Today’s Homeowner Radio Show | May 28, 2022

In this week’s radio display, we’re offering guidance on how to get rid of a tripping hazard, offer with mason bees and deal with tree root troubles.

Taking away a Tall Concrete Threshold

The connected garage in Thomas Boyd’s Dimond Bar, Calif., home was constructed with a stem wall, which tends to make the threshold at the door much too tall. To enter, a particular person has to step up and more than the practically six-inch threshold. 

He would like to know the most effective way to take away this tripping hazard.

I’ve found cases like this prior to designed a great deal greater by creating a ramp. Pour concrete on the exterior of the stem wall for a four or five-foot ramp. But that’s not supporting if the within actions again down.

The stem wall can be cut out. I would remove the door and the body then use a side grinder to minimize on each aspect to extend the jamb down. Then, rating the base of the stem wall to make it simpler to hammer out. 

At last, choose a sledgehammer to split off the stem wall at the slab. As long as there is not any rebar heading by way of that, it should be effortless to clear away.

If you use the similar doorway, there’ll be about a 6-inch void on the major of the door body. To fill that house, set attractive crown molding on leading of the door, equally inside and out. This will make it appear intentional. Or, you could order a personalized door, but that will be a pricier alternative.

Skip to [21:25] for the total section on the Today’s Property owner Radio Demonstrate.

Working With Mason Bees

A caller claims mason bees are having the brick mortar of her property and nesting inside. She needs to know how to evict them after and for all. 

To start with of all, the mason bees aren’t actually having the mortar. They’re nesting inside of cracks and crevices that are by now in the mortar. 

They are identified as mason bees mainly because they’re cavity-nesting bees. They’ll make their houses in any very little hole, crevice, crack, or tunnel.

For the bees to be nesting inside her brick mortar, the cracks have been by now there in the to start with location. The very long-expression option will be to fill any spots in the mortar that are open up.

Do not use any pesticides to try out to reduce them. These bees are advantageous to your backyard simply because they are pollinators. 

Mason bees glimpse like honey bees but they don’t generate honey. And unlike honey bees, they never are living in colonies.

To preserve the bees from nesting in your brick mortar, you can build a bamboo mason bee residence. Glue parts of bamboo collectively in a body and cling them in a tree following to your residence.

Skip to [44:05] for the full phase on the Today’s Homeowner Radio Display.

Tackling Tree Root Complications

Tree roots are interrupting a caller’s mowing regime and pushing pavers out of position. Here’s what she wants to do.

If the grade of your residence permits, set a pair of inches of soil on top rated of the roots and plant some grass seed so you can mow around it.

If the roots are protruding much too substantial for grass to improve above it, plant some groundcover crops or unfold mulch around them. That way, you won’t need to have to stress about mowing that spot.

For the roots near the pavers, call an arborist right before you cut them. Some trees can tolerate their roots currently being reduce, but it can kill many others. 

If the roots can be reduce, pull up the pavers, slice the root out, then backfill it and switch the pavers.

Skip to [1:07:04] for the full section on the Today’s Homeowner Radio Demonstrate.

Also on this episode:

Best New Merchandise

ReVent has made its to start with smart speaker lover — a lavatory exhaust lover with twin microphone know-how and Bluetooth connection. Study more>>

Other Solutions and Hyperlinks Stated

Even further Reading through