking weeds and is resistant to blowing. Another alternative is to eliminate the plants altogether and use some type of dry landscape or other structure. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 20. Redwood Trees in Palo Alto, California: I have three mature redwood trees in my front yard, and put river rock around them, to keep the weeds down and for decorative look, I was told by a friend that it was a bad idea and that the trees will die, should I pull up the river rock? I love my trees. Answer: The rock is not good for the tree roots and the weight of the rocks may also compact the soil around the roots and that is also not good for the roots. It cuts off oxygen to the roots. Those rocks could kill the trees. Use an organic mulch to control weeds. Organic mulch allows water and oxygen to get to the tree roots and retains moisture. Do not apply a layer of mulch over 4 inches thick. Organic mulches include wood chips,pine needles,bark and compost. An inorganic mulch such as pea gravel can also be used but inorganic mulches do not have as many benefits as organic mulch. An inorganic mulch like pea gravel will keep the weeds down and retain some moisture,but thats about all. Organic mulch adds nutrients to the soil. The major benefit of inorganic mulch is that it does not need to be replenished. Do not stack the mulch against the tree trunks. Keep the mulch about a foot away from the trunk and extend the mulch out to the dripline of the tree (imagine a circular line created by the outermost line of the tree canopy on the ground. That is the dripline). Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 21. Water Usage and Grass: I have a raised ranch in MA. My home is on the bend of a street. So my land looks like a pie shape. Problem. Too much grass. I replaced it so many times and water bills are crazy. The sun beats on this property all day long. On each side of the main walkway, in the middle of the grass is a maple tree on each side. They are about 8 feet tall now. They are doing great. I also have a driveway on each side of the house with a walkway coming from each one. so when you are standing in the street the three walkways look time the letter T. There is a post and rail only in front of the land on the street. Nothing on sides where driveways are. Please help me with ideas. The grass is just too much for me to handle. Any ideas. If you need me to I can take a pic and email it to you. Please please help. I cannot deal with the burnt grass anymore or the high water bills. Thanks so much. Answer: You might want to look into a rain harvesting system. This would reduce or eliminate the amount of municipal water you use for your plants. A rain harvesting system consists of things like rain barrels fed from roof gutters,water fed into diversion channels from your roof and then to planted areas and bermed or concave holding areas. In many cases a large rainwater holding tank can be used to irrigate the entire property by running drip irrigation lines from it or a battery of conncected smaller rain barrels can be used. Plastic garbage cans can be used for rain barrels,but they should not be used for drinking water. Catchment areas for water can be something other than the roof. Other catchment areas could be paving,such as a driveway,a hillside or a swale. Collecting rainwater could help you keep your grass,but if you do not want grass, look into alternative drought resistant plants. Consider planting a rain garden where the lawn is. You would have to construct a concave water collecting area for this. A dry landscape consists of rocks of various sizes and shaped into an attractive curved form. This protects the soil from weeds and erosion,but eliminates the maintenance and other problems associated with a planted area. A dry landscape could also be used to collect water for another area. French drains can also be used to collect water for plantings,either by directly collecting rainwater or by storing rainwater from a roof or other catchment area. Ornamental grasses and sometimes semi-aquatic plants can sometimes be used for rain gardens. The texture of the soil also affects water usage. Loam soils have a greater water holding capacity than clay or sand soils,so you might want to consider adding organic material to your soil. Send the pic and I will try to make additional comments. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] My Comment: Judging from the pic,looks like you would have two good spots out front for a rain garden or a dry landscape. The two lawn spaces are already sunken,so you probably wouldnt even have to excavate for a rain garden. Have you fertilized the grass? That could be a reason your grass is doing so poorly. You would have to do a perc test (basically dig a hole in the ground,fill it with water and then observe how fast the water soaks into the soil) to determine how fast water soaks into the soil before you installed a rain garden. Water must soak into the soil of a rain garden within about 24 hours. Since you have clay soil,there might be a problem,but simply adding organic matter would be a solution. Another requirement is that a rain garden must be kept a minimum of ten feet from the foundation. From a rough guess,looks like those sunken areas are ten feet from your foundation. Well,good luck with whatever you choose. 22. Raised Stone Bed: I live in a rural setting in a center hall colonial home. I am looking to create a front foundation bed planting area constructed stacked stone approx 20' long x 8' wide. The area gets full sun, is level and has regular grass planted there. My question is, I would like to bring in topsoil and create a raised bed approx 1-2 feet in height with a low stacked stone wall border. My neighbor has a large amount of field stone on their property that they are willing to donate to my project. (YEAH) So, do I creat the wll first then fill in with dirt or do I bring in the dirt, get it to the height I want then dry stack the stone? Or any directions or pointers you can give me. Looking to create a low maintaince perrenial garden. Answer: Its more convenient to place the stone first. When the stone is placed first you can judge the height of the soil more easily and you can judge the soil level better. Raised beds involve a bit more maintenance because they dry out faster than ground level beds and so require more watering,but they do warm up better in spring and retain more heat in fall than ground level beds. You might want to choose drought tolerant plants to reduce watering and choose disease resistant plants whenever possible. Wild plants often meet these requirements. If you want to be able to reach into the bed without walking in it,limit the width to 3 or 4 feet. You might want to break the 20 feet length up into 3 or 4 feet wide segments or reduce the overall width to 3 or 4 feet. Otherwise,to gain access to the bed,you will have to step up 1 or 2 feet onto the soil and generally its not good to be walking on garden soil because this causes compaction around the plant roots. Sometimes garden soil can be obtained by "borrowing" it from other areas on the property. The soil can be scraped off other areas in thin layers and then the areas can for instance,be planted with grass or used for some other purpose. For instance,if you built a pond or did excavation for a path,you could use the soil from that for another purpose,such as making a raised garden bed. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment From Questioner: Thank you for the help. You rock ! (no pun intended) 23. Driveway Paving Options: Hi, I live in Michigan. We have a problem with flooding in our driveway. It is a dirt drive, about 300-400 feet long. We have lived here for 6 years and have not done anything to it in that time. When it rains, the whole thing gets muddy--too muddy to drive on. We end up driving on the lawn so we don't get stuck. What do you recommend that we add to it to help reduce the flooding? We were thinking of adding more dirt (?) to it this spring. What type of dirt/rock/?? should we look into and how thick a layer is best? Answer: You might want to consider using soil cement. This paving is formed by mixing portland cement with the soil on the site. Heavy clay and highly organic soils do not make good soil cement,but soil cement can be made from a wide variety of soil types. The soil must be tested to determine the proper cement and water ratio. This ratio is critical for constructing a successful soil cement pavement. Soil cement would be cheaper than concrete or asphalt. It is durable and highly resistant to water and frost heave. It is sometimes used as an underlying base for highways and other types of pavements. Another option would be to simply use a layer of gravel about 4 inches deep. You might have to excavate soil for this or perhaps you could construct a curb to contain the gravel. Concrete or asphalt would require an underlying drainage base of gravel and for your length of driveway may prove very expensive. Stone may be an option if its cheaply available,but stone is usually a very expensive option. It must be layed on a gravel base. The thickness of the stone must be at least 4 inches and it must be layed on a gravel base of at least 4 inches thick. The driveway must be properly drained to protect the paving material and so steps must be taken to achieve adequate drainage such as crowning (making the driveway higher in the center) or constructing drainage ditches on the side. Macadam (also known as tar and chip) paving is cheaper than concrete or asphalt. This is a bed of crushed stone or gravel that then has a layer of asphalt poured over it. A thin layer of stone is then rolled into the surface to fill voids. A recycled asphalt product (RAP) would be even cheaper than Macadam. This consists of crushed asphalt,crushed concrete and crushed brick. I do not think adding more soil to the driveway will solve the problem. That soil would also get muddy,although perhaps a bit less. Gravel would probably be the least expensive option and after that,soil cement. Soil cement would be more labor intensive than gravel. Basically the gravel would just have to be layed and rolled,but the cost of bringing it to the site may cost more than transporting the portland cement needed for the soil cement. However,the recycled asphalt may prove to be more economical than soil cement since it may be more durable. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment From Questioner: Mark was very complete in his answer. Now all I have to do is call around for prices and I am ready. Mark was my research. Thanks! 24. Raised Bed Garden: I'm new at gardening, and attempted to build a low wall for my garden with rough flat pieces of stone. The garden we have is now hidden behind the 2' wall, and I would like to raise the level of the soil & plants. What is the best way to do this? (Do I have to somehow rake up the mulch, dig up my plants, and add garden soil?) When should I begin? I have perennials for a shady garden, and I live in zone 6. Thanks so much for your help! Answer: If you are going to raise the soil level by 2 feet,then you will have to remove the existing plants and replant them in the raised bed. Garden soil can be built up substantially with organic matter such as leaves,mulch and green manure plants (plants grown for the organic content they add to the soil). Other materials such as sand and clay are desirable to add to the mix. This process can take quite awhile so you might want to have topsoil brought in,although this option is more expensive. If you have the topsoil readily available,you could be up and ready by this spring,but building the soil up from organic material could take several years. You will have to amend the soil with the necessary mineral and organic matter to get the right mix for your particular plants and then fertilize. Although raised beds warm up better,they dry out faster than soil at ground level and so require more watering. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Thanks - this is helpful. So if I decide to build up the level over several years by adding organic matter, then should I still dig up the plants and replant after adding the other materials, or can I just add them on top? Thanks again! Answer: You cannot add two feet of soil to your existing plants. That would smother the roots and kill the plants. Plant roots need to be a certain depth from the surface to perform their functions for the plant. Even if you were to place this soil on the plants,walking in the garden would compact the soil around the plants and kill the roots in that way. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment From Questioner: Whew! Very thorough. Thanks! 25. Mulch Near House: I've heard that pine bark and redwood mulch next to a house attracts insects. If this is true, what type of mulch should be used? Answer: I would not use any type of mulch near the house. It appears that any type of mulch used near the house is a risk factor for attracting termites and other types of insects and although wood like redwood and cedar are naturally insect repelling,I would not assume that the chemicals in those types of wood would not leach out over time and thus allow an invasion of insects. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 26. Increase Resale Value of Home: My husband and I are trying to sell our house. We have a drainage ditch that runs through our back yard to a big culvert in our side yard. This is turning potential sellers off. Even when there are periods of heavy rain, it hardly has any water that runs through it. Is there a way we can beautify this to make it less unappealing to potential buyers. Answer: I would suggest ornamental grass. These grasses range from 2 feet tall,up to 16 feet in height and resemble wheat and marsh grass. They prefer moist soil,so the ditch would be a good location for ornamental grass. Some species of ornamental grass are: Calamagrostis (Upright,wheatlike appearance. Grows 4 feet to 6 feet high.) Pampas Grass (Contains a dwarf species. Grows to 8 feet high. Wheatlike appearance.) Panicum. Switch Grass (Upright,wheatlike appearance.Grows to 4 feet high. Drought and salt tolerant.) Plant the tall grass along the sides of the ditch and around the culvert to block these structures from view. In addition,lower growing plants,as listed below,can be used in front of the tall grass and in or around the ditch and culvert as the need may arise. Check to see if these plants will grow in your area. List of Low Growing Cover Plants: Daylily (Low growing,flowering plant with spiked,oblong leaves.) Creeping Sedum (Six inches high,drought tolerant.) Lemon Grass (Two feet high. Oblong,pointy pale green leaves.) Mophead Sedge (Wide,grasslike leaves.) Knockout Rose (Spreading landscape rose. Grows to 3 feet high.) Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 27. New Patio and Snow: I put in a 16/20 brickpaver patio this past summer and it came out real nice.However the syracuse winter may have taken a toll on it.After e recent thaw I noticed my nice new patio was heaving in the middle below the covered patiotable.Is this because the weight of snow on the rest of patio(had over 130 in. so far)?.Is this typical? I know my brick entry sometimes heaves a little during the winter but not like this. Please tell me I won't have to replace the entire patio, but if I do ,how can I prevent this from happening again? Thanks in advance. Answer: Sounds like frost heave (when water freezes under the surface of the paving and then expands,causing the pavement to heave up). Your patio may have poor drainage. This can be caused by not using the right drainage material under the patio or laying the paving over an expansive soil like clay without drainage material. The weight of the snow has nothing to do with this. It would take many tons of pressure to effect the brick. The brick should be layed on a 4 inch layer of concrete sand. This is a relatively coarse sand that allows water to more easily run through it. Masonry sand is often used for this purpose,but it is much too fine and will cause drainage problems. Under the sand,a course of gravel should be installed. The grade is also important. The patio must be sufficiently pitched to allow water to run off. In addition,making the surface as resistant to water penetration as possible is important. Using masonry sand to fill the gaps in the bricks will give more resistance to water penetration as the fine grain of this sand will not allow water to easily pass. The fact that this heaving has happened after only one season indicates that there is a problem. After many years of heave/thaw (freezing and then heating in the summer) the paving materials become weakened and slowly heave up little by little,regardless of the underlying drainage material,which often becomes clogged with finer silty particles. In your case it sounds like an impervious paving surface would serve you better. I would suggest you consider installing the bricks over a reinforced concrete slab with mortar joints for the bricks and then use a sealant over the bricks. With this design,most of the water will simply drain off the surface and not get under the brick. The reinforced concrete slab will resist frost heave to a high degree. You could reinforce the slab with rebar,wire or fiber. I cannot tell you if you will have to reinstall the patio. Perhaps the heave is just in the spot you mentioned. But if you do have to reinstall the patio use good underlying drainage material or use the concrete slab design. If you go with the concrete slab,I would also recommend using gravel drainage under that. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 28. Puddles On Sides Of House: Whenever we get heavy rains (which is about 4x year only :)), I notice that on certain sides of our house, we get small puddles of water forming. My worry is that this may be damaging the foundation of our house. Currently, we just have grass on the sides. Any suggestions on what we can add to prevent water damage and add to the aesthetic value as well? Answer: I would suggest installing a sheet of heavy plastic held down with concrete pavers,stones,bricks,etc..,around the perimeter of your foundation. This will keep the water from infiltrating around the foundation. Extend this barrier out 6 feet from the foundation. Alternatively,the plastic could be buried a few inches below the soil. With the above ground plastic,planters of various shapes and sizes could be used to break up the monotony. If you would like to test to see if water is getting around your foundation,make a piezometer. This device will measure the level of the groundwater around your foundation. It works on the same principle as an automobile dipstick. Obtain a 10 feet long,1 inch diameter pvc pipe. Slot the bottom 5 feet with a hacksaw. Insert this pipe into a 10 feet deep,6 inch diameter hole. Backfill this hole with sand and seal the top 3 inches with clay. Insert a tape measure (dipstick)to see what depth of water is in the pipe. If you consistently get water around your foundation,then you will know you must install some kind of subsurface drainage. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. A better,but more expensive solution would be to install a concrete or some other impervious apron around the perimeter of the foundation. Stone or rubble set in concrete could be used as such an apron. Grade away from the building whenever possible. Plastic and rubber sheeting is subject to puncture. Use 20mm plastic or rubber. This thickness is typically used for pond liners. Join sheets with a high quality adhesive,such as silicon or use a high quality double sided tape. Seal the sheets to the side of the foundation with high quality adhesive. This seal must not allow water to leak through. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 29. Garage Area Drainage: My dad's house has a breezeway & garage at one end that sits lower than the rest of the house. For some reason, over the years it has gotten to the point where even moderately heavy rainfall pools in front of the garage (on the blacktop driveway), floods the garage, and then eventually floods the breezeway. A little ways behind the house the ground begins to slope downward to a wooded ravine also on his property, so if we could just get the water from around the front to the back we have a ready place to channel it. I've tried digging a channel around the side of the house, which helps a little, but it doesn't stop the water from pooling on the asphalt driveway. Any suggestions? Thanks! Answer: Install a catch basin in front of the garage. This is a box (typically made of plastic) with outlet pipes,that collects the water as it pools. Flexible corrugated pipe (a type suitable for burial or ordinary corrugated pipe if you wish to run the line on the surface) can be used to run a line from the catch basin to the ravine. One catch basin of 1 cubic foot size should drain an average driveway. These basins are available at Lowes and Home Depot. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: I presume since the catch basin has to be at the level of the driveway, that I'd need to dig up the blacktop there to install it? Answer: Yes,the basin has to be installed under the blacktop,but if you use a one cubic foot basin that is not much area to dig up. The outlet pipe would also have to be installed under the driveway,but that pipe is only 4 to 6 inches in diameter. The lip of the basin has to be level with the surface of the driveway. It will require regular cleaning as it will accumulate leaves and dirt and water may stand in it. Or you could use a trench drain installed right outside the garage instead of a catch basin. A trench drain is a steel or plastic channel encased in concrete with a grate over it and it is pitched to allow water to flow out of it into an outlet pipe. The trench drain will intercept water before it gets in the garage,while the basin is more suited to draining an area from its low point (the catch basin is located at the lowest point of the driveway where the water is ponding). An 8 inch wide trench drain should be adequate. Run it the entire width of the driveway. If necessary the trench drain and catch basin could be used in combination. Outlet pipes for both could be connected to one line running to the ravine. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 30. Small Decorative Tree: I am looking for a flowering tree to plant in my front yard in western (but not coastal Oregon). I have a two story Victorian house that I do not want to obscure. With the yard dimensions and placement of the house I don't want the tree to be wider (at maturity) than 15 or so feet. Height is not as crucial. We have wet mild winters and very dry summers. Mostly clay soil. Are there dogwoods that would fit this width? What else might work? Thanks. Answer: Here are several species of dogwood that would fit your requirements: Japanese Cornelian Cherry Dogwood Height: 16 feet Spread: 10 feet Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida) Height: 20 to 30 feet Spread: 20 to 30 feet Kousa Dogwood: Height: 20 to 30 feet Spread: 20 to 30 feet Pagoda Dogwood: Height: 20 feet Spread: 20 feet A woody shrub like common juniper might also work. The dogwood is an excellent compact tree. Hope this helps. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 31. Art For Garage Wall: We have a small formal garden in the backyard. There is a fountain that is in front of a brick wall (Garage). For the last few years we have had Ivy covering that wall and it looked nice but we were constantly pruning it to keep it off the gutters. So today we removed it-all. Now we need something to replace it that will look formal and not be as time consuming to care for. Any suggestions would be quite helpful. Thank you. Answer: I would suggest a wall trellis using the plants listed in the table I have included instead of the ivy or perhaps a decorative trellis without plants. Another idea would be wall planters. Wall planters are half portruding relief type planters,similar to sculpture. They are made in a variety of materials,including; stoneware,stainless steel,copper,marble,resin,acrylic,wood,cement and glass. Another idea would be wall art. This consists of relief type sculptures,plaques and wall paintings. The wall trellis could be made of wrought iron,steel,vinyl,copper or wood. Of these,vinyl is the least attractive,but would be suitable if the trellis was to be covered by plants year round. Wrought iron is very attractive in my opinion and next to wrought iron I would consider copper to be the most attractive. Some suggested trellis styles would be a plain square design,an arched design and a fan design. The members of the fan design radiate out from a central point at the bottom. This design suggests an oriental flavor. Keep a space of about 1 foot in back of the trellis to allow for growth and air circulation. If you use a deciduous (drops leaves in fall) trellis planting,you will allow the winter sun through to add some warmth to the wall and in summer you will have the cooling effect of the planting against the wall. Redwood and cedar are preferred for a wood trellis,but pressure treated wood can be used. Use at least a 3/4 inch thickness of wood for a wood trellis to insure the trellis will be strong enough to support the weight of the plants. Suitable Trellis Climbing Plants: Ok in Semi-Shade: Hoya Manettia Billardiera Hardenbergia Clerodendron Dilpadenia Cissus Needs Some Sun: Rose Clematis Thunbergia Hardenbergia Pandorea Solanum Bignonia Dense Foliage: Pelargonium Trachelospermum Thunbergia Pyrostegia Lonicera Senecio Parthenocissus Petrea Deciduous: Rose Wisteria Bougainvillea Mandevilla Akebia Campsis Plants With Damaging Clinging Parts: Hedera (Ivy) Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig) Vitis (Grape Vine) Too Vigorous: Lonicera (Honeysuckle) Jasminum polyanthum (Jasmine) Ipomoea (Morning Glory) Passiflora (Passionfruit) Actinidia (Chinese Gooseberry) Monstera Thunbergia grandiflora Alamanda Small Growing Climbers: Clianthus Ficus pumila Humulus Jasminum (some) Lathyrus Hardenbergia Cissus (some) Tropaeolum (some) Clematis (some) Ficus pumila Humulus Jasminum (some) Lathyrus Hardenbergia Cissus (some) Hope this helps. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment From Questioner: Mark, Thank you so much for responding so quickly and your advice was exactly fitting to our scheme. It's as though you have seen our garden.We are into the Tuscan, Italian theme and love incorporating the wrought iron. Thanks again and will highly recommend you. 32. Dog Resistant Front Yard: We reside in Northern California where summer highs can reach 100 and winter lows dip into the 40s; freezing, although very infrequent, does occur on occasion. We have a small fenced front yard, more specifically, two 12'x 12' (+) dead grass squares, divided by a cement walkway from the front door to the gate and bordered by a concrete drive on one side. The yard is situated on the north side of the house with limited full sun. It is a high traffic area for dogs and people. We are seeking landscaping suggestions and specific full shade and partial shade plant ideas. Answer: I would suggest a fenced dog run. The fence can be either chain link or solid wood,depending on what kind of privacy you want from the dog. If the dog will only be in the run for short periods and you do not need to view the dog from outside,a wood fence would have more eye appeal,but if you spend alot of time in the yard and the dog is in the run for a long time,a chain link fence would be better to prevent the dog from feeling isolated. Or,perhaps a wood fence could be constructed,but with lattice or mesh panels to allow the dog to look out and to allow more sunlight to enter and for greater ventilation. Provide shelter for the dog. If the dog will remain in the run for long periods in winter,provide a dog house. Pave the run with gravel to absorb urine and to make a more comfortable surface for the dog. Use a full shade grass and/or full shade traffic tolerant (can be walked on) ground cover. Send a photo of the property and I will see if I can make better suggestions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 33. Low Retaining Wall: My house is on a small city lot (37.5x100). The house probably sits about 8 feet above the street. Accessed by two sets of steps, at the sidewalk and then at the porch. There is a generous slope to the lawn that is very difficult to mow. I would like to install a low retaining wall at the sidewalk. I'm interested in using a "Trex" decking type of wood to weave in and out of posts set in the ground. Is that a good application for that material? Expensive? Do you have a better idea? I am concerned with durability and costs. Must be a wood type product, no stone or brick. Thankyou for your time and patience. Answer: Use heavy railroad tie type timbers,at least 8" X 8". Do not use "trex" and do not use any wood in the way you described (weaved between posts). This design will not work for a retaining wall. Also,do not use landscape timbers. They are too light and often not suitably treated for retaining wall use. Trex decking is not suitably treated for retaining wall use. Creosote treated or railroad ties treated with ACQ (Alkaline Copper Quaternary) are suitable for the ground contact of retaining walls. ACQ treated wood requires galvanized or stainless steel fasteners and should not come in contact with aluminum. It will eat ordinary steel fasteners quickly and will corrode aluminum. You can lay the ties horizontally or vertically. Support the bottom on a concrete footing if possible. Tie the pieces together with steel rods. Drill a hole slightly smaller than the rod through the ties and insert the rod through the entire course of ties. Install gravel behind the wall of a minimum 2 feet width. You could extend the gravel to the top of the wall or cap the top of the wall with concrete or stone. Tilt the cap back away from the wall or toward and over the wall or make it concave for the purpose of draining water away from the inside face of the wall. If you do not want to use metal rods to connect the ties,connect the ties with 12 inch long spikes and then use treated planks across the length or height of the ties (depending on how they are arranged). The planking can be placed on the inside of the wall if you do not want them visible or you may use planking on both sides. Or,you may use planks alone to connect the ties. Do not let the angle of the soil behind the retaining wall exceed 30 degrees. Tilt the ties back at an angle of about 10 to 20 degrees. This,along with tie backs,gives the wall greater holding power. The tie back can be individual ties layed perpendicular to the wall ties and extending back several feet. The ties must go behind the gravel to solid,undisturbed earth. Or,the tie backs can be steel cable run through the face of the wall ties and attached to a timber or concrete anchor beyond the gravel fill area. Use one tie back for every 16 square foot of wall. The weight of the soil will bear on the timber tie backs and so give the wall resistance to overturning. This works on the same principle as a cantilevered retaining wall,where the weight of the soil behind the wall rests on a shelf attached to the wall. Bury the bottom of the wall ties into the earth in front of the slope as much as possible,as this will add to the holding power. You also might want to consider plastic ties and plastic coated ties. A 6 inch diameter drain at the bottom of the wall would be desirable. You must keep as much water as possible away from a wooden retaining wall because even treated wood will rot prematurely if kept constantly wet. Drill weep holes in the face of the wall to allow water to escape from behind the wall. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment From Questioner: Whew! Very thorough. Thanks! 34. Wooden Fence Rail Length: Is there a rule-of-thumb for rail length for a 2-rail post-and-rail wood fence? Rails of my replacement fence are 10' long and I am concerned about stability over time. Answer: The main problem with using only two rails and with using long rails is warpage. Longer rails tend to warp and if the boards are supported by only two rails the boards tend to warp. Also,keep the height of the boards above the top rail about a maximum of 6 inches. Beyond 6 inches the tops of the boards tend to curl. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 35. Slab or Basement in Michigan: Hi, we're considering purchasing a foreclosed property in michigan. It is well/septic. The concern isn't necesarily that it's a well, but the fact it's on a slab. The contractor that was out there said that this area had a high water table, however we called the county and they said in general, the area does not have a high water table, the people who built the house were probably just looking for less of a cost. We dont really know the truth, and the county is going to try and dig up the well tables for the area so we can know for sure. I've never lived on a slab, and it makes me nervous because of plumbing issues, cold ground, installing real wood floors, etc......... People are wierd about basements in Michigan, and i've always had one. We do think that contractor was BS'ing us because on the side of the house, there's a mini house that has a basement with a sump pump. If there were issues with water tables, why would they put a mini basement and sump pump next to the house??? He made it sound like if that house had a basement, they'd constantly have to be dumping out water.. But the other little basement was as dry as a bone............ We've got a lot going on here and any bit of information would be great! Thanks!!! Answer: The water table fluctuates seasonally and can vary from site to site. The county tables are very general and may not apply to your site specifically. Since the structure next to the house is smaller,perhaps some groundwater coming in was acceptable and the occupant depended on the sump pump to remove it. Contractors are often more familiar with local conditions than government officials or architectural and engineering personnel,so perhaps the contractor is telling the truth. If you want to get a more accurate idea of the water table on this site,you could have a water table test bore done. This service can be provided by a residential engineer. These tests are good,but are not 100 percent accurate since water table levels depend on many factors that make completely accurate prediction impossible. Water tables can also be influenced by the number of wells in the area. Numerous wells can lower the water level. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 36. Privacy Hedge: I have a 50' wall 60' pines (spruce? very tiny, hard needles) all that have been cut up to about 8' or more by the previous owner. I have just installed a pool and would like to add some kind of tree or shrub for privacy that will grow in the shade under these pine trees. Is there something that will grow to be around 10' or slightly taller with a spread of about 4' to fill in gaps? I also have two very small dogs and I am afraid of planting something that may drop berries and be poisonous to them. We do have some morning sun, I live in the Chicago area zone 5, do you have any suggestions? Answer: Here is a list of shrubs that should meet your requirements: Juniper. Juniperus chinensis 'spartan'. Fast growing,columnar shaped,tolerates partial shade. Grows to about 8 feet high with about a 6 feet spread. Evergreen. Forsythia. Blooms in spring,produces bright yellow flowers. Grows 3 to 8 feet high. Produces a medicinal grade fruit that is harmless to animals. Deciduous (loses leaves in fall). Spirea. Vanhouttei. Grow 6 to 8 feet high and spreads 6 to 8 feet wide. Tolerates partial shade,drought and poor soil. Deciduous. Lilac. Grows to 8 feet high. Evergreen. Holly. Varieties available that grow to 10 feet high. Evergreen. Very shade tolerant. Arborvitae. 'Emerald Green'. Grows to 10 to 15 feet high. Pyramidal shape. Tolerates light shade. The deeper the shade the less foliage the plant will retain and so,less privacy. Here is a list of small trees that should meet your requirements: Crape Myrtle. Dwarf,medium size and large size varieties available. Grows up to 20 feet high. Disease resistant and has an ornamental look. Deciduous. Sargentii. 'tina'. Smallest of the flowering crab apples. Grows to 8 feet high and has a 15 feet spread. Edible fruit. Deciduous. Dogwood. Varieties that reach a height of 10 feet are available. Deciduous. Attractive spring blossoms. Serviceberry. Can grow up to 20 feet high if not pruned. Produces upright stems from multistemmed clumps. Edible berries. Somewhat drought tolerant. Deciduous. Ten feet spread. Tolerates partial shade. This is a swamp plant and tolerates wet conditions. On a southern exposure,if you would like sun in the winter and privacy is not important,go with predominantly deciduous plantings. Or you could mix deciduous and evergreen plantings. Although spirea is deciduous,its branches still remain fairly dense in fall and winter. You might consider using low growing shrubs such as juniper under any trees you might plant to fill in gaps that might be created by the branch height of these trees. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 37. High Water Table and Slope Drainage: Our yard has about a 3.5' drop over about 50 feet of space. We also have a high water table and the bottom of the yard is like a swamp. We are considering building a retaining wall and leveling the yard but that will require cutting down some very big old trees. We are looking for suggestions that will help to solve our drainage problem. Answer: I would suggest installing drainage pipe at the low area. The size of the drainage pipe and the number of drainage pipes is dictated by the volume of water and the flow rate needed to dispose of the water and of course the water will have to be moved to a suitable outlet. Pumping from wells may also be an option. Also,digging a swale or ditch on top of the area may prove useful. Moving this water to an outlet such as a storm sewer or stream will require a permit from your municipality. Hookups to storm sewers are sometimes required by municipal code to be installed by a licensed plumber. Filling the area may also be an option. This will effectively lower the height of the water table. By using this option you will avoid the problem of hooking up to a storm sewer or other outlet,but you may still need a permit. Municipal storm sewers,water systems and sanitary sewer systems are troubled entities these days because of many complex factors,the economy being one of them. These systems are becoming less efficient. It is better sometimes to try to remedy drainage problems by keeping them confined to the site. Perhaps you would not have to level the entire yard. You may be able to borrow fill soil for the wet area from another portion of the slope and make a terrace at the wet area with a retaining wall at that spot or use a combination of fill and some type of drainage. Perhaps the trees could be saved by building tree wells around them. These are circular retaining walls around the trees. The original grade remains at the trees while grade changes are made outside the wells. Combined with the high water table,the high slope is contributing to the drainage problem. The steeper the slope,the more water that sheds off. The water is not allowed to seep into the soil because the force of gravity sends it down the incline. So it seems that removing as much of the slope as possible would improve drainage because more water would seep into the soil and not end up flooding the bottom area at the foot of the slope. But of course you would have to take the tree problem into account when considering this. Tree wells may be less expensive than removing the trees. If fill is applied to the bottom area perhaps a dry well could be used to temporarily store water until it has had time to seep into the surrounding soil. Drywells have to be above the water table,however,or they will become ineffective. If you have a suitable outlet for water at the bottom of the slope,surface drainage in the form of a swale or ditch may be all you need to dispose of the water. Depending on how much water reaches the bottom of the slope and how fast it reaches the bottom this may be adequate but if surface drainage would be overwhelmed by the volume of water,a dry well could make a big difference by diverting water from the surface and thus relieving the strain on the surface drainage structure. Detailed calculations would be needed to more accurately determine what a solution would be. It could be possible that fill at the bottom of the slope may be able to absorb runoff water without the assistance of any drainage device. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 38. Limestone As Landscape Mulch: We recently started a project replacing our landscape bark with limestone and was told this will cause problems with our plants, flowers and trees. Is this correct and if so would it work to remove the rock 6-10 inches from the root area? We liked the color with our brick and have a large project that is now half done. ANSWER: Stone mulch absorbs heat and the surrounding soil will get somewhat warmer,but there does not seem to be any reported instances of serious damage occuring from this. Of course,a darker colored stone will absorb more heat than a lighter colored stone mulch. The lighter colors reflect heat. Reflected heat can be a problem on surfaces such as parking lots or roofs but once again I do not know of any problems with stone mulch. Limestone is sometimes added to soil to increase alkalinity but I would not think that enough of it would leach out from your mulch to greatly effect your soil pH. As long as you do not exceed a depth of a few inches,the mulch will not harm your plants around the root zone. An interlocking (a stone mulch that has narrow spaces between the individual pieces) would not be a good idea around the root zone. This will impede water and air penetration to the roots. Angular cut pieces are more interlocking than round cut pieces. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: I'm still concerned about our Evergreen type trees as they like an acidic soil? Answer: I do not think that the small amount of lime that may leach out of the mulch will affect your trees. If it would give you peace of mind,keep the limestone mulch outside the root zone. Do a soil pH test. I would also advise you to get a second opinion about this from someone knowledgeable in horticulture. Your state extension agency may be able to help. While it is true that evergreens prefer an acidic soil,most plants tend to grow close to the neutral pH range. One particular example of a plant that is particularly sensitive to soil pH is azalea,which requires an acidic soil. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 39. Laying Pavers On Sand: I am installing a concrete brick walkway. I have done the excavating and installed 3" of compacted base material. Now comes 1" of bedding sand, but I've hit a snag. I've been all over the internet trying to find out if I should screen the sand and then install the bricks on the uncompacted sand, or if I should compact the sand and then install the pavers. I've found sites that say conflicting things. I really need some expert advice. Thank you! Answer: Hello, A 4 inch base would be better and you should have at least a 2 inch layer of sand. Use a coarse sand such as concrete sand. This allows better drainage. A fine sand such as masonry sand impedes drainage. Instead,use masonry sand to fill the gaps in the pavers. This makes the paving somewhat water repellent. Screening the sand should not be necessary unless you think there are large particles in it. The sand should be compacted, as some settling will occur otherwise. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 40. Rock And Sand Surface Over Sod: I have a very large spruce tree in my front yard. Since the grass around this tree is struggling to survive I am planning to lay down river rock on appr 3/4 of my front lawn. Do I have to remove the sod first or can I smother the grass with landscape fabric topped with river rock. As a note, none of the lower branches of the spruce have been cut, thus the rock would be placed around and not under the tree Answer: There is no need to remove the sod. The sod will retain the soil and prevent erosion. Use a fabric rated for weed control. A fabric rated only for erosion control may have a more porous weave spacing and that will allow more weeds to grow. Weed fabric is best used with mulch. An organic mulch placed under the rocks will eventually degrade and become ineffective,so perhaps you could lay down a layer of small sized gravel or sand over the fabric and then lay the rocks over the gravel. I would suggest at a 2 inch layer of sand or gravel or sand. Because of its smaller pore spaces,sand would be more effective than gravel. Of course,as you have indicated,the rock should not be placed directly under the tree,as this would impede the tree roots from getting water and air and possibly cause a crush hazard to the roots if the rocks are very heavy. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Thank you for this very informative reply. Rather than large river rock I was actually thinking of using the 1" - 2" size with only an occasional larger rock for decoration. Should I lay sand under this as well or would 2" of little rocks suffice? Answer: The smaller size rocks will have relatively less space between them than larger rocks and so less weeds will grow,but you will still get some weeds. I would not think that you would get alot of weeds with this design,but a sand layer under the rocks should eliminate 99 percent of weeds and the sand makes a nice foundation for the rocks. The rocks will be less likely to settle into the soil if resting on a layer of sand. Sand has very good compressive strength. If there will be foot traffic on the area the sand will prevent the rocks from being forced into the soil below and will improve the feel of the surface under foot. If this surface will get a good bit of foot traffic,then you might want to consider removing the sod and preparing a base for the sand or gravel by compacting the soil below. The sod will expand and contract with the freeze/thaw cycle,more or less,depending on how well water drains on it and this will effect your layer of sand and gravel. Sand and gravel are flexible materials and this will compensate somewhat for any expansion and contraction. The sod will also be less stable than a compacted base of soil only, since the sod is composed of mainly organic material. I would suggest you cut any grass on the surface to as low a height as possilbe and compact the sod with a hand tamper,compaction machine or roller. Also, compact the sand and gravel in a similar manner. I am calling the 2 inch rocks you mentioned gravel here just for convenience. Using sod as a base is not the best solution for a walking surface but for a lawn area that will receive only light foot traffic it will be adequate. The sod gives the advantage of holding the soil under the sand and gravel together and no mud will form under the sand and gravel and of course you will avoid the labor costs of removing the sod. As with all designs there are trade offs here. You have to decide what type of trade offs you want to make and what option you have more to gain from. The smaller the size of the rocks,the less likely weeds will grow. Sand is just tiny rocks;the size of salt grains. You also have to consider what thickness these materials will take. With a 2 inch layer of sand and then another 2 inches of gravel,thats a total of 4 inches. Will this surface even with the surrounding area. You will need some kind of edging to retain the material. The other option would be to remove the sod so that the material sits flush with the rest of the lawn or perhaps there are grade changes already existing that can be used. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 41. Patio Privacy: Hi, I live in a condo that is 2 levels. The upper level has a balcony/deck that is very close to my neighbors decks out back. Any suggestions on plants tall and thick enough to block their view of me on my deck. I would need plants that are movable if possible. The railing is about 4 feet high so I need plants rises another 4 feet higher to get good privacy. Answer: The following plants will provide screening and will meet your height requirements. These plants require a minimum 10 gallon container. A ten gallon container weighs approximately 100 pounds so a hand truck or some other means will have to be employed to move them. Ficus Bamboo (Do not use in clay pots. The roots will crack clay.) Lorpetalum Tall and Narrow: Holly (Skypencil) Spruce (Dwarf Alberta) Juniper (Skyrocket) Another suggestion would be trellis plants such as: Climbing Rose Clematis Thunbergia Hardenbergia Pandorea Solanum Bigonia A planted trellis,a privacy trellis or lattice panel would provide privacy yet save space and would require less maintenance than potted plants. Trellis plants could perhaps be planted in a box attached to the railing. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 42. Brick Walk Installation Over Concrete: I live in MA. and recently installed pavers over my exiting concrete slab and stairs using SRW, a concrete adhesive. My question is what type of sand or should I use stone dust too sweep in between the pavers. Answer: You should not use sand or dust between the pavers. You should set the pavers in mortar. Setting pavers in sand over a concrete base will trap water between the pavers and the base because there is no place for the water to drain. The water should drain down vertically and thats how things would take place if there were gravel or earth under the sand but it cannot take place with a concrete base. Setting the pavers in mortar will create an impermeable surface that sheds water. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Hi Mark, Thanks for your advice: Since I have already installed all my pavers with SRW I think I have only a few choices of getting some type of mortar in between them, and if you know of any others could you please share them with me. As I look at it, I could purchase the mortar in a tube and try to get it in between and down as far as possible, or I could purchase a bag of mortar mix and sweep it in dry hoping light moisture will harden it to the point where it will keep water out. (This is my top choice) If this is possible is there any special type of mortar I should use? I probably should have talked with other professionals before I started this project and get there advice. I’m a pretty handy person and try and do all my work myself with great results. This paver job looks awesome, my wife loves it and I would like for it to last for years. If we lived in a warmer climate water and ice would not be a factor. Your input would be appreciated. Answer: A dry mix swept into the joints will not obtain the hardness necessary to make it impermeable and you will still get moisture penetration into the joints. These type of dry joints are typically used on flagstone and other paving set on sand and gravel beds. The recommended minimum joint width for mortared paving is 25mm(0.98 inch)but you might still get good results with a narrower joint width. Use a Class 1 mortar. This mortar may also be labeled as type 60. I used this type of mortar on some "crazy paving"(broken pieces of concrete to form a path)in my own backyard about a year ago and the joints are still holding well. The size of the joints there varies from about a half inch up to 2 inches. The mortar bag label will state if the mortar is good for paving. Mortar purchased in a tube will get very expensive. It would probably require not much more effort to simply trowel the mortar into the joints. I suppose the adhesive may give you some advantage in avoiding delamination (the shearing of the pavers from the base). Water penetrating the joints will foster that and the freeze/thaw cycle will aid the process. Actually,in colder climates,a sand/gravel base can be better since concrete and mortared joints tend to dislodge and crack in temperature extremes. The ground under the paving is always expanding and contracting. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 43. Landscaping for Retaining Wall: We did a two retaining wall at the entrance of my driveway dont know what to put in it we live in northen new jersey . Answer: Not knowing exactly what the space is being used for or what you may desire for the space,I can only make very general suggestions. There appears to be a fence or fence posts in the back and a field beyond. I would suggest you border the back with tall columnar plantings such as spruce or poplar. This could also serve as a windbreak. In front of the tall plantings I would go with low spreading plants such as juniper and yew and sculpt them in undulating curves and maybe in front of those add some ground cover or flower beds. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 44. Mosquitos and Water in Catch Basins: I just had surface drains installed in my property (catch basins with drain pipes that run to the bottom of my property). The catch basins collect some water (a few inches) on the bottom that don't drain - the drain pipes are connected to the basin about 3" above the bottom of the basin. The collected water attracts mosquitos and smells. Did I poorly design the drain system? Should I have an escape for the water at the bottom of the basins? Answer: A catch basin insert (I do not know if they are made for residential basins) may work but it also may fail because it may clog with sediment and debri. These filters are made of non-woven plastic geotextile filter fabric. You could also try mosquito "dunks". These are solid chemical or organic discs. Bleach can also be used to kill mosquitos but you would have to apply bleach more frequently than discs,perhaps every few days. The discs will last about 30 days in a rain barrel and so should last longer in a catch basin. I do not think a drain in the bottom of the catch basin would be practical. The space at the bottom of the basin is called the sump. This space is intended to settle out particles before they reach the outlet pipe. Flush out the basins with a hose every couple of weeks for the odor. There are also various chemical products for such odor problems or perhaps a drop or two of bleach would do the trick. Judging by what you have told me,your catch basins appear to be designed correctly. It is normal for water to sit in the bottom of the basins and mosquitos in catch basins are a common problem. An outlet pipe connected to the bottom of the basin will not work because the pipe would then become clogged with sediment and a filter will not work because that would trap sediment and debri in the basin. Filter fabric is very problematic in catch basins. This is the reason for the sump at the bottom of the basins and hence the standing water. The sump is the only way to stop the sediment from entering the outlet pipe but the trade off is the problem of standing water and mosquitos. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 45. Maple Tree Near Sewer Line: I have a triangular shaped flower garden about 15 feet off the southeast corner of my ranch house. The two long sides of the triangle are about 20 feet long while the short side is about 10 feet in length. There are short lilacs, peony bushes, spirea, tiger lilies, jack o lanterns, lambs ear, and a few other flowers in this garden. I need to plant a deciduous tree in this triangular flower garden to shade my house from the hot morning and early afternoon summer sun. My air conditioning unit would also be shaded from the hot morning sun. I am leaning toward planting an autumn blaze maple tree here because of its faster growth rate coupled with strength and its fall color. Now I have two questions about this tree and the flower garden. First, there is a plastic 3 inch pipeline that runs from my house to the public sewer. This line runs along the part of the long edge of this flower garden that is closest to the house. This means I would be planting the tree within about 3 or 4 of my three inch wide sewerage drain pipe. My concern is roots from the tree growing into the pipe. I fear that any small opening in the pipe may attract tiny roots from the tree which would seek out the water. What can I do to stop the roots from growing into this sewerage plastic pipe? Second, how well will the flower plants I listed above that are in my flower garden grow under the shade of this maple tree as it matures? I plan on buying a tree of 4 inch caliper about 20 feet high. Thank you for considering my two questions. Answer: In my opinion,the tree would be too close to the sewer line. While the autumn maple has a smaller root spread and is used as a street tree for this reason,4 feet will not be enough clearance, as (depending on the growing conditions) the roots may spread out to 10 feet or more. Here is the shade tolerance of the plants you mentioned. I could find no information for "jack o lantern". lilac (medium shade) peony (light shade) spirea (full shade) tiger lilly (medium shade) lambs ear (medium shade) I would consider planting a smaller tree. Most plants will not grow in full shade so look for a tree that casts a filtered,dappled shade. Another option may to move the sewer line,if possible. The expense may be justified if it allows you to get the shade you desire. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Thank you for your reply and information on shade tolerances of the plants in my flower garden. Please let me try to better explain how my house is situated the problem of the sun. My raised ranch brick house which is 28 feet by 44 feet has no shade on it during any time of the day. The west side of the house has both the basement wall and the first floor wall completely exposed to the late afternoon and evening sun till sunset. About a third of the south facing basement wall (which faces the back yard) is exposed. on the north is also about one third exposed (This north wall faces the public street.) The exposed basement wall is covered in brick totally on all walls except the southern wall in the back yard. This southern basement wall just has a thin layer of mortar and sand troweled on the foundation blocks. The ridge line of the roof runs from east to west. The wide eve on the roof southern wall of the roof does shade the first floor brick from the high afternoon sun very much. In the basement there is a one car garage with the entry door on the west wall. There is a paved parking area that runs the entire 28 foot width of the house. The paved parking area and drive extend out 35 feet from the western side of the house. This leads me to my main concern. During the summer till sunset the sun just bakes the salmon colored red bricks on the western side of the house. At 9 pm one can walk within 4 feet of the western side of my house and just feel the heat radiating off of the brick house. Even though my house has insulated walls, this does noticeably raise the temperature in the house. The light red singles also absorb lots of heat in the attic even though both gable ends are vented but there is no ridgevent. I need to get the western wall of my house shaded to lower the temp of the house. Presently it takes till midnight to cool the house down even with central air set to 70 degrees. To stop roots from getting under the pavement, I need to plant any trees about 10 feet from the paved driveway and parking area on the western side of the house. This would put the trunk of any tree 45 feet from the western side of my house. With the steep angle of the sun, there is no way to have a tree high enough so its shade reaches the house unless I have a 100 year old redwood. There is a maple tree that is twice the height of my house but it is planted 50 feet from the house and in an area where its shadow never hits the house. The sun baking the western wall of my house for both the basement part of the wall and first floor is a big problem for which I feel like I am stuck. I have some ideas of maybe extending the roof of the house on the western two story side of my house out about 30 feet. This would shade the western wall but not the roof of the house. I would put a 30 foot long by 28 foot wide deck under this roof. Below the proposed deck is the present paved parking area which I would turn into either concrete or dig out and plant grass. I don't know if this idea's cost will justify the shade value gained on the western wall? Back to that eastern wall with the triangular flower garden, I only own about 22 feet of lawn between the house and the neighbor's yard. With the sewer line running pretty much in the middle of this 22 foot wide lawn between the house and the neighbor's property line/yard and no trees on the eastern or south eastern side of the house, I feel handcuffed to deal with the morning through early afternoon sun. The sun bakes my external central air compressor and fan. Putting a tree between the sewer line and my house would put the tree to close to my house. If I plant the tree 10 feet from the sewer line, then I am about 20 some feet from the house and maybe on my neighbor's property. So I feel like I have no choices to get a tall tree growing on the south east side of my house that would really shade the house. I picked autumn blaze because of its fairly quick growth and denser shade. Is there some type of root barrier I could put in the ground between a tall shade tree and the sewer line to keep the roots from growing that way? Thank you very much Mark for your time and patience and insights! Sincerely, Mike Answer: A root barrier does not sound like a good idea. Constricting the root growth cannot be good for any plant. Have you given any thought to moving the sewer line. I have a direct western exposure,so I know firsthand about how brutal the summer western sun can be. I have white vinyl siding on my first floor and white painted asbestos siding on my second floor. These surfaces stay cool to the touch in the hottest summer sun although I still get some heat through the windows of course. I have the windows covered with aluminum foil which reflects alot of sun and keeps cool air from the ac inside. I have painted a small area of brick wall on my western side white. Reflective surfaces help alot to deflect heat. I cannot have trees because I live in a constricted urban environment. There are other shade trees beside autumn blaze,although autumn blaze is a pretty good choice. Do not limit yourself to one tree. Plants will not grow under a tree that produces dense shade. Consider other ideas to produce shade such as reflective surfaces and awnings. Perhaps a tall row of shrubs or narrow trees would provide shade. They would have a smaller root spread. Something like Lombardy Poplar is shorter lived but grows very tall. Or perhaps a fence or shade trellis could work. There are height restrictions on fences but perhaps if you explain you want a fence for the special purpose of shade you may be granted a variance from the zoning board. Even if a root barrier would pose no harm to the tree roots,this technology is still unproven and there is evidence that tree roots often grow under the barrier and back up to the surface again,seeking water and to naturally spread out. The effort and expense of digging 4 to 6 feet down to install a root barrier is very questionable. These barriers are showing more promise for maintaining water levels in clay soil and in this capacity they could do more to protect home foundations than as a root barrier. Foundation damage by tree roots is not a common occurance. More damage occurs to sewer and water lines than to foundations. Regarding silver reflective coatings. A plastic silver coating would be more effective than one made of metal such as aluminum. A metal coating will absorb some heat and of course that heat will radiate into the home. Specially made plastic silver coatings with condensation holes are available. If the coating is placed over glass,for instance,without condensation weep holes,water vapor will form between the coating and the glass. If used on interior walls,these condensation holes are important for the same reason. I cannot tell you what the exact cost of the overhanging roof would be but since you are probably already spending at least a couple of hundred dollars a year extra on cooling,the expense of such a roof may be justified. If you plan on moving in a couple of years,perhaps the expense would not be justified. The average thickness of fiberglass insulation is about 4 inches. To be effective during extreme heat and cold,such insulation should be about 1 foot thick. Two feet would be even better. Houses with insulation that thick are referred to as superinsulated. The old adobe houses in the southwest had walls 2 or more feet thick and so they functioned well in the heat and also the cold of the desert nights. Ice was once stored in ice houses having walls insulated with saw dust that were 4 feet thick. Heat will go through any material but at different rates. The problem is that retrofitting a house with superinsulation will decrease the living space. A thick walled adobe house is an example of thermal mass. The thick masonry absorbs heat by day and radiates it at night when the outside temperature cools but since the walls are so thick little heat actually moves through the walls. In a climate other than desert,any heat that has gotten through and is radiating at night can be removed with minimal energy from cooling equipment or by opening windows. If possible,increase the thickness of the insulation in your attic and/or using a higher R-Value insulation. An R-Value of 40 to 60 is desirable. Consider installing a whole house or attic fan. A whole house fan is a powerful fan that draws air through open windows and up through the attic. An attic fan exhausts hot air from the attic and sets up a cross breeze from one gable end to the other. If you have cool air at night pull it in through the house with fans. The drawback with a whole house fan can be alot of noise,however,there are some models that have been engineered for noise reduction. There have been reports of back drafts with whole house fans which can blow out hot water heater pilot lights and extinquish fireplaces. You may also want to consider superinsulating your house. This involves increasing the thickness of the interior stud walls and thus increasing the thickness of the insulation. Perhaps just your western wall could be superinsulated. Perhaps insulation can be applied to the outside of the house in the form of rigid foam boards and that may be a more acceptable solution. Consider sealing up the windows on the western wall either permanently with some type of insulation or by using insulated movable shutters. Much heat is gained through windows. Consider using structural insulated panels for your patio roof. These are solid insulation panels sandwiched between OSB (oriented strand board). They can often be installed at lower cost than conventional frame construction and are relatively light weight and very strong. Whole houses are constructed of structurally insulated panels and they produce higher insulation values overall than conventional frame construction. One reason for the greater insulation value is that solid insulation tends to be superior to insulation like fiberglass batts because the rigid insulation has no pore spaces as fiberglass,paper,cotton or blown in insulation. For a lighter weight and to avoid having to apply roofing materials over the SIP (structural insulated panel) think about using fiberglass or metal panels for the patio roof, over rigid insulation. This design may tend to have more energy gaps (for instance, the studs in an insulated wall allows heat to escape) because more framing may be required. Try to make the insulation on the patio roof at least 8 inches thick and try to obtain an R-Value of at least 40. Concrete will increase heat,mainly by reflective glare and concrete can absorb alot of heat which will radiate back at night,and so your idea of removing some concrete and planting grass sounds like a good one. Grass has a cooling effect as of course do shade trees and much of this effect may be coming from evaporation. This is the principle of the evaporative cooler used in the Southwest where air is blown over damp surfaces. This principle does not work in very humid environments. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment: Mark replied to all my questions in a straight forward manner with very factual answers. He also offered suggestions beyond my questions for which I am appreciative! 46. Stain for Stone: I have made a sign by embedding small local stones (3/4-1") in concrete to read "Lake Marion" (a memorial by a lake named for my wife). Did not want to dye concrete, as I've seen such fade. but there is too little contrast between some stones and the concrete. What can I use to dye the stones a darker color (as e.g. linseed oil w/an umber stain brings out color in or adds color to wood)? It will be outside. Conrad Answer: Try brick stain or an iron oxide paint on one of the stones to see what results are achieved. Brick stain consists of iron oxide (which is essentially the same thing as rust) and a binding agent such as potassium silicate. Pigments can be added for greater color variation. Iron oxide paints are often used on pottery but may not be as penetrating or long lasting as brick stain on stone. Stone tends to be denser,in many cases,than brick or concrete. The more porous stone would be sandstone and limestone,but stone such as granite tends to be very dense. The penetration power comes from the iron oxide. Iron oxide paints are available in the following earth colors: Yellow: light yellow ocher colonial yellow ocher dark yellow ocher curry yellow natural yellow lemon yellow Orange: apricot havana ocher Red: red ocher venetian red red brick natural red black currant red plum violet burnt sienna Brown: clay brown light sienna raw sienna natural sienna brown ocher brown natural umber burnt umber raw umber terra cotta dark brown Green: nicosia green verona green earth turquoise green pistaschio green viridian green Blue: sky blue lavender blue charron blue ultramarine blue Neutral: titanium white slate pewter gray natural black black Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 47. Desert Privacy Hedge: I have a house in Sedona, Arizona (high desert) on a small lot -- where my dining room, kitchen, and bedroom look out directly into the dining room, kitchen and bedroom of my neighbor's house (which is only about 60' away. There is a 3' chain link fence along the property line already (my neighbor put it in) and rather than putting up a taller wood fence, I'm wondering if there is some kind of small tree or shrub (ideally evergreen) that I could plant that would grow to 6-8' tall and require relatively little water (and that would be very hardy)? Since I'm hoping to completely screen the neighbors, I would want the trees or shrubs to completely grow together. If you could recommend something and let me know how far apart they should be planted, I would very much appreciate it. Answer: Here is a list of evergreen privacy hedge plants that are drought tolerant and adapted to a desert environment: Emerald Green Thuga. Grows 8 to 12 feet high,but can be trimmed down. Extremely drought tolerant and disease and insect resistant. Obtains a columnar shape that has a pruned look. Grows in almost any soil from sandy loam to clay. Plant every 3 feet to achieve a thick barrier. Nellie Stevens Holly. Grows 15 to 25 feet but can be trimmed down. Good drought tolerance. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions. Plant 4 feet apart. Common Privet (ligustrum vulgare). Grows to 15 feet high. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions. Produces clusters of tiny white flowers. Plant 4 to 6 feet apart. Atriplex Torreyi. Native to the Southwest. Grows 6 to 8 feet high. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart. Desert Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii). Fast growth to 10 feet high. Requires infrequent deep watering. Produces yellow flowers with protruding bright red stamens in the summer. Plant 4 to 6 feet apart. Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii). Grows 4 to 6 feet high. Produces small yellow flowers in April and bright red berries in Fall. Plant 3 to 6 feet apart. Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa). Grows 6 to 10 feet high. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions. Produces red flowers in April. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart. Rock Rose (Cistus ladanifer). Grows to 5 feet high. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions. Produces white flowers in June and July. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart. Sea Tomato (Rosa rugosa). Grows to 8 feet high. Produces fragrant single or double white,yellow,pink or purplish red flowers. Also produces bright red tomato shaped fruit. Plant 4 to 6 feet apart. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus). Grows to 6 feet high. Produces pink flowers in May and June and white fruit in late summer to winter. Plant 4 to 6 feet apart. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 48. Plant to Compliment Blue Spruce and Maple: Hi there. I was wondering what flowering bushes and perrenial flowers you would recogmend planting along with my blue spruce trees I have in my front yord. The trees are planted in trios and I wouldn't min putting a nice white or reddish flowering shrub next to them.. Also I have a yellow maple tree in the centre of the drive way what shrubs compliment this tree? Thank you. Answer: Here is a partial list of plants that would compliment your blue spruce and maple: Shrubs: Azalea. Grows to 5 feet high. Wide variety of flower colors. Requires acid soil. Chokeberry. Aronia arbutifolia. Grows 5 to 7 feet high. Spreads 2 to 3 feet. Tolerates wide range of soil types. Moderate growth rate. Flower color is pale pink. Fall flower color is red. Holly. Leatherwood. Dirca palustris. Grows to 6 feet high. Produces pale yellow flowers and berries. Ground Covers: Pachysandra Vinca Liriope. White and purple flower varieties. Very shade tolerant. Resembles tall grass. Bugleweed. Purple flowers. Grows to 1 foot high. Primrose. Grows to 1 foot high. Perrenials: Hosta Sedum. Various species. Very drought tolerant. Astilbe. Variety of flower colors. Grows to 3 feet high. Coralbell. Heuchera. Grows to 2 feet high. Flowers form on spike. Flower color is coral to pink. Bergenia. Bergenia cordifolia. Grows to 2 feet high. Bleeding heart. Dicentra. Grows to 3 feet high. Bugbane. Cimicifuga ramosa. Grows to 6 feet high. Tall spike with white flowers. Forget me not. Myosotis sylvatica. Grows to 1 feet high. Delicate blue flowers. Bulbs. Can be grown under trees before foliage forms in spring. Grape hyacinth Crocus Bluebells Daffodils Check further on the growing requirements and characteristics of these plants and see if they will grow in your zone. All the plants listed here will tolerate full shade,not including the bulbs. A maple tree would require extremely shade tolerant plants. I would recommend azalea as the first choice for a shrub. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 49. Improving Look of Patio: I live in a subdivision, my backyard is extremely boring...I have a 26' x 15' paved patio behind the house. There are 4' wide flower beds between the house and the patio...I thought about building a retaining wall around the flower beds and extending it to either side of patio, to create some dimension and interest...However, I read that raised flower beds are a bad idea against the house for obvious reasons. My yard is flat, with nothing of interest....Any ideas of how can pull the look of the flower beds and the patio together to make it visually pleasing?? Answer: Really doesnt look like you would have much height to get a retaining wall against the house. Depending on how high your foundation wall is,a raised flower bed at the wall may or may not be a good idea. Consider doing something with the area on the left side in the pic. Perhaps make a planting area with a curvilinear border and include plantings that might improve the climate of the patio or depending on what your needs are, improve privacy,etc.. Perhaps you could eliminate the flower beds in their present form and just blend them in with the curved area. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 50. Pavers Over Existing Concrete Slab: I live in MA. and recently installed pavers over my exiting concrete slab and stairs using SRW, a concrete adhesive. My question is what type of sand or should I use stone dust too sweep in between the pavers. Answer: You should not use sand or dust between the pavers. You should set the pavers in mortar. Setting pavers in sand over a concrete base will trap water between the pavers and the base because there is no place for the water to drain. The water should drain down vertically and thats how things would take place if there were gravel or earth under the sand but it cannot take place with a concrete base. Setting the pavers in mortar will create an impermeable surface that sheds water. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Hi Mark, Thanks for your advice: Since I have already installed all my pavers with SRW I think I have only a few choices of getting some type of mortar in between them, and if you know of any others could you please share them with me. As I look at it, I could purchase the mortar in a tube and try to get it in between and down as far as possible, or I could purchase a bag of mortar mix and sweep it in dry hoping light moisture will harden it to the point where it will keep water out. (This is my top choice) If this is possible is there any special type of mortar I should use? I probably should have talked with other professionals before I started this project and get there advice. I’m a pretty handy person and try and do all my work myself with great results. This paver job looks awesome, my wife loves it and I would like for it to last for years. If we lived in a warmer climate water and ice would not be a factor. Your input would be appreciated. Answer: A dry mix swept into the joints will not obtain the hardness necessary to make it impermeable and you will still get moisture penetration into the joints. These type of dry joints are typically used on flagstone and other paving set on sand and gravel beds. The recommended minimum joint width for mortared paving is 25mm(0.98 inch)but you might still get good results with a narrower joint width. Use a Class 1 mortar. This mortar may also be labeled as type 60. I used this type of mortar on some "crazy paving"(broken pieces of concrete to form a path)in my own backyard about a year ago and the joints are still holding well. The size of the joints there varies from about a half inch up to 2 inches. The mortar bag label will state if the mortar is good for paving. Mortar purchased in a tube will get very expensive. It would probably require not much more effort to simply trowel the mortar into the joints. I suppose the adhesive may give you some advantage in avoiding delamination (the shearing of the pavers from the base). Water penetrating the joints will foster that and the freeze/thaw cycle will aid the process. Actually,in colder climates,a sand/gravel base can be better since concrete and mortared joints tend to dislodge and crack in temperature extremes. The ground under the paving is always expanding and contracting. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: I ended up using mortar in between joints. It was kind of a pain and time consuming finishing the project, however it looks really nice. Hopefully it will last for years. time will tell. Answer: Glad to hear it worked out. A less time consuming method would have been the slurry method. With this method a lump of mortar is dumped on the surface and then pushed into the joints with a spade shovel and brush. The mortar then has to be hosed and brushed off. However,this method tends to leave stains and mortar residue that then hardens. The residue will eventually wear away but that could take a very long time. With the slurry method,the joints still have to be hand checked for settling or voids and this method produces a weaker joint because the mortar has a higher water content and is thinner. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 51. Privacy Plants For Pool: Please help, I have a 50' wall 60' pines (spruce? very tiny, hard needles) all that have been cut up to about 8' or more by the previous owner. I have just installed a pool and would like to add some kind of tree or shrub for privacy that will grow in the shade under these pine trees. Is there something that will grow to be around 10' or slightly taller with a spread of about 4' to fill in gaps? I also have two very small dogs and I am afraid of planting something that may drop berries and be poisonous to them. We do have some morning sun, I live in the Chicago area zone 5, do you have any suggestions? Answer: Here is a list of shrubs that should meet your requirements: Juniper. Juniperus chinensis 'spartan'. Fast growing,columnar shaped,tolerates partial shade. Grows to about 8 feet high with about a 6 feet spread. Evergreen. Forsythia. Blooms in spring,produces bright yellow flowers. Grows 3 to 8 feet high. Produces a medicinal grade fruit that is harmless to animals. Deciduous (loses leaves in fall). Spirea. Vanhouttei. Grow 6 to 8 feet high and spreads 6 to 8 feet wide. Tolerates partial shade,drought and poor soil. Deciduous. Lilac. Grows to 8 feet high. Evergreen. Holly. Varieties available that grow to 10 feet high. Evergreen. Very shade tolerant. Arborvitae. 'Emerald Green'. Grows to 10 to 15 feet high. Pyramidal shape. Tolerates light shade. The deeper the shade the less foliage the plant will retain and so,less privacy. Here is a list of small trees that should meet your requirements: Crape Myrtle. Dwarf,medium size and large size varieties available. Grows up to 20 feet high. Disease resistant and has an ornamental look. Deciduous. Sargentii. 'tina'. Smallest of the flowering crab apples. Grows to 8 feet high and has a 15 feet spread. Edible fruit. Deciduous. Dogwood. Varieties that reach a height of 10 feet are available. Deciduous. Attractive spring blossoms. Serviceberry. Can grow up to 20 feet high if not pruned. Produces upright stems from multistemmed clumps. Edible berries. Somewhat drought tolerant. Deciduous. Ten feet spread. Tolerates partial shade. This is a swamp plant and tolerates wet conditions. On a southern exposure,if you would like sun in the winter and privacy is not important,go with predominantly deciduous plantings. Or you could mix deciduous and evergreen plantings. Although spirea is deciduous,its branches still remain fairly dense in fall and winter. You might consider using low growing shrubs such as juniper under any trees you might plant to fill in gaps that might be created by the branch height of these trees. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 52. High Water Table And Poor Drainage: Our yard has about a 3.5' drop over about 50 feet of space. We also have a high water table and the bottom of the yard is like a swamp. We are considering building a retaining wall and leveling the yard but that will require cutting down some very big old trees. We are looking for suggestions that will help to solve our drainage problem. Answer: I would suggest installing drainage pipe at the low area. The size of the drainage pipe and the number of drainage pipes is dictated by the volume of water and the flow rate needed to dispose of the water and of course the water will have to be moved to a suitable outlet. Pumping from wells may also be an option. Also,digging a swale or ditch on top of the area may prove useful. Moving this water to an outlet such as a storm sewer or stream will require a permit from your municipality. Hookups to storm sewers are sometimes required by municipal code to be installed by a licensed plumber. Filling the area may also be an option. This will effectively lower the height of the water table. By using this option you will avoid the problem of hooking up to a storm sewer or other outlet,but you may still need a permit. Municipal storm sewers,water systems and sanitary sewer systems are troubled entities these days because of many complex factors,the economy being one of them. These systems are becoming less efficient. It is better sometimes to try to remedy drainage problems by keeping them confined to the site. Perhaps you would not have to level the entire yard. You may be able to borrow fill soil for the wet area from another portion of the slope and make a terrace at the wet area with a retaining wall at that spot or use a combination of fill and some type of drainage. Perhaps the trees could be saved by building tree wells around them. These are circular retaining walls around the trees. The original grade remains at the trees while grade changes are made outside the wells. Combined with the high water table,the high slope is contributing to the drainage problem. The steeper the slope,the more water that sheds off. The water is not allowed to seep into the soil because the force of gravity sends it down the incline. So it seems that removing as much of the slope as possible would improve drainage because more water would seep into the soil and not end up flooding the bottom area at the foot of the slope. But of course you would have to take the tree problem into account when considering this. Tree wells may be less expensive than removing the trees. If fill is applied to the bottom area perhaps a dry well could be used to temporarily store water until it has had time to seep into the surrounding soil. Drywells have to be above the water table,however,or they will become ineffective. If you have a suitable outlet for water at the bottom of the slope,surface drainage in the form of a swale or ditch may be all you need to dispose of the water. Depending on how much water reaches the bottom of the slope and how fast it reaches the bottom this may be adequate but if surface drainage would be overwhelmed by the volume of water,a dry well could make a big difference by diverting water from the surface and thus relieving the strain on the surface drainage structure. Detailed calculations would be needed to more accurately determine what a solution would be. It could be possible that fill at the bottom of the slope may be able to absorb runoff water without the assistance of any drainage device. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 53. Limestone Mulch: We recently started a project replacing our landscape bark with limestone and was told this will cause problems with our plants, flowers and trees. Is this correct and if so would it work to remove the rock 6-10 inches from the root area? We liked the color with our brick and have a large project that is now 1/2 done. Thanks for your help, Sheryl Answer: Stone mulch absorbs heat and the surrounding soil will get somewhat warmer,but there does not seem to be any reported instances of serious damage occuring from this. Of course,a darker colored stone will absorb more heat than a lighter colored stone mulch. The lighter colors reflect heat. Reflected heat can be a problem on surfaces such as parking lots or roofs but once again I do not know of any problems with stone mulch. Limestone is sometimes added to soil to increase alkalinity but I would not think that enough of it would leach out from your mulch to greatly effect your soil pH. As long as you do not exceed a depth of a few inches,the mulch will not harm your plants around the root zone. An interlocking (a stone mulch that has narrow spaces between the individual pieces) would not be a good idea around the root zone. This will impede water and air penetration to the roots. Angular cut pieces are more interlocking than round cut pieces. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: I'm still concerned about our Evergreen type trees as they like an acidic soil?? Thank-you! Sheryl in NW Iowa Answer: I do not think that the small amount of lime that may leach out of the mulch will affect your trees. If it would give you peace of mind,keep the limestone mulch outside the root zone. Do a soil pH test. I would also advise you to get a second opinion about this from someone knowledgeable in horticulture. Your state extension agency may be able to help. While it is true that evergreens prefer an acidic soil,most plants tend to grow close to the neutral pH range. One particular example of a plant that is particularly sensitive to soil pH is azalea,which requires an acidic soil. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 54. Depth of Bedding Sand For Walkway: I am installing a concrete brick walkway. I have done the excavating and installed 3" of compacted base material. Now comes 1" of bedding sand, but I've hit a snag. I've been all over the internet trying to find out if I should screen the sand and then install the bricks on the uncompacted sand, or if I should compact the sand and then install the pavers. I've found sites that say conflicting things. I really need some expert advice. Thank you! Answer: A 4 inch base would be better and you should have at least a 2 inch layer of sand. Use a coarse sand such as concrete sand. This allows better drainage. A fine sand such as masonry sand impedes drainage. Instead,use masonry sand to fill the gaps in the pavers. This makes the paving somewhat water repellent. Screening the sand should not be necessary unless you think there are large particles in it. The sand should be compacted, as some settling will occur otherwise. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 55. Sand Over Grass to Create Walking Surface,Eliminate Weeds And Reduce Maintenance: I have a very large spruce tree in my front yard. Since the grass around this tree is struggling to survive I am planning to lay down river rock on appr 3/4 of my front lawn. Do I have to remove the sod first or can I smother the grass with landscape fabric topped with river rock. As a note, none of the lower branches of the spruce have been cut, thus the rock would be placed around and not under the tree. Answer: There is no need to remove the sod. The sod will retain the soil and prevent erosion. Use a fabric rated for weed control. A fabric rated only for erosion control may have a more porous weave spacing and that will allow more weeds to grow. Weed fabric is best used with mulch. An organic mulch placed under the rocks will eventually degrade and become ineffective,so perhaps you could lay down a layer of small sized gravel or sand over the fabric and then lay the rocks over the gravel. I would suggest at a 2 inch layer of sand or gravel or sand. Because of its smaller pore spaces,sand would be more effective than gravel. Of course,as you have indicated,the rock should not be placed directly under the tree,as this would impede the tree roots from getting water and air and possibly cause a crush hazard to the roots if the rocks are very heavy. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Thank you for this very informative reply. Rather than large river rock I was actually thinking of using the 1" - 2" size with only an occasional larger rock for decoration. Should I lay sand under this as well or would 2" of little rocks suffice? Answer: The smaller size rocks will have relatively less space between them than larger rocks and so less weeds will grow,but you will still get some weeds. I would not think that you would get alot of weeds with this design,but a sand layer under the rocks should eliminate 99 percent of weeds and the sand makes a nice foundation for the rocks. The rocks will be less likely to settle into the soil if resting on a layer of sand. Sand has very good compressive strength. If there will be foot traffic on the area the sand will prevent the rocks from being forced into the soil below and will improve the feel of the surface under foot. If this surface will get a good bit of foot traffic,then you might want to consider removing the sod and preparing a base for the sand or gravel by compacting the soil below. The sod will expand and contract with the freeze/thaw cycle,more or less,depending on how well water drains on it and this will effect your layer of sand and gravel. Sand and gravel are flexible materials and this will compensate somewhat for any expansion and contraction. The sod will also be less stable than a compacted base of soil only, since the sod is composed of mainly organic material. I would suggest you cut any grass on the surface to as low a height as possilbe and compact the sod with a hand tamper,compaction machine or roller. Also, compact the sand and gravel in a similar manner. I am calling the 2 inch rocks you mentioned gravel here just for convenience. Using sod as a base is not the best solution for a walking surface but for a lawn area that will receive only light foot traffic it will be adequate. The sod gives the advantage of holding the soil under the sand and gravel together and no mud will form under the sand and gravel and of course you will avoid the labor costs of removing the sod. As with all designs there are trade offs here. You have to decide what type of trade offs you want to make and what option you have more to gain from. The smaller the size of the rocks,the less likely weeds will grow. Sand is just tiny rocks;the size of salt grains. You also have to consider what thickness these materials will take. With a 2 inch layer of sand and then another 2 inches of gravel,thats a total of 4 inches. Will this surface even with the surrounding area. You will need some kind of edging to retain the material. The other option would be to remove the sod so that the material sits flush with the rest of the lawn or perhaps there are grade changes already existing that can be used. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment: Dear Mark thank you for this informative advise. I am now eager to get started on this project Regards Monika. 56. Sidewalk Drainage: Our neighborhood contains grass boulevards which are quite nice but I live on a low point of the crescent and water pools there. It makes it dangerous when spring hits anpd the snow melts during the day and still freezes at night. I was thinking of digging up the grass in the boulevard, as it is higher then the sidewalk, and replace it with a rock bed. Would this be the best thing to do and if so, how is the best way to go about it? Would it be the same as laying a patio, using gravel and sand? Thanks, Lisa Answer: Do you mean by boulevard, grass strips along the sidewalk outside your home? You can only work on that if it is your private property. If it is municipal property you cannot do any work to it without permission. Drainage should be done at the low point around your home,not on the higher area. Depending on what the actual topograhy looks like,a number of things could be considered such as catch basins,underground drainage pipes,french drains,trench drains,swales,drainage ditches,berms,etc... Catch basins are boxes layed flush to the ground with a grate over them. They are installed at a low point. Water flows into the box and is carried away by outlet pipes to a disposal point. French drains are trenches filled with gravel and sometimes with a perforated drainage pipe at the bottom. Drainage pipe is simply perforated pipe buried in a trench. Water is collected and carried to a disposal point. A trench drain is an elongated grated drain mounted flush to the ground in the shape of a box,something like a rain gutter. Water flows into it as a sheet and is carried to a disposal point. Swales are shallow vegetated depressions that conduct water to a disposal point. A drainage ditch is a deeper channel often cut in the form of a V or a half circle. A berm or dike is simply piled soil that blocks water. A rock bed might be useful as a swale lining or for a detention area but a sand bed would impede drainage rather than provide it. A detention area is an area for holding a quantity of water temporarily so that it can soak into the soil or be sent to a disposal point or both. Send a pic or a further description of the situation and I will try to give you more detailed suggestions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 57. Drainage Around Fence And Raising Fence Boards Off Ground: I live in Southern Ontario Canada. Recently we had an interlocking stone patio built in our backyard. It's a fairly square yard, with an 8 foot fence around the perimeter. We were going to have a 3 foot garden bed all around the inside perimeter coming out from the fence but we were told by the city that we needed to leave at least one foot of grass or river rock around the fence to allow for drainage. As you can see from the photo, I dug a trench, laid down landscape cloth, then added about 3 inches of river rock. It rained very hard yesterday, and it seemed to direct the water where it should. What I would like to know, not being an expert at landscaping or drainage, was there anything else I should have done or is the cloth and rock enough? Is it o.k. for the rock to be right up against the topsoil like that or should I have a barrier between the soil and the rock? One last question, out earth underneath is mainly clay so there is about a half inch or so of standing water in that trench after rain. Is that acceptable or should I be doing something about that? Thank you! Answer: I do not understand why you placed landscape cloth under the rocks. That will impede drainage. The fence would have been better placed up on a low concrete,stone or masonry wall for better drainage. It makes no difference if the rock borders the soil. I see also that you have a two rail fence. You may be ok with that but in alot of cases the boards on two rail fences warp. You might consider elevating the fence boards up on a concrete,stone or masonry wall. Or landscape timbers or railroad ties could be used as a low wall. Cut the fence boards at the bottom and install the wall underneath;assuming of course you have the height for that. That would give you more room in your garden area and in my opinion would look better. To address the standing water in the trench,I would first consider a way to get rid of that trench. Remove the landscape cloth. Water is probably being trapped in the voids of the rocks. Such standing water will lead to mosquito problems and stagnation if it does not drain or evaporate in a certain period of time. For instance,a rain garden must drain within 24 hours. The problem with drainage around the fence is that if the ends of the fence boards contact bare soil rot will occur. The boards are not rated for ground contact as the fence posts are. Otherwise there is nothing particularly special about drainage around a fence in most cases since a fence usually follows the contours of the land. It is not so much a problem of draining away water but of keeping the fence board ends elevated above water. In your pic the fence board ends look as though they are contacting bare ground. Add organic material to the soil to eliminate the clay problem. To this organic material add a small amount of sand. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Thanks for the prompt reply! Just to be clear, I know it's difficult to tell from the picture but the fence boards don't actually touch the ground, or any soil. They stop about two inches above the ground so I think I'm o.k. there. Also thanks for letting me know about the landscaping cloth. It was my neighbor who mentioned laying down the cloth as he says if I didn't then I would get weeds coming up through the rock, which I don't want. Is this true? Also doesn't the cloth help prevent the soil underneath from eroding? It's easy enough to remove the cloth if you think it's a bad idea. Also, the trench isn't deep. I was told to keep the rocks at the same level as the grass in the neighbor's yard. So as my garden stands, the topsoil is sitting right on top of the clay subsoil, so can I just add organic material to the topsoil or do I need to dig down and mix it into the clay subsoil? Thanks again Mark, you're being a big help! Answer: Actually the fence boards being 2 inches above the soil still doesnt give them good protection because rain will splash onto them. The landscape fabric may have some effectiveness,depending on how much space is in between the rocks and the kind of fabric you used. A weed barrier fabric is more effective than a cloth that may have a less dense stitching because weeds can grow through the holes in the fabric. Weed barrier fabric is meant to be used with mulch. The rocks by themselves will prevent any erosion but on such a flat space no erosion will take place anyway. "Rip rap" (rocks piled on hillsides) is an erosion control measure. The cloth will impede drainage and I see no purpose to having this structure. What job is it doing? It just fills with water to overflowing and spills onto your garden. If you had a true drainage problem there then you would be better served using a french drain or underground drain pipe. You should work organic matter into the soil to at least 1 foot deep. If the topsoil already in place is a good loam than there would be no point in adding organic matter. You want to improve the clay soil so the plants will grow better and to improve the soils drainage characteristics. Why would the rocks have to be kept at the level of the grass next door? Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 58. Shade Tree For House: I need a suggestion for a tree to plant in front of house facing west that is not too big. It is replacing a peach tree. This new tree needs to provide some shade to help with lots of hostas underneeth , not too wide so it does not block to view from the kitchen window and not too tall beacuse their are maples near by. We would like it too be simular to the peach tree but no fruit tree please. This is for the area of southwestern ontario Thanks Answer: I would suggest Green Ash (fraxinus pennsylvanica). This tree is used as a street tree and so has a high branch height,so it will not block your view from the window. It is of a relatively compact,tall shape. It reaches a height of about 50 feet and may have a spread of about 30 feet. It provides good shade,but the shade is not of a dense type. It produces a fruit in the form of a seed pod,but there is a fruitless variety. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 59. Mound In Yard: I have a mound that is about 9 ft. long in the center of my yard. It gradually rises about 6 inches on one side, levels off for about 4 ft. and then gradually goes down about 12 inches on the other side. I can't remove it as a water pipe is under it and I don't think a flower garden would look good in that part of my yard. I know a decorative bridge looks nice when there is a dip in the yard, but what do I do about a mound? Do you have any suggestions? Answer: Consider planting ground cover on it. That will give it some visual appeal and make it look less intrusive. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: I don't know what you mean by "ground cover". Could you explain what that is and give me some examples? Answer: Ground cover can be an alternative to grass because it requires less maintenance. It does not require the fertilization and mowing that turf grass requires and can be used to control weeds and erosion. The height is usually from 3 to 24 inches. Some can be walked on as turf grass and a variety of textures and colors can be achieved with ground cover. Examples include: Creeping phlox Sedum (various species) Creeping thyme Veronica (various species) Periwinkle Wintercreeper Ice plant (various species) Sedum spectibile is very drought resistant and hardy. It will spread itself readily but is not invasive. It grows to a height of about 2 feet,has dense succulent leaves and produces tiny purple flower clusters in the fall. English Ivy is an invasive species and should not be used as a ground cover or anywhere else in the landscape. See the drawing, Residential Landscape Concept on my website for an example of ground cover. I have placed 3 species under a tree on that drawing. Using 3 species in such a way would form a visually pleasing contrast. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment: You really seem to know what you're talking about. I just don't think you understood my question. I stated that the mound isn't in an area where a garden, flowers, etc. would look nice, yet you suggestion using ground cover and named some things to plant there. I was hoping for more of a simple bridge, stepping stones or something that would make it a useful part of the yard. 60. Grading And Cover Around House Wall: I recently improved the grade against the back of my house to reduce some leakage in my basement, by mounding dirt up 12" and out about 10". My question is what to put on top of this new grade? Stone, groundcover, mulch, shrubs? Answer: I would not recommend placing any kind of organic mulch near your house wall. Organic mulch can attract termites and other insects. Shrubs suited for use near foundation walls,stone or groundcover would all be fine. Use whatever appeals to you. I would question whether a slope with a run of only 10 inches would be effective. The seepage perimeter around a foundation wall is usually about 3 feet. Water will run off the steeper, shorter run slope faster,but what about the remaining ground around the foundation. Since the slope is bare ground,some seepage may still occur. A better solution would be some type of impermeable material,such as concrete,pavers set in mortar or stone set in mortar, taken out to at least 3 feet. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Thanks Mark. I mistyped. Actually it's a 10 foot run with a 12 inch rise. I will consider pavers out for the first 3 feet. Answer: What you have done may solve your problem. Impermeable aprons are pretty good when alot of water is coming in,but of course some people may not prefer this. The amount of seepage depends on the permeability of the soil. A loose loam will allow more leakage than a packed clay loam or sand loam. A high clay soil will prevent more leakage. This is called a clay cap. A clay cap is still semi-permeable. Some plantings may not do well in clay soil however. If you continue to have seepage,you may also want to consider a plastic liner placed around your wall. This can be placed underground and plantings can then be placed on top. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 61. Mulch Blows Away: Hi - I live in a high wind area by the lake. Every year I mulch the landscape and every year it all blows away. Is there a type of ground ivy or a heavier mulch I can use. Any suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your time. Answer: Here are some options: Use about a 3 to 4 inch thick layer of mulch and water it regularly. The mulches own weight and the additional weight of the water will deter blowing. Mulch that consists of mainly larger pieces will blow less than a smaller size mulch. Pine straw mulch is highly resistant to being blown by wind. Use some form of landscape netting,such as erosion control netting or bird netting to hold the mulch in place. If looks are not important,use erosion control blankets (woven blankets of straw,jute,coconut fiber,etc..) or newspaper. There are various types of low growing ground cover that discourage weed growth. Choose a variety that does not spread easily and do not choose one that is invasive. Avoid English Ivy. English Ivy is invasive and will harm your other plants. Crawling and vining plants should be avoided for this purpose. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment By Questioner: Thank you for your quick response and different ideas. You have been helpful. 62. Control Of Highway Noise: Question: I need help on fencing .I have a large corner lot in a small NJ town and one side borders a 2 lane road that has become very busy over the years. I have been noticing increasing incident of vibration through the house from large ,fast vehicles. My house sits slightly below road level .I wanted to know if either a dense privacy border of evergreens or 6-8 foot privacy fencing would stop the vibration if installed at the road side in question? Answer: I would suggest some type of acoustic wall. The wall can be constructed of concrete,masonry or wood. The most effective would be concrete filled with solid foam insulation. Locate the wall as close as possible to the noise source and make it high as possible. A concrete wall would consist of a series of horizontal concrete boards layed into slots in concrete posts,the space between the outside and inside concrete boards being filled with solid foam insulation. The structure must continue to the ground since noise will get through any gaps at ground level. An ordinary concrete block,stone or brick wall will also have some sound deadening effect. A concrete block wall filled with solid foam in the openings in the individual blocks would be much more effective. The comparitively least effective sound barrier would be a wooden timber fence. This type of fence consists of heavy timbers layed horizontally between timber supports. An ordinary wooden fence would not be very effective since it is too thin and sound would transmit through any gaps in the fence. Another type of wooden fence could be made of exterior plywood panels with solid foam insulation sandwiched between. An exterior plywood fence may have a shorter lifespan than other wood fence types. The plywood must be kept coated. It is important to seal the tops of all foam filled fences to keep water out. Build the fence as high and as long as possible. Most likely the fence will have to be constructed over the legal fence height for your area and you may need to apply for a variance from your zoning board. Plants may also be helpful in deadening sound. Follow these guidelines: Place the noise buffer as close to the noise source as possible. Plant trees and shrubs as close together as possible. A diversity of tree and/or shrub species within the buffer may further reduce noise. Foliage in the buffer should form a continuous wall from the ground up. Use shrubs under trees to achieve this effect. Use dense foliage plants. Use evergreen species for year round protection. Make the buffer as tall as possible. Make the buffer as wide as possible. Make the buffer twice as long as the distance of the protected zone to prevent noise from getting in from the sides. The fact that your property sits lower than the road may be magnifying the noise and vibrations somewhat. Consider using earth berms with the plantings. All noise will not be eliminated. A planting of 18 feet wide can only reduce noise by about 1 to 3 decibels. It would take a planting 50 feet wide to get a reduction of 10 decibels. The buffer must extend as much as possible over the point at which you are experiencing the noise and should extend over the noise source. This creates the refraction angle. Vibration from traffic that is transmitted through the ground is a bit different than noise transmitted through the air. Landscape elements for aerial noise control may still have an effect on these vibrations,particularly ground level elements such as ground cover,shrubs,low growing vegetation,berms and soil. Loam and sandy soils absorb noise energy. Ground vibrations are transmitted well through concrete and masonry. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 63. Rubber Lining For Planting Bed: I have a fenced in lawn and the fence encloses most of the lawn except a strip ~90 inches wide by ~20 ft. This strip of lawn is adjacent to the driveway so it's kinda sandwiched between driveway and fence. The fence is made of 4x4s about 4 ft above the ground connected by three horizontal boards. Now to the meat of my question. I want to build a raised bed 45-50 inches wide for the entire lenght of the fence. I am planning to put a waterproofed mortared stone wall in the front (the side facing the rest of the lawn strip and driveway). What I don't know is how to build the back of this bed, which would be adjacent to the fence. I don't want to lean it up against the fence (rotting) but I don't want to build another stone wall there either. This is not a decorative side, so I just need something practical that would hold the soil in and separate it from the fence. Thank you very much for your advice. Alexander Answer: Consider using an EPDM rubber sheet on the face of the fence that will be holding the soil. You will have to seal the top of the sheeting in some way because you will not want water leaking under the sheet. Any water trapped under the sheet will promote rot of the fence boards. A more rigid plastic material such as plastic roof flashing could also be used. EDPM rubber is used for roofing. Pool liner material would also be a good choice. Attach the material with galvanized or stainless steel fasteners and then seal over the heads of the fasteners with a sealant rated for below ground use. The newer copper treated lumber will not accept aluminum fasteners or sheeting. Applying aluminum will cause galvanic corrosion. The copper will react with the aluminum and cause the aluminum to corrode. The newer copper treated wood will also corrode any ordinary steel fasteners very quickly. Aluminum can be used with the old arsenic based pressure treated wood. A more desirable design would be to have the fence boards perched on a low wall above the soil. Think about shortening the fence boards and perching them on the back wall of your raised bed. The wall would run along the center of the fence posts. To avoid soil contacting the posts perhaps a concrete collar could be wrapped around the posts. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 64. Drainage of Groundwater: I just bought a house and have water that is standing in back yard. I think we have an underground stream. What can I do to capture the water and detour away from the house? Thank you. Answer: Here are some courses of action you might be able to take: If the problem is groundwater,then consider subsurface drainage pipe. The spacing and depth of the pipe depends on the type of soil. You will have to find an outlet for the water drained by the pipes. Wells may also be an option for draining a high water table,but they require power for pumping. Wells are needed when the depth required to drain the water table exceeds that which drainage pipe can be placed or if for some reason drainage pipe cannot be used or is not desirable. Perhaps you could divert the water to a grassed swale (a type of drainage ditch) and then to an outlet off the property or to another location on the property,such as a garden area or area where the water can seep into the ground. Take steps to divert as much surface water as possible away from the problem area. This could be accomplished with swales,trench drains,french drains,berms,subsurface drain pipes,etc... Use a catch basin. A catch basin is a box mounted below the surface. It is covered by a grate. Surface water flows into it and is carried away to another location by an outlet pipe connected to the basin. I could comment more if you send a pic or provide a more detailed description of your property. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 65. Staining Concrete: Question: I hope you can help me with my question. At the entry to our home we have three concrete steps and a concrete landing leading to our front door. The first step is 10” x 113”, the second is 7” x 89”, and the third is 7” x 105”. The landing is 47” x 105”. The house is all brick, thus there is brick on both sides of the steps and landing. A flagstone walkway leads up the steps. We want to beautify the concrete, especially since part of the steps and the landing are discolored. The landing is covered and a brick arch, about 20 feet high, frames the entry way. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks for your time, Answer: There are a number of ways to enhance the appearance of existing concrete. Methods include the following: Acid Staining Acrylic Staining Concrete Overlays Sawcuts Stamping (onto a poured overlay) Acid stains are a mixture of hydrochloric acid,water and inorganic salts. The acid opens the pores of the concrete and then the metallic salts in the acid react with the hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) in the concrete. This process creates a coloring on the concrete. There are 8 basic acid stain colors: black brown umber red tan gold green blue Acid stain gives the concrete a marbled and mottled look. The surface will look like different hues within a certain color range,not like a painted surface. Factors that affect the outcome of acid stain include: Cement properties and mix design. Admixtures in the concrete. Type of aggregate. Nature of the finished surface on the concrete. Concrete age and moisture content of concrete when stain is applied. Efflorescence (salts that leach through the surface of the concrete). If for some reason your concrete is not a good candidate for acid stain,an acrylic stain can be used. Your concrete may not contain enough lime for acid stain or may not have a suitable surface for acid stain. Acid stain will highlight cosmetic defects such as stains that cannot be removed. An Acrylic finish can hide these type of defects. Acrylic stains act something like paint but are more durable. An application of acrylic stain penetrates the surface of the concrete and creates a semi-transparent coloring. There is no chemical reaction as with acid stain. An acrylic stain will create a more uniform appearance and will not flake off as paint will. Acyrlic stain also comes in a wider variety of color than acid stain. Acrylic stains are resistant to UV rays,foot traffic,vehicle tires,moisture,mildew,acids and alkalis. Prepare the surface of the existing concrete for application of acrylic or acid stain by scrubing it with TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) and then rinse. If this will not remove dirt,oil and grease,then try an acid cleaning agent for exterior concrete. Apply a concrete sealer after the finish has dried. A concrete sealer will protect the finish from stains and moisture. A concrete overlay is a thick polymer material that is poured over the existing concrete. It can be used to smooth or level uneven or spalled concrete surfaces. The dry time is fast. For an overlay to be successful,the existing concrete must be structurally sound,without gapping cracks,severe delamination or an unstable sub base. Proper surface preparation of the existing concrete is critical. Patterns can be stamped into the overlay to replicate natural stone,brick,tile or slate. Apply concrete sealer after finish has dried. Saw cutting patterns into the concrete can enhance the look of stains and has the added benefit of increasing foot traction. Use a 7 inch and a 4 inch diamond blade saw. Mark your lines with chalk. Use the 7 inch blade for longer lines and the 4 inch blade for shorter lines. Plantings,rock gardens and other structures can enhance the appearance of the walkway. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 66. Weed Solarization: Hi and thank you in advance! I have shrubs that I planted in a rock garden and I put that weed screen on the bottom so weeds would not grow, well, needless to say last year I still got a lot of weeds growing up through the rocks. This Spring is there any product out there that I can put on top of the rocks and stop the weeds before they start? Answer: I would suggest that you weed by hand and use mulch and you might want to experiment with solarization. Solarization consists of putting down a layer of clear plastic over the soil. The weeds and their seeds are killed by the heat that builds up under the plastic. Follow these steps for solarization: Uproot existing weeds. Remove the uprooted weeds with a rake,then rake the soil again to smooth it. Wet the soil. Wet soil conducts heat better. Cover the area with clear plastic sheeting of 1 milimeter to 6 milimeters thick. Hold down the sheeting with rocks,etc.. and make sure no gaps exist in the edges of the sheeting. Leave the area covered for 4 to 6 weeks. The best time for solarization is June through July because thats when the sun is hottest,but solarization can be done all year. However,solarization done outside the June to July range will take longer. For cooler weather,leave the plastic in place for 8 to 10 weeks. There is nothing I can suggest that you place over the rocks,except perhaps the clear plastic for solarization. I would not suggest any kind of impermeable membrane for weed control,such as black plastic because the soil and plant roots need contact with the open air. A weed barrier combined with mulch may be more effective than a weed barrier alone. A weed barrier is designed to be used with mulch. The weed barrier is permeable. It has tiny holes throughout to let air and water in,but this also allows a certain number of weeds through. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 67. Weed Barrier Fabric: Hi, I am currently leveling off an area in my yard in preparation for a flagstone patio (12'x 15')with garden boxes. I have placed weed block tarp down and have ordered appx. 6" of fill dirt. Should I remove the paper before spreading the remaining dirt, or just compact the dirt on top of the paper? The area is boxed out in wood, so the fill sliding is not an issue. Thank you. Answer: Do not place the weed barrier below the soil. Weeds will simply grow on top of the barrier. Lay the barrier on top of the soil and place mulch over the barrier. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 68. Flooded Driveway: We have just rented a home, and our only problem is that when it rains water pools in the center of the driveway. Both ends of the driveway are higher than the center, so we get a big pond in the driveway. We dont want to spend a ton of money but would like to know if there is an inexpensive way to try and drain some of that out? Or at least keep the water from getting that deep. Please help!!!! Answer: Install a catch basin. This is a box with a grate over it. Its mounted at the low point of the area you want to drain. Water flows into it and exits through an outlet pipe. You attach drainage pipe to the outlet of the catch basin and direct that pipe to an outlet for the water,which could be a drainage ditch,a holding area,a storm sewer (if permitted by local code),etc.. Consider using the basin to divert water to a garden area. Relatively inexpensive plastic catch basins are available. They are rated by the cubic feet per minute of water they can handle. The basin is mounted below the surface,so you will have to dig into the driveway for that and to install the drainage pipe. Rigid pipe is more durable but corrugated pipe (the class that is suitable for burial) is flexible and available at a lower cost. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 69. How to Plant Shrub: How do you plant a shrub/bush that was purchased and is wrapped in burlap and tied with rope? Do you dig a hole and put the bush in and then cover with dirt and then water? Answer: Remove the top one third of the burlap. Completely remove all non-biodegradeable material. Dig a hole as wide as the spread of the shrub and as deep as the root ball of the shrub. The grade line of the soil should meet at about the bottom of the shrubs branches. To avoid settling of the shrub you can place the shrub on a pedestal in the center of the hole. Dig a ring around the bottom of the hole to form a pedestal and set the shrub on top of the pedestal. Form a berm around the dripline of the shrub (imagine a line radiating down from the outermost edge of the shrub canopy to the ground;that is the dripline),at least 6 inches high. This will form a watering basin. Mulch inside the basin at a minimum 3 inch depth. Water immediately after planting. When backfilling,do not allow air pockets to form. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 70. Problem Mulberry And Use of Desert Plants: I have two giant fruitless Mulberry trees in my front yard. They are messy, but provide a lot of shade during hot Southern Utah summers. Nothing will grow under them because, I am told, they rob all the water. No grass. No flowers. My front yard is sandy dirt. Can you suggest either some kinds of plants, or other landscaping idea that will keep the dirt from blowing inside my home, as well as make for a pretty yard? Answer: You might want to consider replacing those mulberrys. There are other trees such as mesquite that consume much less water and can also provide shade. Overhead cover such as awnings and arbors can also provide shade. I would suggest you stabilize your soil with erosion control blankets as a first step. Erosion control blankets are made of biodegradable material. They are attached to the ground with staples. They must be firmly attached and make good contact with the ground and be sealed on all edges or erosion will take place under the blankets. Once you have the blankets in place you can begin planting. The blankets will prevent erosion while the plants become established. When the plants become established their roots will hold the soil in place and prevent erosion. A sand fence can also be used. This is similar to a snow or silt fence and traps sand behind it. This prevents the sand from being blown into other areas (such as your house). The following is a list of plants for use in arid regions. Check to see if these plants will grow in your particular area: Perenials: Arizona columbine Artemisias Asters Baby's Breath Blue pineleaf beardtongue Columbine Coreopsis Delphinium Echinacea Gaillardia Gayfeather Iris Lamb's Ears Lavender Pansy Perennial Flax Poppy Mallow Purple Coneflower Red Valerian Sages Scarlet hedgenettle Statice Sweet William Texas hummingbird mint Tulips and crocuses Yarrow Yellow Black-eyed Susan Yucca Annuals: Cosmos Desert Dragon Desert PeaGanzania Marigold Mexican Sunflower Pentas New Look Phlox Portulacca Sundial Red Plume Blanket Rose Campion Santolina Statice Vinca Passion Zinnias Shrubs and Trees Shrubs Smoke tree Washington hawthorne Japanese black pine Cinquefoil Fragrant zumac Mountain currant Sassafras Honeysuckle Witch hazel Rugosa roses Bayberry California lilac Heather Trees Acacia Aralia Bottle Tree Gray Birch Common Pater Mulberry European Hackberry Carob Monterey Cypress Eucalyptus Fig Juniper Osage Orange Chinaberry Common Olive White Poplar Black Locust Siberian Elm Gray Dogwood Amur Maple Succulents Succulents (leaf color) Aconium arborium - green Cotyledon orbiculata -gray- green, red-edged Crassula argentea - 'Sunset', yellow, tinged red C. 'Campfire' - green, turns orange-red with maturity Dudleya brittonii - chalky blue Echeveria agavoides 'RubyLips' - green, tips reddish brown Kalanchoe pumila - lavender Sedum adolphii - orange,bronze S. rubrotinctum 'Aurora' - pink to bronze Sempervivum tectorum - gray green, tipped reddish brown Senecio serpens - blue-gray S. mandraliscae - blue-gray (flower color) Aconium floribundum - yellow Aloe aristata - orange-red A.saponaria - orange to pink A. vera - yellow Bulbine cuulescens - lemon Crassula falcata - deep red C. multicava - pink Delosperma cooperi - purple D. nubigenum - golden yellow Echeveria elegans - pink E. imbricata - orange-red E. pulvinata - red E. Set-oliver - red and yellow Kalanchoe pumila - lavender Lampranthus productus - purple L. aurantiacus - orange L. spectabilis - pink, red, purple Desert Trees: # Catclaw Acacia, Acacia greggii,18' high by 15' wide. Deciduous. # Sweet Acacia, Acacia smallii, 30' high by25' wide. Deciduous. # Netleaf (Canyon) Hackberry, Celtis laevigata, var. reticulata, 30' high by 25' wide. Deciduous # Blue Palo Verde, Cercidium floridum, 20' high by 20' wide. Deciduous. # Foothills Palo Verde, Cercidium microphylum, 20' X 20'. Deciduous. # Mexican Rosebud, Cercis Canadensis, var. mexicana, 20'X 12'. Deciduous. # Desert Willow, Chilopsis linearis, 25' X 15'. Deciduous. # Italian Cypress, Cupressus sempervirens, 60' X 8'. Evergreen. # Texas Persimmon, Diospyros texana, 30' X 20'. Deciduous. # Littleleaf Ash, Fraxinus greggi, 15' X 8'. Semi-Evergreen. # Alligator Juniper, Juniperus deppeana, 20' X 18'. Evergreen. # One-seed Juniper, Juniperus monosperma, 18' X 10'. Evergreen. # Mexican Palo Verde, Leuceana retusa, 30' X 30'. Deciduous. # Afghan Pine, Pinus eldarica, 70' X 30'. Evergreen. # Aleppo Pine, Pinus halepensis, 40' X 15'. Evergreen. # Mt. Atlas Pistache, Pistacia atlantica, 30' X 20'. Deciduous. # Texas Pistache, Pistacia mexicana (pistacia texana), 20' X 15'. Semi-evergreen. # Chilean Mesquite, Prosopis chilensis, 30' X 30'. Semi-evergreen. # Honey Mesquite, Prosopis glandulosa, 25' X 25'. Deciduous. # Screwbean Mesquite, Prosopis pubescens, 20' X 15'. Deciduous. # Arizona White Oak, Quercus arizonica, 35' X 30'. Evergreen. # Gray Oak, Quercus grisea, 30' X 25'. Evergreen. # Mexican Blue Oak, Quercus oblongifolia, 25' X 20'. Deciduous. # Cork Oak, Quercus suber, 30' X 20', Evergreen. # Mexican Elder, Sambucus mexicana, 35' X 15'. Semi-eveergreen. # Western Soapberry, Sapindus saponaria, var. drummondii, 30' X 20'. Deciduous. Low water use desert shrubs: # Whitehorn Acacia, Acacia constricta, 12 feet high and 10 feet wide. Deciduous. # Blackbrush Acacia, Acacia rigidula, 18 feet high by 10 feet wide, deciduous. # Desert Honeysuckle, Anisacanthus thurberi, five feet by 4 feet. Deciduous. # Manzanita, Arctostaphylos pungens, five feet high by 10 feet wide. Evergreen. #White beebrush, Aloysia gratissima, eight feet by five feet. Deciduous. # Flame acanthus, Anisacanthus quadrifidus, five feet by four feet. Deciduous. # Sand Sagebrush, Artemesia filifolia, six feet by five feet. Evergreen. # Four-wing saltbush, Atriplex canescens, six feet by eight feet. Semi-evergreen. # Desert broom, Baccharis sarothroides, 10 feet by eight feet. Evergreen. # Quail bush, Atriplex lentiformis, 12 feet by 15 feet. Semi-Evergreen. # Red barberry, Berberis haematocarpa, five by five. Evergreen. # Mentor barberry, Berberis mentorensis, seven by seven. Deciduous. # Red-leaf Japanese barberry, Berberis thunbergii 'atropurperea', two feet by two feet. Deciduous. # Wooly butterfly bush, Buddleia marrubiifolia, four feet by four feet. Semi-evergreen. Desert bird of paradise, Caesalpinia gilliesii, 8 X 6. Deciduous. # Mexican bird of paradise, Caesalpinia mexicana, 10 X 6. Deciduous. # Fairy duster, Calliandra eriophylla, 4 X 3. Deciduous. # Desert Hackberry, Celtis pallida, 8 X 10.Deciduous. # Winterfat, Ceratoides lanata, 3 X 2. Evergreen. # Fernbush, Chamaebatiaria millefolium, 6 X 4. Evergreen. # Cliffrose, Cowania mexicana, 12 X 8. Evergreen. # Turpentine bush, Ericamia laricifolia, 3 X 2. Evergreen. # Rubber Rabbitbush, Ericameria nauseous, 6 X 6. Semi-evergreen. # Flattop buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum, 1.5 X 2. Evergreen. # Apache Plume, Fallugia paradoxa, 6 X 5. Evergreen. # New Mexico Privet, Foresteria neomexicana, 15 X 10, Deciduous. # Bush lantana, Lantana camara, 4 X 6. Perennial. # Creosote bush, Larrea tridentate, 5 X 5. Evergreen. # Cimarron sage, Leucophyllum langmaniae, 5 X 5. Evergreen. # Fragrant rain sage, Leucophyllum pruinosum, 5 X 5. Evergreen. # Pale Wolfberry, Lycium palladium, 4 X 5. Deciduous. # Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicfolia, 6 X 6. Deciduous. # Desert rosemary mint, Poliomintha incana, 3 X 4. Semi-evergreen. # Shrub oak, Quercus turbinella, 15 X 10. Evergreen. # Littleleaf sumac, Rhus microphylla, 8 X 10. Deciduous. # Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, 3 X 4. Evergreen. # Texas mountain laurel, Soflora secundiflora, 15 X 10. Evergreen. # Spanish broom, Spartium junceum, 8 X 5. Evergreen. # Mexican blue sage, Salvia chamaedryoides, 2 X 3. Semi-evergreen. # Chaparrel sage, Salvia clevelandii, 4 X 5. Evergreen. # Yellow bells, Tecoma stans, 6 X 4. Deciduous. # Mexican buckeye, Ungnadia speciosa, 15 X 10. Deciduous. # Arizona rosewood, Vauquelina californica, 15 X 10. Evergreen. (First numeral is the height,second numeral is the canopy width.) Low water use groundcovers: * Prairie Sagebrush, also known as White Sagebrush, Artemesia ludoviciana, 2' X 3', evergreen. * Coyote Bush, Baccharis hybrid, 4' high X 5' wide, evergreen. * California Ice Plant, Carpobrotus chilensis, 1' high X 5' wide. Evergreen. * Common Ice Plant, Carpobrotus edulis, 1' high X 5'wide. Evergreen. * Trailing Yellow Dalea, Dalea capitata, 1' high X 5' wide. Evergreen. * Prostrate Indigo Bush, also known as Trailing Indigo Bush, Dalea greggii, 1' high X 3' wide. Evergreen. * Trailing lantana, Lantana montevidensis, 1' high X 3' wide. Perennial. * Prostrate Rosemary, Romarius prostrates, 2' high X 8' wide. Evergreen. * Skullcap, Scutellaria suffretescens, 2' high X 3' wide. Evergreen. * Stonecrop, Sedum spp. , six inches high X 2' wide. Low water use perenials: # Fragrant sand verbena, Abronia fragrans, 1.5' high X 3' wide. # Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, 1.5' high X 6-8 inches wide. # Blue Star, Amsonia spp. , 2' high X 1' wide. # Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberose, 2' high X 2' wide. # Chocolate daisy, Berlanderia lyrata, 2' high X 1' wide. # Desert marigold, Baileya multiradiata, 1.5' high X 1' wide. # Sundrops, Calylophus hartwegii, 1' high X 3' wide. # Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja integra, 1.5' high X six inches wide. # Blue Mist, Conoclinium gregii, 3' high X 2' wide. # Coreopsis, Coreopsis lanceolata, 2' high X 1' wide. # Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpera, 3' high X 1' wide. # Cutleaf daisy, Engelmannia pinnatifida, 3' high X 2' wide. # Spreading fleabane daisy, Erigeron divergens, 1.5' high X 2' wide. # Western Wallflower, Erysimum capitatum, 3' high X 1' wide. # Siberian Wallflower, Erysimum hieracifolium, 1.5' high X 1' wide. # Red Indian Blanket, Gaillardia amblyodon, 1' high X 2' wide. # Blanket Flower (Firewheel), Gaillardia spp. , 1' high X 1' wide. # Golden Aster, Heterotheca villosa, 1.5' high X 1.5' wide. # Gayfeather, Liatris punctata, 3' high X 1' wide. # Blue Flax, Linum lewisii, 2' high X 1' wide. # Plains Penstemon, Penstemon ambiguous, 4' high X 3' wide. # Scarlet Bugler, Penstemon barbatus, 2' high X 2' wide. # Canyon Penstemon, Penstemon pseudospectabilis, 3' high X 2' wide. # Blue Sage, Salvia farinaceae, 1.5' high X 1' wide. # Mexican Bush Sage, Salvia leucantha, 4' high X 4' wide. # Globe Mallow, Sphaeralcea sp. , 3' high X 5' wide. # Mountain Marigold, Tagetes lemmonii, 3' high X 3' wide. # Angelita Daisy, Tetraneuriis acaulis, 1' high X 1' wide. # Hummingbird Trumpet, Zauschneria California, 2' high X 3' wide. # Rain Lily, Zephryanthus spp. , 1' high X six inches wide. Use a combination of plants from the above list for your garden design. Many arid region plants will do well under certain trees,such as mesquite and even benefit from the cool temperatures and nutrients provided by the tree. You can either change the soil type by for example,adding organic material or leave the soil in its present state and use plants adapted to that soil type. Sandy soils do not hold water well and lack nutrients. To conserve water use rocks and gravel. Gravel and small rocks can be used as mulch and larger rocks can be used as accents or to construct a rock garden. Mulch is necessary to conserve water,either as an organic mulch or gravel. Since you will have to limit the number of plants used, to conserve water,use gravel and rock to create "dry landscape" effects. The gravel and rocks will also help hold the soil in place. You may want to begin rain harvesting. This involves using various strategies to capture rain water for use by your plants. It could involve collecting water in rain barrels fed by water from your roof,diverting water from your roof or other runoff areas directly to your garden and constructing holding areas in your garden to collect rain water. Good luck. Write back if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment from Questioner: Wow! This is exactly what I have been trying to learn! Thank you so much for your suggestions. I knew nothing about plants that will grow in this area. Now I have names! And variety! This is a lot more than I expected. Thank you so, so much! 71. Hiding Propane Tank: What type of bushes design would you suggest to cover up a ugly propane tank that is an eye sore? Answer: The shrubs on the following list have proven to be good for your purpose: Lilac(Syringa) Grows to 6 feet high. Can be pruned into a hedge. Korean lilac is a dwarf variety and is hardy. This variety grows to 4 to 5 feet high. Yew(taxus baccata). Grows 6 to 8 feet high. Holly(Ilex). Needs acidic soil. Grows 5 to 8 feet high. Firethorn(pyacantha coccinea). Drought tolerant. Grows 3 to 5 feet high. Leyland cyprus(Cupressocyparis Leylandii). Columnar evergreen. Salt tolerant. Grows 5 to 9 feet high. Privet(ligustrum). Very hardy. Will grow in almost all soil types. Grows 5 to 6 feet high. All these shrubs are evergreen and so will hide the tank year round. They spread to about 3 feet in width. Hedging the plants may help if space is a problem. You may also want to consider a lattice fence or regular board fence. Leave space around the tank for service and leave about 3 feet of air space around the tank. If the propane tank is tightly enclosed there is a possibility of gas buildup. If you choose to use a fence,leave air gaps in the fence to allow for air circulation around the tank. These shrubs will grow in most regions but check to see if they will grow in your particular region. If you are in a fire hazard area,putting any flammable material around your tank is not recommended and may be in violation of municipal codes. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 72. Shrubs for Foundation Wall: I live in TN. I have a basement to my home. I don't know what types of shrubs to plant near my basement wall without them causing damage to the wall. Do you have any ideas?? Answer: Here is a list of plants that do well as foundation plantings. Check to see if they will grow in your area: Dwarf Abelia "Little Richard" (Abelia) Arborvitae "Berkmans Golden" (Arborvitae) Arborvitae "Emerald Green" (Arborvitae) Boxwood "Wintergreen" (Buxus macrophylla) Boxwood "Harlandi Dwarf" (Buxus) Camelia Japonicus-Spring Flowering (Camelia) Camelia Sasanquas-Fall Blooming (Camelia) Cleyera (Ternstroemia) Cryptomeria "Dwarf Global" ( Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana') Holly "Carissa" (Ilex) Holly "Compacta" (Ilex crenata) Holly "Dwarf Burfordi" (Ilex) Holly "Dwarf Yaupon Bordeaux" (Ilex vomitoria) Holly "Soft Touch" (Ilex crenata) Holly "Fosteri" ( Ilex attenuata) Holly "Nelli Stephens" (Ilex) Holly "Weeping Yaupon" (Ilex vomitoria) Indian Hawthorne "Eleanor Tabor" (Raphiolepis) Indian Hawthorne "Snow" (Raphiolepis) Juniper "Bar Harbor" (Juniperus wiltoni) Juniper "Blue Point" (Juniperus chinensis) Juniper "Blue Rug" (Juniperus horizontalis) Juniper "Hetzi Columnar" (Juniper hetzi columnaris) Juniper "Hollywood" aka "Torolusa" (Juniperus chinensis 'Torolusa') Juniper "Sea Green" (Juniperus chinensis) Loropetalums (Loroptelaum) Laurel 'Otto Luyken' (Prunus laurocerasus) Mahonia 'Grapeberry' or 'Leatherleaf' (Mahonia beali) Nandina 'Compacta' (Nandina domestica) Nandina 'Harbour Dwarf' - (True Dwarf) (Nandina domestica 'Harbour Dwf') Pittosporum 'Variegated' (Pittosporum) Rose 'Knockout' (Rosa) Spirea 'Gold Mound' (Spirea) Spirea 'Little Princess' (Spirea) Upright Yew (Podocarpus) Yucca 'Adams Needle' (Yucca filamentosa) Keep any shrubs 5 feet from your foundation to avoid damage from roots and to prevent damage that may occur from watering the shrubs. The following shrubs may contain poisonous berries and/or bright colored leaves which may be a hazard to children. The children may be tempted to eat the leaves or berries: Holly Yew Privet Laurel Rhododendron Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 73. Dwarf Japanese Maple Appraisal I have an eight year old Dwarf Japanese Maple tree that is the fine lacy type. In the fall it is bright red and in the summer months turns green with faint red on the edges of the lacy leaves. In the fall it turns scarlett red. A contractor has damaged it and I am having difficulty finding out its species and value. Is there an expert that I can email photos to that can help me identify my tree. Answer: You should have this tree evaluated for its value by personal inspection. The tree should be physically examined by an expert appraiser to really get to its true value. The siting of the tree in the landscape and how it fits in with the rest of the property must also be considered. Some of this is a gut feeling thing that only an experienced tree appraiser can perform. The Dwarf Japanese Maple is of only one species; acer palmatum but cultivars of this species include: Aratama, Kashima, Beni Hoshi, Kiyohime, Beni Hime, Kinra, Green Star, Geisha, Ukon, Yubae, Wou Nishiki, and Baby Lace. The International Society of Arboriculture is a top authority on tree appraisal. They have published "The Guide for Plant Appraisal",available at their website: www.ag.uiuc.edu/~isa/welcome.html To locate a tree appraiser in your area write the American Society of Consulting Arborists at 15245 Shady Grove Road, Suite 130; Rockville, MD 20850; or call at (301) 947-0483. Or you can go to their website: http://www.asca-consultants.org/ and submit your question to one of their experts. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 74. Jasmine Vine Caused Damage To Fence: A neighbor has jasmine vines which have been allowed to overgrow their yard and overtake my fence. My fence was destroyed due to their negligence. It cost me $500.00 to have my fence replaced. Could I sue the the neighbor for this damage. I have photos available. I am not sure if you can help as I could not find a category for my question. Thank you, Answer: It is an established fact that vines can damage a fence in various ways,such as twining between the boards and causing splitting of the boards and by placing too much weight on the fence,causing its collapse,so it sounds like you may have a good case in court. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment: I did take your advice went to court and won my case. 75. Lawn Shaded By Redwoods: I live near sacramento, have had trouble getting my lawn to grow in the back for numerous years. The lawn is surrounded by redwoods, mostly shady. Lawn is very thin. Have tried numerous types of grass seed. Thanks for any advice. Answer: I would suggest that if you want a true grass, try fescue. This grass is very shade tolerant. Apply a fertilizer formulated for fescue. Cover plants that resemble grass and are shade tolerant are liriope ("monkey grass") and the mondo grasses. Liriope spicata (common type). Narrow leaves,6 to 18 inches long. Spreads aggressively,produces flowers and makes a thick even turf and tolerates deep shade. Liriope spicata (silver dragon). Narrow white and green variegated foliage,which tends to revert to solid green in deep shade,12 inches long. Does not spread as aggressively as liriope spicata common type. Tolerates deep shade. Dwarf mondo grass (ophiopogon japonicus). Tolerates full shade and drought. Grows to 6 inches tall. Grows thick and resembles a coarse broad leaf grass. You also might want to check out the various shade tolerant ground covers. Pachysandra and periwinkle (vinca minor) are among the top ten deep shade tolerant ground covers. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment: Thank you!! 76. Can Tree Roots Be Covered With Soil: Someone told me that you can't ring a tree with landscape blocks and fill it with soil for flowers because it will kill the tree. My question is, can I ring the tree with landscape blocks and fill with soil? Answer: You should absolutely not place soil over tree roots. This will smother the roots. Up to 4 inches of organic mulch can be placed over the roots because material like wood chip mulch is much lighter and has better pore space (air and water gets through) but soil is much too dense and heavy. Flowers can sometimes be grown in the soil around the tree roots but only in the existing soil under the tree. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 77. Downspout Buried in Concrete Patio: My daughter had a concrete patio made. Instead of cutting the rain gutter (from roof down side of house) the contractor cemented the gutter into the patio so it is now draining under the cemented patio. Last night we noticed her hardwood kitchen floor soaking wet. The patio is off the kitchen. Is it possible that the rain that fell into the roof drain and down the side of the house in the gutter, got plugged or backed up because the water had no where to go from the previous rain OR possible all the water used washing off the patio could have backed up causing damage to the floor. Thank you for your help!! Answer: It is possible that water is backing straight up the downspout,overflowing onto the side of the house and from there leaking into the kitchen and/or pooling under the patio and leaking into the kitchen from there,depending on how high the kitchen floor is from the patio. Remove the downspout from the patio and install a new one and connect it to pipe that runs either on the surface or beneath the patio if possible. There must be an outlet that allows the water to drain away a safe distance from the house. The underside of the patio itself is not a good place to dispose of water. If you want to run the downspout underneath the patio slab you will have to bore a hole for the pipe horizontally. Depending on how wide the patio is you may be able to do this by hand. First,cut a 45 degree chisel point onto the end of a section of pvc pipe,then dig a trench perpendicular to the patio and wide enough and long enough to allow the pipe to be moved under the slab. The digging pipe should be about 2 or 3 inches in diameter. Gouge out sections of soil and then remove the pipe. Push a smaller pipe through the an end of the digging pipe to remove the soil plug and then repeat digging. Tap the end of the pipe into the soil with a sledge and then work it in a twisting motion like a drill. Or you could rent a horizontal boring machine. This machine has an auger head attached to a flexible drill rod. Holes can be drilled to 75 feet in length. Im not sure if residential models are equiped for slurry (a water and bentonite clay mixture which cools the auger head,makes the soil easier to remove and the tunnel more stable). If you bury the pipe,choose a type of pipe that is suitable for burial. That type of pipe is often rigid. The ordinary black corrugated drain pipe is not suitable for burial,although there is a type of corrugated flexible drain pipe that is. Of course if alot of water was used to clean the patio then this may account for your flooding. In any case,it would not be desirable to have rain water emptying immediately outside your house wall and it certainly would not be desirable to drain rain water from your gutter under your patio. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 78. Deer Fence: I have a garden in my backyard that backs up to a pond so we have tons of wildlife. Planting flowers specifically to attract butterflies and hummingbirds is a great idea too. The only problem I have is the deer eating all my lilies and phlox down to the ground before they even bloom. How do I stop them? Answer: The most effective deer deterent is a fence. A vertical deer fence needs to be at least 8 feet high. These fences can be purchased in kit form and consist of coated metal or aluminum fence posts,tension wire,a gate,braces and landscape staples. It is important that the fencing has a gate so that in case any deer happen to get inside the fencing they can easily be allowed to escape. The bottom of the fence must be secured to the ground with landscape staples so deer cannot crawl under the fence. The length of the staples depends on the soil type;a loam and thus softer soil,would require a longer staple for instance. Rebar staples are recommended for clay or rocky soil. The fencing is constructed of plastic or metal wide mesh and is available in low visibility form so that the fencing is not overly apparent in the landscape and blends in with the surroundings. Colored streamers or some other kind of marker should be tied to the fencing to warn deer of its presence as deer have poor eyesight. A slanted deer fence is angled away 30 to 45 degrees from the protected area and can be of only a 5 feet length. Since deer have poor depth perception they will not attempt to cross such a fence even though in many cases they could. These fences can also be electrified. Existing wooden fences can also be retrofitted with this type of fencing. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 79. Watering Basin for Garden: I buried 20' of 3" pvc to divert rain water to create a wet spot in south facing garden. Created a drainage bed, 3 'deep, and 3' square. Lined the bottom with 6 " layer of rock wrapped in landscaping cloth. It has never worked effectively-backs up and overflows-slowly seeps out into its destination. Pipe is clear. What do I need to do so water flows freely into the drainage area short of digging up the whole line? The pipe should also have a proper pitch to it. Perhaps the pitch is too shallow for the water to flow with any speed. Or perhaps the pipe outlet is not at the right height. If you have the outlet of the pipe near the top you will only get the overflow water from the trench. The pipe outlet should be as close to the bottom as possible. Also,for this size trench,a 3 inch pipe sounds a bit undersized;at least a 4 inch pipe would be better. If you backfilled the pit with soil and that soil has poor drainage characteristics such as a clay soil would have,then perhaps the water is being held in the soil. The pit should be backfilled with rock or gravel up to the first 18 inches. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. This pit is really not very large. Sounds like it has a volume of about 60 gallons. If some of the water is seeping out into the surrounding soil then not much will get to your garden. Gravel or rock fill would further reduce the water volume. If the pipe is backing up then perhaps the pitch is not steep enough. A slow seepage from the pipe may just mean that not enough water is getting from the pit into the pipe since the pit has such a low volume. Depending on how much garden area you want to water,I would suggest you make the pit bigger and think about installing a plasctic drywell or a lining of some other material to prevent water loss into the surrounding soil. Perhaps you could leave the top open with a grate over it or lay topsoil over it. Plastic drywells have precut holes for installing pipes. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 80. Grading of Residential Lot: Hi, I live in PA and am looking to purchase a home that is a small 1300sf ranch home on a .61 acre lot. There is a stone patio that is fairly decent size and then the rest of the lot is steep and built all around the house on a corner lot. I was thinking of buying it and doing an addition but would def want to take advantage of the large lot for grass for the kids to play on.. Is this an extremely costly undertaking? The house is about $229,000 and we would need to do a 2nd floor addition of at least 800 ft. Then as I said we want to utilize at least .30 as yard space. Are there strict laws about regrading ? Thank you for your time. Answer: Construction cost for buildings range typically from 50 to 100 dollars per square foot;much would depend on labor costs in your area. For grading you will need a permit from your municipality and you may need the grading designed by an engineer and built by a contractor qualified in such work. Often regrading cannot be allowed to increase storm water flow and erosion from such work must be controlled. The cost of grading can also be greatly increased if new topsoil and other types of fill have to be brought to the site. Grading sometimes also makes devices such as retaining walls and drainage devices necessary and that also adds to the overall cost. Erosion control may include devices such as ersosion control mesh,seeding to establish vegetation,silt fences and water retention basins. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 81. Sod Steps: I'm attempting to create flared steps made out of sod on a short slop in my landscape. {Sort of "Masa Picchue" like} There will be a Boxwood Hedge on either side .I live in Atlanta GA. [Zone 8] Could you please advise how to do this? The dimensions are: run-21' rise-30" 1st step-6'wide last step-10'wide I would very much appreciate the help. Thank you. Answer: I will assume you mean the run as being the top point where you come off the 6 feet long step and onto the top of the slope and the bottom point of the run as being the point where you come off the last step onto ground level. Thus the risers would have to be 7-1/2 inches high for 3 steps. If the first step is 6 feet wide and the last step is 10 feet wide,then that leaves the space in the middle which is 5 feet wide and that consists of 3 steps. You could use 4 X 4 or larger landscape timbers as containment for the sod or concrete. Perhaps a continuous concrete stringer down the length of the steps. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment from Questioner: Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the time that you took in considering my question. 82. Swimming Pool Heater Noise Suppression: We are bothered by noise from a neighbor's gas-fired pool heater exhaust vents which point in our direction. The slope of the properties prevents any mitigation measures on our end, but our neighbor is willing to have us address the noise on his property at the source. The gas company troubleshooter said we should address the problem through landscaping. What would you recommend we do? Answer: I would suggest some type of acoustic wall and/or an insulated enclosure for the heater.Walls can be constructed of concrete,masonry or wood. The most effective would be concrete filled with solid foam insulation. Locate the wall as close to the noise source as possible. A concrete wall would consist of a series of horizontal concrete boards layed into slots in concrete posts,the space between the outside and inside concrete boards being filled with solid foam insulation. The structure must continue to the ground since noise will get through any gaps at ground level. An ordinary concrete block,stone or brick wall will also have some sound deadening effect. A concrete block wall filled with solid foam in the openings in the individual blocks would be much more effective. The comparitively least effective sound barrier would be a wooden timber fence. This type of fence consists of heavy timbers layed horizontally between timber supports. An ordinary wooden fence would not be very effective since it is too thin and sound would transmit through any gaps in the fence. Another type of wooden fence could be made of exterior plywood panels with solid foam insulation sandwiched between. An exterior plywood fence may have a shorter lifespan than other wood fence types. The plywood must be kept coated. It is important to seal the tops of all foam filled fences to keep water out. Build the fence as high and as long as possible. Most likely the fence will have to be constructed over the legal fence height for your area and you may need to apply for a variance from your zoning board. You might also want to consider an acoustic enclosure for the heater. This is an insulated box that would surround the heater. This option would be alot cheaper than a concrete fence but I cannot tell you how effective it would be. Noise also may be coming from moving parts in the heater and/or expansion and contraction from heat and cooling. Perhaps the heater can be noise isolated,rubber boots,pads,etc..applied to the heater to stop noise from vibrations. Some noise may be coming from vibrations that transmit through the ground and air and reverberate off building surfaces. Since you are downslope,perhaps some noise is reverberating inside the area created by the slope. Manufacturers of this type of equipment often do not make a serious effort at sound engineering even though such engineering can often be done at comparitively low cost. Perhaps the heater could be replaced with a quieter model. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 83. Plants for Long Hedge: I live in Chicago, IL. I would like a hedge to offer privacy and hide about 100 ft. of tru-link fence. Can you suggest something that offers more than one type of tree or bush? I would like a little variety or would that look messy? Answer: Since the run of shrubs would be so long,including more than one variety would be desirable to enhance visual appeal and also including more than one variety offers increased protection against disease,since if disease strikes,it is not likely to wipe out the whole planting. I would also suggest you plant a few trees from the list below to further visual appeal: Shrubs: Barberry Privet Juniper Forsythia Linden Rhododendron Arborvitae Spruce Lilac Trees: Serviceberry Dogwood Crape Myrtle (Very hardy and disease resistant) Crab Apple Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 84. Rubble Left in Swimming Pool: I don't know if you can help me with this but my husband and I just bought a house that previously had a pool in the backyard. The previous owners did not correctly fill in this pool- they busted up the concrete and tore up some of the vinyl liner and threw it into the hole and filled the rest in with dirt and sand (it looks and feels like sand to me anyway). Moving to my problem- We go through a few months a year of what we call our rainy seasons. During these times we have a 'lake' in our backyard. We have trying digging about a foot to 2 feet down to remove the concrete and vinyl liner sections that are close to the top of the ground and then putting more dirt in as we go. Which seemed to work for a while but then the rain started again and our lake it back. I know the ground is completely saturated all around the property because we have puddles everywhere- but can you give me any advice on how do to get rid of this lake?! Thanks for your time! Answer: Concrete from the work should have been removed from the pool and the bottom should have been completely removed. Large areas of concrete in the pool will impede drainage and if the sides of the pool are in tact that also could impede drainage. The best course of action would be to remove the entire bottom of the pool. Drilling drainage holes in the bottom may not be sufficient. It is unlikely that all the walls of the pool are impeding drainage,but,for instance,the wall on the deep end of the pool may and if this is the case,that wall should be taken completely out. My advice to you would be to remove all the concrete and vinyl from the pool. That of course will require removing the entire soil content from the pool. The top two feet of soil should be a quality top soil. The underlying layer can be of lesser quality but it must be compacted well. It should be relatively porous;clay for instance,would not be suitable. If you bring in heavy equipment for this,such as a backhoe,take steps to protect any lawn or paving areas that such equipment can damage. Plywood can be placed over lawn areas to prevent tires or tracks from tearing up the grass. Tracked vehicles,depending on their weight,can damage paved surfaces such as an asphalt driveway. Plywood or some kind of temporary roadway material such as steel plates or matting may prevent this. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Check to see if any warranty you may have on the house would cover this. If this was a precondition that was not revealed to you than your warranty may entitle you to be compensated. In many municipalities,codes state that all debri from swimming pools may not be deposited back into the pool and that all debri must be removed from the property and disposed of properly. Violators can be fined and made to remedy all damages caused. If this work was done by a contractor perhaps they can be found and forced to remedy the situation. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 85. Driveway Drainage: I have 150 foot driveway and about 50 feet up the driveway is a center island which splits the driveway and then it goes back into one. Just about every time it rains the driveway gets washed out at the bottom about 4 feet in on each side. I have put rocks in the ditches and scraped the gravel from the road and refilled the ditches in again but it always washes out into the road. I was thinking about making a drainage ditch along the sides of the driveway and filling the ditches in with crushed rock. I just don't know how deep to dig the ditch. I will try to get a picture for you tomorrow (it's dark outside right now) it will probably be easier for you to see what I am trying to explain. Answer: Ditches would need an outlet to drain to and judging by the pic Im not sure if there is one. I do not think we are dealing with a 20 percent slope here. The slope looks to be quite low and that may be part of the problem and the water is probably slowing as it comes around that curve at the top of the driveway. The average drainage ditch is about 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep. If these dimensions do not prove adequate and overflowing occurs,just dig the ditches a little deeper and wider and gradually increase the depth and width until the ditches can handle the flow. Slope the sides of the ditches. Ditches with perpendicular shaped sides tend to get more erosion. Keep the bottom of the ditches flat or slightly rounded. Lining the ditches with grass helps to prevent erosion and thus the depositing of silt downstream. If you use stone to line the ditches,use stones with about a 4 inch size,as smaller stones or gravel will tend to wash away. If possible use stones from 4 to 8 inches so that an interlocking of the stones occurs. Smaller stones,about 1 inch in size can be used,but only under larger stones. A non-woven geotextile fabric under the stones or grass would be helpful in controlling erosion. Stones will decrease the volume of the ditch and slow the flow velocity alot more than grass. Silt will also deposit between stones over time and weeds may grow. Perhaps a drywell at the end of the driveway would be more appropriate than drainage ditches but this too would need an outlet,although some of the water could soak into the soil. Or perhaps some sort of holding area for the water could be constructed at the end of the driveway. I would give a rough calculation of the water discharge to be about 150 cubic feet per second,so any structure built would have to be sized to handle that capacity. Drywells would need to extend below the frost line in your area. Drywells are typically 3 to 4 feet deep and about as wide. They are made as plastic units,can be constructed of concrete or can be trenches filled with rubble. Rubble filled drywells have less holding capacity. Prefabricated plastic drywells can also be layed on their side to form a pipe like structure. A holding area would need a highly pervious soil and/or gravel medium to allow a fast enough flow of water through it. Having the water first run through grass or some other vegetation before reaching the holding area is useful in that it allows silt to settle and prevents clogging of the holding area. The soil will have to be porous enough to allow water to soak out of the drywells and to determine that you must do a percolation test. Dig a hole about 1 foot deep and about as wide and fill with water. The water must soak out in 24 hours. I would suggest a total holding capacity of 4000 gallons for drywells and/or a holding area. If drywells are not practical than perhaps large catch basins could be used but they must have an outlet because catch basins do not soak water out into the surrounding soil,they just collect water and drain it elsewhere through their outlet pipes. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment from Questioner: Thank you very much for the response, it was very quick and well thought out. 86. Staining Stone: I have made a sign by embedding small local stones (3/4-1") in concrete to read "Lake Marion" (a memorial by a lake named for my wife). Did not want to dye concrete, as I've seen such fade. But there is too little contrast between some stones and the concrete. What can I use to dye the stones a darker color (as e.g. linseed oil w/an umber stain brings out color in or adds color to wood)? It will be outside. Answer: Try brick stain or an iron oxide paint on one of the stones to see what results are achieved. Brick stain consists of iron oxide (which is essentially the same thing as rust) and a binding agent such as potassium silicate. Pigments can be added for greater color variation. Iron oxide paints are often used on pottery but may not be as penetrating or long lasting as brick stain on stone. Stone tends to be denser,in many cases,than brick or concrete. The more porous stone would be sandstone and limestone,but stone such as granite tends to be very dense. The penetration power comes from the iron oxide. Iron oxide paints are available in the following earth colors: Yellow: light yellow ocher colonial yellow ocher dark yellow ocher curry yellow natural yellow lemon yellow Orange: apricot havana ocher Red: red ocher venetian red red brick natural red black currant red plum violet burnt sienna Brown: clay brown light sienna raw sienna natural sienna brown ocher brown natural umber burnt umber raw umber terra cotta dark brown Green: nicosia green verona green earth turquoise green pistaschio green viridian green Blue: sky blue lavender blue charron blue ultramarine blue Neutral: titanium white slate pewter gray natural black black Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 87. Desert Privacy Hedge: I have a house in Sedona, Arizona (high desert) on a small lot -- where my dining room, kitchen, and bedroom look out directly into the dining room, kitchen and bedroom of my neighbor's house (which is only about 60' away. There is a 3' chain link fence along the property line already (my neighbor put it in) and rather than putting up a taller wood fence, I'm wondering if there is some kind of small tree or shrub (ideally evergreen) that I could plant that would grow to 6-8' tall and require relatively little water (and that would be very hardy)? Since I'm hoping to completely screen the neighbors, I would want the trees or shrubs to completely grow together. If you could recommend something and let me know how far apart they should be planted, I would very much appreciate it. Thanks! Answer: Here is a list of evergreen privacy hedge plants that are drought tolerant and adapted to a desert environment: Emerald Green Thuga. Grows 8 to 12 feet high,but can be trimmed down. Extremely drought tolerant and disease and insect resistant. Obtains a columnar shape that has a pruned look. Grows in almost any soil from sandy loam to clay. Plant every 3 feet to achieve a thick barrier. Nellie Stevens Holly. Grows 15 to 25 feet but can be trimmed down. Good drought tolerance. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions. Plant 4 feet apart. Common Privet (ligustrum vulgare). Grows to 15 feet high. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions. Produces clusters of tiny white flowers. Plant 4 to 6 feet apart. Atriplex Torreyi. Native to the Southwest. Grows 6 to 8 feet high. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart. Desert Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii). Fast growth to 10 feet high. Requires infrequent deep watering. Produces yellow flowers with protruding bright red stamens in the summer. Plant 4 to 6 feet apart. Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii). Grows 4 to 6 feet high. Produces small yellow flowers in April and bright red berries in Fall. Plant 3 to 6 feet apart. Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa). Grows 6 to 10 feet high. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions. Produces red flowers in April. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart. Rock Rose (Cistus ladanifer). Grows to 5 feet high. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions. Produces white flowers in June and July. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart. Sea Tomato (Rosa rugosa). Grows to 8 feet high. Produces fragrant single or double white,yellow,pink or purplish red flowers. Also produces bright red tomato shaped fruit. Plant 4 to 6 feet apart. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus). Grows to 6 feet high. Produces pink flowers in May and June and white fruit in late summer to winter. Plant 4 to 6 feet apart. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment from Questioner: Thanks for the thoughtful response -- and for providing such a rich variety of alternatives for us to consider!! 88. Plants to Complement Blue Spruce Trees: Hi there. I was wondering what flowering bushes and perrenial flowers you would recogmend planting along with my blue spruce trees I have in my front yord. The trees are planted in trios and I wouldn't min putting a nice white or reddish flowering shrub next to them.. Also I have a yellow maple tree in the centre of the drive way what shrubs compliment this tree? Thank you. Answer: Here is a partial list of plants that would compliment your blue spruce and maple: Shrubs: Azalea. Grows to 5 feet high. Wide variety of flower colors. Requires acid soil. Chokeberry. Aronia arbutifolia. Grows 5 to 7 feet high. Spreads 2 to 3 feet. Tolerates wide range of soil types. Moderate growth rate. Flower color is pale pink. Fall flower color is red. Holly. Leatherwood. Dirca palustris. Grows to 6 feet high. Produces pale yellow flowers and berries. Ground Covers: Pachysandra Vinca Liriope. White and purple flower varieties. Very shade tolerant. Resembles tall grass. Bugleweed. Purple flowers. Grows to 1 foot high. Primrose. Grows to 1 foot high. Perrenials: Hosta Sedum. Various species. Very drought tolerant. Astilbe. Variety of flower colors. Grows to 3 feet high. Coralbell. Heuchera. Grows to 2 feet high. Flowers form on spike. Flower color is coral to pink. Bergenia. Bergenia cordifolia. Grows to 2 feet high. Bleeding heart. Dicentra. Grows to 3 feet high. Bugbane. Cimicifuga ramosa. Grows to 6 feet high. Tall spike with white flowers. Forget me not. Myosotis sylvatica. Grows to 1 feet high. Delicate blue flowers. Bulbs. Can be grown under trees before foliage forms in spring. Grape hyacinth Crocus Bluebells Daffodils Check further on the growing requirements and characteristics of these plants and see if they will grow in your zone. All the plants listed here will tolerate full shade,not including the bulbs. A maple tree would require extremely shade tolerant plants. I would recommend azalea as the first choice for a shrub. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 89. Drainage On High Water Table: Our yard has about a 3.5' drop over about 50 feet of space. We also have a high water table and the bottom of the yard is like a swamp. We are considering building a retaining wall and leveling the yard but that will require cutting down some very big old trees. We are looking for suggestions that will help to solve our drainage problem. Answer: I would suggest installing drainage pipe at the low area. The size of the drainage pipe and the number of drainage pipes is dictated by the volume of water and the flow rate needed to dispose of the water and of course the water will have to be moved to a suitable outlet. Pumping from wells may also be an option. Also,digging a swale or ditch on top of the area may prove useful. Moving this water to an outlet such as a storm sewer or stream will require a permit from your municipality. Hookups to storm sewers are sometimes required by municipal code to be installed by a licensed plumber. Filling the area may also be an option. This will effectively lower the height of the water table. By using this option you will avoid the problem of hooking up to a storm sewer or other outlet,but you may still need a permit. Municipal storm sewers,water systems and sanitary sewer systems are troubled entities these days because of many complex factors,the economy being one of them. These systems are becoming less efficient. It is better sometimes to try to remedy drainage problems by keeping them confined to the site. Perhaps you would not have to level the entire yard. You may be able to borrow fill soil for the wet area from another portion of the slope and make a terrace at the wet area with a retaining wall at that spot or use a combination of fill and some type of drainage. Perhaps the trees could be saved by building tree wells around them. These are circular retaining walls around the trees. The original grade remains at the trees while grade changes are made outside the wells. Combined with the high water table,the high slope is contributing to the drainage problem. The steeper the slope,the more water that sheds off. The water is not allowed to seep into the soil because the force of gravity sends it down the incline. So it seems that removing as much of the slope as possible would improve drainage because more water would seep into the soil and not end up flooding the bottom area at the foot of the slope. But of course you would have to take the tree problem into account when considering this. Tree wells may be less expensive than removing the trees. If fill is applied to the bottom area perhaps a dry well could be used to temporarily store water until it has had time to seep into the surrounding soil. Drywells have to be above the water table,however,or they will become ineffective. If you have a suitable outlet for water at the bottom of the slope,surface drainage in the form of a swale or ditch may be all you need to dispose of the water. Depending on how much water reaches the bottom of the slope and how fast it reaches the bottom this may be adequate but if surface drainage would be overwhelmed by the volume of water,a dry well could make a big difference by diverting water from the surface and thus relieving the strain on the surface drainage structure. Detailed calculations would be needed to more accurately determine what a solution would be. It could be possible that fill at the bottom of the slope may be able to absorb runoff water without the assistance of any drainage device. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment from Questioner: Thanks for your quick and very detailed response! 90. Drainage Around Home: Our neighborhood contains grass boulevards which are quite nice but I live on a low point of the crescent and water pools there. It makes it dangerous when spring hits anpd the snow melts during the day and still freezes at night. I was thinking of digging up the grass in the boulevard, as it is higher then the sidewalk, and replace it with a rock bed. Would this be the best thing to do and if so, how is the best way to go about it? Would it be the same as laying a patio, using gravel and sand? Thanks. Answer: Do you mean by boulevard, grass strips along the sidewalk outside your home? You can only work on that if it is your private property. If it is municipal property you cannot do any work to it without permission. Drainage should be done at the low point around your home,not on the higher area. Depending on what the actual topograhy looks like,a number of things could be considered such as catch basins,underground drainage pipes,french drains,trench drains,swales,drainage ditches,berms,etc... Catch basins are boxes layed flush to the ground with a grate over them. They are installed at a low point. Water flows into the box and is carried away by outlet pipes to a disposal point. French drains are trenches filled with gravel and sometimes with a perforated drainage pipe at the bottom. Drainage pipe is simply perforated pipe buried in a trench. Water is collected and carried to a disposal point. A trench drain is an elongated grated drain mounted flush to the ground in the shape of a box,something like a rain gutter. Water flows into it as a sheet and is carried to a disposal point. Swales are shallow vegetated depressions that conduct water to a disposal point. A drainage ditch is a deeper channel often cut in the form of a V or a half circle. A berm or dike is simply piled soil that blocks water. A rock bed might be useful as a swale lining or for a detention area but a sand bed would impede drainage rather than provide it. A detention area is an area for holding a quantity of water temporarily so that it can soak into the soil or be sent to a disposal point or both. Send a pic or a further description of the situation and I will try to give you more detailed suggestions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 91. Garden Tree Hedge: Question: I am dividing a section of the garden but do not want to use a hedge or fence approx 15 m. i want to use trees with rounded doming habit if possible but they should not get beyond 10 m finished height - not topierised or pleached - does not need to be evergreen. Any ideas gratefully accepted and ideas of where to get them for planting this year ( i thought about mulberry but can only get a feathered tree of 4 foot so just too small to start with ) many thanks in advance for your help. Answer: Here is a list of trees meeting your requirements: allee elm (good canopy tree,can be planted at large size) linden (street and canopy tree) birch maple hybrid willow oak siberian elm green ash quaking aspen hawthorn The only suggestion I can give about obtaining these trees is check with a local nursery. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 92. Landscape Contractor Job Pricing: I live in the Hamilton NJ area. I am a lawn service. I am starting to do hardscaping. I need to know the right way to price retaining walls and patios. I don't know if its by the sq ft or by the job. I was hoping to get some advice because i don't want to lose money on this type of thing i want to make money. So if you can get back to me on how I can do this while Im on the job or if its better to go home to do it on my computer. Please get back to me and give me a good way of doing this so i can take it out on the field and do it the right way. Answer: I would not make any cost estimates without drawings,produced by you or your client. With a drawing,based on a careful survey of the site,you can get a much more accurate cost estimate,than one produced by "guesstimating". Breaking the structures to be constructed into square or lineal foot units is a convenient way to take the total cost of doing the job and transfer it to the project. I suppose you could base some of your work on sketches made in the field but to make details and refine the drawing you will have to go back to an office. You will also have to check material prices and look up other references,which would require you to return to your office. Similarly,if you are given a concept or final drawing by your client,its usual to go back to an office. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 93. Paving To Eliminate Mud: Question: We have a doggy door on the house so the dogs are able to come in and out when they need to go outside. The problem is our back yard is full of red dirt. We had a nice set of grass until all the rain this winter -- it died. They are bringing in the red mud and ruining our kitchen floor. It takes a lot of time to clean the mud up. We were thinking of putting down gravel and then maybe a brick patio on top of it on part of the yard and then the other part maybe putting down pine straw so that they still have somewhere to use the bathroom. Do you have any ideas that will not be too costly? Thanks so much! Answer: The various asphalt pavings,which includes macadam and recycled asphalt,are in the lowest priced categories. This category also includes gravels,decomposed granite and rock dust pavings. In order of cost from low to high,the remaining categories would include: Precast concrete pavers. Concrete. Brick. I do not have any exact cost data for geogrid or terrapave but these are probably comparable with concrete in price or perhaps a bit lower. Geogrid is a square pattern metal or plastic grid in which gravel is deposited or grass is allowed to grow. The grid prevents soil compaction and so helps to control mud. Terrapave is decomposed granite with tree resin added. The tree resin gives it a superior hardness to ordinary decomposed granite paving. Ordinary decomposed granite can soften in rain. Terrapave rivals concrete and asphalt in hardness. Similar products to geogrid are concrete grid pavers. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 94. Pruning Colorado Blue Spruce: Question: I have a Colorado Blue Spruce tree in my front yard and would like to trim it. However, instead of the traditional trimming, where one would cut the bottom most branches, closest to the trunk, I would like to trim the tree in a V-shape. Per the attachment, I am thinking about cutting the branches from the base (stump) at a 45 degree angle. Please advise if this type of trimming would harm the tree. Would the branches grow back in full and regain the thickness? Or would they potentially brown and harm the rest of the tree? Your response would be very appreciated! Regards, Stanley. Answer: Pruning colorado blue spruce is not recommended. Regrowth will be impeded. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 95. Landscape Designer Training: Question: Hello, I would your advice on what type of education or training I need or should gain to be an effective landscape designer. As of now I’m a full time paid firefighter and my father owns a wholesale material business (stone, mulch, plants, pavers ect.) My goal is to be able to bid job sights, design, and oversee the development of individuals landscaping needs. I have no experience in this field, so please any suggesting as to how I should start would be of much help. Thank you, Answer: One strong foundation for landscape design is a knowledge of drafting,both of the manual type and by computer. It is important to learn how to convey ideas by drawings. Special emphasis should be placed on presentation drawings of various sorts,particularly 3D and realistic looking perspective drawings. Clients often cannot understand 2D technical drawings well but are more able to understand section views and 3D presentations. Drawing also gives a sense for how things are built and fit in the landscape. In my opinion drawing manually is a good foundation for getting a realistic hands on feel for drawing and of course being able to sketch ideas on paper is a skill that should be developed and is useful for field surveys which you would do as a landscape designer as part of the site analysis. Some knowledge of basic surveying would also be helpful. There are many online or campus based landscape design curriculums. Most community colleges offer landscape design courses and most include computer aided drafting but the quality varies greatly. Any field work you do is helpful to becoming a good landscape designer and since you indicate an interest in running a design/build then perhaps you could work on a landscaping crew,seek a job in gardening or groundskeeping or even surveying. Any outdoor work dealing with land is good experience. Horticulture is a prominent part of landscape design curriculums and so working for a nursery would also be a good start. Many nurseries offer landscape design services although a heavy emphasis is placed on planting design. In order to comprehensively meet the needs of your clients you should approach landscape design with the 3 pillars,which are,horticulture,civil engineering and architecture. For instance,you may be called upon to address complex drainage problems, and that calls for a knowledge of civil engineering principles. To achieve a high quality design for structures,you should gain a knowledge of the basic principles of building construction and architecture. A knowledge of horticulture serves as an underpinning for making planting designs. The growth habits and planting needs such as light and soil,for plants,must be understood in order to effectively arrange the plants in the landscape. When you obtain proficiency in computer aided drafting and have taken a course in landscape design you may qualify for an entry level postion in a landscape architectural firm or perhaps a land development or civil engineering firm or you could obtain a position in a landscaping company as a draftsman or junior designer. This would give you valuable experience. Sometimes internships are available with landscape architectural firms and if you gain 8 years work experience under a landscape architect,you can take your license exam for landscape architecture. Volunteering to do landscape design for non-profits is also a way to gain experience. Do a design of a family members or friends property and look for practice exercise designs in books. There exists free CAD software that can be used for training purposes. One such CAD program is ProgeCad. This program highly emulates AutoCad and so is very user friendly but the free version cannot be used for commercial purposes. Another free program is DoubleCad. This program is less user friendly and will require a steep learning curve for a beginner but it can be used for commercial purposes. AutoCad is very user friendly but comes with a very hefty price tag although discounts are available to students. With one of the free programs and a manual,it may be possible for you to teach yourself drafting and landscape design. The above mentioned programs are fully functional and perform most or all of the functions of AutoCad Light. For a good overview of the role played by a landscape designer please see the pamphlet, "Some Facts About Landscape Design" on my website, http://www.mahdrafting.com, under the educational section. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 96. Pricing For Landscape Jobs: Question: I'm a landscaper. My question is how do I charge for retaining walls and patios in the Hamilton NJ area. What is the rule of thumb or what specific way of pricing a job on this type of work? Thank you. Hopefully you can help me. Answer: Basically,you need to take into account the cost of materials,labor,overhead and site conditions. Walls are usually charged by the lineal foot and patios by the square foot. Factor in the above categories and then divide that into the unit of measurement charged such as lineal or square foot. The complexity of the design would also be a factor. An engineered or a professional architecturally designed retaining wall will cost more,for instance,than a simpler,non-engineered retaining wall. The cost of designing structures must also be figured into the cost estimate. I am not familiar with your local cost of materials (local costs can greatly vary) and so I cannot advise you on that. If your budget permits think about hiring an estimator. Estimators have a built up a feel for determining costs and evaluating work and site conditions. A great amount of cost estimating work is based on intuition that has been obtained from experience. Good books on the subject include Kerrs Cost Data for Landscape Construction and Walkers Building Estimators Reference Book. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 97. Material Choice For Patio Base: Question: I am buiding a loose-laid paver patio in my house. I am going to start laying the base material and the sand layer. After researching all around the Internet for information about this type of patio design, I wrote a long list of the materials needed for base and sand layers. However, I cannot find any of those in my local area. I did found a guy who is selling me as base material "Limerock 57" and for the sand layer he is selling me "250 sand with crushed shells". Are those good materials to use in my case. Thank you very much for your help. Answer: The materials you mention will work. Basically,for a sub base you should use an angular interlocking gravel no more than 1-1/2 maximum size. I would also suggest you look into using a woven soil stabilization geotextile under the sub base. This will decrease settlement of the sub base into the underlying soil and thus prevent settling and cracking of the pavers. Consider also using the fabric under the sand base. This will further stabilize the sand and prevent the sand from leaching into the gravel base below. A geogrid (which has a more open weave than woven soil stabilization geotextile) could also be used underneath the gravel base but I do not think it could be used for the sand base since the weaving spaces would be too large. There are types of finely crushed stone used in place of sand and you might also consider that,if its available in your area. Basically,the sand should be as course as possilbe. I apologize for not answering you sooner but I had computer problems. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 98. Pony Wall: Question: I just did a pre-sale. THe hosue is being built by the builder. The fondation was poured and I some unusual things in the fondation and also saw some hug different in the height of the rockery and the lanscape. Pony Wall: A 4 feet lumber pony wall is built over the concrete foundation to the floor of my house. Is it normal to built something like this on hilly terrains? So the otherr sides of the house has foundation walls upto the height of the floor however the rear wall fondation is raised using the pony wall. Slopy Backyard: Initially I was told that I will have 25 feet deep yard but after the foundation was poured, now I am being told that I will ONLY get 18 feet deep yard (60 feet wide). There is a 3-4 feet rockery wall separating my yard to the neighbours. So right now, the height of the rockery is almost 4 feet below the landscape. If nothing is done, I will have 3 feet height and 2 feet deep slope between the rockery and the end of my backyard. The builders says the rockey hieght cannot be increased as it was engineered that way? Wihtout anymore trust in the builder, I am looking for POSSIBLE solutions so that I have a levelled backyard without wasting any sq. ft area. I will really appreciate any suggestions of what can be done. Please let me know if I can provide you with additional information. Answer: Pony walls are used to reduce construction costs and they offer several advantages on hilly terrain. A high masonry wall may not be aesthetically pleasing and it is easier to install windows and run utilities with a pony wall. However,a masonry or concrete wall is stronger but the thickness of the wall must increase as the height increases and corresponding to an increase in height there must be an increase in the size of the foundation. Buttresses and braces can also be used to make the wall less thick but also taller. The pony wall may also offer greater insulation than a concrete or masonry wall when for instance,the pony wall is on other than a southern exposure. A concrete or masonry wall may be more desirable on a southern exposure because than in the winter it could act as thermal storage or a trombe wall. Pony walls must be braced with plywood panels to enhance structural stability and to offer protection in earthquake activity. Pony walls over 4 feet high may require the services of an engineer. Increasing the height of the rock wall will require a thicker wall and dry laid walls cannot be constructed as tall as mortared walls. About 4 feet would be about the height limit for a dry laid wall. The height limit is determined by your local zoning ordinances. I do not believe that the services of an engineer would be required for a wall up to 8 feet high. If the wall is a retaining wall,than the services of an engineer will be required for any height over 4 feet. You may also be able to increase the height of the wall by installing a wooden fence on top of the wall. On a slope,the wall may have to be tiered to compensate for the grade change. Leveling the yard will require regrading by cut and fill (cut the higher slope area and fill the low area) but that will lower the grade around the foundation of your house and may require the rock wall to need rebuilding. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 99. Floor And Outside Grade: Question: We have a problem where the dirt in the flower beds and along one wall the dirt level is higher than the foundation. When it rains the water seeps through the walls and gets the floors wet. What kind of drains would be best for this situation. Would a french drain, or a regular drain?. I am open to suggestions. Answer: Your floor level should be a minimum of 1 foot above grade. Drainage would not be a solution. You must regrade so that the floor becomes a minimum of 1 foot above grade. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 100. Removal Of Old Retaining Wall: Question: I have 9 steps along the north side of my house to the back deck.The area just north of the steps was too steep to mow so my husband and I put in flower beds made from landscaping timbers about 10 years ago. There are 4 beds that are tiered down with the timbers next to the steps. The timbers are rotting away and the bottom tier has collapsed. I need to do something this spring but now I am a widow on a fixed income, do you have any solution for me? Thank You for any ideas. Answer: You may need a retaining wall there but judging from the pic,you may not need one. A solution may be to just remove the timbers and let unmowed grass or grasslike plant,ground cover or some other plants of your choosing grow on the slope. That may be all you need to keep that slope from eroding. I wouldnt use the timbers as mulch or bury them because they may be treated with chemicals that could be harmful. The best solution is to have them removed. Rotten timbers like this can also result in an insect infestation. If you construct a similar structure use more durable material,such as railroad ties or masonry or concrete. If planting does not keep the slope from eroding there are other devices besides a retaining wall you can use that may be cheaper to install than a retaining wall,such as reinforcement mesh or crib structure. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 101. Drainage Along Fence With Neighbor: Question: I live in Southern Ontario Canada. Recently we had an interlocking stone patio built in our backyard. It's a fairly square yard, with an 8 foot fence around the perimeter. We were going to have a 3 foot garden bed all around the inside perimeter coming out from the fence but we were told by the city that we needed to leave at least one foot of grass or river rock around the fence to allow for drainage. As you can see from the photo, I dug a trench, laid down landscape cloth, then added about 3 inches of river rock. It rained very hard yesterday, and it seemed to direct the water where it should. What I would like to know, not being an expert at landscaping or drainage, was there anything else I should have done or is the cloth and rock enough? Is it o.k. for the rock to be right up against the topsoil like that or should I have a barrier between the soil and the rock? One last question, out earth underneath is mainly clay so there is about a half inch or so of standing water in that trench after rain. Is that acceptable or should I be doing something about that? Thank you! Answer: I do not understand why you placed landscape cloth under the rocks. That will impede drainage. The fence would have been better placed up on a low concrete,stone or masonry wall for better drainage. It makes no difference if the rock borders the soil. I see also that you have a two rail fence. You may be ok with that but in alot of cases the boards on two rail fences warp. You might consider elevating the fence boards up on a concrete,stone or masonry wall. Or landscape timbers or railroad ties could be used as a low wall. Cut the fence boards at the bottom and install the wall underneath;assuming of course you have the height for that. That would give you more room in your garden area and in my opinion would look better. To address the standing water in the trench,I would first consider a way to get rid of that trench. Remove the landscape cloth. Water is probably being trapped in the voids of the rocks. Such standing water will lead to mosquito problems and stagnation if it does not drain or evaporate in a certain period of time. For instance,a rain garden must drain within 24 hours. The problem with drainage around the fence is that if the ends of the fence boards contact bare soil rot will occur. The boards are not rated for ground contact as the fence posts are. Otherwise there is nothing particularly special about drainage around a fence in most cases since a fence usually follows the contours of the land. It is not so much a problem of draining away water but of keeping the fence board ends elevated above water. In your pic the fence board ends look as though they are contacting bare ground. Add organic material to the soil to eliminate the clay problem. To this organic material add a small amount of sand. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Hi Mark, Thanks for the prompt reply! Just to be clear, I know it's difficult to tell from the picture but the fence boards don't actually touch the ground, or any soil. They stop about two inches above the ground so I think I'm o.k. there. Also thanks for letting me know about the landscaping cloth. It was my neighbor who mentioned laying down the cloth as he says if I didn't then I would get weeds coming up through the rock, which I don't want. Is this true? Also doesn't the cloth help prevent the soil underneath from eroding? It's easy enough to remove the cloth if you think it's a bad idea. Also, the trench isn't deep. I was told to keep the rocks at the same level as the grass in the neighbor's yard. So as my garden stands, the topsoil is sitting right on top of the clay subsoil, so can I just add organic material to the topsoil or do I need to dig down and mix it into the clay subsoil? Thanks again Mark, you're being a big help! Answer: Actually the fence boards being 2 inches above the soil still doesnt give them good protection because rain will splash onto them. The landscape fabric may have some effectiveness,depending on how much space is in between the rocks and the kind of fabric you used. A weed barrier fabric is more effective than a cloth that may have a less dense stitching because weeds can grow through the holes in the fabric. Weed barrier fabric is meant to be used with mulch. The rocks by themselves will prevent any erosion but on such a flat space no erosion will take place anyway. "Rip rap" (rocks piled on hillsides) is an erosion control measure. The cloth will impede drainage and I see no purpose to having this structure. What job is it doing? It just fills with water to overflowing and spills onto your garden. If you had a true drainage problem there then you would be better served using a french drain or underground drain pipe. You should work organic matter into the soil to at least 1 foot deep. If the topsoil already in place is a good loam than there would be no point in adding organic matter. You want to improve the clay soil so the plants will grow better and to improve the soils drainage characteristics. Why would the rocks have to be kept at the level of the grass next door? Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 102. Drainage Along Fence With Neighbor: Follow Up: Hi Mark, Thanks again for your reply. I can understand your questioning the rocks being there. I did as well. When I was getting the stone put in, the city came to the house and told me that, by law, I could NOT have the soil go right back to the fence, that I needed at least 1 foot between the garden and the fence for drainage purposes. I was originally going to put boards around the perimeter of the fence and have the soil go all the way back. I asked what I should put there for drainage and he said to either leave it as grass -which I thought would have looked terrible - or put river rock. So I chose the river rock. He also said that the drainage area had to be at the same level as the grass used to be, so I did that. When it rains it actually works o.k. With way that our land is graded, the water flows like a stream around the garden and down the side of our house. Not right against the house, but between the stone walkway and our neighbors house, then onto my front lawn. It seems to work o.k. You're right though, there is some standing water in the rocks afterward that takes awhile to drain away, however I'm not sure what to do about this. If I remove the cloth, then it's for sure weeds will grow through the rocks which will impede the flow of the water, forcing it to overflow into the garden. If I don't, I have standing water. Should I just say to heck with it and take out the rocks all together and have the soil go all the way back to the fence like I originally planned? The only problem we had was when it was just grass back there, that far corner you see in the picture wouldn't drain very well and it would always be really wet back there. So if I remove the rocks what could I do there to make sure that corner will drain? Again, thanks Mark! Answer: If water moves through the cloth fast enough for adequate drainage of the area to take place,then I dont see that the cloth would be a problem. In general,you want the water to move through the cloth within 24 to 48 hours. Sometimes weed cloth can be a great hindrance to drainage,particularly if placed on clay,but in your case you may be ok with leaving the cloth in place. Perhaps your soil is not draining adequately and that is where you are getting the drainage problem or the area does not have an adequate pitch to it for water to drain or water is being trapped between the topsoil and an underlying impermeable layer of soil. I cannot see where weeds would impede the flow of water just as any other plant would not impede the flow of water,at least downward. From the pic it looks like this area may slope back toward your neighbors side and that may be why water is accumulating in the corner you mentioned. Try to level off the area and put some type of drain or retention trench in there. A drain,such as a french drain or perforated pipe would need an outlet to drain to whereas a retention trench would collect the water temporarily until the water leaches into the surrounding soil,at a depth of about 2 feet. The surrounding soil must be permeable enough for the retention trench to work and this means you would have to modify the soil with organic matter and sand or gravel. An underdrain pipe,placed at the bottom of the retention trench, could be used in conjunction with the trench if an outlet is available for the pipe. This combination increases the effectiveness of the trench and may give you the edge if the trench can not be expected to do an adequate job of drainage by itself. Surround the trench or any drainage pipe with filter cloth to prevent clogging by silt. Encase the drainage pipe in gravel and place filter cloth over the top. If you have water draining over the surface in a sheet toward where the rocks are,another possibility may to use a trench drain,which is a grated rectangular surface drain,flush with the surface. There is a type of trench drain that uses corrugated flex pipe. The rectangular grated part is attached to top of the flex pipe. This is more versatile as it can flex around bends and corners. Another possibility for the far corner may be to use a catch basin or a drywell. Pine straw mulch appears to be very effective for weed control and it will not blow away. Although I have not seen how it works on summer weeds in my own backyard,since I just applied it this fall,it has been very effective in blocking the fall and winter weeds in my garden. This could be one alternative to using weed fabric. The river rock just lying on the surface will not make an effective drain. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 103. Design Of Gate: Question: What type of landscaper designs gates. Answer: Your choice of a designer for a gate would depend on how high you want the quality of the gate to be. A more sophisticated architectural gate would require more skill to design but its design would not necessarily have to be done by an architect. Your budget may preclude the more expensive design services of an architect or landscape architect and you will have to individually evaluate the skills of a landscape designer or other architectural designer. The design of the gate should take into consideration the surrounding landscape and the architectural character of your house. Manufacturers of driveway gates have designs that may suit your needs without having to do a custom design or the design may require only modification. Some manufacturers may also offer design services for the gate at an additional cost. When designing a driveway gate,the security level of the gate should always be taken into consideration. The best advantage is gained by having an independent designer. Designers who work for design/builds are always under the direct authority of the owner of the business and have to follow the dictates and policies of that business even if those policies may not always be in the best interest of the client and they are often not. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 104. Spring Flooding Property: Question: I bought a house 8 years ago at the bottom of the subdivision. A spring seems to be coming up from under the ground in my backyard. I figure it is a spring because it has flowed for 8 years. I have tried numerous things including an expensive french drain system. I have at least confined it to an area, but the french drain cannot handle the water. I really have no place for it to go to except a gas field behind my house. I also have a clay wet saturated area in back corner. Any help would be appreciated. Answer: You might consider digging a deep trench drain through the affected area. Water will then flow through the trench and to an outlet,if one can be found. In the trench you could lay a large diameter perforated pipe,embedded in gravel, to carry the water and then you could simply backfill the pipe with the soil that was removed for the pipe. The pipe of course must have a large enough flow capacity to keep the water below ground level. One or more of such pipes could be used,perhaps connected by smaller pipes running perpendicularly to the main drainage pipes. Lay filter fabric over the top of the pipe gravel bed. This is known as an underdrain. Or a grid of smaller diameter perforated pipe (typically layed in a herringbone pattern) could be layed underneath the whole area. This is done in agriculture on a routine basis to lower water tables in order to allow fields to be planted. You might also want to consider combining these methods with mechanical pumping and filling the area with more soil to raise the level of the ground and then in effect,lowering the water table. If this is an actual spring and not just a high water table than dealing with the problem will change somewhat. The more permeable the surrounding soil is,the better drainage pipe will work. Consider making the soil more permeable by adding organic matter,sand and gravel. Have the site analyzed by someone knowledgeable in drainage to determine what the nature of the spring and/or water table issues are on your site. This will allow a satisfactory solution to be implemented. Consider modifying the soil of the clay area by adding more permeable materials,consisting of mainly organic matter and some sand and gravel. If this is not possible,consider using one or more catch basins,placed in low spots,if a suitable outlet for the basins can be found. Or,perhaps a rain garden or wet or dry retention pond could be established,either on the surface or below ground,if the soil is more permeable. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 105. Sump Pump Drainage: Question: I have a house in which my sup pump will work constantly up until 1 week after a rainfall. I have installed a good sump pump. My problem is with drainage. I have a pipe that exits out from the house and goes underground. It is connected to 4" corrugated pipe that goes underground. It runs along side of my house for 50 feet. At the end I have a 2 1/2 foot hole by 2 feet deep. This hole is a constant lake. Is running this underground a bad idea. The corrugated pipe that runs underground is at a downhill run. I don't know how to fill in the end of the sump pump run hole. Would I just be better off running it on top of the grass on out to the street? Who do I even call to help me with this. Thanks for any response on this. Answer: Sounds like the water may be seeping back into the ground and then into your basement again. A 2 feet deep hole is too small to handle discharge from a sump pump (5 feet deep by 5 feet wide is the minimum) and since it appears that this hole is located immediately next to your house wall,then the water will simply enter your basement again when the hole overflows. I do not think any municipality would allow a sump pump to discharge into a public street. This can create nuisance conditions from standing water and freezing water in winter. Some municipalities allow a direct connection to a sanitary sewer but usually the connection must be made by a licensed plumber. Draining the water onto your own property may be an option if the water can seep into the ground without creating flooding or some other nuisance or hazard. There are plastic drywells (which may be installed in batteries if necessary) available for the purpose of discharging sump pump water. Or a drywell can be constructed of concrete or masonry. A pit filled with stone for use as a drywell will contain less water. The surrounding soil must be permeable enough to accept drainage from the drywell. The drywell should empty out in about 48 hours. You need to know what volume of water you are dealing with in order to size the drywell and to determine if the soil surrounding the drywell is adequate for drainage or if it would have to be modified in some way to improve its drainage characteristics. Other options may include draining the water to a permeable detention basin that can also serve as a rain garden. However,sediment from the pump water will deposit in this area. I suppose there are various types of outfits that do this type of work, such as landscape contractors,waterproofers and home improvement contractors but hiring someone who specializes in the construction of drainage systems would probably be the best option, if available. Good design of a drainage system is very important. Hiring an independent designer has advantages in that this designer does not come under the influence of a contractor who may or may not have an understanding of the importance of good design. A designer can act as a watch dog to protect you from wrongdoing on the part of the contractor. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Thank you for all of the advice but I guess I wasn't as clear as I should have been. The corrugated tube runs along side of my house and then out into a clearing about 30 feet from the house. That is where the hole I have dug is at. I also appreciate who to contact because a regular plumber just doesn't know. You have been great and a big help. Thank you so much. Answer: A detention area for the sump discharge does not necessarily have to be on the ground surface. One can be constructed underground if you want to use the ground above for another purpose. You could lay down gravel fill,surrounded by filter fabric and then place a 1 to 2 feet deep layer of topsoil over that or place some type of permeable paving such as permeable concrete over the area. The water will seep through the concrete and into the detention area. Other examples of permeable paving would be concrete pavers with grass in the joints between pavers,permeable asphalt,grass pavers (grass grown in a metal or plastic grid work,creating a traffic grade grass),interlocking concrete pavers (a concrete grid filled with grass or gravel) or simply an organic or gravel mulch cover. The grass paver grid work can also be used with concrete by filling the hexagonal voids in with concrete. Water then percolates down through the holes left where the voids join. Large diameter corrugated pipe embedded in gravel fill and surrounded by fabric to filter out silt could also be used for a retention area. The problem with ordinary black corrugated pipe is that the inside corrugations will slow down the speed of the water and will more easily allow silt to deposit inside the pipe. Ordinary pipe of this type is not really rated for burial although more and more I am not hearing of any problems with placing it underground. There is a type of black corrugated pipe specifically rated for burial. Black corrugated pipe having a smooth inside wall is also available and a smooth insert can also be used to make ribbed inside walled pipe into smooth walled pipe. Running the drainage pipe on the surface may be more convenient but it may take up space or be unsightly. There is not necessarily an advantage to running the pipe along the surface. Running it underground would put the pipe out of sight and not pose an obstruction to any other activity on the surface. To prevent frost heave, embed the pipe in a gravel bed,providing about 6 inches of gravel underneath the pipe. Make the width of the pipe trench 2 feet wide. The depth will of course be determined by the elevation of the retention area in relation to your house. A minimum 1/4 inch per foot pitch should be maintained. Special drainage pipe tie downs,which will further prevent frost heave, are available or they can be improvised from landscape staples or rebar. They fit over the pipe in a U shape and aid in keeping the pipe in place during frost heave or when water is moving through the pipe. Leave a minimum 8 inches of topsoil over the top of the pipe gravel. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 106. Grass And Trees For English Garden: Question: I am designing a Garden in the south west of england, my design must keep "in sync" with the existing thomas hardy style cottage house. I want to use native grasses and native trees to brittan, what grasses are native to england? Also I need to use clay brick and lyme mortar but dont want the lyme to damage the soils nice neutral composistion. and finally what grass can be used as a screen to hide a compost heap other than bamboo? Answer: For grass,I would suggest the following: English Rye Grass (lolium perenne). This is a hardy and cold tolerant grass,related to fescue. Remains green year round. It is not related to the grain rye. Excellent lawn grass and good for erosion control. Smooth Meadow Grass (poa pratensis) 'kentucky bluegrass'. Good lawn grass. Blue Sheep Fescue Grass (festuca ovina). Hardy and drought tolerant. Makes good ground cover. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions. Rough Meadow Grass (poa trivialis). Pasture type grass. Various sedges and rushes have a grasslike appearance but some will only do well in damp or wet soil. Sweet Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum). A pasture grass. Produces an odor of vanilla. Has medicinal value as skin ointment. For screening of the compost I would suggest: The Common Reed (Phragmites australis). Grows to 2 meters high. Miscanthus. An ornamental grass. Grows to about 2 meters high. If the lime is kept on the wall and not spread out on the ground,it will not affect your plants to any degree. For the lime to adversely affect the plants it would have to be incorporated into the soil. The lime will not leach from the mortar after it has hardened to any extent that it would harm your plants. Trees native to England include: Alder (Alnus glutinosa) Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) Birch (Betula) Box (Buxus;Southern England Only) Cherry (Prunus) Plum Elm (Ulmus;The English Elm ranges in southern Great Britain only and is doubtfully native. The smooth leaved elm is native to southern Great Britain only). Hawthorn (Crataegus;laevigata species is native to southern Great Britain only.) Hazel (Corylus). European Hornbeam (Carpinus;Southern Great Britain only.) Small and Large Leaved Linden (Tilia cordata; Southern Great Britain only.) Field Maple (Acer campestre; Southern Great Britain only.) Pedunculate Oak Sessile Oak Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) Poplars: (Aspen (Populus tremula) (Black Poplar (Populus nigra; southern Great Britain only.) Rowans and Whitebeams: European Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) Common Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) and several related apomictic microspecies. Service Tree (Sorbus domestica; recently discovered growing wild on a cliff in south Wales) Willows (Salix spp.; several species) Bay Willow (Salix pentandra) Crack Willow (Salix fragilis) White Willow (Salix alba) Almond-leaved Willow (Salix triandra) Native large shrubs. These larger shrubs occasionally reach tree size: Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) Purging Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) Elder (Sambucus nigra) Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) (Common) Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) Sallow, Goat Willow (Salix caprea) Grey Willow (Salix cinerea) Naturalised trees: From Europe: Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster; rarely) European Black Pine (Pinus nigra; rarely) Norway Spruce (Picea abies; rarely) European Larch (Larix decidua) European Pear (Pyrus communis; sometimes regarded as native) Plymouth Pear (Pyrus cordata; sometimes regarded as native) Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera) European Beech (Fagus sylvatica; widely considered native to southern England, but probably a stone-age human introduction) Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa; a Roman introduction) Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris) Common Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) From Asia: Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi) From North America: Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis) Black Spruce (Picea mariana; rarely) Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) Grand Fir (Abies grandis) Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata) Lawson's Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa; rarely) Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 107. Decomposed Granite Path: Question: I and a friend built a 100mm path thick of crushed granite, we done 3 stages. first stage we mixed cement and put a little water then compacted w/packer 2nd stage the same 3rd we laid the last course with no cement but we applied a little water before compacting then the crushed granite turned into mud and little holes in the path, then we applied a sprinkle of the crushed granite to fill the holes and what not and compacted again it worked except in some spots it looks like clay Question? was I meant to compact the last course without applying water to it until its all compacted then wet it and let it settle and not compacted when wet. Answer: The cement content (which should not exceed ten percent) should be mixed throughout the granite and the granite should be slightly moist and not wet when compacted. If the top layer does not contain cement,the granite in that layer will of course become loose and shear off from the layer below and will become muddy when wet. The cement and granite should be first mixed in a dry state and then layed down in 1 inch layers which are moistened,not made wet. If the layer becomes wet,wait til it dries to a moist state before compacting. A wet layer of granite may still achieve the desired hardness when it dries out but sometimes if overwetted binding may not occur. Decomposed granite containing tree resins as stabilizers (there is a product called terra pave that uses tree resin as the binding agent) are superior than that used with cement. These products appear to retain their hardness much better than decomposed granite with cement as the binding agent. Lime may also be used. You might want to test a small sample of the granite with lime to see what results you get. Use 5 percent lime in the mixture. In my opinion decomposed granite is not a suitable paving material because it is too tricky to get right and will soften when wet. Its good used as a mulch and as a soil additive but has not proven successful as paving material,at least with cement as a binding agent. DG with resin as the binding agent shows much more promise but even that may not be as permanent as concrete or asphalt. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 108. Maple Seed Annoyance: Question: Mark, I am an avid gardener and have found this site extremely helpful. I was researching October Glory to plant at my school (I am a teacher) in memory of two teachers who have passed away since September. As I have done all the landscaping (Natchez Crepes, false cypress, daylillies, blue point junipers, azaleas, hostas, hydrangea, dwarf nandinas, acuba, etc. - with much more to come) for our middle school, I want this to be a special addition. Our school is surrounded by wooded area, however, our school grounds are full sun. I wanted to plant the OG, but have discovered the Sunset Red. I am unsure which is the best. Plus both have samaras - which I have in a maple in my yard - and can hardly tolerate them. I have given you all this information to ask your opinion regarding the purchase. Is there a maple that offers wonderful fall color without the pesky samaras? Or would you recommend another species? I don't want to rely on the school grounds maintenance to mow the samaras down when they sprout, they have destroyed several yoshino cherries cutting their bark, spraying, etc. - and to weed both my yard and the school - is a thought I'd rather not have! Your suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thank you. Answer: The male October Glory and the male Sunset Red do not produce samaras. Sunset Red tends to change color earlier than October Glory but October Glory sounds a bit hardier than Sunset Red,is more tolerant of dry soil conditions and may have a larger growth range. Seedless maples are either hybrids or males that do not produce seeds. The most prominent of this seedless group are those belonging to the freemanii cultivars. Examples of seedless maple include: Acer freemanii "autumn blaze". Brandywine red maple (a cross between October Glory and Autumn Flame). Acer saccharinum ‘Mareltoi’ (seedless Silver Maple). Could be considered a dwarf variety. Mckay seedless Silver Maple Variety. Male variety is seedless. Autumn Spire. A columnar shaped maple. The Silver Maple can make a good accent tree. The amur maple is also a good accent but is not seedless. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment: This is the first time, I believe, that I have had a question posed to Mark. His answer was extremely fast! He also gave me more information than I asked for which gives me options to my situation. I really appreciated that as well. I would have liked to know if he had personal experiences with the trees I asked about - but I didn't ask - did'nt think about it until later. At any rate, the answer given was exactly what I needed. I can print it and take it to my local suppliers to assure that I make the best decision. (I love this website - Thanks Mark!!) 109. Cleaning Limestone Patio: Question: I live in NW Iowa and have an awesome patio on the south side of my house that was built up with lime stone blocks. I'm noticing what I think is mold or something that is turning them dark on top. The area gets lots of shade from a large maple close by. Can I make them white again? Answer: The best cleaner to try would be a commercially prepared limestone cleaner. Use an alkaline or neutral ph cleaner,as limestone is highly alkaline and an acid base cleaner may erode the surface. Do not use muriatic acid. Another cleaning method is a diluted bleach solution; 1 part bleach to 1 part water. Let the bleach sit on the stained area for 1 to 2 minutes,then agitate with a brush or cloth and then rinse well with clean water. Test all cleaning chemicals or sealers on an inconspicuous spot for 24 hours before cleaning the limestone. When the cleaning is finished,apply a limestone sealer. This will insure that the stains do not return and a sealer can provide this protection for many years. Use a high quality impregnating limestone sealer. Two coats may be required. Limestone is a very soft and porous rock and so do not use high pressure when rinsing off cleaners. Use a gentle spray from a garden hose. Do not pressure wash. It is important that any efflorescence (salts and other residue) is washed from the surface before applying a sealer. Commercial limestone cleaners contain surfactants that will remove this residue. Sounds like mold has taken hold in the pores of the limestone and are taking advantage of the low light and possibly damp conditions of the stone. A sealer will rob the mold of any pores to latch onto and also deny the mold a damp environment by keeping water out of the surface of the stone. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment: Thanks a bunch. Didn't know there was limestone sealer! 110. Tree Appraisal: Question: I have an eight year old Dwarf Japanese Maple tree that is the fine lacy type. In the fall it is bright red and in the summer months turns green with faint red on the edges of the lacy leaves. In the fall it turns scarlett red. A contractor has damaged it and I am having difficulty finding out its species and value. Is there an expert that I can email photos to that can help me identify my tree. Answer: You should have this tree evaluated for its value by personal inspection. The tree should be physically examined by an expert appraiser to really get to its true value. The siting of the tree in the landscape and how it fits in with the rest of the property must also be considered. Some of this is a gut feeling thing that only an experienced tree appraiser can perform. The Dwarf Japanese Maple is of only one species; acer palmatum but cultivars of this species include: Aratama, Kashima, Beni Hoshi, Kiyohime, Beni Hime, Kinra, Green Star, Geisha, Ukon, Yubae, Wou Nishiki, and Baby Lace. The International Society of Arboriculture is a top authority on tree appraisal. They have published "The Guide for Plant Appraisal",available at their website: www.ag.uiuc.edu/~isa/welcome.html To locate a tree appraiser in your area write the American Society of Consulting Arborists at 15245 Shady Grove Road, Suite 130; Rockville, MD 20850; or call at (301) 947-0483. Or you can go to their website: http://www.asca-consultants.org/ and submit your question to one of their experts. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 111. Soil Over Tree Roots: Question: Someone told me that you can't ring a tree with landscape blocks and fill it with soil for flowers because it will kill the tree. My question is, can I ring the tree with landscape blocks and fill with soil? Answer: You should absolutely not place soil over tree roots. This will smother the roots. Up to 4 inches of organic mulch can be placed over the roots because material like wood chip mulch is much lighter and has better pore space (air and water gets through) but soil is much too dense and heavy. Flowers can sometimes be grown in the soil around the tree roots but only in the existing soil under the tree. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment: Thanks very much for your quick answer. I think you probably saved the life of this 40 year old tree. 112. Noise Control Barriers: Question: I need help on fencing .I have a large corner lot in a small NJ town and one side borders a 2 lane road that has become very busy over the years. I have been noticing increasing incident of vibration through the house from large ,fast vehicles. My house sits slightly below road level .I wanted to know if either a dense privacy border of evergreens or 6-8 foot privacy fencing would stop the vibration if installed at the road side in question? Answer: I would suggest some type of acoustic wall. The wall can be constructed of concrete,masonry or wood. The most effective would be concrete filled with solid foam insulation. Locate the wall as close as possible to the noise source and make it high as possible. A concrete wall would consist of a series of horizontal concrete boards layed into slots in concrete posts,the space between the outside and inside concrete boards being filled with solid foam insulation. The structure must continue to the ground since noise will get through any gaps at ground level. An ordinary concrete block,stone or brick wall will also have some sound deadening effect. A concrete block wall filled with solid foam in the openings in the individual blocks would be much more effective. The comparitively least effective sound barrier would be a wooden timber fence. This type of fence consists of heavy timbers layed horizontally between timber supports. An ordinary wooden fence would not be very effective since it is too thin and sound would transmit through any gaps in the fence. Another type of wooden fence could be made of exterior plywood panels with solid foam insulation sandwiched between. An exterior plywood fence may have a shorter lifespan than other wood fence types. The plywood must be kept coated. It is important to seal the tops of all foam filled fences to keep water out. Build the fence as high and as long as possible. Most likely the fence will have to be constructed over the legal fence height for your area and you may need to apply for a variance from your zoning board. Plants may also be helpful in deadening sound. Follow these guidelines: Place the noise buffer as close to the noise source as possible. Plant trees and shrubs as close together as possible. A diversity of tree and/or shrub species within the buffer may further reduce noise. Foliage in the buffer should form a continuous wall from the ground up. Use shrubs under trees to achieve this effect. Use dense foliage plants. Use evergreen species for year round protection. Make the buffer as tall as possible. Make the buffer as wide as possible. Make the buffer twice as long as the distance of the protected zone to prevent noise from getting in from the sides. The fact that your property sits lower than the road may be magnifying the noise and vibrations somewhat. Consider using earth berms with the plantings. All noise will not be eliminated. A planting of 18 feet wide can only reduce noise by about 1 to 3 decibels. It would take a planting 50 feet wide to get a reduction of 10 decibels. The buffer must extend as much as possible over the point at which you are experiencing the noise and should extend over the noise source. This creates the refraction angle. Vibration from traffic that is transmitted through the ground is a bit different than noise transmitted through the air. Landscape elements for aerial noise control may still have an effect on these vibrations,particularly ground level elements such as ground cover,shrubs,low growing vegetation,berms and soil. Loam and sandy soils absorb noise energy. Ground vibrations are transmitted well through concrete and masonry. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 113. Pressure Treated Fence Post Rotting: Question: Would like to install six foot privacy fence. I have installed several pressure treated posts in the past and they have rotted and fallen over (both 4 and 6 inch posts rated .40). How can I be sure that my fence won't meet the same fate? Answer: Do not let the posts contact bare soil,by for instance,direct burial into the ground. Either mount the posts inside a concrete footing or mount them on top of concrete footings. There are higher ratings than 0.40. The following table lists retention and depth penetrations of various pressure treated woods: Depth Penetrations: 1-1/4 inch or 85 percent of sapwood Lodgepole pine (retention) copper naphthenate 0.055 creosote 6.0 penta 0.40 ACA,ACZA 0.40 ACC 0.50 ACQ-B,ACQ-D Pending CA-B 0.21 CBA-A 0.41 CCA-C 0.40 2 inches or 85 percent of sapwood Ponderosa pine copper napthenate 0.055 creosote 8.0 penta 0.40 ACA,ACZA 0.40 ACC 0.50 ACQ-B,ACQ-D Pending CA-A,CA-B 0.25 CBA-A Pending CCA-C 0.40 3/8 inch and 100 percent of sapwood up to 1 inch or 85 percent of sapwood. Douglas fir copper napthenate 0.055 creosote 8.0 penta 0.40 ACQ-B,ACZA 0.40 ACA 0.40 CCA-C 0.40 Western hemlock,Western larch Creosote 8.0 penta 0.40 ACA,ACZA 0.40 ACC 0.50 ACQ-B Pending CCA-C 0.40 Non-pressure treated wood for fence posts: cedar white oak cherry maple ash hickory black locust walnut chestnut osage orange ironwood Some of the non-treated wood is reported to be just as good as pressure treated,but this may not prove true for every installation. In particular,white oak and cedar have a very good reputation for being decay resistant. Creosote will give the best protection in the treated class of lumber,but may not be suitable for use in a living area as the chemical can be irritating to the skin. Keep part of concrete footings above grade if possible and slope the the tops at an angle to shed water. If you encase the posts in concrete footings,do not let the ends of the posts touch bare soil. Keep the bottom of the post at least 4 inches inside the footing. Water can wick up through the post if the bottom of the post contacts bare soil. Consider using plastic fence posts. They will not rot,but may discolor. Applying a quality stain is necessary to prevent water damage to pressure treated wood. Water damage will promote decay. Applying a sealant over the stain will add extra protection. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 114. How to Plant A Shrub: Question How do you plant a shrub/bush that was purchased and is wrapped in burlap and tied with rope? Do you dig a hole and put the bush in and then cover with dirt and then water? Answer: Remove the top one third of the burlap. Completely remove all non-biodegradeable material. Dig a hole as wide as the spread of the shrub and as deep as the root ball of the shrub. The grade line of the soil should meet at about the bottom of the shrubs branches. To avoid settling of the shrub you can place the shrub on a pedestal in the center of the hole. Dig a ring around the bottom of the hole to form a pedestal and set the shrub on top of the pedestal. Form a berm around the dripline of the shrub (imagine a line radiating down from the outermost edge of the shrub canopy to the ground;that is the dripline),at least 6 inches high. This will form a watering basin. Mulch inside the basin at a minimum 3 inch depth. Water immediately after planting. When backfilling,do not allow air pockets to form. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 115. Drainage For Deck Planters: Question Hi Mark, We'd like to build 2-3 plants beds on our enormous wood deck. Our backyard is well shaded by trees and in order to obtain max growth on our plants and herbs, we have to plant on the deck itself (in pots last year). How should we go about this? That is, I can build it, but what do we put underneath? Will building on wood affect the deck itself (i.e., rot)? Or, can a cover of some sort help alleviate this (like gravel or charcoal used in aquariums)? Thanks. Answer: Keep air space between the bottom of the planters and the decking by supporting the planters on at least 2 inch by 2 inch cedar boards. Cedar is highly resistant to rot and so will not be affected by the water from the planters. The water that drains from the bottom of the planters will drain off into the gaps in the deck boards or evaporate. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Comment: Excellent. Thanks for the great idea. 116. Flooding From Old Wheat Field: QUESTION: My house sits on about an acre. Behind my house is a wheat field (not being used now) that is higher than my yard. When we get lots of rain, it floods my yard. I was told to put berms in and did but the water seems to seep underground into my yard. My biggest problem is that I have a septic tank and lines in the back yard and the water flood them--making my housing plumbing unusable. Two years ago my house looked like it was sitting in a lake. With the berms, most of the water has be rerouted but still my back yard floods. Any suggestions? ANSWER: You need to install drainage ditches. You should have a percolation test (test to measure at what rate water soaks into the soil) done, to help determine the size and type of drainage system. You may need subsurface drainage (perforated drainage pipe) in addition to drainage ditches. A perculation test should be standard procedure when installing a septic system. Plant vegetation on the sides of the drainage ditches to control erosion. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] QUESTION: Tell me about the drainage pipes that you are recommending. Do they have a grate on the top? Should they run from the middle of the yard to the sides where the ditches are? Answer: The perforated drainage pipe has holes on one side. The pipe is layed so that the holes are facing the bottom of the trench the pipe is layed in,to prevent soil from leaching into the pipe from above. The pipe can be simply backfilled with soil or layed in a gravel filled trench. There is no grate over the pipes because the pipes are buried out of sight. The pipes should run parallel to the drainage ditches. The purpose of the pipes is to catch water that gets past the ditches and act as a backup to the ditches. The pipes should be placed on the sides of the ditches. Good luck. Write back if you have further questions. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] QUESTION: I am not sure how to put the drainage ditch to the side of the yard. I had berms put at the back of the back yard and the west side of the back yard. They helped a lot. He did not put the berms on the east side of the back yard because of the electric and gas lines there. He made the berms from the dirt on the side of the yard so that it is a shallow ditch on the far side of the berm. If I understand you correctly you would have me dig a trench and place perforated pipes in the trench and cover them with dirt. I suspect that the apple tree in the back yard causes underground water to enter my back yard. I have seen little fountains of water spurting up during heavy rains. Also, the latteral lines in the back yard have a lower level of dirt between the lines. I wonder if I should have dirt hauled in to make the area between the latteral lines flat. Answer: The pipes would be one way to increase the effectiveness of the drainage ditches. They should only be placed if needed. If water seeping through the bottom of the ditches becomes a problem,then drainage pipes could be used to channel that water away. The pipes will catch water not taken care of by the ditches. Lining the ditches with plastic or fabric will also aid in preventing infiltration into the soil. Filling in areas where water is pooling may or may not be a solution. The entire site should be analyzed by someone knowledgeable in drainage and then an appropriate design chosen. Since I have no such analysis of your site I can only offer general suggestions. Bringing in soil can be very expensive. If you dig ditches,perhaps the soil from that could be used. The berms may be trapping water behind them. This water may be seeping under the berms and leading to soggy conditions on your property. The water must either be channeled away or allowed to seep into the ground or a combination of both. Placing a retention area behind the berms could be a solution. This is a temporary holding area for water composed of porous soil,mulch or gravel. The water seeps down to a low enough level so as not to cause any problems on the surface. Another solution could be a floodwall. This is a wall constructed of concrete or masonry placed at a certain depth underground,the sides of which form a pool for the water. A flood wall is similar in structure to a retaining wall and is cantilevered (has a T-shaped shelf portion on which the weight of the soil rests). The flood situation you described around the tree may suggest an impervious layer below that is trapping water above it. This could be a layer of clay or rock. Or perhaps the ground is just saturated from water flowing down the slope. The drainage ditches should be placed on the old wheat field slope. Depending on the flow volume and the shape of the slope,you may want to install swales instead of ditches. Swales are more shallow and wider. The idea is to intercept water flowing down the slope and remove it to an area away from where your property floods. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 117. Plants And Drainage For Wet Ground: Question: At the back of my yard I have a small brook,my yard gets sun all day.When I cut the grass (mostly weed)it always seams damp no matter what time of day.when it rains it seams to hold water for a while.What can I do to get the yard to dry out faster,and what kind of grass can i put down that will grow nice under these conduction.(rain gutters do not run into back yard). Answer: Sounds like you may have a marsh type of ground there. Consider using drainage pipe under the area. There must be an outlet for the pipe. If the soil is clay add organic matter and sand to improve its drainage characteristics. The following plants may do well in moist conditions: lemon grass rye grass monkey grass ornamental grass meadow grass sedge marsh marigold Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 118. Can Plants Be Used To Drain Area: Question: I live in zone 5 (Chicago) and have a back yard which floods in one area when the rain is heavy. This is an area that is shaded by trees. We have installed a drain, but I was hoping there might be some plants that I could plant in abundance to help. Answer: It is not practical to use plants to drain an area. Drainage is done with permeable soil,retention areas,rain gardens,drywells,french drains,etc... Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 119. Drainage For Small Property: Question: My backyard has a low area that repeatedly floods. Researching for solutions all suggest drainage tubing, berms, swells, ditches, etc. Due to the small size of my yard,the proximity of my neighbors, and the main fact that all of the surrounding area is uphill from the low area, these are not workable. I've looked at dry well kits sold at local home stores, but I don't think they would be able to handle the amount of water I get. Any suggestions? Answer: The plastic drywells from the kits can be placed together in battery form. It would be a matter of determining the volume of water involved and placing the required number of drywells accordingly. You would have to excavate an area approximately 4 to 6 feet deep to place the drywells. A more shallow excavation containing permeable material such as gravel or rocks or sections of sealed large diameter corrugated drain pipe could also be a possibility but this would have to spread over a wider area than drywells. Any retention area containing gravel or rocks or any permeable material reduces the volume of water that can be contained because the material takes up space in the area. Drywells and drain pipe contain only empty space and so can hold more water. The drywells you saw at your local home store may be smaller than drywells available elsewhere. Another possibility could be to install a cistern. This could be constructed of concrete or masonry. This method would prevent water from saturating the surrounding soil and would also aid in maintenance as it would be easier to service in the way of cleaning than a retention basin. Over time a retention basin will fill with silt,which must be removed and redeposited on site or disposed of in some manner. The water could slowly leak out of the cistern through a hole in the bottom or sides or the water could be allowed to exit through an outlet pipe or be pumped to another location. An overflow pipe would relieve any excess water. This method would also allow you to use the water for your garden or some other purpose. Water could enter the cistern from a top drain inlet,screened to exclude debri. Covered with a layer of soil of about 18 inches,this method would allow you to use the ground above and would offer more storage volume than a retention basin. Prefabricated plastic cisterns are available. I would also suggest a retention basin,which is sometimes also called a rain garden or bioretention basin. It could simply be an area of permeable soil or some type of "engineered soil" placed in various layers to achieve the greatest degree of drainage possible. With a rain garden you will have to accept a certain amount of water for up to 48 hours and this will restrict your use of the area but if you want to use the area for planting,then you could fill the area with plants that thrive in rain gardens. These plants could also include certain edible types. The soil surrounding the retention basin must be permeable enough to allow the water to drain sufficiently. An outlet for some of the water may be desirable. You may want to try to get permission from your municipality to connect to the storm drain. Most often the connection must be done by a licensed plumber. It may also be possible to discharge some of the water off site,say onto a low traffic road but there must be no possibility of water standing on the road. This water could cause a traffic hazard and can freeze in winter. The lifespan of these structures can be extended by using some type of device to trap sediment before it reaches the structure. These sediment traps require periodic cleaning. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 120. Willow Tree Poses Potential Nuisance: Question: Last year I had five blue spruces installed in the west part of my yard 15 feet from the property line. My neighbor planted a willow in the same area, but a foot from the property line. We live in Northwest part of Illinois. Will the willows trunk begin to grow onto our property and will the tree over shadow my evergreen trees? Answer: The weeping willow has a spread of 35 feet and reaches a mature height of 30 to 40 feet high. Other species of willow can be 10 feet less in spread and height. The blue spruce reaches a mature height of 50 to 75 feet and sometimes reaches a height of 100 feet. Its spread is 25 feet. The spread is the diameter of the tree canopy measured from the center of the trunk. Depending on the species,the branches of the willow could reach 10 to 12 feet onto your property. It is likely that your blue spruce will not be impacted by the willows branches but the willow may compete with the spruce for water. The average trunk diameter of weeping willow is 2 feet. The roots of willow can be very invasive. The roots will spread far out in search of water and so if you have a sidewalk or pipes near the tree in question you could get damage to these structures. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 121. Raised Flower Bed Next To Garage: Question: I would like to build a raised flower bed along the side of my garage where weeds love to grow. How far away from the wall of the garage do I need to place the flower bed? Also, the yard tends to be wet. Will the flower bed help keep water away from the garage or make the problem worse? Answer: Locating the bed a mimimum of 5 feet from the wall would be a good way to prevent water collecting around the garage wall,but of course that would not allow you to address the weed problem near the wall. Another option may be to build the bed next to the wall but with a plastic,clay,concrete or concrete paver apron underneath to keep water from soaking down around the wall. It would be desirable to have the ground sloped away from the garage. Yet another option may be to install an underdrain at the footing of the garage foundation and perhaps a dimbled memebrane or "waterboard" on the surface of the garage foundation wall. This FIN drain will drain water away vertically from the wall and empty out into the footing drain. The footing drain of course needs an outlet. A better idea would be to keep water away from the wall to begin with by using the above mentioned aprons or locating the bed away from the wall. The bed will not have any effect in keeping water away from the wall. If installed next to the wall without drainage,the problem of water collecting around the garage foundation wall will vary in intensity,depending on how large the bed is and how much water gets in it. If the soil contains alot of clay then swelling could become a problem and that could crack or move the foundation. A footing drain or other drainage structures around the permimeter of the garage would be a better option to deal with water problems around the garage. It is also a good idea not to have any kind of organic mulch around buildings. This could attract termites and other nuisance insects. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 122. Plants Next To Driveway As Snow Barrier: Question: I would like to plant a line of some kind of bush or shrub or hedge or something on the north side of my driveway to do the following: 1. The driveway has a funny curve in it and people tend to drive off the side. I would like the plant to provide some resistance so that people realize that they're driving off. It would be nice if the plant did not have really sharp leaves/branches that would scratch up the car. 2. I would like the plants to be dense enough so that, in the winter, they will stop snow blowing from the north onto the driveway. 3. I don't want the plants to have roots that spread in a way that they will go under the driveway and slowly destroy it. Also, the gas, electricity, and cable are buried not far from the driveway; I don't want to have to kill the plants if one of those companies needs to dig there. 4. It would be nice if the plants produced berries that I could eat. My driveway is in northern Indiana. The soil type next to it is called "Troxel Silt Loam" on the USDA soil survey. Answer: I would not recommend that you plant shrubs directly beside the driveway. The shrubs will cause more snow to be deposited on your driveway because the snow laden wind will slow as it hits the shrubs. Optimally,the setback for a snow fence or shrubs is about 35 times the height of the fence or shrubs. For a row of shrubs 8 feet tall the setback would have to be about 150 feet. Most of the snow trapped by snow fences is actually deposited in front of the fence. A porous snow fence 4 feet tall would require a setback of 25 times the height. Increasing the density of the shrubs and adding more rows lowers the required setback but the shrubs must increase in height. If you have enough room to proceed with installing the shrub barrier here is a list of shrubs that will meet your requirements: honeysuckle (edible) chokecherry (edible) golden currant (edible) cotoneaster plum (edible) siberian peashrub (edible) sumac (edible) privet (edible for birds) Tall grasslike plants behind the barrier can add to trapping of snow. Corn has been used as an effective snow barrier in rural areas. To control vehicle traffic on the driveway,perhaps you could install some kind of guardrail,a low wall or use bollards. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 123. Basement And Perimeter Drainage: Question: I have a bad smell in my basement that I believe is due to water seepage. I have been told that the rock beds outside my house need to be redone, and elevated right next to the house. First, how much of an elevation change do I need from the house to the end of the bed? Also, some people have told me to use sand instead of dirt to build up the rock bed close to the house. Answer: I do not understand what you mean by "rock bed". Are you speaking of a drainage channel similar to a french drain or a seepage area? It sounds as if you are describing the structure as constructed above ground but such structures are always below ground. Piling rocks and soil against your foundation wall will make the water seepage worse. Sand is used as a filter layer in retention areas. For quick drainage,use gravel. Retention areas for water should be kept a minimum of 10 to 15 feet from the house wall. Drain water away from the foundation wall by using a footing drain and gravel. Consider placing a 6 inch thick clay cap around the top perimeter of the foundation wall. This will create a semi permeable layer that will stop some water from soaking into the ground below around the foundation. Alternatively,if a growing area for plants is desired around the top of the foundation wall,the clay cap can be placed underground. Or,a concrete or concrete paver apron or plastic sheeting can be used around the foundation wall. Slope all drain pipes and other drainage structures a minimum of 1 to 3 percent (1/4 inch to 3 inches fall in elevation for every 10 feet). Maintaining a proper slope will reduce sediment buildup in the drain structures. I would also suggest you damp proof or waterproof your basement walls. Consider removing all soil away from the foundation wall and replacing it with gravel. The gravel will greatly aid drainage away from the wall and into the footing drain,where it can be carried to an outlet. Or consider using a FIN drain or "waterboard" against the foundation wall. This will allow you to skip the expense and labor of bringing in gravel and will allow you to keep the soil around the foundation in place. These drains are also known as "dimble membranes" because of their dimbled surface appearance. The membrane releases its water at the footing drain. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 124. Foundation Wall Grade And Perimeter Drainage: Question: Hi, I need to raise the ground level around the foundation of my house, about 6-8", so that rain water flows away from the house. It is regular grass lawn at the foundation. What is the best soil/loam/sand to use? Is the any better season(s) in which to do it? I live in the north east & near the sea. Answer: The only weather restrictions on working with soil are frozen ground and overly wet ground. For the grass to do well you cannot have too much clay or sand. Clay would produce a semi permeable surface that would promote water running off the surface and sand would produce a permeable soil. However,grass does best in loam and would not do well in a highly clay or sandy soil. I would try to obtain the maximum clay content possible that would still permit the grass to grow. Certain plants,some with a grasslike appearance, and some ornamental grasses tolerate clay soil. I would aim to make the clay content near 50 percent. If you want to keep loam soil next to the foundation then consider placing a clay layer under the loam. Sloping the ground will not prevent all water from seeping around the foundation and if you experience further drainage problems after you slope the ground,you may need to install subsurface drainage. Other methods are to use are plastic sheeting to keep water from entering the soil around the foundation,the use of a concrete apron around the foundation and the use of underground clay caps and gravel fill. A footing drain is usually necessary. This is a perforated drain pipe or some other channel that carries water away from the foundation. Of course the water must discharge into an outlet of some kind or soak into the ground away from the foundation. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 125. Privacy Without Trees Hi Mark, I would like to know how can I give my backyard privacy without having too many trees? My backyard has many trees that I believe previous owners planted for privacy but I just feel there are too many and make my backyard look like a jungle. Also, one of the bedrooms in the house faces my neighbor's bedroom. The only good thing about those tree's is that it blocks the view to my neighbor's window but they look so ugly that I am having a hard time if whether I should cut them or not? Answer: Think about taking out the trees and putting in a fence or wall or a trellis. You might even want to consider an acoustic wall if the traffic noise from the street is a great nuisance. The most effective acoustic wall would be made of concrete boards filled with plastic foam. You might also want to consider a different type of privacy planting such as a more compact and upright shrub. Some shrubs can retain their shape with little or no pruning but most need to be pruned. Try trimming the trees on your property and see if their is an improvement in appearance. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Follow Up: Hi Mark, I wrote to you previously regarding having privacy in my backyard without too many trees. You mentioned to use some type of shrubs, are there any names in particular? I live in southern California. I appreciate your help. Answer: Here is a list of privacy shrubs and trees: Shrubs: juniper spruce arborvitae privet holly forsythia butterfly bush lilac spirea holly (tall varieties) Trees: dogwood crape myrtle serviceberry Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Comment From Questioner: Thank you Mark, I was so clueless and becoming so frustrated because I don't know anything about trees and did not know what to do to make my backyard look better. I appreciate the list of shrubs and trees you provided. I am looking forward for my new project. 126. Dry Creek Bed Question: I'm installing a river rock creekbed as a landscape feature, but that will also channel water during heavy rains (which we have plenty of in W. Washington!). the soil is a weird mix around here, but includes plenty of silty material that I'd rather not have flowing out the lower end the the creek. Is it advisable to lay sand and/or gravel under the river rock? Answer: Do not place sand or gravel under the rock. The water will simply wash it back out. Sand and gravel placed under the rocks will do nothing to aid drainage with such a large volume of water moving at speed. Since the sand or gravel will likely be undermined,it will not make a good storage area for sediment and even if it were to remain stable,it would eventually completely clog with sediment and be rendered ineffective. Cleaning it out would be inconvenient,since it would be covered with rock and mixed with heavy sand and gravel. You should try to capture sediment at the entrance to the creek. This will keep sediment out of the creek and make cleaning it out more convenient. This can be accomplished by constructing a pool area with check dams or plants,if necessary,to slow down the water. The pool should be higher in elevation than the creek and have a spillway for controlling entry of water into the creek. Line the entry point to the pool with rocks and/or plants to prevent erosion and plant the entire pool area to further trap sediment. The outlet can be treated in a similar fashion if erosion will be a problem there. There are devices to control overflow at the outlet. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 127. Water Accumulation On Unistone We have unistone between our pool and the house. When it rains, the water pools in this area. We usually go out with a broom and push the accumulated water towards the grass. We were thinking of pulling up some unistone bricks, installing some kind of pipe to lead the water off to the grass area, put all the bricks back except one that would be replaced with a drain. Is that feasible? Any other suggestions? Answer: First,if settlement of the pavers has occured,you might want to think about having them reset. Sounds like settlement may be the cause for the water not draining or perhaps the pavers were just not set to a steep enough pitch to allow for water drainage. Settlement of pavers is a common problem and can result from inadequate compaction of the base,unsuitable base materials,inadequate edging,frost heave and water penetration. Experience,judgement and skill are necessary to achieve a good paver installation and these days that is often hard to come by. Installing monolithic paving such as concrete or asphalt can often compensate for this since less settlement occurs with this type of pavement A catch basin or smaller sized direct drain could solve the problem but that will need a suitable outlet for the water. The grass you mentioned may or may not be one,depending on how much water will be deposited on it. Another possibility could be a retention area under the pavers. The existing pavers would have to be replaced,at least over the inlet area,with permeable pavers or an open gridwork with spaces to admit water. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 128. What Can Be Put In A Landscaping Easement Can a storm water pipe with holes and a sock over the pipe be placed in a landscaping easement? Answer: You should contact the owner of the easement and request permission to drain the water. Permission to run the pipe is subject to what impact it would have on the area;for instance,will it cause flooding or erosion. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 129. Landscaping As A Profession Mark: I do not know if my questions are appropriate for this site, but it is information I need from an "insider". Could you tell me what (or which) trade magazine(s) people in the landscaping and design business subscribe to. Also, what is the main national trade show that professional landscapers attend. One more thing, what is the name of the main trade association to which members of your industry belong to. Answer: As stated in my profile,I am not a landscaper. I only do design work,no actual landscaping. I am not aware of any publications or trade shows concerning installation of landscapes. I read grounds magazine on the net sometimes but this is geared more toward golf course maintenance and groundskeeping. I do not subscribe to any design magazines. Concerning the design field,there is an organization called The Association of Professional Landscape Designers and for licensed landscape architects, The American Society of Landscape Architects. Most licensed landscape architects belong to this organization. I do not belong to any professional organization and my guess would be that most landscape designers do not. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 130. Stump Removal When replacing a huge oak tree on a gentle slope in Georgia, how far down must the stump be ground and should the ground-up matter be returned to the hole and mixed with dirt? Answer: It would be desirable to remove the entire stump to eliminate the possibility of sprouts coming back up from the stump and roots. A stump grinder will cut down to about 1 foot. A tine trencher could be used. This piece of equipment will cut to 3 feet. Or a special stump cutter could be used. The chips can be left in place or taken to another part of your garden or put in a compost pile. When wood decomposes it depletes the soil of nitrogen,so you will have to apply a fertilizer containing nitrogen if you want to plant in the area. Hand tools such as a grub hoe,axe,shovel,root saw or wire saw may also prove useful for anything the stump grinder or cutter cant reach. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Comment: Thank you for a very helpful answer! 131. French Drain For Slope Drainage In Winter I live in New Brunswick, Canada and have a couple of drainage issues (only in the winter). I live on a hill, the land is slightly higher (than my driveway and basement windows) on the back side of my home. Snow will melt, and water runs onto the driveway (later to freeze on the driveway). This ice will build up over the winter becoming a real pain. Also, I have three basement windows close to grade. When there is snow on the ground and we get a heavy rain, the snow collects and holds the water, raising the water enough that it comes into my finished basement through the closed windows. We have installed window wells however I do not wish to bring them so high that we can not see out the window. I believe I am going to rent a back hoe to make good trenches (to move the water to an area that will drain well) filled with 3/4" clear stone. I think I would prefer to make a trench wider with more stone than to install piping that may clog later? I am unsure if I should use fabric (thinking it may seal and prevent water propagation). Also, it would be nice if I could place some soil and seed over the rock trench system as it is would look best. What I am wondering is will water freeze on top of the stone, soil, lawn system I propose to install, sealing off the drainage system from taking water away? Do you have any other suggestions? I would like to do this fix right the first time and am able to send a couple of pictures if you feel you could better advise. Answer: I would suggest the idea of intercepting the water before it reaches the area. This can be done by ditch,swale,trench drains or catch basins. Filter fabric can be omitted if the pitch of the pipe is steep enough to allow fine sediment to be flushed out. Otherwise it would probably be a good idea to use fabric. The soil behind the fabric will not cause clogging. A rock filled french drain will carry less water because the rock displaces it and a such a french drain will clog as readily as a pipe,perhaps more so. Planting over it would also slow the water down and give the water time to soak into the drain. I think perhaps you would be better served by a drain with an open inlet such as a trench drain or catch basins. French drains are not suited well for the collection of surface water and so of course are not suited to intercepting water from slopes,where the water is faster moving. Water movement through the gravel in the drain would be relatively slow. You need to remove the water at a fast rate before it can get to your driveway. The gravel in a french drain only serves as a retention area and as a slower conduit for water and the gravel can serve as bedding for the pipe. The water builds up and is retained in the gravel of the french drain and then is drained away at a faster rate by the perforated french drain pipe. A french drain with soil cover will be even less efficient at intercepting surface flow then one where the gravel extends up to grade. Any water frozen over the drainage devices is not moving. As it thaws out it will leak into the drainage device. A berm or flood wall could also be a possibility but then a retention area to hold the water would have to be constructed behind the berm or wall. A french drain could possibly be used to drain such a retention area. A pic would be helpful but none of this general advice will substitute for an analysis of the site and a plan. I would not proceed with construction until I was reasonably sure of a good solution. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 132. Flower Bed I want to plant a flower bed. Do I have to remove the grass in the area I want to plant or can I just dig & turn the grass over ? Answer: Actually it would not be a good idea to plant the flowers immediately after working the grass into the soil because certain microbial activity will then be taking place in the break down of the grass and that will interfere with the growth processes of the flowers. The flowers could be planted after adding the grass to the soil if it has been left in place in the soil for about 1 month. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 133. Bad Drainage From Neighbor My climate zone is 2A. My property and the neighbouring ones on my street all have a gentle slope that drains into city property bordering a roadway. My backyard is lower than the ones on either side. After heavy rains, the water from both houses drains into my yard. A couple years ago I thought I had fixed the problem by building up the soil level. This Spring year has been one of the wettest on records and the water problem is back but not as bad. I dont feel like adding more soil again. To do this before I had to remove part of the fence. I have since built a new fence, and my wife has added some nice flower beds and garden. Last week I hand dug a trench along each neighbours fence to the lowest point at my back fence. About 3' wide by 20' long. This has worked well, and my kids love playing boats in the water.I dont like the idea of standing water, so need some ideas for landscaping these trenches. My thoughts are to rake grass and leaves into the trenches until it builds up,hopefully still able to drain, or can I plant something in there? Thanks for any thoughts! Answer: I would first look into draining the water away to an outlet. If the outlet would be on city property you will have to apply for a permit to drain to it. Perhaps you could install a perforated drain pipe and cover it with soil and gravel and create a large french drain. Another option may be to create an underground retention area. This could be a concrete or plastic vault,an area of gravel or other permeable media or a series of large diamter corrugated pipe. The surrounding soil would have to be permeable enough and of sufficient volume to absorb the drainage water or you an outlet will be needed to drain the water to. This would allow you to plant over the area. I would not recommend using leaves for water retention. That could produce odor and attract pests. An at grade retention area consisting of stones or gravel covered with soil may be an option if the surrounding soil is permeable enough to accept the drainage water or can be piped or channeled to another suitable outlet. A planted or rock lined drainage ditch leading to an outlet could be another option. Construct the ditch in a V shape. You want to either drain the water away to an outlet or make structures that will allow the water to drain away into the surrounding soil. Just ponding the water is not desirable. The water must drain away in 48 to 72 hours. Hope this helps. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 134. Italian Cypress I live in Foxboro, MA and would like to plant Italian Cypress trees as a buffer between my property and my neighbors. Am I in the right zone to plant these trees? They will have sun but my concern is the winter months? Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me. Answer: You are located too far north for italian cypress. I would not recommend italian cypress for a residence anyway because it looks too formal and out of scale in residential settings. I would suggest the following pyramidal shaped privacy plants: lombardy poplar: This tree has risk factors involved in its planting that include disease,invasive roots and deformation of its form. These things appear mainly in the later growth stages. This tree also tends to be shorter lived (average 20 years). Other varieties,such as theves and tower,have less of these problems but are still subject to the same problems to some degree. The positives are that this tree has a very fast growth rate,can be purchased cheaply and in its early years,has a very nice shape for a privacy hedge. arborvitae thuja juniperis chinensis (spartan) leyland cypress eastern red cedar blue spruce These plants will not present any special problems in the winter. I sent this as a rejected question. Sorry,hit the wrong button. Hope this helps. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 135. Shade Tree For Pool And Deck I am hoping to plant some trees for shade near my above ground swimming pool. I have a deck around my pool that stands around 6 feet tall with a railing that is another 4 feet off the floor of the deck (10 feet). My driveway runs right next to the decking leaving a 4 ft. space where I would like to plant the trees. So, I am looking for a type of tree that will offer some shade to the deck with foilage 10 ft and taller that will not penetrate it's roots through my driveway ruining the blacktop. I would like to plant them in this 4 ft space. I am also concerned about trees that flower or fruit because I do not want to attract bees around the pool. I am also concerned about the leaves in the fall. I don't want a mess to clean out of the pool every fall. I live in Ohio and the area ranges from wet to dry depending on the climate. There is not very good drainage from the 4 ft area when it rains. The area is in full day sun. Temps range from -15 to 105 degrees depending on the season.Do you have any suggestions for me????? Answer: Below is a list of flowering and non-flowering evergreen street trees. Limiting yourself to non-flowering will reduce your choices,so you may want to reconsider that. None of these trees will do well in wet soil. If the soil floods and then drains out within 48 hours,that should be fine. Evergreen Pear (flowering) Southern Magnolia (flowering) California Pepper Tree (flowering) Eucalyptus Microtheca (flowering) Alligator Juniper (non-flowering,fruit inconspicuous) Silk Oak (Grevilla robusta) (flowering,fruit inconspicuous) Sitka Spruce (non-flowering) Silver Dollar Gum (Eucalyptus polyanthemos) (flowering) Canary Island Pine (flowers not significant) Torrey Pine (flowering) Bishop Pine (flowering) Red Western Cedar (Thuja Plicata) (flowers not significant) Carob Tree (flowering) Hope this helps. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Reader Comment: Very fast response and very helpful. 136. Retaining Wall I have a slight hill around 2-3 feet high at its peak, at the foot of the hill is a sidewalk that leads right to my pool. The hill keeps washing dirt into the pool at heavy rainstorms. I was thinking of building a wall out of railroad ties (landscape timbers) with drainage rocks behind it to prevent the mud slides. How would I go about doing this the right way, and how much drainage rock would I need? Answer: Place drainage gravel no larger than 3/4 inch at the face of the wall. Make the width about 2 feet and take it to about 1 foot from the top of the wall. A drainage pipe placed at the bottom of the wall may also be helpful and to further aid drainage,place a swale at the top of the wall. Filter cloth placed behind the gravel may be a good idea to prevent silt from clogging the gravel. Run rebar or threaded rod all the way through each of the timbers and/or nail 1 by 4 or larger pieces of treated lumber to both faces of the timbers,going perpendicularly to the timbers. Heel the bottom of the timber wall into the toe of the hill and tilt the wall back a couple of degrees to increase the walls resistance to being tipped over. The wall must be anchored by "deadmen". These could be timbers placed perpendicularly to the face of the wall and anchored behind the wall with stakes or steel cables tied to concrete anchors. Hope this helps. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] Reader Comment: Thanks a lot! Your answer was a great help! 137. Jacaranda Trees My mother-in-law lives in the Clovis/Fresno area. She is having a 75th birthday party and she really wants a Jacaranda Tree. It looks like they may not do well in her area. She cannot find them in the local nurseries up there. Will this tree grow in Fresno? If not, can you recommend a tree that might be similar? Answer: There have been reports of this tree growing in the Fresno area but for each individual case it would be an uncertain proposition,so I would not recommend it. The Fresno area may be too far north for the jacaranda tree. The jacaranda tree is most suited to coastal regions and would do well along the Central California Coast but would not fare as well inland. Here is a list of other drought tolerant specimen trees: dogwood maple cherry fringetree birch (gray or poplar) Hope this helps. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: I felt the response I got was excellent. However, my mother-in-law is still determined to try to get this Jacaranda tree to live in Clovis. I do believe the information mark Provided was true and correct. His response was certainly cordial and polite. I will definately use this service again. 138. Garden Path Border Plants Hello, Mark. Hope you're having a great weekend! We are located in Zone 5 and have a large shady garden under a group of pine trees consisting of primarily hosta and ferns varieties. I will be installing a concrete pathway winding through the area by using a 2 ft. x 2 ft. plastic template to give the path the appearance of a stone path. I am looking for a plant variety in the 6 in. to 12 in. height range to line the edges of the entire path. Would you be kind enough to offer any suggestions for the edging of my shade garden path in Zone 5? Thanks so much and take care! Answer: Traditional plants for such a purpose would include: astilbe perrenial cornflower siberian wallflower coreopsis fringed bleeding heart mist flower hemerocalllis middendorfi herchera angguinea hosta herbaceous spirea papaver nudicaule platycodon mariesi centaurea daylily coralbell plantainlily sea lavender iceland poppy balloon flower Not all of these plants grow strictly to 1 foot high but limiting yourself to that height would substantially narrow the list. The above listed plants do not grow over 2 feet high. Below is a list of herbs that can be used for a border. These herbs are either edible or have medicinal value: thyme sage garlic chives bee balm circle onion chrysanthemum catnip chamomile marjoram oregano burnet winter savory The entire list consists of perrenials. Hope this helps. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: Very thorough answer! Mark gave me more info than I ever expected. HIGHLY recommended. Thanks, bro! 139. Type Of Shrubs Hi Mark, I wrote to you previously regarding having privacy in my backyard without too many trees. You mentioned to use some type of shrubs, are there any names in particular? I live in southern California. I appreciate your help. Answer: Here is a list of privacy shrubs and trees: Shrubs: juniper spruce arborvitae privet holly forsythia butterfly bush lilac spirea holly (tall varieties) Trees: dogwood crape myrtle serviceberry Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: Thank you Mark, I was so clueless and becoming so frustrated because I don't know anything about trees and did not know what to do to make my backyard look better. I appreciate the list of shrubs and trees you provided. I am looking forward for my new project. 140. River Rock Creekbed I'm installing a river rock creekbed as a landscape feature, but that will also channel water during heavy rains (which we have plenty of in W. Washington!). the soil is a weird mix around here, but includes plenty of silty material that I'd rather not have flowing out the lower end the the creek. Is it advisable to lay sand and/or gravel under the river rock? Answer: Do not place sand or gravel under the rock. The water will simply wash it back out. Sand and gravel placed under the rocks will do nothing to aid drainage with such a large volume of water moving at speed. Since the sand or gravel will likely be undermined,it will not make a good storage area for sediment and even if it were to remain stable,it would eventually completely clog with sediment and be rendered ineffective. Cleaning it out would be inconvenient,since it would be covered with rock and mixed with heavy sand and gravel. If you would like to avoid this maintenance it may be possible to simply "let ole mother nature have her way" and let the sediment build up naturally. Such a situation would be what occurs in a natural stream bed. The water will change course as the sediment deposits,creating an "ox bow" effect and the sediment will fan out. You should try to capture sediment at the entrance to the creek. This will keep sediment out of the creek and make cleaning it out more convenient. This can be accomplished by constructing a pool area with check dams or plants,if necessary,to slow down the water. The pool should be higher in elevation than the creek and have a spillway for controlling entry of water into the creek. Line the entry point to the pool with rocks and/or plants to prevent erosion and plant the entire pool area to further trap sediment. The outlet can be treated in a similar fashion if erosion will be a problem there. There are devices to control overflow at the outlet. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: Mark not only answered my question very clearly, but offered additional very helpful advice in a related area that I wasn't smart enough to even ask the question. 141. Drain Pipe Decoration I have just replaced the underground pipe that my downspouts %26 gutters are attached to. It drains into a flowerbed at the lower portion of my property at the road. I would like cover the end of the pipe with something ornate such as a flower or a lions head etc.that the water can flow through. I need something to dress it up. The pipe is 3". Any ideas? Answer: Concrete,metal and plastic garden art is available in the form of fountains and plaques that may suit your tastes and perhaps you could have something custom made,if you dont find something that fits off the rack,so to speak. Perhaps you could place a small pool at the end of the pipe,combined with some aquatic or semi-aquatic plants or something like ornamental grass or sedge for an area that will not always contain water. The pipe outlet should have some kind of erosion control and so perhaps you could place attractive rocks,such as flagstone, at the end of the pipe. Water coming out of the end of the pipe at speed tends to scour away the soil,so rocks or some other method to break the speed of the water should be placed at the pipe end. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: THANK YOU MARK 142. Poplar Roots Our neighbour planted a poplar tree five years ago. It has grown quickly and I can see suckers coming up in my lawn, and I thik they are sucking up the nutrients and killing the grass. Can I dig up and cut the roots without killing the tree? Answer: The roots can be removed. Use some type of manual cutting tool or use a stump grinder. A wire saw may prove to be a convenient tool since you would only have to slip it under the root. Burning may also prove effective. This method may stop the roots from growing. Mechanical removal methods do not stop the roots from growing again. In general,remove no more than 1 third of the total tree roots and stay outside of the drip line (the circular line on the ground defined by the edge of the tree canopy). Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 143. Will Chlorine Harm Plants I have an above ground pool. I am putting rocks around the pool, but would like to put some plants in a few spots. What kind of plants would hold up to the chlorine water hitting them? Also, the area receives a lot of sun. Answer: There have been no reports of chlorine in pool water harming plants. The chlorine level of the pool water is relatively low and is not much greater than the chlorine content of ordinary tap water,which is used to water plants. Salt water is harmful to plants and contains a much higher chlorine content than pool water. Even salt spray on plants can hinder their growth or kill them. The main concern you will have with full sun in the pool area is an elevated temperature and that will mean your plants will require more water,so you may want to choose drought tolerant plants. Mulch the plants whenever possible to conserve moisture. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 144. Lawn Drainage I have had standing water issues as well as soggy areas every few years since I have owned my home. Some years back I had a contractor install french drains to keep the water from coming into my basement and it worked well. However, since my water table is high and we have underground springs, every few years some portion of my lawn has water when the springs change direction. I have researched how to do the french drain my self and have dug a trench 60 X 12 feet to the previous french drain and have a decent pitch to make sure it flows in that direction. Yet, I can't seem to get the water to flow in the direction I want. Do you think I just need to continue to dredge the trench until it flows in the direction I want? If the pitch was decent enough, shouldn't I see the water going in the direction I want after digging the trench and even before I lay the piping? Any guidance would be appreciated! ANSWER: Perhaps the problem is that the outlet for the pipes is not extending past the groundwater. If the entire structure of piping is sitting under groundwater than no positive drainage will take place. To drain groundwater,a herringbone or some other grid structure of piping is necessary,spaced according to soil type. There could be several drainage solutions,depending on a drainage analysis of the property. A grid structure of drainage pipe is one of the most common approaches for draining groundwater but springs can sometimes make other methods necessary as they present a different set of problems than groundwater alone. The water has to flow to some point. Where does the trench you dug lead to. If it leads to an area of more groundwater or an impervious layer of soil there will not be drainage. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 FOLLOW-UP Hello and thank you for your earlier reply. At present, I have not placed the pipes in my trench. I have been attempting to get the water to flow in the direction I want first. That is toward the existing french drain that a contractor placed for me about 5 years ago. I have begun the trench at about 6 inches and have dug about 18 -24 inches toward the direction I wish for it to go. My research on the web tells me that with such a pitch it should flow in the direction I want. However, it isn't and the trench has most of the water at the end I don't want. I do not know if there are actually underground springs. A neighbor was sharing with me that we had such. I just can't seem to get the pitch right to get the water going in the direction I want. My question is .......if the pitch is correct in the trench ( before I lay the pipes) shouldn't the water flow in the direction I want? Answer: Perhaps the problem is that the outlet for the pipes is not extending past the groundwater. If the entire structure of piping is sitting under groundwater than no positive drainage will take place. To drain groundwater,a herringbone or some other grid structure of piping is necessary,spaced according to soil type. There could be several drainage solutions,depending on a drainage analysis of the property. A grid structure of drainage pipe is one of the most common approaches for draining groundwater but springs can sometimes make other methods necessary as they present a different set of problems than groundwater alone. The water has to flow to some point. Where does the trench you dug lead to. If it leads to an area of more groundwater or an impervious layer of soil there will not be drainage. The pitch should be a minimum of 1/4 inch per 1 foot. This means that for every 1 linear foot there should be a drop in elevation of 1/4 inch. Sometimes the pitch has to be greater to compensate for friction. The surface of a bare trench is not the same as the surface of a plastic,metal or concrete pipe. The pitch can be adjusted up higher to achieve different flow velocities. The flow velocity of a 1/4 inch in 1 foot pitch on bare soil will not be the same velocity as in a pipe. If possible,making the pitch somewhat greater will help clear out sediment but either too little or too much flow velocity is not desirable. The existing french drains may not have the capacity to handle more water placed in them from the pipes you are proposing. As I mentioned earlier,if you have groundwater,take the traditional gridwork pipe structure approach. This is the same technique used to drain agricultural fields. Perhaps the french drains are clogged and have stopped working. Determine the high point and low point of the pipe run and then fasten a string between these two points. Keep the grading even with the string. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 145. Shade Tolerant Grass What type of grass is better for shade? Please advise. Thanks. Answer: First on the list would be fescue. This is a very shade tolerant and hardy grass. Also,there are plants that highly resemble grass such as liriope ("monkey grass") and the mondo grasses. Shade tolerant ground covers would include pachysandra and periwinkle. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 146. Median Strip Planting The entry to our neighborhood has a median strip about 3 to 4 feet wide (I'm not sure how long but long). The builder had planted flowering trees, all but one has died and I think that one is on its way out. I'm guessing the space is too small for the trees and/or their roots. Right now there is one tree and some tulips and that is it. What plant or plants can be put in there that will work and enhance the curb appeal of the entry to the neighborhood? Since it's a median strip, nothing too high. The trees were fine since they were spaced far enough apart to see through them. Probably need low maintenance plants and possibly drought resistance. We are in zone 7. ANSWER: Use a visibility triangle. The apex is typically 50 feet from the intersection and then the sides of the triangle extend out about 50 to 200 feet. Any low plants in this area should not exceed a height of 2 feet 6 inches. High branched street trees may be used in the area if not too closely spaced. Keep the spacing about 10 to 12 feet apart. Consider planting a low shrub mass and/or ornamental grass in combination with street trees. Consult with someone knowledgeable about trees and the soil conditions there. The spacing sounds adequate for street trees. There could be many reasons why the trees died. Examples of drought resistant street trees would include: green ash hedge maple golden rain tree callery pear amur maple Juniper and yew are examples of drought resistant shrubs. Good luck. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] --------- FOLLOW-UP ---------- With the triangle idea, just to clarify, the median strip is long and skinny (3 to 4 feet across or wide), so I'm not sure what you mean about the triangle idea. This strip separates the road coming into the neighborhood with the outgoing road and it not very wide. I LOVE the golden rain tree idea. I think that might work. Answer: The visibility triangle applies to intersections. Perhaps I misunderstood and there is no intersection but you mentioned not wanting the plants too high and mention another road involved. If there is no intersection then I see no reason for height restrictions. You cant have plants too high at the corners of intersections because they will block the view of oncoming traffic from drivers who are turning from one road to the other. A certain distance measured down one side of the corner makes the first leg of the triangle and then a certain distanced measured down the other side makes the second leg. The third line is the hypotenuse. This is similarly done on the other corner and the lines of the two hypotenuse when extended until they meet will determine an area of clear visibility for drivers in the intersection. For the type of divided road you have mentioned,the triangle may have to extend out 250 feet on the drivers side of the intersection. All plants and objects exceeding a height of 2 feet 6 inches must be kept out of the area defined by the triangle. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 147. 6x6 Cedar Post - Structurally sound? Good afternoon! I'm working on the design for a fence...and I've almost made up my mind. The kicker is what size fence posts to use. My choices are an 8x8 cedar post or a 6x6 cedar post. Obviously, the 6x6 is cheaper and, personally, I think it will look aesthetically more pleasing next to the 6x6 posts that are on my pergola over the back porch. My question. I plan on mortising, in the middle (actually, offset slightly to allow for the pickets), for the 2x4 runners. Let me throw some measurements at you: Mortise in 2" on each side (maybe only 1.75"). This leaves either 2 or 2.5 inches in the middle from one direction. I'll mortise in 1 7/8" from the rear and 2 5/8" from the front (my picket size is a full 3/4"). Thus, at three spots on my 6 foot cedar post I will have about a 2x2" "weak spot". What do you think? Is that structurally sound? If not, I could go with the 8x8; however, I'd much prefer the 6x6. Thanks for any advice you may have! I mainly just want your honest opinion :). FYI I'm also an expert on Allexperts...Microsoft Excel forum. Answer: By allowing 1-3/4 inch for each 2 by 4 rail you will have a total of 2-1/2 inches of free space in which to adjust the location of the rails. I would just locate the rails through the center of the 6 by 6 posts if the offset you mentioned is not critical to the design. A 6 by 6 post can accomodate two 2 by 4 rails without any loss of strength. Offsetting the location of the rails should not be a problem. You have chosen a good way to construct a fence and you have chosen a good material,cedar,which is highly resistant to rot and is produced naturally. The mortise method of course requires no fasteners and is actually stronger than other connection methods. Good luck. I will check out your post on all experts. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: Thanks for the expert opinion! I like your idea of going with the 2.5" buffer instead of the 2"...glad you agree that the post will still be strong. Thanks! 148. Concrete Retaining Wall Question I need to build a small retaining wall on the lower side of my house. It'll be about two feet high at the edge of the house, making a 90-degree turn (curved, not sharp) and going along my driveway. The total length will be about 23 feet, and at the other end it's only going to be about a foot high. I am going to put some topsoil behind it, and some sod on top...so it does need to be fairly sturdy. I would LIKE to build it out of poured concrete, then later on put some faux-stone on it so it'll look a little better. My biggest problem is figuring out how to build a mold to include that curved 90-degree turn. I thought maybe I could use some quarter-inch plywood, and I wanted to know if you thought that would work. Also, any suggestions or recommendations you might have (even on other forms of construction) would be very welcome. Answer: Materials you can use include plywood,masonite,bender board (redwood and plastic) and other forms of composite, bendable concrete form material (some claim to have superior bending properties). If you use plywood,stay with 1/4 inch. This size will be much easier to bend. Wetting the plywood will aid in bending. Construct a frame to mount the plywood or other material to. This could be perhaps pieces made of thicker 1/2 inch strips of plywood or bender board. Bender board comes in 2 x 4 size strips and in lesser sizes. Use spacer sticks to keep the form a uniform width and tie the two sides together with heavy wire or threaded rod. Mount support braces to the sides and to the ends. A frame and bracing is necessary so that no bulges form in the sides of the wall. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: Very quick and thorough response, along with some helpful suggestions. Thanks, Mark! 149. French Drains For Basement Drainage Three years ago I relocated to DC from the midwest. For a myriad of reasons, I hate my house and the one redeeming feature was the yard. UNTIL, last year I started having severe drainage issues. I have pooled water in a low area of the yard that rarely dries out and my sump pump (in a below grade basement) gushes every 2 minutes on average. While the water is entertaining for the cat, it does not amuse me. Every contractor I speak with suggests french drains but I wonder about their viability given that the basement is below grade and the sump pump below the basement. I need help and a plan! I've attached a series of photos that I sent to one of the contractors requesting clarification. If you see anything helpful I'd sure appreciate any help you could give. Answer: French drains can be useful for intercepting water around the perimeter of a house and thus stop it before it gets to the basement. Perhaps that is what the contractor is suggesting. If the problem is groundwater then a french drain may not be effective since such a drain cannot function below the water table. Perforated drain pipe is one method to deal with groundwater. A footing drain around the perimeter of the foundation may be another part of solving the problem,assuming you do not already have such a drain. This type of drain can be used in combination with a FIN drain,which is a permeable board attached to the foundation wall. You should of course understand what the contractor is proposing to do and what the reasons are for any structures. Your property should be analyzed as a whole to arrive at a satisfactory drainage solution. You say that the pool rarely dries out and that strongly suggests groundwater. French drains will reduce the load on the sump pump if the water in question is surface water. You can apply for a permit to attach the sump pump to a storm drain. Such a connection must be installed by a licensed plumber. Other options may include disposing of all or some of the water on your own property by discharing it into a permeable detention area of some type but if the general area contains high groundwater this may not be an option. An underdrainage system connected to some kind of outlet sounds like a better solution. Filling the pooled area in could be an option. A permit is needed to work with any amount of soil over 5 cubic yards. Hauling soil in can be expensive but perhaps the soil could be borrowed from another spot on the site. Perhaps the water could be pumped out of the pooled area. Having a pump constantly running is not desirable but depending on how much water there is and at what rate it is infiltrating the area,the pump may be able to remove enough water to keep the area dry or simply moist without running constantly. Wind or solar power could reduce the energy costs of such pumping. I received only one photo. There appears to be a natural swale near the bush to the right of the tree. Perhaps that could be used to some advantage after you get a clear picture of what the exact drainage problem is and obtain a plan of what actions need to be taken. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 150. Tree For Small Area I’m hoping you can help me… I have a 8’x8’ garden, in which I’d like to plant a tree. There are no overhead wires, and the tree canopy can be large as there is nothing near by. Here’s the catch…surrounding the 8’x8’ garden is mostly concrete (driveway, patio, etc). Also, I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (it gets cold here in the winter!) Is there a species that will do better in that type of space? Answer: Choose a tree from a list that have proven to perform well in tight urban situations. These trees are commonly known as "street trees". A partial list is given below: allee elm (good canopy tree,can be planted at large size) linden (street and canopy tree) green ash quaking aspen birch maple These trees will grow in your zone. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 151. Root Barriers I have been told by a foundation repair company that the hollies planted near my foundation take more water out of the foundation than a tree and they should all be pulled out. Do you agree they should not be planted around foundations? ANSWER: Doesnt sound very likely that you could have enough hollies to match the water holding capacities of a tree but in general all shrubs should be kept a minimum of 5 feet from the foundation wall and trees should be kept a minimum of 15 feet or the distance of the canopy spread from the wall. keep shrubs 5 feet from the wall in order to avoid problems caused to the foundation wall by watering the shrubs. Trees can remove enough water from the soil and cause problems if they are planted too close to the foundation wall. Water problems of this nature (shrink/swell) occur with sensitive clay soils. If too much water is added to the soil then swelling occurs,which can cause the foundation to move and crack and similarly,if too much water is withdrawn from the soil,the foundation can move. This movement is known as differential movement. Movement is promoted by having a wet area next to a dry area. When there is a uniform,evenly distributed state of moisture,movement is less likely. Water problems of this type are not likely with loam/sand soil or gravel fill. You may be fine with leaving the holly in place if you have good drainage around the wall. Watering the holly would not have anymore effect than rain. Depending on the situation some foundation walls will have moisture problems where others will not. Some walls need only a footing drain while others may benefit from an impermeable layer,such as a concrete apron around the perimeter,a FIN drain and waterproofing. Water can have a damaging cumulative effect over a period of years,however. Considering this fact,it is always a good idea to keep as much water as possible away from foundation walls. Some houses have roof overhangs that may provide all or most of the protection that an impermeable perimeter apron would provide. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 ---------- FOLLOW-UP ---------- Thanks for your time Mark. I have another question....what are your thoughts on root barriers for trees? I have a 22 yr old tree about 15 feet from the foundation and have been advised I need to put in a root barrier between the tree and house for the tune of approx $600. My soil is CLAY -North Texas! Answer: I place no faith at all in root barriers. They do not have a proven track record and often in fact, the tree roots simply go under the barrier or over it in search of water. These barriers have proven useful in clay soil because they can cause the clay to retain water and keep the water content of the clay in a balanced state. If you have heavy clay around your foundation wall,then such a barrier may be useful for that purpose. It may cost about the same or a bit more to have the tree removed if it becomes a problem, rather than use a root barrier. The tree roots are not likely to damage your foundation wall or remove an appreciable amount of water from around the wall. In their natural state,tree roots spread out close to the surface in order to collect water and nutrients and since a root barrier forces the roots downward,there is some concern that root barriers are not healthy for trees. The main idea is to use the right tree in the right place and so expensive "fixes" like root barriers will not be necessary. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: Great advice Mark. Thank you for volunteering your time - this is a great website. I've recommended it to several friends. 152. Landscaping For Driveway I am looking to install landscaping along the driveway side of my home. My driveway is stone and the area is 30'x4'. I am looking for suggestions in what material to use for edging and how much topsoil I will need in order for the shrubs to grow. The topsoil and edging material will be installed directly over the existing stone driveway. Answer: A variety of materials could be used as a container for the shrubs,including concrete,brick,wood and stone. The depth of the container would depend on what size the shrubs are. The soil under the driveway should be relatively porous to allow for good drainage,otherwise the container may flood or water will pour out from the bottom onto other areas. Make drain holes in the bottom of the driveway. Alternatively,install a drain under the planter to carry any excess water to a disposal point. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 153. Raised Flower Bed Next To Garage I would like to build a raised flower bed along the side of my garage where weeds love to grow. How far away from the wall of the garage do I need to place the flower bed? Also, the yard tends to be wet. Will the flower bed help keep water away from the garage or make the problem worse? Answer: Locating the bed a mimimum of 5 feet from the wall would be a good way to prevent water collecting around the garage wall,but of course that would not allow you to address the weed problem near the wall. Another option may be to build the bed next to the wall but with a plastic,clay,concrete or concrete paver apron underneath to keep water from soaking down around the wall. It would be desirable to have the ground sloped away from the garage. Yet another option may be to install an underdrain at the footing of the garage foundation and perhaps a dimbled memebrane or "waterboard" on the surface of the garage foundation wall. This FIN drain will drain water away vertically from the wall and empty out into the footing drain. The footing drain of course needs an outlet. A better idea would be to keep water away from the wall to begin with by using the above mentioned aprons or locating the bed away from the wall. The bed will not have any effect in keeping water away from the wall. If installed next to the wall without drainage,the problem of water collecting around the garage foundation wall will vary in intensity,depending on how large the bed is and how much water gets in it. If the soil contains alot of clay then swelling could become a problem and that could crack or move the foundation. A footing drain or other drainage structures around the permimeter of the garage would be a better option to deal with water problems around the garage. It is also a good idea not to have any kind of organic mulch around buildings. This could attract termites and other nuisance insects. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: The expert's reply was very good. Unfortunately, it was not very helpful, since I own only a sliver of the land to the north of my driveway; although he has prevented me from increasing the amount of snow on my driveway. 154. Outside Basement Doors Question: We are about to landscape our backyard, but we do not want our outside cellar doors showing? Any suggestions? Answer: Place plantings in front of the door or place plantings to block the point of view from the landscaped area to the door. Another option may be to place a fence or trellis in front of the door. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 155. Soil Against Foundation Hi, I need to raise the ground level around the foundation of my house, about 6-8", so that rain water flows away from the house. It is regular grass lawn at the foundation. What is the best soil/loam/sand to use? Is the any better season(s) in which to do it? I live in the north east & near the sea.Thanks, Gregg Answer: The only weather restrictions on working with soil are frozen ground and overly wet ground. For the grass to do well you cannot have too much clay or sand. Clay would produce a semi permeable surface that would promote water running off the surface and sand would produce a permeable soil. However,grass does best in loam and would not do well in a highly clay or sandy soil. I would try to obtain the maximum clay content possible that would still permit the grass to grow. Certain plants,some with a grasslike appearance, and some ornamental grasses tolerate clay soil. I would aim to make the clay content near 50 percent. If you want to keep loam soil next to the foundation then consider placing a clay layer under the loam. Sloping the ground will not prevent all water from seeping around the foundation and if you experience further drainage problems after you slope the ground,you may need to install subsurface drainage. Other methods are to use are plastic sheeting to keep water from entering the soil around the foundation,the use of a concrete apron around the foundation and the use of underground clay caps and gravel fill. A footing drain is usually necessary. This is a perforated drain pipe or some other channel that carries water away from the foundation. Of course the water must discharge into an outlet of some kind or soak into the ground away from the foundation. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Comment: Useful, thanks! 156. Covering An Unsightly Area On Outside Brick Wall Thanks for taking your time to help me out on this problem if you can. We have an area on the outside of our stucco brick house where the airconditioner used to be. We moved it to the back of the house, and now there's this large area from the ground up that was patched where the piping was. It was patched but because it is stucco brick it looks like a patch job. Can you give me ANY suggestions on ways to cover this part of the wall up without it looking like we were trying to patch a patch job??? Answer: Painting may hide the patch or consider using a finely meshed trellis (with or without plants). Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 157. Wet Yard At the back of my yard I have a small brook,my yard gets sun all day.When I cut the grass (mostly weed)it always seams damp no matter what time of day.when it rains it seams to hold water for a while.What can I do to get the yard to dry out faster,and what kind of grass can I put down that will grow nice under these conduction.(rain gutters do not run into back yard) Answer: Sounds like you may have a marsh type of ground there. Consider using drainage pipe under the area. There must be an outlet for the pipe. If the soil is clay add organic matter and coarse sand,crushed rock or pea gravel to improve drainage. The sand or crushed rock must be coarse. Fine sand will further harden clay soil. Pea gravel should not be over 3/8 inch in diameter. Decomposed granite is a good crushed rock product to improve drainage in clay soil. Use a 1 to 1 ratio for these amendments. The following plants may do well in moist conditions: lemon grass rye grass monkey grass ornamental grass meadow grass sedge marsh marigold Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 158. Plants That Absorb Lots Of Water! I live in zone 5 (Chicago) and have a back yard which floods in one area when the rain is heavy. This is an area that is shaded by trees. We have installed a drain, but I was hoping there might be some plants that I could plant in abundance to help. Answer: It is not practical to use plants to drain an area. Drainage is done with permeable soil,retention areas,rain gardens,drywells,french drains,etc... Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 159. Flooding My backyard has a low area that repeatedly floods. Researching for solutions all suggest drainage tubing, berms, swells, ditches, etc. Due to the small size of my yard,the proximity of my neighbors, and the main fact that all of the surrounding area is uphill from the low area, these are not workable. I've looked at dry well kits sold at local home stores, but I don't think they would be able to handle the amount of water I get. Answer: The plastic drywells from the kits can be placed together in battery form. It would be a matter of determining the volume of water involved and placing the required number of drywells accordingly. You would have to excavate an area approximately 4 to 6 feet deep to place the drywells. A more shallow excavation containing permeable material such as gravel or rocks or sections of sealed large diameter corrugated drain pipe could also be a possibility but this would have to spread over a wider area than drywells. Any retention area containing gravel or rocks or any permeable material reduces the volume of water that can be contained because the material takes up space in the area. Drywells and drain pipe contain only empty space and so can hold more water. The drywells you saw at your local home store may be smaller than drywells available elsewhere. Another possibility could be to install a cistern. This could be constructed of concrete or masonry. This method would prevent water from saturating the surrounding soil and would also aid in maintenance as it would be easier to service in the way of cleaning than a filled retention basin. Over time a filled retention basin will fill with silt and the materials must be replaced. The water could slowly leak out through a hole in the bottom or sides. An overflow pipe would relieve any excess water. This method would also allow you to use the water for your garden or some other purpose. Water could enter the cistern from a top drain inlet,screened to exclude debri. Covered with a layer of soil of about 18 inches,this method would allow you to use the ground above and would offer more storage volume than a filled retention basin. Prefabricated plastic cisterns are available. I would also suggest a retention basin,which is sometimes also called a rain garden or bioretention basin. It could simply be an area of permeable soil or some type of "engineered soil" placed in various layers to achieve the greatest degree of drainage possible. With a rain garden you will have to accept a certain amount of water for up to 48 hours and this will restrict your use of the area but if you want to use the area for planting,then you could fill the area with plants that thrive in rain gardens. These plants could also include certain edible types. The soil surrounding the retention basin must be permeable enough to allow the water to drain sufficiently. An outlet for some of the water may be desirable. You may want to try to get permission from your municipality to connect to the storm drain. Most often the connection must be done by a licensed plumber. It may also be possible to discharge some of the water off site,say onto a low traffic road but there must be no possibility of water standing on the road. This water could cause a traffic hazard and can freeze in winter. The lifespan of these structures can be extended by using some type of device to trap sediment before it reaches the structure. These sediment traps require periodic cleaning. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Reader Comment: Mark responded quickly to my question. It was easy to understand and has given me ideas to look into. 160. Invasive Willow Tree Last year I had five blue spruces installed in the west part of my yard 15 feet from the property line. My neighbor planted a willow in the same area, but a foot from the property line. We live in Northwest part of Illinois. Will the willows trunk begin to grow onto our property and will the tree over shadow my evergreen trees? Answer: The weeping willow has a spread of 35 feet and reaches a mature height of 30 to 40 feet high. Other species of willow can be 10 feet less in spread and height. The blue spruce reaches a mature height of 50 to 75 feet and sometimes reaches a height of 100 feet. Its spread is 25 feet. The spread is the diameter of the tree canopy measured from the center of the trunk. Depending on the species,the branches of the willow could reach 10 to 12 feet onto your property. It is likely that your blue spruce will not be impacted by the willows branches but the willow may compete with the spruce for water. The average trunk diameter of weeping willow is 2 feet. The roots of willow can be very invasive. The roots will spread far out in search of water and so if you have a sidewalk or pipes near the tree in question you could get damage to these structures. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 161. Garden Trees I am dividing a section of the garden but do not want to use a hedge or fence - approx 15 m. I want to use trees with rounded doming habit if possible but they should not get beyond 10 m finished height - not topierised or pleached - does not need to be evergreen. Any ideas gratefully accepted and ideas of where to get them for planting this year. I thought about mulberry but can only get a feathered tree of 4 foot so just too small to start with. Answer: Here is a list of trees meeting your requirements: allee elm (good canopy tree,can be planted at large size) linden (street and canopy tree) birch maple hybrid willow oak siberian elm green ash quaking aspen hawthorn The only suggestion I can give about obtaining these trees is check with a local nursery. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 162. Hardscaping Hi my name is Jeff. I live in the Hamilton NJ area. I am a lawn service. I am starting to do hardscaping. I need to know the right way to price retaining walls and patios. I don't know if its by the sq ft or by the job. I was hoping to get some advice because I don't want to lose money on this type of thing I want to make money. So if you can get back to me on how I can do this while Im on the job or if its better to go home to do it on my computer. Please get back to me and give me a good way of doing this so I can take it out on the field and do it the right way. Answer: I would not make any cost estimates without drawings,produced by you or your client. With a drawing,based on a careful survey of the site,you can get a much more accurate cost estimate,than one produced by "guesstimating". Breaking the structures to be constructed into square or lineal foot units is a convenient way to take the total cost of doing the job and transfer it to the project. I suppose you could base some of your work on sketches made in the field but to make details and refine the drawing you will have to go back to an office. You will also have to check material prices and look up other references,which would require you to return to your office. Similarly,if you are given a concept or final drawing by your client,its usual to go back to an office. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 163. Area Of Polygons What's the best way to measure square ft. if the area is asymmetrical in shape. It has 9 sides. Answer: First,break the area up into polygons such as triangles and parallelograms. Then compute the area of the individual polygons. The formula for computing the area of a triangle is: A = .5bh where A is the area .5 is half the product of the base and height b is the base h is the height The formula for computing a parallelogram is as follows: A = bh where A is the area b is the base h is the height Formula for computing the area of a rhombus: A = .5d1d2 where A is the area d1 is the first diagonal d2 is the second diagonal Formula for computing the area of a trapezoid: A = .5h(b1 + b2) where A is the area .5h is the height multiplied by half b1 and b2 are the bases. The area of any regular polygon,when the perimeter and apothem (a line from the midpoint of one of the sides to the center of the polygon) is known,is: A = .5aP The area equals 0.5 multiplied by the apothem and perimeter. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 164. Stone For Slope Erosion I have a steep driveway. On one side of the driveway (the down side) is a steep hillside that worries me. The vegetation is brush, weeds and pampas grass. In other words nothing I want to keep. Fearing the downside will erode and I will lose my driveway I am thinking of rocking the hillside using 6 inch to 10 inch diameter rocks. How do I go about this task? Answer: Placing stone or what is called "rip rap" will not be effective on a slope greater than 45 degrees. Clear the slope of all vegetation and compact the soil to a density similar to the surrounding undisturbed soil. Layer the stone a mimimum of 9 inches thick. Dig a keyway trench at the foot of the slope to hold the stone in place. Lay filter fabric on the compacted slope and lay 6 inches of sand or gravel over the fabric and then lay the stone on top. The sand/gravel and fabric will aid in holding the underlying soil in place. Bury the fabric at the top of the slope and key it in at the bottom of the slope. Install a drain at the bottom of the slope if needed to channel away water from the slope. Planting shrubs at the top of the slope,immediately above the stone,will aid in further reducing erosion. Good luck. Let me know if you need further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] 165. Concrete Dust Killed Cedars Greetings! We planted a row of 6' cedars along the rear of our property line this past May. They were planted in new triple mix (to 3'), were watered every few days, and we used 5-15-5 root stimulator. They get at least 6 hours of sun a day. They seemed to be doing okay, until just recently. Several are looking very dry & brown in the centre. Is it possible that concrete dust blowing on them for the past 2 weeks from a neighbours pool/interlock patio project could have affected them? Do you have suggestions to revive them? Answer: Concrete contains sodium hydroxide. Plants are very sensitive to any salt (sodium) and can be readily killed by it. The alkalinity of the concrete dust would also act to kill plants. The only advice I can give is to hose down the cedar and hope it lives. There is no way to "revive" a plant poisoned by salt. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 Comment: excellent information 166. Drainage Away From House How can I slope my yard so the rain water will drain away from the house. It appears my home sits lower than the rest of my yard. It also has a few low spots where water gather and drains towards the house. I have sent a picture that may help. Answer: I would suggest building a swale around your house. The french drains may be carrying some water away but it doesnt appear they are effective to control flooding around your home. If the french drains were not covered by the sod and had an open design they would be more effective but still not as effective as a swale,combined with drainage pipe and trench drains or catch basins if necessary. If a swale is too disruptive of the landscape,catch basins,located at strategic low points or an open inlet trench drain may also prove effective or perhaps these devices could be integrated with a smaller swale. The swale and any other drainage device will of course need a discharge point for the water. Regarding that hump indicated by the red box,you may want to try and level that out. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
[email protected] http://www.scribd.com/markscrib47 167. Planting On Hill Behind my house is a hill that is fairly steep - you can't push a wheelbarrow up the hill or walk without walking at an incline. The area is shaded with filtered sunlight. It also has a lot of shale rock and it is clay, has a lot of Poplar trees. I have planted azalea's, liriope, hostas, and a few other plants for shade. Only the azalea's and hostas's have survived. It is very dry and when it rains it is like a flood, however, I did put in a drainage wall with piping so that my patio is not washed out. Here is the question, is there anything I can do to this bank without spending thousands? Answer: First,that hill looks pretty stripped of vegetation and so look into planting some shade tolerant,soil holding ground cover,preferably something that can also act to slow the water down on the hill as that may be a contributing factor to the flooding. When the water is slowed down on a hill,more of it has time to soak into the soil and therefore the flooding will be reduced. The roots of the ground cover will also make the soil more porous and lessen runoff on the slope. Various types of cover crops are well adapted to performing this function. There is probably an abundance of leaves and twigs on the slope. Till that into the soil. This will increase the porosity of the clay and aid in the infiltration of water into the slope and provide a more fertile soil for the plants you wish to place there. Wattles (rolls of straw) could be staked to the slope and used to slow down the water. Fescue grass is very shade tolerant and so you might want to consider that. Is enough water being carried away at the foot of the slope. You say you have a wall and pipe there but simply a drainage pipe may not be adequate. A channel able to accept a high flow volume and carry the water away quickly could be a better solution. This could include a trench drain,ditch or swale. Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help. Mark Harshman http://www.mahdrafting.com Email:
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