Easily Install a New Lamp Post

Want to add some light to your yard and character as well? How about a lamp post?

Some clients of mine in Inglewood wanted me to install a lamp post that they had purchased to illuminate some stairs leading to a parking area at the side of their home. The light will help them not fall down the stairs, and look great in the daytime as well.

Installing a lamp post is actually fairly simple. The most complicated part is probably the wiring. It's much like wiring any other light fixture. If that's above your head, of course, call an electrician.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Find the perfect location for your new lamp post and dig a hole. Follow the recommended depth in the pole's instructions, but mine was around 18".

2. Put the post in the hole and fasten it to something so it will remain plumb while you do the concrete.

3. Figure out where you want the wire to go. In our case, we could go nearby into the home's basement. I dug a small ditch and buried a 14-2 waterproof wire. (It's the grey stuff). (If you're lost, call an electrician...) Think before you dig so you don't bust a water pipe or something.

4. Connect the wiring. In this case, the lamp actually has a sensor that will turn it on when it gets dark. I guess you wouldn't have to even have a switch for this. Even still, I installed a switch near the front door so the homeowners could turn it off if they wanted to.

5. With the electrical done, let's add some cement to that hole. Go get a bag or two of fast setting concrete that you can use to set posts without mixing. It's great. You just pour the bag into into the hole, then slowly pour around a gallon of water on top and let it seep into the mix. Within approximately 40 minutes, the concrete will set up and you can remove the supports.

That's about it. Expect to pay $100-150 for the post and fixture, and maybe another $25 if you don't have a post-hole-digger.. :)

-Peter

Most Serene Jobsite Award Goes to...

I love spring. I always get the landscaping fever and end up ordering unusual plants to put somewhere around our yard. This year the weirdest is a giant plant called "Dinosaur Food". :)

Anyway, I was working last week at an home in the older part of Old Hickory that has to get the award for one of the most pleasant places to work. The yard was just full of all kinds of well-groomed and cared for plants. All of this next to a front porch that spanned the entire front of the house with a very inviting porch swing.

I was working right in the middle of it all, mixing grout for tile and cutting some flooring for the kitchen.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Landscape Renovation to Sell Your House

I enjoy variety in life. Today it was evident as I left my nail guns behind and grabbed some mulch to renovate the landscaping for a client who is about to list his home for sale.

This older Inglewood home has some charming qualities to it and had at one time had some decent landscaping. My job was to clean up the beds and make the home look great. This was a low-budget makeover with the only materials expense being a load of mulch. Thankfully, there were already some nice plants there to be uncovered.

On the one side of the home was a small decorative brick wall that could not even be seen because of an overgrown shrub that had taken over. I thinned out the shrub and tried to give some margins between the brick wall and the surrounding plants.

For the most part, I just pulled weeds and added mulch. This can go such a long way toward sprucing up any home. Add just a handful of anchor plants like shrubs or perennials and you can have a nearly carefree landscape to compliment your home.

I found a few stray plants that seemed out of place that I moved to open spots. The beds don't have to be full, but I hate to toss anything, so I tried to use these 'volunteer' plants somewhere. Mostly, this was a shade-loving ground cover called vinca minor that has lush green leaves and small blooms in spring.

With about 6 hours of my time and a load of mulch, this house is ready for the market!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Save Your Home with Gutter Extensions

No, that title isn't melodramatic. I'm serious!

I've seen hundreds of homes where gutter problems over the span of a few decades have practically ruined the house. The purpose of gutters is to collect that rainwater and get it away from the house. However, so often the downspouts just deposit the water right next to the foundation.

Having all this water next to the foundation will eventually lead to loads of expensive problems from either the settling of the structure or the moisture getting into hidden areas and causing rot and/or mold issues.

The sad thing is that the fix is super-easy. Just add a gutter extension onto your downspout and get the water away. The one in the picture is expandable and found at most home centers for under ten bucks. It will fit either the large or smaller downspout sizes and comes in brown & white.

When you install them, make sure you attach them with some gutter screws to hold them in place. Otherwise, a big rain is sure to loosen them and eventually, you'll be without your all-important downspouts extensions again.

Even if you have a professional gutter installation or live in a brand new house, you should check to see where the water ends up. Home builders often leave the gutter extensions for you to fool with, although every good home inspector will look for this and comment on how well the water is directed away from the structure.

Think of it as your home's first line of defense against the elements. In my opinion, it's a no-brainer.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Give the Tree a Crew Cut

I get to do all sorts of work for people. As an odd example, last week I got to trim an apple tree for some of my favorite clients. I'm not sure the tree had ever been pruned.

You can see how overgrown it was from the picture. Most of the green that is visible is actually three very healthy vines that were tangled throughout the tree. Many of the upper branches had broken because of the weight of the apples. In addition, it was made up of 6-8 large trunks that were twisted all over the place.

Anyway, it was hard to know what to save. I cut out the broken pieces and the branches that were twisted into the tree as well as any that hung over the fence onto the neighbors yard. It didn't leave much.

It will take a few years of new growth to look normal after this major surgery, but in the end it will be a healthier tree that will produce plenty of fruit.

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com