| A Lesson on Landscaping |
| Limbing up a large tree sheds light on the subject: A newly beautiful front yard. |
From "Desperate Landscapes"
episode DDSL-213 |
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Project No. 3: Build a stacked stone wallJason's plan calls for installing a small, stacked stone wall to prevent soil erosion on the steep front yard. He uses cut quarry stone and simply stacks one stone on top of the other. How to build a stacked stone wall: Using dirt or sand to level the base (figure C), place the first row of stone.
Once the first row is level, stack the second row. For this project, Jason used three rows of stone (figure D).
Project No. 4: Prep steel door for paintingThe steel front door has taken a beating from the elements. Jason's plan calls for a fresh coat of paint, and prepping is an essential part of getting the paint to adhere well. How to prep a steel door for painting: Clean the door well with a soft cloth and acetone or mineral spirits. Allow the solvents to dry.
Sand door lightly with 220-grit sandpaper to scuff up the surface (figure E). You may be tempted to use a palm sander (figure F), but you could risk taking off too much of the top coat.
Rinse off the door and allow it to dry.
Paint door with a high-quality exterior paint.
Project No. 5: Patch porch steps
The porch steps are cracked, but patching will be very easy. Here's how Jason recommends doing it: Clean the crack with a stiff brush (figure G).
Use a concrete vinyl patch product made of vinyl resin, sand and cement. Simply add water to it, and you're ready to go.
Use a wet trowel to apply the patch (figure H). Keeping the trowel wet will prevent the patch from curling.
Smooth the patch with a trowel.
Allow to cure for 24 hours before walking on it. If you're using a patch like this on a driveway, wait about three days before driving on it.
| ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: | | A Lesson on Landscaping |
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