DIY Network

A Landscape Emergency: Cleanup on Carolina Avenue Police officer Michael Rees is surrounded by neighbors who love him. . . but they hate his landscape. From "Desperate Landscapes" episode DDSL-112

(Continued from page 1)

Project 1: Retaining Wall

Michael recently had some work done on his driveway. There is a drop-off between the driveway and the planting bed. Jason's plans call for adding a small retaining wall. The retaining wall will help raise the grade, keep mulch in the planting bed and add an architectural element to the yard.

• We used quarry stone that had been cut so that it could be stacked (figures A and B).

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  

  advertisement

  
  
  

• We dug a trench and made a level base and then laid one row of stone followed by another (figured C and D)2. The stacking of the stone is a "trial and erro" kind of job trying to find the best fit.

Figure D

Figure D

The newly installed shutters

Project 2: Build Shutters

Michael's house could use some shutters. Jason decided to build panel style shutters. Jason chose poplar for the stiles and rails, and luan for the panels. You can also use white pine for the stiles and rail and veneer ply for the panels depending on if you choose to stain or paint.

Jason used a pocket hole jig drill bit to assemble the shutters. The drill jig (figure E) guides the drill bit into the wood and creates a pocket then you insert the screws and clamp the wood together creating a "perfect joint" (figure F).

Steps:

• Use a vise clamp to hold the jig to the piece of wood you're going to drill (figure G).

  Figure E

  Figure F

  Figure G

  
  

• Drill the pocket holes (figures H and I).

• Before attaching the rails to the styles, use a good quality wood glue in the joints.

• Screw them all together.

• Now you're ready to attach the panels.

  Figure H

  Figure I

  
  

• Turn over the shutters and use a hand-held router with a 1/4- inch rabbit bit to rout out a channel in the back of each opening for the panel to sit in ( figures J and K).

  Figure J

  Figure K

  
  

• Insert panels and attach with wood glue and 1/2 inch crown staples (figures L and M).

  Figure L

  Figure M

  
  

• Give shutters a light sanding (figure N).

• Finish by painting the shutters (figure O and P).

Figure N

Figure O

Figure P

1 | 2 | 3 | 4