Around the Yard

Power / Telephone Lines

DudeFromThatPlace — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:58:41 GMT

We have numerous unsightly (and potentially dangerous) electrical lines running from the poles to our house, more than we should. I expect to have three (power/phone/cable, for example) but we have upwards of seven, some of which have to be obsolete. Whom do I contact to find out which lines do what, and which can be removed? Do I pay an electrician to examine them, or is this a power company question?

Thanks!

DEck -> stamped concerte work

harmeek — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:49:29 GMT

Please do provide recomendations about cost efective ways and contracters who could help in deck work . stamped concerete is what we are looking for.

harmeek

terraced back yard

jfo — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:12:38 GMT

I have a rather steep incline in my back yard. Anyone ever terrace this? How much did it cost? Do you like it?

Stink bugs

Noel — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:57:22 GMT

My house has hundreds of stink bugs on it. Does anyone know of a good exterminator to call to get rid of them?

Carpenter Bees

Ruby Soho — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:46:00 GMT

I am having massive trouble with carpenter bees. They are currently setting up house in the covered area around my back door. I have tried to plug the holes, spray, and covered the area with a vinyl screen (which they promptly ate through). I have called exterminators and they don't seem to be much help either. I am afraid that after they are done with the covered area they will move onto my house because it is all wood. Any advice would be helpful.

Thanks!

Should I seal paver

Riverwoods — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:33:08 GMT

Installed a courtyard and path last year. Was told I should wait 60 days to seal. But should I seal? If so with what? Seems to be conflicting information on various vendors websites and in conversations.

cover for water fountain

kevcase — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:50:04 GMT

I'm trying to figure out a way to cover my three-tier water fountain when the lawn guys come over so the clipping will not find their way into the fountain. I think the most durable, easy to use method would be some plexigalss custom cut lids. they could be stored outdoors for easy access and should be fairly sturdy,. Any thoughts on other techniques? Does anybody know a company in or near Charlotte NC that would make such a thing. Thanks.

In-ground spa

PattiQuilter — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:20:23 GMT

I want to install a spa in my backyard, but because of covenents in my development, I can only have a 4-ft high fence. Therefore, I'd like to sink the spa into the ground to provide a bit more privacy. I'd like to hear from anyone who has an in-ground spa. Is there anything I need to be aware of? How much did it cost?

I live in SouthCentral Pennsylvania.

Thanks!

landscape yard

pothillp — Tue, 13 May 2008 02:40:33 GMT

I am looking for a company that will remove my deck and build a cobble stone or flag stone patio deck. I want to have walls about 3 to 4 feet high and steps up to flat stoned deck. around the deck will be area for us to plant flowers etc. Help me find reliable contracters please in the Federal Way area of washington

How to find the best pricing on Pavestone

Tacky — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:08:34 GMT

Howdy. I'm a big do-it-yourself-er and I have some substantial landscaping that I need to do that will require raising some beds. Nothing really big the highest will be about 3 feet so I am confident that I can handle this (famous last words?)

Does anyone know of an easier way to find the best pricing on pavestones/wall bricks and the like? I am dreading the driving all around town to find the best deal. I'm big on using internet sites but I'm thinking I need local because shipping on these things would be astronomical (I'm thinking this to be but I could be wrong!)

Any tips you want to share?

Thanks!

getting started in lawnmowing and/or landscaping business

tnfisherlady — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:58:31 GMT

Hi everyone, New to the board, and need some info because I am a little behind the 8 ball. This is my last week of work (being laid 0$$ due to finances) and need some extra part time to full time work to supplement my income as it is now. Being a caregiver for 2 elderly parents is really full time and I get a small "income" from them but depended on my 25 hour a week job to make ends meet. My job was perfect, but alas, it is no more.

I need something flexible and this would be a good opportunity to do something that will help me out and also someone else. Dealing with older parents, I would like to target that age group, as there are so many people out there ripping thewm off and they had done the same to my folks, until I moved here. But how to break in the ranks, and being a little behind doesn't help. I have done this sort of work and have good references, from every job I have had in the past 10 years. Any info would be helpful. I live in Chatt, TN, by the way.

Thanks

Removing Swimming Pool

atk511 — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 18:50:00 GMT

My husband and I want to remove a 16 x 32 ingroud pool with vinyl liner. There are no companies in the Richmond, VA area who advertise as doing this. I've been told to contact demolition companies, excavation companies, or people who put in pools. I'm not having any luck! Has anyone had good experience removing a pool - or contractors to recommend in the central Virginia area?

Iron Fence

EFMB — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 05:41:31 GMT

I am looking for a fencing contractor that does wrought iron in Portland, OR. The fencing reviews appear to be all for wood fences. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Need advice on landscape contractors

kaye — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:12:01 GMT

I need some minor landscape work to be followed by some major re-dos in a year or two. We want to interview several landscapers for the minor stuff now. My question is whether it's acceptable to expect some creative work done in the bid process and should this be free or are we expected to pay for the up-front work? We can view portfolios, but it's not the same as seeing what a landscaper's vision is for the space we'd like to landscape. If we're expected to pay for sketches or drawings how much is reasonable to pay up front for something that may or may not be used?

Thanks in advance for the advice! :-)

INTERESTED IN CONTRACTOR WHO DOES OUTDOOR CONCRETE STEP WORK IN MD, DC AREA

steel2464 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:10:30 GMT

Hello. I'm having a hard time finding a good contractor to rebuild my concrete steps outside.

I would appreciate any information you may have in the MD, DC area.

Thank you so much.

steel2464

lawn irrigation system - how much should it cost?

WindyRocksIndy — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 20:37:52 GMT

We have a large home, and often times I feel that companies raise their price when they see our house.

We are only wanting an irrigation system for our front yard, which is not very large (sound like 15 sprinklers will cover it).

we've have one estimate for $2500 and another landscaper thought it should cost about $1500...

if you can tell me what your square footage is, how many sprinkler heads you have, etc. would really appreciate getting an idea of how much this should cost.....

thanks

Cedar vs treated fence

Busy Mom — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:13:53 GMT

We have 4 kids under the age of 4 and need to fence them in with a privacy fence. We are debating whether to get a cedar fence or save some money and get the treated wood. It needs to last about 10 years, then after that we'd be ok if it fell apart, but I could see us enjoying the privacy. What do you think?

Landscaping information

ConstructionOwl — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 01:52:11 GMT

Hi,

wanted to offer you an information website for that garden or any other landscaping project:

http://www.constructionowl.com/landscape/

Farm Fencing

City Folk — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:54:29 GMT

We're trying to fence a 100' x 50' lot on our wooded acreage in NW Indiana to contain llama. Would love to hear from anyone with experience in putting up woven wire fencing for this(or a similar purpose) as a DIY project. If this is out of realm as a DIY job, does anyone have any thoughts on how to find someone who does this type of work or who would at least drop the 6" x 7' posts? Fencing companies seem to only want to do residential fencing. Thanks!

Pool crazy....

ddccthom — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:33:18 GMT

My husband and I have been researching pools for the last month or so. Needless to say there is so much information out there it is driving us crazy. First we thought we were going to go with a gunite pool...then we had ourselves talked into a fiberglass pool...now after meeting with a salesperson from both sides, my husband is convinced that the gunite pool is what he wants. He just likes the design better. Here's my dilemma...I've seen the pros and cons to both and am fully aware of those. I've searched Angie's List to see how the companies fall out and the fiberglass dealer is a small business guy and looks great on the list. The gunite/concrete company is a large company and hasn't had any postings in the past 2 years!!! How can that be??? If any of you have had any dealings with Anthony & Sylvan pools in the last couple of years and would like to give me some insight on your experiences, or on your experiences with gunite/concrete in general, please pass them on. They will be providing us with references, but of course they will all be good ones, so that will be all biased. I want true, unbiased info! TIA!!!

Peacocks on a Pickup

TheDecider — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 13:29:35 GMT

"Bwwaaaarp.”

It didn’t sound like anything I’d ever heard, but I knew it wasn’t human. The good news – it wasn’t inside the house. The bad news – it was pretty close.

Dad and I went outside, and there in the driveway, standing on the side of his truck, was a peacock. “Bwwaaaarp.” A beautiful, loud-but-not-aggressive Indian peacock.

This wasn’t down the street from the zoo, or Southeast Asia… this was a wooded area in central Indiana in 1981. It was only slightly less surreal than finding a unicorn sniffing at our garbage cans.

It turned out that a neighbor from a couple miles down the road had purchased the bird, along with several other exotic creatures, and this one had gotten loose. He (the owner) didn’t want to go to the trouble of “capturing” the poor guy… and the peacock seemed right at home roaming in the woods. So there he stayed for weeks, foraging, displaying his colors, and occasionally perching near the periphery of cookouts and other outdoor activities… content to observe and be observed.

It didn’t end well; when the weather began to turn cold, some hungry predator moved in and that was that. We buried him and made a little memorial, which wasn’t nearly colorful enough.

We’ve all found unexpected wildlife in the yard or in/on the house at some point. So in honor of the pop-culture phenomenon Snakes on a Plane, tell us about your surprise visitor(s).

Disgusting mulch

Commonsense — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 01:42:03 GMT

We bought 20 bags of mulch at a local well-known mulch company where we've bought before. We specifically asked for hardwood mulch that had no additives, dyes, manure, etc. and one that didn't have a horrible smell. We bought the one the employee recommended.

We opened the first bag and were nearly knocked over by the smell, which can only be described as the smell of diarrhea. I thought it might dissipate after it was put down, so we continued, being in an "I'm mulching now" kind of mood. After we had put down about half the bags - and after the smell had made me vomit once - we noticed it was full of small pieces of plastic, metal, etc. We picked them out, but a week later they still seem to be rising to the surface - around 30 to 40 small pieces per bag! One bag even contained a 6" length of garden hose.

So it's a week later and the mulch smells just as bad as it did on that day. In fact, since it's laid outside our garage wall the smell has seeped into the garage, so it floods the kitchen whenever we open the door. Today I noticed the mulch is covered with white mold, some of it growing in large rings. This doesn't make sense to me since it hasn't rained since we put it down (kind of a drought here).

This mulch is disgusting and our whole experience was horrible. I've written to the company and filed a report on the List. I cannot understand how anyone could sell this diarrhea-smelling trash and get away with it.

And what about this mold? Has anyone else had experience with white mold on mulch? We're getting ready to put our house on the market, and this mulch was supposed to improve the appearance of the property, not make prospective buyers run screaming and gagging.

Brick over Concrete Slab Patio (St. Louis Area)

Chastity1053 — Mon, 14 May 2007 14:45:52 GMT

I've got a nice size concrete slab patio (about 10 by 15 or so) I'd like to jazz up by paving over with brick or tile (as opposed to painting or installing a deck). Some web sites make this sound relatively "simple" to do (similar to tiling a wall, which I've done), others make it sound like it's the biggest mistake I can make and I'm better of tearing the old one out and starting over. Any comments, suggestions, or advice?

Thanks.

Honda Lawnmower tuneup

sandeelee — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 19:22:25 GMT

Does anyone know any place in the the Orlando are that will tuneup a honda lawmower... someone we can trust to do a good job?

Great new garden store

Annie — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:33:42 GMT

If you are ever close to Newburgh, IN, be sure to stop at the Newburgh Country Store. They have beautiful garden items and in April and May a large Herb Festival with the largest variety of herbs I have found. They also have many perennials.