Maintaining Territorial Homes Print

Letter from a Listener:

• Jeff - He is allergic to his Bermuda lawn and wants to kill it...what should he do?

Recommendation - He needs to use a systemic herbicide glyphosate, commonly found in products like Roundup.  He could "solarize" it. Take heavy clear plastic, lay it down on the lawn and hold it down with rocks. The heat will cook the lawn, but it's just a really tough chore.

*Julie and the crew talk through more about eating a Mediterranean Diet. Yum!

*More Mediterranean Recipes and Jay shares a fig recipe.  Stay Local and eat healthy!

Callers:

• Margaret - What is the most effective weed killer she can use in here hardscape?

Recommendation - Rosie would go with a flame thrower, but she can start with a hula hoe to remove the larger weeds. Next, use the systemic herbicide glyphosate we talked about in the last segment.  Pre-emergent is key to prevent any new weed growth.

Letter from a Listener:

• Kim - Her yard was hit hard with frost, is it late enough to prune back some of the dead growth yet?

Recommendation - It should be fine, because the forecast is looking good for the foreseeable future.  Once the new growth starts shooting out, it should be good to go!

*Heavy pruning should be done this time of year.  It will grow nicely during the spring and be ready to for summer and keep a nice shape.

Callers:

• Dave - He has a broad leaf weed growing in his dormant Bermuda lawn.."Is there any deadly chemical I can use to get rid of it?"

Recommendation - There are selective herbicides (fertilome) that is designed just for this.

*We talk about the proper methods for getting rid of specific weeds in your yard.

• Wayne - Can he prune his willow acacia tree this time of year?

Recommendation - He can prune all the "suckers" anytime of year and this is a great time to prune it, so go for it.

• Patty - She wants suggestions on plants that will be okay up against a west facing block wall?

Recommendation - A bougainvillea, the yellow emu, several varieties of tacoma's and she can find them at Harper's!

*Jay and Julie talk about caring for a fig tree, which is great for the Mediterranean diet we've been discussing today.

Thanks to Julie Murphee with the Arizona Farm Bureau for joining us. Find local farmer's and rancher's, plus recipes at Fill Your Plate!

Visit Jay at Harper's Nursery in Scottsdale for your plant and landscape needs!

Rosie and John Schimon from Adobe King join us from Tucson!

• Rosie shares his adventures on his way to Southern Arizona, plus reminds you to sign up for the Sanderson Ford Arizona Staycation! 
• Romey talks about the dangers of dryer vents and how lint buildup causes major fire hazards. If you have any concerns, call Dryer Vent Wizard.

Callers:

• Debbie - The planter in the front of her home caused damage to her homes foundation.  What should she use to repair the water damaged foundation?

Recommendation - Use a Thoroseal product that she can find at Cohills Building Supplies and Superlite in Tucson or Superlite in Phoenix.

• Karen - She has a fir pergola that was sealed with spray paint and wants a recommendation on a proper sealer.

Recommendation - We suggest using a deep penetrating oil like this product, CWF Woodlife.  Rose shares the steps to cleaning it and the most likely way a builder treated the pergola's when they were installed.

We talk about our Craw-fish boil at Sanderson Ford for a Cajun Valentine's Day 2015!

Callers:

• Donna - She lives on a hill and the drainage is spreading mud over her paver patio.  What should she do and who should she call?

Recommendation - The muddy mess is still better than the whole hill coming down onto her yard, but she needs to talk to her Home Owners Association to sort it out before she spends a dime. This should be a community issue.

• Paul - He wants to refinish his oak cabinets. What's the best way to clean them to get them ready for paint?

Recommendation - Pull off one cabinet door and take it to a PPG store for tips.  They'll walk him through the different treatments, depending on whether he stains or paints them and whether he brushes it on or sprays them. They've got you covered.

Rosie introduces Don Ryden with Ryden Architects, Inc. to talk about the new memorial he's been working on for an Arizona Legend.

Ernest McFarland served as Arizona’s governor, chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, and as one of Arizona’s Senators.  He's known as the "father of the GI Bill" and he was key to bringing water to Phoenix, the CAP canal project, plus he signed the papers that created Arizona State Parks too.

Learn more about The McFarland Memorial, here.

Caller:

• Bill - He recently had his furnace serviced and was told to have his air ducts cleaned. Is that a legitimate suggestion or is he just trying to get a little more money out of him?

Recommendation - Duct cleaning is usually a scam. Properly cleaning a duct system requires taking the furnace apart and needs a professional air conditioning and heating company.  A $75 special won't do a thing for you and a waste of money. Call Green Valley Cooling & Heating!

*Use a 1 inch paper pleated filter and replace it every month and you should be okay.

• Matt -He had a toilet overflow in his upstairs bathroom and the drywall was damaged.  Does he have to replace the drywall or can he just patch it up or spray it with something?

Recommendation - He needs to consider if it was clean water or waste water....then if it's damaged enough to change the shape, he might have to replace the drywall, otherwise he can just patch it up. Call Thompson Drywall in Surprise!

Callers:

• Coti - She heard us talking about the electrical outlets that have the USB plug-in's and wants to know where she can go to find more suggestions like this?

Recommendation - She can find examples at Electronic House Magazine or she can visit or call Chad with AV Specialists in Tucson.  Rosie likes the brand Legrand. Here are the outlets with built-in USB ports and the Nightlite Outlet Rosie mentioned.  In Phoenix, call Don at Stabley Home Entertainment Specialists.

*Remember that you don't want to be the "guinea pig" for new products. Verify that they are proven before you install them all over your house.

John with Adobe King and Rosie talk through maintaining "Territorial Style" homes:

• John's shares his history and why he's our adobe expert.
• John's Favorite adobe is burnt adobe. (burnt adobe is not allowed in Tucson anymore. They're used for landscape walls mostly now)
• All the SW style features are susceptible to water damage.
• Concrete Block vs. Adobe Block Walls
• Why water is the enemy to adobe?
• We share the history and design of adobe.

John talks through the most common problems he faces in territorial style homes and how he fixes them:

• Settling issues and foundation breaks are the biggest concern and when that happens, John calls Arizona Foundation Solutions and they can make it look close to original.

*matching colors is key and it takes an artistic eye to match original walls with the fixes. Seal it with "adobe sealer with stabilizer." Buy the sealer yourself from John at Adobe King at 520-615-2110.

*John walks through some basics to properly sealing the adobe on your home.

Painting your Southwest Territorial Style home:

• Paint protects and paint makes things look good.
• How often should you paint?  (Depending on paint, but stucco should be painted about every 7 years)
• Dark paint will fade quicker. 
• Rosie and John debate the use of elastomeric painting.
• Water penetrating stucco and adobe is very common and causes multiple problems.
• John and Rosie talk through the proper painting methods of stucco, including "back rolling"

Wood Vigas.......how does John treat the exposed wood elements of a SW home?

• One solution to rotting vigas is with SAW Design & Woodworks. (It's a fiberglass mesh cover that's sealed and made to look like a natural wood viga.
• Rosie used to epoxy to fill and shape rotting vigas and it lasted 30 years. 
• John wraps a Tietex Roofing Membrane around vigas and for the tops of parapet walls.  It takes on the shape of the wood, but needs to be maintained very consistently.

We discuss what it takes to maintain exposed wood in territorial style homes.....why John and Rosie both hate this and how much work it takes to keep it looking good.

• Penetrating Oils are much better at maintaining exposed than paint.
• Using copper to cover the wood and extend the life of a wood viga. 
• John's best advice on protecting adobe; install a hip roof with a good overhang to protect the walls.

Thanks to John Schimon, owner of Adobe King. Call him today at 520-615-2110!

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