Do it yourself

Thanks for the input, folks! I think I will construct a little feeding platform for kitty -- sounds like the easiest solution. As for trapping them, we are sort of out in the boonies here. I have seen a number of possums (though this is the first skunk!) so I think trapping would not be terribly productive -- I think there is more where that one came from, if you know what I mean. Better to remove access to the food, then hopefully they will just go somewhere else. (And tomorrow I will take kitty in to get a rabies shot!) Thanks, Ann

no I can't live without the internet (it's bad enough that I still have dial-up instead of DSL), radio, dishwasher, air conditioning, power tools, running water, and indoor plumbing. Oh and my home and cell phone. BUT if I were to do something like the Colonial show on PBS (I watched an episode and the making of type thing the other night) I could do it. But by myself in a world like this...nope. I already pretty much gave up TV a long time ago when I started having kids. They watch what they want. Sometimes I will sit and watch a movie with everyone else, but not that often. The only reason I watched the show on PBS is because I was seeing what time one of their shows came on for them on the satellite (which I hate living without because then the kids can't watch their shows and they bug me). Kati Living modern in Iowa ;-)

You or your pets can get rabies from a bite or even just a scratch from a rabid animal. Skunks are nocturnal so if you see one during the day, that's the first sign that you may be dealing with a rabid skunk. Contrary to popular belief, a rabid animal doesn't always foam at the mouth, so you may not see such an obvious sign. I completely agree about getting rid of skunks. Rabies aside, they can spray up to 16 feet. And they can be extremely accurate up to 10 feet! I live in a rural area, so we have to take care of the skunks ourselves, but if you have animal control, call them! Don't take them on yourself if you don't have to... :) Skunks, the DIYer's exception... Tammie

This was sent: I HATE "reality" shows! They are so far-fetched. -- --jmowreader

Fix stuff, kill stuff, do makeup, build stuff, lay out whole magazines, run large organizations...I can barely get a job because the owner thinks I'll do a hostile takeover and throw him out on his ear, or copy off his rolodex then go across the street and set up a competing firm that will run him out of business. (I have been told that.) -- --jmowreader

Ok normally iwould agree with the books, but while i was in russia (in march) all the rose bushes had been trimmed back, surrounded with hay and covered in burlap to make it through the winter. So i took a bit from that. I actually trim mine, in mid to late spring, but then again in late fall.Just to promote new growth. Sara

To cut straight across a 2x4 with a saber saw, put the saber saw on the wood where you need the cut. Then put a speed square against the edge of the saber saw's foot and cut slow and gentle--the speed square acts as a fence. -- --jmowreader

A bit of cayenne sprinkled on the plants keep the bunnies off the ones you want to keep. I love the bunnies, too. But I don't like them eating the flowers I want to grow. If only they would eat the weeds! Be gentle with YourSelf Sue

well, YES. If the ceiling is WHITE, they will build a nest on it!! The CEILING needs to be blue!! Even wasps know, that the sky is UP. hee hee mb perhaps I should paint

I love my backyard rabbits. We watch them every morning and every evening. However, I'm not really happy with them right now. I planted 10 "Wave" petunias 10 days ago. They are down to nubs! My rabbits LOVE THEM. I know they ate them, I took pictures! So, does anyone have any ideas about plants that rabbits DON'T like?? I don't want to put out anything to hurt the rabbits, I'm just hoping I can find a flower that will grow in full sun and the rabbits won't eat. Sidney

I always thought that all plants that have flowers should be cut back in the fall. During the summer when the bloom starts to die I cut off the plant a little so it will continue to bloom until fall. So far I haven't killed anything and the plants always bloom again the next season. I've always used Miracle Grow made for roses also which helps them stay healthy. If it wasn't for Miracle Grow I think everything I have in my yard would die. My soil is hard as concrete. Lisa

ahhh mothering... brings a whole new group of experiences into life... Yes but this all started because of my husband. If that is the kind of trouble he is, i am not sure i want the miniature versions... Sara

BlankDoes anyone know if skunks can climb or jump very well? I have been feeding our lone outside cat in the garage, but switched to feeding him on the back porch when I discovered a 'possum in the garage making himself at home with the cat food. So of course, just now I found a skunk on the back porch, finishing up the leftover cat food there. Sigh ... I'm thinking that if I create a feeding platform on the back porch, perhaps the cat can climb it and the skunk can't. Thoughts? Thanks! Ann

With all the talk about hairspray and wasps, I thought I would remind people of a solution for getting rid of flying bugs. Spray them with hairspray, either kind but I prefer spray as I have arthritis, and spray the bug in mid air.. You prevent their wings from movemnet and they drop. Easy way to get those pesky Millers that are just sneaking in lately here in Denver. Lisa

Bob, that is so cool! Thank you for that link. I found an aerial photo of our new place from 1993. Too cool. Ann

I need some type of electrical tool that will cut wood such as plywood, 2 x 4 and so on. I don't know anything about tools and have always been afriad of the electrial tools but after spending a hour to cut a piece of wood with my hack saw I've realized that I need to get something. Can anyone suggest what I should purchase & the approximate cost. I can't afford to spend a lot of money on it but I do want a nice one that will last. Where is the cheapist place to purchase tools? Thanks for your help. Slowly my tool collection is growing. Now I really need a tool box! Lisa

towns that is covered by craigs list, you can post on it to sell your plants. Thanks for the reply... the problem is solved. Well, one of them is. If I were not so paranoid about posting my address, I would have pointed you all to a link to view an aerial image of the property. Looks just as bad from space as it does in person. I am in Utah. Folks, if any of you want to show their property to others, take a look at this: www.terraserver.microsoft.com Plug in your street address and there you are. It is really interesting. Bob

I know this is a different subject.........but what about flies.....now don't laught, but we take a one gal zip lock lunch bag, fill it 1/3 of the way full of water and hang them by the doors, and they HELP keep the flies out........been doing it for atleast 10 years, and they help, so laught if you must..................Heres a big one, carpenter Bees, any ideas? FOZ Remember the POW/MIA , theres still Hope

Nice going, guys. you got us in trouble!! ;-) Kati In RE to:we have gotten slack in deleting parts of the posts we're replying to

In a message dated 5/19/2004 2:58:04 PM Central Daylight Time, written_by@... writes: I can recall being stung when I was a kid. I am sure it was not wasps, though. Perhaps yellow jackets got me. I am not sure why, but wasps r-e-a-l-l-y bother me. I was in the garage today rebuilding a tranny for the bike and I simply could not concentrate. Every buzz was a wasp; I cowered in fright. I can deal with spiders, ants, snails, bees and other critters, but wasps are just different somehow. Is it me or do they actually like to attack people? I'm right there with you but mine extends to all sorts of bugs. I am dreading the cicadas with a passion. I swore 17 years ago I'd leave the state when they came back. I am terrified of bugs. I have no issues with snakes or lizards or frogs or mice or rats or bats (yep we've had two of those in our house and I live in suburbia!) I cannot be in a room with a wasp I go screaming in terror. I wish there was something I could do to keep them away from the house/yard (planet would be nice but I'd take my house and yard) My husband says they won't bother you if you dont bother them, but I believe that to be propaganda put forth by the wasp union. I'm not even allergic to them. But I've been stung more times than I like to remember. And while it hurts, I've had lots of things done to me that hurt worse! Anyway, guess there really isn't a way to keep them off your property is there??? Sidney

I knew I was a real live grownup the day it was MY turn to go kill the wasps! Yes, get some of that Hotshot hornet spray stuff or Raid or similar that sprays 8 or 10 feet. Go out stealthily in the dark, armed with hornet spray and powerful flashlight. (A henchperson is helpful but not necessary.) Turn the flashlight on the nest, stand as far away as you think the Hotshot will reach, and spray. If it doesn't go far enough, move a little closer and try again. When the Hotshot impacts the nest, give it a 5 second or so spray and then get out of there pronto. Observe the nest the next day for movement -- if you see any movement, repeat the next night. If you are allergic to stings, do NOT be a hero -- get someone else to do the dirty deed. Anaphylactic shock is no joke. (Though your original post was! :) Ann

I had previously mentioned that i am planning a klitchen remodel. well I also at some point in time would like to add about 7 feet to the back of my house. It will be about a 7 x 50 addition. This will add space to the kitchen, living, and master bed and bath. I am wondering from anyone who does this work for a living, or has done this recently, Approximately how much and how long am i looking at? Can I do some of the work, ie demolishing will that save me money? Can i do the extension on the house and the kitchen redesign at the same time? Do i have to go through a designer? I have lots more questions, but these tell me whether it is possible. thanks, Sara

of burning peat did have a certain allure... and in the hotels, there was always a bidet... go figure... no heat, but extra plumbing <grin I gotta ask ... did you actually try out the bidet? I've traveled a fair amount in Europe over the years and seen a number of bidets, but never had the guts to actually try and figure out exactly how to use the darned thing! (Actually, I saw my first one when I was 12 and staying in Rome, part of a touring kid's choir ... one of the other girls said it was for washing things so we all washed out our undies in the bidets ... yuck! LOL!) Ann

I have wasps. They want to take up residence in and around my garage. I looked for solutions at the Handy Dandy Fix-it Center Shopping Mall and Hangout For Teenagers With No Future, but who knows what the best approach might be. Many choices, Bob is konfuzed. Is it chemicals? Some sort of mechanical device? I want them to be gone. I want to kill them, and I have thought about using a high pressure hose to knock the nests into my neighbors yard, but that ain't really right. I would get stung, most likely. Could my banjo playing be attrracting them? My neighbor complains from time to time, hense the desie to send him a load of really mad wasps in return for sending me a squad car full of really mad police. Another story. Solutions? I have been told that I can't use my shotgun, and they do not taste good grilled or smoked. Can Dr. Phil talk to them? I have tried those traps in the past, but the wasps just laugh at me. What is the best approach for getting rid of wasps and making sure they do not return? I do not want to kill the bees, however. Bob

tutors, ladies in waiting who jumped at my every whim... for my birthday, Disney Land was brought to the castle... i played with unicorns, swam with dolphins in the mote... I was raised around tools, grease, old cars, Harleys, beer, guns, wimmen of questionable morality and I'll bet I had more fun than you did, so there : Now, I am blind from all the beer, the grease has indelably stained me to the bone, The bikes are bigger than me because old age and the fast lane has shrunk me down, I can no longer swing a wrench like I use to when we would plunder people living in all those castles. I can no longer hold a steady bead like I use to be able to do when we went unicorn hunting (tastes like chicken and dolphin) in the good old days. You can stil get a Lady in Waiting. Just call 1-900-LADIES ....er, never mind. As for Disneyland, I've been there. Take my advice: if you have never been there... those large talking mice and dogs that walk around are not there to rob you. So do not take a swing; the Disneyland Jail is not what you think it might be. Bob

I'm trying to sell my house, and need to replace the carpet up the steps, in the hallway, and one (small) bedroom. If I take out the old carpet, and move the furniture out of the bedroom, what's a "price to install" that I should expect? How much more does it cost to let THEM move the furniture and take out the old carpet? I'm in the midatlantic region (Pittsburgh), and know there will be regional differences . . thanks in advance! Maribeth

Recently, I had a Wickes pole barn constructed, measuring 30'-0" by 50'-0" and 11'-4" at the eaves. Does anyone know of any plans available for renovating this building? In particular, I would like advice on types and locations of lights and other electrical fixtures. The use will be general purpose, housing my tractor and possibly working on other vehicles plus possible carpentry shop. Thanks in advance.

Boy, do I need advice! I am a powerchair user, and my chair is extremely heavy duty, powerful and fast. Our new home has a very open floorplan in the living, dining and kitchen areas, but still some tight corners in the hallways I must navigate. Most of the time, I do fine. But getting up to let the dogs out in the middle of the night, or going to the bathroom when I'm half asleep, or when I'm rushing around trying to clean house---is when I get into major trouble. My nickname is "Oops!" Last night I wiped out the wall edges in the master bathroom. The corners where the walls join together are rounded, with metal under them, which I've obliterated--tore the metal right off, and gouged the drywall. I have had copious experience in repairing these areas in the past, as well as the football-sized holes I can make in the drywall if I forget to turn off my joystick controller and accidentally catch my sleeve on the joystick. The corners are my main concern, since I can't seem to find any way to prevent obliteration, and they take so long to repair. I've tried the plastic corner pieces I can find in Home Depot, but I wipe them out quickly with my heavy metal casters. Amazing how fast they come off the wall, along with the metal beading and drywall. One "oops" and I have a week's worth of work ahead of me patching it up. This is the first home I've ever owned (okay, co-owned with the mortgage company). Previously, I've only been able to rent, and fixing up all the holes each time I moved was a major, major job for me. No, hubby is of no use. He's the absent-minded-professor type, at home in his math books and useless at any home stuff. I once asked him for a hammer to pull a nail out of the wall, and he brought me a double ended balpeen. The house is essentially my baby and if I wreck it, I fix it. Do any of you have any suggestions for preventing the total wipe out of those precarious corners? Anything that can withstand a heavy powerchair blow? Yes, my friends have already told me to park the chair in the garage and crawl. <G I've worked so hard on this new home, and don't want to destroy it! Thanks for any ideas you all can share. I'm really stumped by this one. And looking at last night's destruction is just too depressing for words. Debi in Las Vegas

Vivian, The shower door might be off track on the top. See if you can lift up on each door and put it back on the track. A lot of times shower doors get off track. If you can't figure it out call a glass company to come out to fix it for you, they install shower doors. Look in the yellow pages under glass and also shower enclosures. Hope you can fix it without having to get someone out there. It's usually simple to fix but anyone who comes out will charge you for the service call. Lisa

I've ask strangers at Home Depot & Lowes to help me load heavy things into my car. You can never find anyone that works there to help you. Most people are glad to do it. I've even joked with them about coming to my house to help me but so far no one has taken me up on that offer. Usually I can get help from some of my daughter's boyfriend and his friends. But feeding them alone cost a fortune. Lisa

A while back I posted a question about a fungus growing in the base of my maple tree. I just wanted to thank everybody for the tips. I contacted my county extension office and they broke the bad news to me. The tree is probably more than 50 years old and is nearing it's end of life. Now I have to figure out how much it will cost to have it cut down. I would like to do it myself but half of it is hanging over my fence and the other half is above my house. I get the feeling it will not be cheap to have cut down. On the bright side now I will not have to worry about getting firewood for next winter.

We had someone cut down a large tree once, he charged $150.00 which I thought was fairly cheap. It was neat watching him swing up in the tree with his chain saw. We didn't have him cut the wood up, just the tree down, my ex had a chain saw & cut it up one it was on the ground. We had to cut it because we were going to build our garage there. My daughter was around 9 years old then. I've got pictures of her hugging the tree because she didn't want it cut down. Sorry your going to loose your tree. Lisa

Have you seen that they are now making clear duct tape! I'm so excited!! My answer to many repairs is duct tape, now it will not show up as much. Lisa

Hi everybody, I'm not a big DIY-er, so I'm having some trouble finding the answer to the problem I have. It's a window screens question. Basically, the screens are completely loose in my home's window frames. In other words, I can just grab the screen, frame and all, and pull it easily out of the window from inside. Because the screen frames aren't tight flush against the surrounding window frames, they're letting in bugs and such. When a wind blows, the wind rattles the screen frame. A couple of the windows in the house have "screen clips." These are little semi-flexible plastic pieces that sort of wedge in between the window frame and the screen frame at an edge, and thus keeping the screen tightly wedged. I went looking for these, but can't find any. And of course, the manufacturer of my home's window isn't in business any more :( For now, I've folded up some paper and wedged it in between the other screens and window frames, but obviously this isn't a good solution. Does anyone a) know what I'm talking about, and b) hopefully have a solution? Thanks in advance! Dave K.

Subject: FWD: Fw: MARK YOU CALENDAR...MAY 19TH...READ ON! May 19th !!! COME ON LETS DO THIS !! I heard that somewhere up in NO. California that gas was at $ 4.00 a gallon !!! IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF GASOLINE FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES. AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE ! INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OF OVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES. THEREFORE MAY 19TH HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT TO THEM DAY" AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF GAS! OLINE THAT DAY. THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT. WAITING ON THIS ADMINISTRATION TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THAT THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED TWO WEEKS AGO? REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE GOING UP BUT AT THE SAME TIME AI! RLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH EFFECTS PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING MATERIALS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO! WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY, WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE MAY 19TH A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" --- Luis Blanco --- chuleta21@... --- EarthLink: The #1 provider of the Real Internet.

Hi Sara, It is possible to have the pipes moved. But I would suggest moving them in the wall behind the sink and dishwasher. This would mean cutting into the sheet rock and piping in the wall instead of jack hammering the floor.

Any opinions... My house has about 40 psi and about 4-5 Gallons Per Minute... Never really bothered me, but I had a sprinkler system put in the front, and the lack of water pressure has been a huge challenge -- it's resolved now, but as I look to the future, I'm trying to figure out the best way to increase my water pressure...

Hello all, we are looking into taking a window out of the back bedroom and want to replace it with an exterior door. I will be calling to get estimates from referred contractor/handymen. Are there things that I should think and ask about before going ahead with this project. We have done major remodels before and know basics yet I can't remember my name someday. The reason for changing this as this room is used as office or guest room. After putting a door in there and deck with acceptable steps, I can put our bulldogs out this door without having to step outside kitchen door and walk to chain link gate to let them in and out. The neighbors have a great view if we don't have cars in driveway blocking an area. Comparing the costs of putting in new door and deck or buying myself a new robe and PJ's as I am ashamed of the condition mine are in. Another project that is new to me. Carports. We have one on the house now and we want to take the old dirty panels down and redo it. As the area get wider as you pull farther into the lot, we are hoping to widen it so we can park 2 cars side by side in the very front. Because we are just replacing it (don't want to tell building department about adding to it) we don't need to pull a permit. I am looking for an alternative to the same old look as every other carport, maybe some wooden pergola looking areas to the side for above the sidewalk area. Has anyone seen anything that is a wooden pergola type covering for a sidewalk next to a home. The home is nothing fancy so trying to add visual interest in areas most people wouldn't think of. But that's me, always the one to break away form tradition. Sometimes it works, sometimes I end up tearing a project down about a week after it up. Great friends that help me evaluate the various ideas I have come up with. Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions. I really appreciate the helpful guidance and of course the moral support that is shared by members here. Its so refreshing to find this type of friendship nowadays. Lisa

Hey Guys, I have a tree question. I had a guy come over to give an estimate on some tree trimming on two oak trees in the front yard. I have a flowerbed around each with the dirt piled up and around the tree. He said that this was bad for the trees and could cause either rotting, infestation, disease, global warming or something equally as bad. Has anyone ever heard of this before? I always see people with flowerbeds built around their trees and didn't think that it was a problem? Thanks, Mitch

On Sunday, May 16, 2004, at 22:34 US/Eastern, Temtrol Delta T. Inc, It's a pretty difficult DIY project that most DIYers don't have the skill to accomplish: you stick one of the two pieces on the wall and plug the other one into a 110v AC outlet. ;) Actually, it's really simple to install. Costs about $30; HeathZenith makes it. Right now I'm eight miles from the store, so don't have the model number; call the closest Home Depot and ask for electrical. All of our stores have it, and all the guy has to do is walk to the display and read off the number. With your no-wait hot-water recirculator, you'd probably want to use the receiver to trigger a relay that would switch the recirculator for two reasons: there's no ground through the receiver, and it's probably not large enough to trigger the recirculator by itself. It's made to switch lamps. -- --jmowreader

Aqua net hair spray gets ink out Kati

Wanted to thank you for the great responses to my plumbing issues. We got it all fixed by cutting the pipes near the leaky threaded fittings, resoldering the solder side, then doing the threaded, then soldering a coupling around the cut pipe. So, what we learned by this was a good lesson in order of events. Solder before thread if you can, so you don't melt the teflon when you solder the other side of the fitting. And a good trick for soldering next to dry old studs or lathe - cement backerboard! We first tried "plumber's best friend", which works pretty well, but we found the orange ember glow and black char a bit disconcerting. Takes a lot more to melt cement!! Thanks again. We'll put up pics when we're done. Samantha

Bob, Most nursery's will not purchase the plants unless you have enough to make it worth their expense of them coming out with their equipment and people to get the plants. If you do have a plant that is in high demand you may luck up because they will come out to get the plant and pay you for it. However the economy has hit nurserys pretty bad. You can always call around to local nurserys - the one's that plant their own plants, usually they are wholesale nursery's. You can also mention to the nursery's that they could come to cut off parts of the plants so they can make cuttings, maybe you can make a deal with them to remove some plants while they are there. Many wholesale nursery's do not advertise in the telephone book so you might have to get some names of places from a place that sells supplies for landscapers, we have Southern States here. You may be about to get a list from your state. There maybe some listed on the internet. You can always post the types of plants you have on Freecylce. Just tell the people to bring a shovel. My local Freecycle has posted plants that someone whated to get rid of and had a huge response. I don't know where you live but around here people love plants in their yard so be sure that you just thin out what needs to be but leave some plants. They say that landscaping is one of the best investments when selling your home. If you plan to hire someone to come in and landscape it would be cheaper on you if you had some of the plants already removed so the landscaper will not charge you for that. One important thing about getting a landscaper, ask them about places that they have landscaped. Then go look at their work. There are many landscapers that cut corners & plant things too close to the house (like my house) One advantage is since the economy has hurt nursery's and landscapers is a very competive market right now. In hard times people only spend money on things that they have to have. I wish you luck with your project. If I lived near you I'd love to come over to help you, I enjoy working in the yard although digging up a plant or shrub takes me a long time, not strong enough. Good luck, I hope I've helped you. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. My father owns a nursery so I can ask him. Plus there are many other people in this group that know a lot about plants. Lisa

This is busy season for landscapers. They don't want to lose paying work during daylight hours to come out and give "estimates". I'd be real inclined to just call one and say, hey, I want this whole space cleared, except you don't need to cut trees unless you want to, except for (leave one tree here), is there enough stuff here that you'd take & keep in exchange for the work. This is a bit late, depending on where you are, but not too late, to cut the roses all back. Wear heavy gloves. The problem with larger trees - yes it costs a lot of money to buy one - but their roots are contained, and transplanted. The process of digging up an established tree that's "worth" something could easily kill it, making it . . . worthless. Planting lots of mulch and river stones can be a very low maintenance yard. Ivy is no maintenance, but takes a long time to establish. A wildflower garden isn't too bad, either. .. . . but some of it depends on how big the yard is. Maribeth If you're too open-minded, your brains will fall out.

, and trees too tall for the space is my problem. I am remodeling my mothers home for a sale in the next year or so. She is very ill and quite frankly, we must think about the future. Trying to sell the place will be hard, due to a terrible front and backyard. It is like a jungle because everything had grown too fast and too big, and to be honest, when you only do yard work once a year, well... you can imagine. Especially the roses which were originally planted in 1955 or so. They are all over the place. She has lots of fitzers and evergreens, large bushes, large trees that can't stay and succulents that are perhaps 5 feet across. I was told that in some cases, these plants, because of their large size have value, so I do not want to kill 'em off. If a 15 year old aspen tree can be sold or traded to landscapers for work, I'll be glad to accommodate them. Quite frankly, I do not really know much about value of trees and huge plants, so I am asking here. No, I am not trying to sell them to the list. I am confused because some say yes, sell them. Others say no, they are not worth anything. We had appointments for 4 landscapers to give us quotes, but they apparently care little and are either late or no shows. Any thoughts and advice? I have avoided doing this type of work for decades, so I am not sure what approach I should take. Even the concrete driveway I planted has died. I fully expect to be told that my plants are not worth bothering about, but I have to ask. We had a tree removed from my grandmothers home. It was a large tree, about 2 feet in diameter. It had to go because the roots were huge and causing problems. I can't help but wonder if the folks that charged us a fortune did not sell the tree to another, because they took special care when removing it.. I suspect this is what happened, but then again, I am not all that trusting : Reply privately, if you wish. Bob

My hubby has given me permision to remodel my kitchen, i want to swith the locations of the dishwasher and sink. I am right handed like most of the population, and some nitwit designer put my dw on the left side of my sink. The ? Is this possible? will i have to have the pipes moved? will they have to jack hammer to do it? (we do not have crawl spaces, or basements) Sara

So when my hubby asked me that, I replied "you sit on your hand and knees and scrub at it for about six hours. why?" And yet I was the one who ended up doing it. I bought the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, didn't work at all. All though it did wonders on the walls and doors. I tried GooGone, harldy worked at all. About this time i decided to check on line. I found i was using all the right ideas, solvent, multipurpose cleanser etc, if i had an electric dryer. I have a gas, so it said not to use solvents, and to call a proffessional. My hubby at this point tried to convince me that it was probably baked in and wouldn't ruin any more clothes. Then i was in the bathroom and found my hubby's GoJo hand cleaner. You know the orange smelling pumice stuff for mechanics. I figured i was going to have to replace the dryer anyway, so why not. and since it is made to be used on skin and wash away with water it should be ok.. A combination of the gojo and the mr. clean magic eraser sponge,and the nifty little plastic scrub brush that came with the gojo, and about 2 hours of steady scrubbing, I got about 50% of the ink in my dryer out. The Moral of the story, teach your hubby how to check his pockets, and experiment till you find what works. Sara

I am so happy to be in a group with a wealth of information and who are willing to share same.

In a message dated 5/15/2004 7:08:00 PM Central Daylight Time, gonnie@... writes: Now I've got blotches of glue residue. Any suggestions? You just have to wash it off. You don't want to paint over that. I'd recommed a spray bottle with warm water and a sponge. Sidney

The vinyl wallpaper came off really easy by using a steamer. Now I've got blotches of glue residue. Any suggestions?

Hi there. The bathroom project from h3ll continues. (FYI, demolition required circular sawing through the tile, cement and wire mesh and prying 2 foot sections at a time off the studs.) Now we're struggling with installing new pipes for shower/tub. We got it all fit and soldered together, tested it and found leaks - not in the soldered fittings, but in the threaded ones. We have both teflon tape and pipe dope on the joint and were careful not to cross thread. However, we attached the threaded fittings first, then later soldered the other side of the connection. Should we have done the sweat fitting first, then the threaded? Could the heat (and perhaps flame) damage the teflon tape/etc in the threaded connection? Is there a way to save this without pulling apart the soldered connections (in order to get to the threaded, which is not a union)? Would additional pipe dope on the outside do anything? (These are very small leaks). Thanks!! Samantha

Has anyone had experience tiling over tile? I've done it once before where we roughed up the original tile to help the mortar adhere, and it seemed to work fine (although we sold the condo within a year after.) We have a bit larger area this time and I was wondering if the roughing up is necessary. FYI, the tiles are the little white ceramic hexagons that seemed to be standard in older homes. Thanks, Samantha

I didn't look for the thread about the plug-in motion sensor so I'm starting my own. Our time clock is about ten feet from the motion sensors, so after clocking in today I went to check them out. We have a "Remote Control" motion sensor (which means Lowe's should have it too; this one's made by Heath/Zenith). The intent is to kick off a light inside the house when it sees someone prowling around outside, and set off an alarm if you want one. You plug the light-control part of this thing into any socket, then put the motion sensor head where it will see motion--aim it at the door if you want the lights to come on when you enter the room. It's not exactly what the original poster wanted but it will work. -- --jmowreader

I have to do something for storage and was thinking about a set of shelves that is made from 1x4, I have a small set that I purchased and the construction part looks simple, but I am worried about how much weight the shelves will be able to hold without breaking. Basic construction is 4 1x's with 3 screwed into them for shelf placement and support, the one I have has 3 1x's for each shelf. I am wanting on that is about 8 foot tall and two foot wide, but not sure on the length because this is where the weight dilema comes in. If I make it too long the shelves will either bow or need extra support put in, right? Would 4-5 foot be too long to only have support under ends? The load for these will be fairly heavy, I don't know exactly how heavy but it could easily be 500 lbs, or more. Thanks in advance, I know with wisdom the group I will be able to make a set of shelves that will last. Laura in OK

Hi Everyone, I am about to do a laminate floating floor over vinyl that has a bad spot near the sink. There is some water damage to about a 18" by 18" area where I dug out a bad area of the underlayment. The worst spot is about 1/2" below the rest of the floor. My idea is to put down ½" underlayment and lay my laminate floor right over this. Or, if I can find the right product, just fill in the low area because the rest of the floor is in pretty good shape so I think I could lay the laminate and foam right over it. Duke in Indiana

I am a new member and have been reading all these posts and can't wait to start using some of the ideas. Has anyone installed carpet squares? I saw it on one of the decorating shows and it looked really easy - but is it? I will be putting them down over particle board, which is under the carpet I have on the floor now. Any advice on whether to use the glue down or self sticking tape?

In a message dated 5/13/2004 7:05:53 PM Central Standard Time, loukeith2003@... writes: floor? The price quotes I've been getting in NYC are about $10/sqft - $12 if they need to remove it first. Is it cheaper to do it myself and if so, is it hard? I've only done linoleum before, but I really like wood. The old floors are these cheap wooden squares - parquet imitation, I think. Ugly, old, cracked and coming up is what it really is. Please, if someone could lead me by the nose through this kind of thing. Any help would be VASTLY appreciated.

Hi Everyone, Thanks for the advice on the tools and since my dad is paying for the tools (he wants to SEE his grandkids get some good out of the money he set aside for them) I want to make sure we buy right. And since my son is about to (we hope) graduate high school, my dad's idea is to get him the right tools get into yard barns, decks, or some other construction field. I already have a wide selection of hand tools and a few good power tools (corded circular saw, corded and cordless drill, jig saw, router, palm sander, belt sander, and a drill press). So today my son and I went to check out tools at home depot (which sets right next door to a Lowe's) to check out some of the recommended tools. We checked out the DeWalt Heavy-Duty XRPT 18V Cordless combo pack. They had it priced at $499.99 and you can get a $50 home depot gift card by mail. We also looked at a top notch DeWalt Cross Cut Miter Saw for $599.99 plus a $50 gift card by mail. We also saw a Dewalt miter saw table for $199 that my son wants, but that's not that high on my list. For a compressor the salesman pointed out a Husky model, that he claims was made by porter cable, that comes with a pretty extensive tool kit for $199 (reg $299). We also saw a Bostitch 16 Gauge, 1" - 2" Finish Nailer Combo Kit with a 2 HP pancake compressor for 279.00 at lowe's. As for nail guns I am not sure what he will need since I have convinced him that to compete in this VERY competitive market he should offer a high quality product which means screws and bolts. Since my son really liked the feel of the DeWalt tools, and the salesman told us that if I sign up for a home depot card I will get 10% off my first purchase, and with the gift cards these may be the tools for us. And, as I said, we pretty much have hand tools and mechanic tools covered. But if we are missing any essentials or have any advice please drop me a line. Thanks Duke

Ditto what Ken said! My husband and I put in T&G nail-down wood flooring (pre-finished type, solid 3/4" wood) this summer and we are quite happy with it, so it *can* be done by amateurs. That said, I should also mention that my husband said it was the hardest thing he did over the entire course of renovating our entire house. He found it to be very wearing physical work, as he was constantly down on his knees and up again, hammering things, etc. (plus the mental stress of me hovering in the background saying "that piece doesn't match with the one beside it!" :). He was "assisted" (really instructed) in this endeavor by a wonderful handyman that we stumbled across. My husband said that if it weren't for the handyman's help, it would not have come out nearly so well. I think that at least for amateurs, it really is a job for two people, as there are many times when you need someone to hold the wood in place while you whack it into submission. So ... from this amateur's viewpoint, if you or your SO are pretty good at hands-on things, and you are willing to look into it carefully to find out the right way to do things -- or if you can find a friend or cheap assistant to instruct and assist -- then I think it can be done by amateurs, and it will be cheaper. (We got our Brazilian cherry for $4.32/sq ft delivered.) OTOH, $10/sq ft installed does not sound terribly exorbitant to me, especially if that includes finishing. (Though you should always get multiple bids on something like this. Maybe you could find a better price.) Also, possibly you could do part of the job yourself, such as removing the old parquet. Even *I* can remove old flooring unassisted! All you need is a Wonderbar and some Led Zeppelin (or motivational memories of annoying old flames :). Good luck! Ann

Never seen a plug in motion sensor, but would not be to hard to put one on an outlet. Think I have seen one that screws in a light socket. Robert R

1st, remember my ceiling problem, well, I finally took down about 8sq and it was/is the drywall paper coming off. Just my luck.(LOL) 2nd,now you will just have to picture this house (many studs scabed together ea 2'/and 6'= 8'....all ruff lumber, kindda got the picture) Anyway the front room is the next room on the dozes it list. It has a wore out wood floor, I said all this to see if it would be better to sand and refinish it or lay the new on top NOTE:there is a long hump running n/s............ok I ran my mouth long enough, any ideas on the floor? FOZ Remember the POW/MIA , theres still Hope

Bob Seger has always been one of most favorite singers. I saw in in concert many, many years ago when he still had the long hair. I like many types of music also - Classic Rock (the type we grew up listening to), oldies and soft rock. Some country it OK, Hank Williams Jr. for example, the country singers that have been around for a while. Anyone ever listen to Mike Cross? He is from NC, I love his music I guess you'd call it folk music, funny to listen to. Sadly he let things go to his head as many upcoming stars do, last I heard he has been in and out of rehab. Something about listening to music can completely change your mood and yes, get your rear in gear! It seems like when I'm working on a project that is giving me a hard time if I have some music on I don't get so aggrevated with things. When you need a good cry (everyone does, even you guys) I listen to soft rock. The words of the songs can really get to you, some country music can do the same. It's funny to see people going down the road in the car by theirselve singing along to songs, I do that myself. But do respect other people at least I don't roll down the windows. I wasn't blessed with the talent of singing but that doesn't stop me! Anyone go to Woodstock? I was young when that was going on but I know a few people who went. They said it was wonderful, funny they can even remember being there - not because of their age if you know what I mean. I've watched program showing Woodstock, wild things went on there but everyone seemed to get along and have a good time. I do think our generation sort of made it harder on the newer generation. Concerts are not like they use to be. I guess we had too much fun and go a bit to crazy. Boy that brings back memories! Lisa

I don't know about Jim but I use a hammer to align two wood pieces. I get one nail in place and tap the boards even before nailing completely together. Don't think a nailer would do this. Another use for a hammer is to start screw holes. It saves me time to hammer a finish nail in about half way then pull it out and put the small screws in. I only have one cordless drill so changing from a bit to a screwdriver for every screw gets real frustrating on the smaller jobs. Laura in OK

On Tuesday, May 11, 2004, at 20:06 US/Eastern, Princess I'm glad you asked. Let's say your panel saw is cutting diagonals and you don't want it to. You have two choices: The first is to call the panel saw guy, wait three days for him to show up and give him lots of money when he does... or you can get a half-inch wrench, a magnetic level and a hammer and fix it yourself. Loosen the two bolts at the top, hang the level on the side of the blade and whack the bracket at the top with the hammer until the rails are perfectly vertical, then tighten the bolts and make a test cut to check your work. Which is how the panel saw guy does it, as it turns out. -- --jmowreader

hey folks! we took the cover off the pool the other day and the tiles arround the edge are falling off and need to be replaced. are replacing those tiles the same as laying tiles in any other place? or is there a different compound u have to put down to make them stick? also what kind of grout do u use? is it standard tile grout? thanks folks :-)

In a message dated 5/11/2004 7:41:47 PM Central Daylight Time, aeherold@... writes: Is it really hard to take up and install a new wood floor? The price quotes I've been getting in NYC are about $10/sqft - $12 if they need to remove it first. Is it cheaper to do it myself and if so, is it hard? I've

Hello I'm new to the group and would like to ask for help for a friend. She had a fireplace built in her home. It is two stories tall, and is made with concrete. She said they used the wrong product in mixing the cement (I have no idea what was used) She says when you set on the hearth your clothing will get a sandy powder like substance all over you. It apparently shells off onto the floor also. She wants to know if it was painted or stained would this help seal it so it won't shell off. If she does this will the heat from the fire cause a problem around the opening of the fire place and the hearth? Could someone give me advice on what she should seal it with. She can't go back to the person that built this as she doesn't know where he is. If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. Kathy in Ariz.

Hi everyone, My first posting. Been reading your postings for a while and find them informative and quite funny at times. Finally got some time to continue the never ending home improvement project list and tought you guys may offer some helpful suggestions. When we first bought house (fixer upper), we removed the hideous vinyl flooring in the kitchen. I did not want to replace the vinyl with same. Decided against tile because although foundation has been fixed in past, cracks in walls and cracks in foundation are a common problem in this area.(Clay soil; hot,hot summers,and very wet rainy season). Everything shifts throughout the year. I wanted a plain cement floor that I could possibly stain or paint a nice color and leave as is until I redo the kitchen entirely. My problem is the darn adhesive that was used when the hideous vinyl flooring was installed. I have no idea how to remove it so that I am just left with a nice clean slab. Tried just about everything. I do not want to spend money covering it with something else and then turn around and remove it when the kitchen is redone. Despite the nicer vinyl coverings out there, I just can't get myself to agree to that. Probably been forever affected by the one day I spent in a sustainability workshop. Most likely was of that mindset already, why would have I attended it in the first place. The kitchen will have bamboo flooring when everything is said and done. Would appreciate any suggestions, the less chemicals to do the job the better. Although, I am about ready to try anything that will work. Thanks in advance.

The Irish method always works here with the four boys and DH....but then I am half Irish...maybe that's the trick. Kati 1/2 Irish in Iowa

Hi there: I try to do things myself but often end up hiring someone cheap and just bird-dogging them to make sure that they do an OK job! <laugh just had someone rip off the old rotted shingled and take the drywall and the insulation off. Now it's just a framed shed. There are two-by-fours holding up the roof (they are the sides up to the top), and then it looks like maybe 1/2 by 4's lying on top of them to form the basis for a roof. I have to replace some of the 2x4's in the house because of dry rot, and some of the roof stuff also, but I'm a little bemused. I didn't really PLAN this, I just had someone around the house who I thought could remove the shingles and now I'm ... here. So here goes: 1. On the roof, there are the 2x4's that support all four sides of the roof. On the outside of the house, these 2x4's stick out to make an overhang (it's just the 2X4's now). Also, along each wall, is a approximately three-foot long piece of two by four, so that the overhand extends the whole way around the house. Lots of these are eaten away. Do I need to replace the entire piece of wood for the four corner ones? Or can I just replace the outside overhang. It looks as though the part of the wood that supports the roof is fine. It's just the last three feet that look moth-eaten. 2. How hard is it to put a skylight in a roof when it's this way. It just needs a frame, right? 3. So. What would you recommend for a roof? I'm inclined to go with corrugated steel. I have always liked it. If I do that, do I just lay it on top of the slats? And do I put that paper down first? Got any other comments or suggestions? Like, can you insulate ceilings like this or do you have to drop 'em down. I guess I could just tack up insulation and then put drywall or plywood over it? I must say this job is a bit daunting. Esp. since I haven't fixed (well, haven't even gotten them to WORK yet!) my 6 new sprinkler valves -- and it's getting hotter. And I still haven't finished my kitchen cabinet doors. Ugh. Thank you very very much! cat

I also use that method but with my daughter who you can be standing right in front of, uses the selected hearing method. "You never told me that" So I get the assistance of my 9 year old son who can yell loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear him. What I hate is I will ask one of the kids to go get the other one & tell them it's time to eat, yes, they sit on their rears and yell at the top of their lungs - Come Eat! Heck, I could have done that, learn some manners child. Lisa

Has anyone installed pavers lately? I want to do a 10' x 20' rectangular patio. I live in Florida and we have sandy soil. Any and all advice and comments would be appreciated. Lou

How high should the very bottom of the range hood be from the stove elements? Obviously the higher you go, the less suction you get, and then again, if you go too low you can't flip your pancakes without hitting the bottom of your range hood and getting a gooey mess (done that!!)

Now is the time of year when storms are hitting with lightning present. I have gone to over a hundred customers houses reporting a dead phone line, just to unplug their modem to clear the line. Your phone company may charge you dearly just to unplug your modem. If their is an electrical storm in the area, I unplug everything I cherish from both the phone line and the power. Save yourself a problem by doing this simple task. I dont think a surge protector will stop a dirrect lighting hit. Have a nice day.

Another question....we're in the process of selling our house and buying another...we visited the to-be purchased house this weekend for a second look. I noticed a crack, running between a doorway into a bed room and the closet in the bedroom. the space is only about 5 inches between them, but there was a distinct crack between them. Should I be concerned? Background: it's an end unit townhouse, built in 1987, original owners are selling it. Thanks for the help!!! Steve

Wire two jacks as line 1 and line 2. The first one is wired as normal -- on the second, wire it reverse (i.e., run the black-yellow wires to red-green posts on the block). Then lable jack #1 as "Voice" and jack #2 as "FAX". The wires will not mind the mixed colors and the user is none the wiser. This works well when simply rewiring an existing home. An alternative is to buy a 3 way splitter that plugs into single jack as well. It will have a port for "Line 1", another for "Line 2", and a third for "Line 1+2". This is your best bet when you already have a functional jack and just do not want to fool with it -- 5 to 7 bucks at just about any store and you're all set. Lastly, the best of both worlds -- a 2 jack outlet (top and bottom) where the top jack is "Line 1" and the bottom jack is "Line 2". You wire it like normal then write/label the two jacks accordingly. This is the best solution when running a whole new jack altogether -- be it in a new home under construction or while updating an existing one. There are places online to buy these of course, but I've always just hit Rat Shack for things like this and, believe it or not, even the Borg (Lowes, Home Depot) as well as some department stores (Walmart, Kmart, Target) carry some of them.

Hi, My husband thinks he wants to purchase pre-made kitchen cabinets and install them himself. He's not very handy (although he has friends who are). Is it easy to rip out old cabinets? How tricky is it to put up new ones (assuming you've measured well and bought the right sizes)? Thanks!!

Anyone needing information on how to install and repair phone wires please contact me. I was a telephone installer for 30 years and may be able to help.

What's the best way to stain concrete with a roller and not leave overlaping marks? The concrete I'm staining is outside so do I need to seal it when I'm finished? Thanks!!!

Hi, I just joined the group. If you need help with phone wiring questions for your home I might be able to help. I was an installer for 30 years. Happy wiring and have a nice day! Noel.

Maribeth, My daughter used a blacklight bulb in her lamp. But it was a glass lamp. You could use it in a regular lamp but probably need to take off the lamp shade so he can get the full effect. Lisa

my DS wants blacklight posters and a blacklight in his bedroom. Is it true that a "blacklight" bulb that would plug into his lamp, isn't going to really work well? Maribeth

//groan// --jmowreader

Michael, When you say base of the tree how far from the ground are you talking about? If it is at ground level then that is a different story which could cause decay of the roots of the tree. Lisa

Yesterday I stripped my front door. I think that may have been the hardest home improvement job I've ever undertaken. It was awful. I will not do it again. My husband said, well I bet you learned something. My response was yeah, I learned I'll never strip another door! This is the door that I wrote about before, that I had hired someone to strip and paint last year. The "professional" said it wouldn't strip and he dented the door in the process and painted back over the buckled paint. I took the door down and put it on my version of sawhorses (two trash cans turned upside down) I had ordered the peeland strip on line which is rather expensive. I painted it on and put down the paper and waited. The instructions said it would take between 2and 48 hours. After about 4 hours I checked it and much to my surprise the paper had dried to the stripper and the stripper had dried to the door. I began to scrape. It only worked on part of the paint (there were probably 10 coats of both oil and acrylic paint on there) I washed the door off and began to sand. No progress. I painted it again and waited 2 hours, using the one remaining piece of the paper that I had and a plastic garbage back to lay on the rest of the door. This time at least it wasn't dry and I did get down to metal in some places. I had run out of the peel and strip so I went to lowe's and bout a large container of "Stripeeze" in a gel form which I poured liberally on the door. I left it on about 45 minutes and the paint just lifted right up. I guess I should have gone for the "causes cancer, blindness and will expect payment of your first born child" type of stripper to begin with. I washed the door down with water, then mineral spirits then water again. I bondo'd the dents (I'm not really good with bondo, I think it requires practice) sanded the bondo and wiped it down with clean rags and sprayed automobile primer (what the folks at Home Depot recommended) as my primer. I will paint it with Rustoleum (not spray) oil based paint tomorrow. It can't look any worse than it did before. The next time I have a build up of that much paint and it begins to alligator, I'll buy a new door and have my security system redone (which is somehow set up to notify me when this door opens, with a sensor.) It would be cheaper and far easier in the long run! Sidney

Michael, I spoke with my father this morning. First of all it does depend on where you live since different parts of the US have different diseases on plants. I live in NC, so my father knows about plants in the southern part of the US. He said that it could be a mushroom but a mushroom would only grow on a tree if there was decay on that area already. Was there a limb there at one time or something hit the tree in that area at some point that would have left a mark on the tree? With a tree 24" in diameter you should be fine. My father did state you should go to a garden center, tell them about it then they will sell you the type of spray you should use on the remaining part that you could not remove. Don't got to Lowes or anywhere like that, we have Southern States down here that carries things like that but again I don't know where you live. If you don't live in the south then you should call a nursery that grows plants trees and shrubs to make sure it isn't something else. They should be able to help you or even a good garden center would know. I would call these places first to save yourself some time. Hope this helps. Just make sure you watch the tree after you do spray it. If you stick a pocket knife in the area this was growing you will be able to tell if your tree is delaying. The knife shouldn't be able to go into the tree very easy, the area should be hard. Good luck. Let me know if you need anymore information. Lisa Lisa

Yes, it was a full moon Tuesday but I think it must effect people for several days. I talked to my son's teacher yesterday, she said she can tell it's a full moon just by the way the kids act. I remember being in the ER and the nurses talking about how busy they get when it's a full moon. I guess there is something to it, I've never noticed anything different in my life. I'm still doing a few projects but mainly been doing my spring cleaning. I hate cleaning, it's clean one day then two days later it's dirty again. Guess that's life. Lisa

In a message dated 5/6/2004 1:14:43 PM Central Standard Time, kitysmom2@... writes: we have very few bugs out here in southern calif.. just ANTS and ANTS and ANTS.....oh yeah, and occasionally, jellyfish..

The other day I was using my trimmer around the base of our maple tree and I noticed what looked like a softball stuck at the base. I got a shovel and hit it and it broke off. It smells like a mushroom and the inside of it even looks like one. The part that concerens me is that it goes more than 6" inside the base of the tree. I chisled most of it out but I could not get it all. This tree is about 24" in diameter. If this tree ever fell down we would not have a kitchen anymore. If anybody has any idea if this stuff is bad for the tree I would love to know.

I am having a problem with my washing machine. It is a Kenmore and about 7 years old. Yesterday when it hit the rinse cycle during a light load, it just stopped running after making a grindy noise. Then I could smell burning rubber until I shut it off. I am assuming a belt has slipped or gone bad someplace, and I would like to find out (without having to pay for it). But I can't for the life of me figure out how to dismantle the darn thing to get in there and look! I tried taking the rear plate off...but couldn't get it off. How does one get to the inerds of a washing machine to fix it? Thanks for any help Kati

Kelley, First off, hold on to that Man, he's a keeper. I bought my wife a sawzall for Valentine's Day, and a Dremel rotary tool for our last Anniversary. On the question of repair vs. replace, I would not spend anymore time, or money, on the old chainsaw. It's way to costly to repair these guy's, and time consuming as well. My advise, begin, quickly, to drop subtle hints to the hubby, about the need for a new saw. After all, Mother's Day is right around the corner. Robert

OK group, I find it necessary to step my game up. With all the Air Quality engineers, Anthropologists, Zoologists, Architects, and Computer scientists in this group. I now understand that simple answers, to simple questions, will no longer suffice. Please forgive my former ignorance, and be assured that I will not let it happen again. On too the jellyfish debate. Are there Jelly fish in Southern California? You will see from the Article that Southern California, is indeed plagued by jellyfish. Are Portuguese Man 'o' War Killers? I inserted a document on these ferocious sea monsters at the bottom of this page. My in depth study of these guys over the last 14 minutes shows that, there have been no reported deaths in the United states in almost 20 years. There have been 66 deaths on Australian beaches since 1880. I've been stung by these buggers, on Texas beaches a couple of times. They make you think your dying, but only in the most rare case do they actually cause death. Most painful sting. Hispanic Woman 'o' the House. I call her Lisa, my kids call her Mom. Folks If you come across this one. Make no sudden moves, Immediately busy yourself with something domestic, cleaning folding, cooking etc. Anything that will draw it's attention to another unsuspecting victim. If you are caught by it's tentacles, do not struggle, as this only makes her more ferocious. There is no Known Antidote. I truly hope that My time and effort spent on the jellyfish controversy. Will start to redeem your faith in me. I also hope my particular brand of humor is not offensive to anyone. Robert Stinging jellyfish plague Southern California beaches July 6, 2000 MALIBU, Calif. (AP) -- Jellyfish have suddenly appeared in large numbers along the Los Angeles County coast, stinging swimmers during the long July Fourth holiday. It's been about 25 years since so many jellyfish invaded the stretch of coast. County lifeguards have been given supplies of vinegar to treat the painful stings and instructions on how to handle the injuries. "There's a whole generation of beach goers who haven't seen them," Malibu lifeguard Nick Steers, a 35-year veteran said Monday. "For that matter, there's a whole generation of lifeguards that haven't seen them and don't know how to treat the stings." The jellyfish have purple stripes and are called Pelagia colorata. "We've got a bumper crop this year," said Zuma Beach Capt. Jim Dolman as lifeguards stayed busy dousing stings with vinegar and burying jellyfish that washed up on the sand. Jellyfish stings are not fatal, but paramedics were summoned twice last week to Zuma because swimmers suffered allergic reactions. Zuma lifeguards treated 150 sting victims on Saturday and 130 on Sunday. The jellyfish are also harassing swimmers along south Santa Monica Bay beaches. "When I was a younger guard we had jellyfish every summer. Then they disappeared and everybody got used to not having them," said Capt. Robert Moore, a 33-year lifeguard at Hermosa Beach. Portuguese Man-of-War (Bluebottle - Physalia spp. - Hydroid) "`Ili Mane`o, Pa`imalau, Palalia or Pololia" Family: Physaliidae, Order: Siphonophora, Class: Hydrozoa, Phylum: Cnidaria INJURY MECHANISMLong blue, threadlike tentacles. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMSStinging, burning, redness, swelling of lymph nodes. Long welt lines. Severe reactions: difficulty with breathing and cardiac arrest. IMMEDIATE FIRST AID ADVICE: 1. Rinse the area liberally with seawater or fresh water to remove any tentacles stuck to the skin. This can be from a spray bottle or in a beach shower. Do not apply vinegar. A study shows that vinegar in these stings sometimes makes the sting worse. (Portuguese man-of-wars belong to a different family than box jellyfish [Carybdea alata] and therefore must be treated separately.) 2. For severe pain, try applying heat or cold, whichever feels better to the victim. 3. Few Portuguese man-of-war stings in Hawai`i cause life-threatening reactions, but this is always a possibility. Some people are extremely sensitive to the venom; a few have allergic reactions. Consider even the slightest breathing difficulty, or altered level of consciousness, a medical emergency. Call for help and use automatic epinephrine injector if available. COMMON HABITATOpen ocean. Bays and beaches during strong onshore winds. PREVENTIONAvoid areas where they frequent. Usually found when winds blow in from the ocean onto land. Observe posted signs.

In a message dated 5/5/2004 8:18:46 PM Central Standard Time, firemike1016@... writes: It is a matter of personal preference as to which way to run the fan, there is no right or wrong. There are many theories on this question so your likely to get as many opinions on this as the paint question did. My personal preference is to have the fan blow down in the summer, and up in the winter Very true, Michael, In fact, I do not even run my ceiling fans at all during the winter. The best thing to do is try it out both ways and do whatever seems better for you. Perhaps you'll find, as I did, that neither is best in the winter (at least not here in Wisconsin). Joe

In a message dated 5/5/2004 6:50:32 PM Central Standard Time, gonnie@... writes: I also have a concern about the storage tank - it seems to sound like it is cracking. I don't know why this is because the water in this tank draws the water off and into the water heater and I think is not hot?????? I do not know about the solar stuff but I do know about hot water tanks making noises. Mine made cracking noises as well as midrange metallic drum sounds. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but about six months later it sprung a bad leak and had to be replaced. So you may want to begin scouting around and checking into pricing a new one. Josh

Counter Clockwise

We have flat solar panels on our roof. They have been up on the roof for close to 15 years. It is time to re-roof. I'm not sure if the prior installer is still around. Any suggestions on good quality? and what to look out for at this time. I saw some messages were discussing this circular panel. gonnie@...

Ok i know this is a stupid question but wich way should the cieling fans rotate in the summer? Switch up or switch down? Allan

Drill a one-inch diameter hole in your refrigerator door. This will allow you to check that the light goes off when the door is closed. Couldn't resist posting this after all my crazy questions! Thanks for everyones help. Lisa

Blank. I want to create a couple of raised garden beds, but I want to do it on the cheap (since we have spent sooo much money on redoing our house!). The crops I want to put in are strawberries and asparagus, which will have to be either replaced or lifted in a few years anyway, so I really don't care if the bed falls apart several years from now. Here's my question. I was looking at 1x10 redwood fence board today at Home Depot. The fence guy who was squiring me around the lumber department (either he thought I was cute or had nothing better to do) said that in his estimation, redwood fence board would last 8 - 10 years before falling apart. He also said that lots of people use 1x redwood fence board for cheapo raised beds. I came home and told my husband about this, and he said, well, what about 1x10 Doug fir then? (Thinking it would be cheaper.) Anybody have any idea how long 1x Doug fir would last? I could paint it to protect it (we have lots of leftover paint here) but it would be in contact with the ground and water all the time. Second question: anybody have any better ideas for a really, really cheap way to do this? We are hurting for money here at the moment, with taxes due in a few weeks ... but my strawberry plants came in the mail today! So I need to make a decision and make this happen in a couple of days. Thanks once again!! Ann

Anbody have suggestions on the best water softening systems out there? I have very hard water. So much so that small stones develop in area where water sits in the pipe for long periods. Currently have a 2 tank salt unit but it doesn't seem to be sufficient. Any suggestions from other folks dealing with hard water would be a big help. Thanks, Alan

I am considering purchasing and having installed a Solatube, which is a mini skylight that looks like a metal chimney lined with reflective material. Has anyone had any experience with this product, and more specifically has anyone had any trouble with leaks? All I can find on the net is advertising and distributors. Thanks.

Trinity, My wife says I should agree with you about keyless vs. chuck, so I will. Robert

I like the looks of the black aluminum fences I've seen around. I'm tired to the upkeep on wood, and I don't think I care much for the vinyl. I'd like to know what constitutes a quality aluminum fence. Do some companies use heavier grades of metal, and what about the paint. In most things I buy, it seems there's usually three grades of quality, if not more. I need to know how to tell the good from the bad, and find out who sells quality aluminum fencing. I've seen the fencing at Lowes, but who knows how good it is. I'd appreciate any and all comments. Thanks Patrick

The blank e-mail that everyone seems to get. Is a weak attempt by spammers to try and circumvent the new anti-spam laws. They send these blank e-mails, and when you open them it places a tracking cookie on your browser. This then gives them the ability not only to continue to spam you, but to track your movements throughout the Internet. This is also used as an illegal opt-in method. The premise is that if you open this blank e-mail from them, they now have your permission to spam you directly, you have inadvertently opted in. The best thing to do is not only delete it, but flag the message and report it as spam. Rob

Hi, We just had siding put on our house and now the front porch, steps, and sidewalk stick out like sore thumbs. We're wanting to put those octagon-shaped bricks over the existing concrete porch, steps, and sidewalk. Is this possible and if so, how and what would we need to do this?

In a message dated 5/3/2004 6:51:49 PM Central Daylight Time, Quiltingfriend@... writes: The only thing I've learned to use is a drill, a cordless one plus one that is really old. It has that thing hanging on the side of it that you have to use to loosen the part where the drill bit goes. Got to love my terminology. Lisa

Hi all, quick painting question. I just finished my basement walls and ceiling using the "knock down" texturing method. I am very pleased with the results and am now ready for painting. My question is do I need to prime the drywall mud before painting? Any recommendations on types of primers Thanks John

I humbly disagree, primer is absolutely necessary. If you want to save time and money. Your finished product will be far superior, if you use a decent PVA primer over the new texture. Primer is not made to cover, but, to create a sealing barrier between the old surface and the new finish. You will have little or no flash, and use far less finish material. Robert

Way to go on knowing how to do all these things. Now I'll show how little I know about tools - what is a petty bone? I've heard of the other tools/machines but never a petty bone. The only thing I've learned to use is a drill, a cordless one plus one that is really old. It has that thing hanging on the side of it that you have to use to loosen the part where the drill bit goes. Got to love my terminology. Lisa

Use a high quality 50 year Siliconized, Exterior caulk. GE, and Dap, both make a good product. Find the color that best matches your surface. This is not like caulking the bath tub. You will need a caulk gun. I can send you some caulking tips, just let me know. Rob

I'm having my Bruce Hardwood Floor put down, and after taking up the vinyl in the kitchen I noticed there were some water spots on the plywood underneath the vinyl. The hardwood installer says that I need caulk around my bay window (which is wood and is against my brick exterior if that makes any sense) What brand/type of caulk does one buy for this? I believe that I could caulk this as I've caulked around tubs and showers before and this seems to be similar. But I assume that there is a different type of caulk for an exterior that joints brick and wood at a seam. Thanks as always, Sidney

Samantha, I agree with both of the previous responses, concerning the slow and even prying process. However, I will add this. I have, in the past put a masonry blade, or diamond blade on a circular saw, in order to cut the lathe and plaster in to smaller, and more manageable areas. you then would pry these areas out individually, as described before. On the edges, you should be able to break the plaster away from the wire lathe, using a regular framing hammer. Gloves, dust masks, safety goggles are a must. Nasty job, I don't envy you. Robert

What an interesting day you had yesterday. Maybe under-privileged persons like Bob will think twice before entering your neighborhood to try and find more priviledge. Kati here in quiet, uninteresting Iowa

From those who have posted their abilities to do household chores have impressed me. Most of you seem to be able to manage on your own. I've found that your can figure most of these things out on your own plus there are books, webs sites and so on that tell you how to do these things. You can always talk to a woman at the grocery store if you have questions. If your single, good way to bring up a conversation with someone! Fixing things up around the house is a major challenge for me. I guess it's all in what you've been taught. Although I've met some men who were never taught how to fix things around the house which is rare in the county where most men still follow the old rule, men's work and women's work. Although my father doesn't know how to many home repairs, he feels it's easier to call someone. Whatever works for your wife and you, that's part of being married & carring some of the load. If your wife is sick, you can always open a can of soup and warm it up! Or better yet, take the kids out to eat to get them out of her hair then bring her something back to eat. Kids seem to think Mom's can't be sick. For those of you who haven't posted, I'm guessing you're challenged in doing household chores or haven't had time to post. I thought of another challenge but will save that for another day, I don't want to get to far off the topic of this board. But then again Do It Yourself could apply to doing your own household chores as well as fixing up things. I guess we are all here to learn how to do things on our own. Have a good week. Lisa

Robert & you others that need to know how to sort laundry, Here is how I sort laundry. Wash your sheets and towels together. Don't mix your towels with clothes you may end up with a lint problem on your clothes. Wash your whites separate from your colors so you can use bleach on your whites. I usually don't always bother sorting my darker clothes from lighter clothes but you do have to be careful if you have a new red shirt to wash. I wash everything in cold w