House Renovation Tips

You can set fence posts directly in the ground or in a concrete collar for added strength. Either way, you should use rot-resistant wood and set the post on a bed of gravel, to aid drainage and to keep the end grain from soaking up excess moisture.
Posts for gates, fence corners or decks, and posts set in loose soil should have a concrete collar. Trowel the top of the collar to shed water away from the post.

Professional tip
Pour the collar around the post; don’t push the post down into wet concrete.

Some woods naturally resist rot. The heartwood in redwood and cedar have their own chemical resistance. These species command a premium price for both their looks and their durability. In many parts of the country, pressure-treated lumber is a more economical choice for fencing and decks. This lumber has been saturated with a chemical that wards off decay and wood-destroying insects like termites and powder post beetles.

Money-saving tip
Buy a less expensive concrete mix—often called fence post mix—to set posts. You don’t need standard strength concrete for this task.

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Replacing a rotted fence post is complicated because the rails attached to it can be difficult to remove and re-attach. Here’s a quick but sturdy fix that supports a rotting post without disturbing it: Drive a 3- to 4-foot pipe into the ground adjacent to the post, leaving about a foot above grade. Attach the pipe to the post with U-straps.
For a permanent repair, use a posthole digger to excavate a 2- to 3-foot hole next to the rotted post. Install a new pressure-treated post that rises about two feet above grade. Bind new post to old with two machine bolts or lag screws, one about a foot above the other. Cut off the bottom of the rotted post just above grade level.

Professional tip
Cut the top of wooden replacement posts at a 45° angle to help them shed water.

Money-saving tip
Buy used 2-inch pipe from a salvage yard to reinforce fence posts. It’s far cheaper and it will last longer than the wooden post anyway.

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Split-system air conditioners have a compact outdoor unit, containing one or more compressors, which serve several indoor air handlers. Rigid conduit circulates refrigerant back and forth between the compressors and the air handlers, eliminating the need for ducts. Each indoor air handler is individually controlled by a built-in thermostat or by a remote, hand-held control.
Have split-system air conditioners professionally serviced every two years. Heat pump models, which provide heating and cooling throughout the year, should be serviced annually.

Maintaining the Outdoor (condensing) Unit
Rinse off dirty outdoor coils (they’re housed with the compressor) with a hose. Use a mild detergent and soft brush if there’s pine resin or other stubborn dirt on the coils. At the same time, wipe off the fan blades. If the fan is belt-driven, check the belt for snugness and wear.
To ensure top performance, grass, shrubs, and leaves should be kept well back from the outdoor unit. If the outdoor unit is exposed to a lot of direct sunlight, you’ll boost system performance by erecting a lean-to above it to provide shade. A lean-to will also protect the unit from rain and snow.

Maintaining Air Handlers
Each spring, remove the filter on each indoor air handler and gently wash it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
If you’re meticulous about keeping the filter clean, the coil inside won’t require frequent cleaning. When it does need cleaning, remove the grille and clean the coils with a vacuum or a mild, degreasing detergent and an old toothbrush. Gently wipe off the fan blades before you close up the unit.

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Change or wash the air filter on your central air conditioner about once a month during the cooling season. This helps prolong the life of the equipment, raise its efficiency, and improve your indoor air quality. There are two standard kinds of filters: a disposable variety, made with woven fiberglass; and a washable one, made with steel mesh. The filter slides into the ductwork or blower compartment.
For top performance, clear grass, shrubs, and fallen leaves well back from the outdoor unit. If the outdoor unit is exposed to direct sunlight, you’ll boost system performance by erecting a lean-to above it to provide shade. A lean-to will also protect the unit from rain and snow.
Have your central air conditioner professionally serviced every two years.
At the start of each cooling season, open the blower compartment and check the blower. Gently scrape the dust and grime off the blades with a screwdriver or putty knife. Lightly oil the bearings and shaft so the blower can turn freely. If the unit is belt-driven, check the belt for snugness, wear, and alignment.
Most blower motors are sealed and self-lubricating. If you have an older system, the motor may have an oil reservoir that needs to be filled at the start of each cooling season (check your owner’s manual for details.) Gently clean the coil (a loop of metal tubing) inside the blower compartment with a vacuum cleaner or a mild, degreasing detergent and an old toothbrush.
The maintenance routine on the air conditioner’s outdoor unit is similar. Clean the coils and fan blades. If the fan is belt-driven, check the belt for wear and tear.

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When putting in a lawn, you’ve got several ways to go: seeds, sod, plugs, or sprigs. Seeding is the least expensive method but it takes work and time. A sod lawn, while expensive, looks great immediately and is ready to walk on in about 2 weeks. Sprigs and plugs are both less expensive than sod, but you use them mainly to plant warm-season grasses. They send out horizontal runners that fill the lawn in 9-12 weeks.
Before planting any type of lawn, prepare the soil.

Step by Step: Planting a Lawn
1. Install edgings, if desired.
2. Install an in-ground sprinkler system if desired.
3. Work amendment such as compost and fertilizer into the top 8 inches of soil, or make several passes with a rotary tiller. Take care not to disturb any pipes or utilities below.
4. With a rake, level the low and high spots and remove any rocks or debris. If you’ll be laying sod, allow for its depth by raking the soil an inch lower than adjoining sidewalks, driveways, or edgings.
5. Use a half-filled roller to firm the soil, then water to further settle it. The finished grade should be ½ inch lower than adjacent edgings or pavement - 1 inch lower if you’re planting sod.

Tools and Materials
- metal rake
- shovel
- rotary tiller
- roller

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These small pieces of sod are often used to plant warm-season grasses, some of which cannot grow from seed. They spread by horizontal runners, filling in the lawn in several months to years, depending on the grass species. Spring is the best time to plant them.
Buy plugs from a mail-order firm or a sod farm. (A garden center can recommend sources.) In your order, specify the area you need to cover.
When the material arrives, keep it moist and shaded. Plant it as soon as possible.

Step by Step: Planting Plugs
1. Prepare the soil and roll the area with a half-filled roller.
2. Make planting holes with a shovel, steel plugger or plug auger. Space the holes in a checkerboard pattern. Make them 6 inches apart for centipedegrass and zoysiagrass, 12 inches for St. Augustine grass and hybrid Bermudagrass.
3. If the seller of the plugs recommends it, place a small amount of plug-starter fertilizer in each hole.
4. Plant the plugs firmly. Make them level with the surrounding soil.
5. Roll the area with a half-filled roller.
6. Water immediately. Then water daily until the plugs begin to grow and spread, about 2-3 weeks.

Tools
- roller
- steel plugger or plug auger

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Often used to plant warm-season grasses, these pieces of grass stems and roots (also called stolons) spread naturally by horizontal runners. They will fill in your lawn in 9 to 12 weeks.
In spring, order sprigs by mail or from a sod farm. (Local garden centers can recommend sources.) In your order, specify the area you need to cover.
When the sprigs arrive, keep them moist and shaded until you plant.

Step by Step: Planting Sprigs
1. Prepare the soil and roll the area with a half-filled roller.
2. Plant sprigs. The fastest way is to scatter shredded stems over the area like seeds, then cover them lightly with soil. (Specify that you are using this method when ordering.)
3. Roll over sprigs with a half-filled roller.
4. Water at once. Then water daily until the sprigs start growing in about two to three weeks.

Tools
- roller

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Buy top-quality seed from a reliable source to be sure it will germinate evenly and is weed and disease free. Places that sell grass seed sometimes lend rollers and other planting equipment free.
The amount of seed you need varies with the type of grass - check the label to be sure you’re buying enough.
Sow seeds by hand or use a spreader, upper left. Lightly rake the seeds to bury them, lower right.

Step by Step: Seeding a Lawn
1. If the soil is sticky wet, let it dry out.
2. Divide the seed into two equal lots.
3. Sow the first seed lot evenly across the lawn, either by hand or with a spreader.
4. Sow the second seed lot at right angles to the first.
5. Lightly rake the entire area to bury the seeds 1/8 to ¼ inch deep.
6. With a shovel or peat moss spreader evenly spread a ¼-inch layer of damp sphagnum peat moss or aged sawdust over the area. This mulch helps keep the soil moist around the seeds.
7. Go over the area with a half-filled roller to settle the soil and mulch.
8. Keep the seedbed moist until the grass germinates—about 1-3 weeks. Mist the lawn briefly several times a day, using a battery-powered timer if you’re not home.

Tools and Materials
- metal rake
- shovel
- hose-end nozzle with a mist setting
- grass seed
- mulch of sphagnum peat moss or aged sawdust
- spreader (optional)
- roller
- peat moss spreader also called a squirrel cage (optional)

Professional tip
Sow cool-season grassesin fall, at least six weeks before your first expected heavy frost. You can also sow them in spring, but an early heat wave may harm the seedlings.

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