Arizona Soils & Foundation Issues Print

Callers:

• Laura - She planted grape vines for shade.  Does she need to trim them during the dormant season or let them grow?

Recommendation - If the vines are just used for shade, she can just let them grow since they are already established.  Peter walks through the pruning if she wants to produce fruit. If she doesn't want grapes, just let it go!

• Craig - He has about 12 feet of space between his neighbor and his front yard...he wants a recommendation for a shade tree to protect his car. He really likes the pecan tree down the street.

Recommendation - Aphid's love pecan tree and could leave a mess on his car.  Peter loves the tipu tree....John suggests coordinating with his neighbor, visit the AMWUA website and use their searchable database.

Peter Condon shares more about our "tree of the week," the Tabebuia tree.

Callers:

• Louis - He has Chinese elm trees and all of the sudden the leaves are falling off. They noticed the root is very slimy and comes right off the bark. What would cause this?

Recommendation - It sounds like a fungus, "Texas root rot" that's common in our area. Some trees are more susceptible and John recommends planting a tree that won't be affected. Verify that their is not an irrigation leak too!

• Dennis - He recently had his palo brea tree trimmed and it's leaking sap on his driveway and he wants to make sure it wasn't damaged.

Recommendation - It doesn't sound like it should've been damaged by the size of the cuts, but he might have an infection that is causing the over-leaking. Call an arborist....LIKE John at Integrity Tree Service!

• Peter talks about the programs offered at MCC for the plant lover in the family!
• Make yourself more marketable if you want to work in the landscaping industry and take a few classes.

Callers:

• Jim - About 2 years ago, he planted two trees side by side. Now one of them looks great and is growing, the other one hasn't grown a bit.

Recommendation - It sounds like the roots were damaged during the planting process, so it might take a lot longer to get established. 

• Robert - Does an evergreen tree require water during the winter season too?

Recommendation - Yes! You can hold off if it's rained, but it does require water through the cold season.

Thanks to Peter Condon with Mesa Community College for joining us along with John with Integrity Tree Service!

Romey and Rosie discuss there recent trip to the Romero roots down in Louisiana

Callers:

• Mike - He has pillars in his backyard with wood framing and solar panels on top. They love it, but the cinder block pillars are covered in stucco but there is no cap, so water is getting in. Is there anyway to re-seal this?

Recommendation - Use Thoroseal and it will reduce the moisture getting in.

We have a contest to giveaway tickets to the Waste Management Phoenix Open from KTAR!

Callers:

• Joyce - Her husband replaced some parts inside the toilet & they still need to hold the handle down to get it flushed. What else could it be?

Recommendation - Some times the flapper gets filled with water and when that happens, it won't operate properly.

We continue with our contest to give away tickets to the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Caller:

• Ann - She has two closets she wants to lock in a rental property. They're both sliding closet doors and she wants to know if it's possible and who can do it?

Recommendation - Install a "flush bolt" on the wooden set of doors, but Scottsdale Lock & Key might have an idea on the mirrored doors.

Harold Perkins with the Galaxy Lending Group joins us to clarify some remarks by the President concerning "home mortgage insurance" and what it could mean to you.

• Lower Monthly Payments
• Recent Bankruptcy?

The overall industry is looking great! Get in the market if you can!

Caller:

• Josh - He has a clear caulk on the side of his home, but he wants to paint and it won't hold paint on the spots with this clear sealer.

Recommendation - Coming in the next segment.......

Continuing with Josh's question on removing the silicon to be able to paint on his stucco wall.....if he can't remove it, try using a textured elastomeric caulk to cover over the clear silicon and paint on that surface instead.

Caller:

• Phil - He has to re-plumb his house to sell it and wants a recommendation on plumbing and methods.

Recommendation - Call Bill at Woods Plumbing & they can help. Many plumbers have different methods and we're comfortable with either method of copper piping or flex pex piping.   Rosie prefers copper.....If this is a problem for you & you're not in Tucson, call Babcock Plumbing, or Thunderbird Plumbing.

Bob Brown with Arizona Foundation Solutions joins us to talk about soil conditions and what it means to your home's foundation and overall house maintenance.

Rosie quizzes Bob on what the common soil problems are unique to Arizona:

• Common Problems in certain areas
• Some unique/crazy stories of foundation fixes
• Radon concerns
• Is your home in a flood plain? Insurance costs go up....
• Seismic Zones
• Expansive Soils
• Bob knows his stuff!!

Slab "Heaving" versus "Settling"  Find out the differences and listen!!

Caller:

• Dawn - She has a small crack that's slowly opening up in her kitchen ceiling....

Recommendation coming in the next segment.....

continuing with Dawn's question from the last segment......it's very common for kitchens, bathrooms, and utility rooms to have cracks. Plumbing is underneath the home and isn't always compacted correctly.

*If you have a single crack in your wall, it's usually not a huge issue. When windows won't close properly and see doors and walls sloping, it's time to take a look.

Rosie shares a fun story about crashing his motorcycle in a fissure....ouch!!!

Callers:

• Andrew - Is it law to inform/report foundation issues with a homeowner selling his home?

Recommendation - Companies are NOT legally obligated, unless it's a safety issue. Bob has heard of major issues being taken back to the seller/realtor and they're forced to pay for the repairs.

Tip: Have a soil condition test done BEFORE you buy and you'll be sure the property isn't hiding any serious issues and you'll have a record of the floor heights too!

Caller:

• Diana - She has a room addition where a pear tree damaged the foundation. They removed the tree and there is still a ton of water coming through the wall and she's lost......

Recommendation - This is a common problem, because the soils aren't prepared properly. Verify that there's not a leak in the plumbing under the home as well.

Bob describes Arizona Foundation Solutions process for eliminating moisture under your home's foundations. It expels radon and moisture to stop slab heaving.

Caller:

• Doug - He has a crack that keeps opening and closing during the different seasons and he thinks he might be a candidate for the process Bob described in the last segment.

Recommendation - It definitely sounds like a good option for him....Bob will go out to check it out!

• Carol - Her son has a block foundation in his basement is leaning and also has a crack. Plus, it has a radon rating too high too!!

Recommendation - Get rid of the radon!!  There are a few options for fixing the foundation.

• Judy just called in to thank Bob for his work up in Northern Arizona!

Thanks to Bob Brown with Arizona Foundation Solutions for joining us. If you have questions, call 602-702-5390 in Phoenix or Northern Arizona and 520-762-4160 in Tucson.

Join Rosie On The House every Saturday morning 8 to 11!!!