DIY Network

Getting to the Root of the Problem Getting to the Root of the Problem From "Grounds for Improvement" episode DGFI-205

Figure A

Christie Pingel's Savannah, Georgia, home has a problem homeowners frequently find themselves tripping over: tree roots and a walkway competing for space in the same spot. When the trees are mature and have thick root systems, as is the case here, the sidewalk never wins, but even though a new permanent sidewalk is not a possibility, the problem can be solved with clever design options. For this walkway, 18"x18" pavers can be laid out in a pattern that can be modified if, over time, the tree roots become a problem in the space (figure A).

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To bring the walkway level with the grass, topsoil is added to the area and raked level. Next a depression is made in the soil and the pavers are set in place and checked for level. The first paver is centered with the center of the door and set into place 6" forward from the porch. The next paver is set beside the first, 6" from the porch and 6" from the first paver (figure B). The first row is made up of three pavers, the second row has two pavers and is followed by single pavers until the walkway meets the sidewalk again, where the pattern again repeats a row of two pavers, then three, making a wide, fluid connection with the sidewalk (figure C). After a few taps with a rubber mallet to firmly seat the pavers, topsoil is filled in around each paver.

Figure B

Figure C

Next, the overgrown shrubs along the front of the house are pruned back, giving the house a cleaner, more open look from both the inside and outside of the house (figure D). New planting beds are drawn with landscape paint and a sod cutter, available at rental stores for approximately $90 a day, is used to remove the existing grass in the bed (figure E). Sod cutters have blades that move back and forth and sideways, slicing the grass up in sections. This sod can be reused on bare spots in the lawn and around the new pavers.

Figure D

Figure E

The old front door, meanwhile, is getting a facelift from Jackie and Christie's sister, Cathy. Before getting a fresh coat of paint, it is sanded, giving the paint a surface to grip (figure F). Before painting, with the existing paint acting as a primer, a hole that was created by the old hardware is repaired. A dowel is measured and cut to fit the hole and glued into place. After lining up the dowel wood grain to match the wood grain in the door, the dowel is tapped into place with a mallet, then sanded smooth to match the door surface (figure G). Exterior latex paint is brushed on in the direction of the wood grain.

Figure F

Figure G

RESOURCES :

Black and Decker tools
Website: www.blackanddecker.com
Black & Decker, Inc. (Corporate)
Website: www.bdk.com/main_bd.htm

Porter-Cable Tools
Porter-Cable Corporation
Website: www.deltaportercable.com

Irwin Industrial Tool Company
Website: www.irwin.com

Ames True Temper Tools
Ames-True Temper
Website: www.ames-truetemper.com

American Society of Landscape Architects

Delta Tools
Deltak Power Tools
Website: www.deltamachinery.com

Plants provided by Skinner Nurseries Inc.
Skinner Nurseries Inc.
Website: www.skinnernurseries.com

Walkway materials provided by Pavestone
Pavestone
Website: www.pavestone.com

Faux concrete kit
(1 quart pro quartzite; 1 quart crackle; 3 quarts brown, green and black pro faux paint)

Artistic Living Studio
Website: www.artisticlivingstudio.com