Homeowners: DIY Tips..

[Gregger]

Yo dudes.. This is my first house, and I'm learning as I go..

1. Grass. How to green it up, and fix any bad spots from my super awesome border collie... Also, when should I turn the sprinklers on?


2. Painting: What's the best way to paint? I'm throwing down 2 different colors in the living room and kitchen. Probably take 2 coats even with a tinted primer.. How long can I leave the tape on? Should I bother paying someone to do it instead?

Thanks guys!

[cdbouncer]

No green thumb here but I've done my share of painting...

1) Have all of your supplies ready
-Paint
-trays
-rollers
-PAINTERS tape
-brush for trim
-floor protector

2) Clean surface area - soap/water is fine
3) Tape off your trim area --I like the 1.5" blue painters tape the best
4) Talk a friend into helping - that way one can trim and one can paint
5) If you've never painted before - pay attention while you prime so you know what to expect when you paint.
6) You can prime + 2 coats of paint in a weekend easy...remember if you paint all that, trim all that (prime +2 coats) so it's even.
7) Clean up your mess. Open wine/beer/tequilla.
8) Remove tape.
9) move on with life.

You can save rollers between coats in the freezer (in a baggie) but really, at $3 each or something just pick up a few extra.

I like paint tray liners --cuz I HATE trying to wash all the paint out of one of those giant trays...i generally end up covered in paintywater.

Good luck! :) Enjoy!

[Gregger]

No green thumb here but I've done my share of painting...

1) Have all of your supplies ready
-Paint
-trays
-rollers
-PAINTERS tape
-brush for trim
-floor protector

2) Clean surface area - soap/water is fine
3) Tape off your trim area --I like the 1.5" blue painters tape the best
4) Talk a friend into helping - that way one can trim and one can paint
5) If you've never painted before - pay attention while you prime so you know what to expect when you paint.
6) You can prime + 2 coats of paint in a weekend easy...remember if you paint all that, trim all that (prime +2 coats) so it's even.
7) Clean up your mess. Open wine/beer/tequilla.
8) Remove tape.
9) move on with life.

You can save rollers between coats in the freezer (in a baggie) but really, at $3 each or something just pick up a few extra.

I like paint tray liners --cuz I HATE trying to wash all the paint out of one of those giant trays...i generally end up covered in paintywater.

Good luck! :) Enjoy!

Thanks dude.. The reason I ask, is I did one "accent" wall and it took 3 coats. The paint was then thick enough that the tape didn't come off straight.. Pretty frustrating.

[cdbouncer]

bah - I pull my tape early for this reason. Finish painting and remove tape...

3 coats? wow...:shocked:

Also - if you're really doing 3 coats + primer...only wait as long as the can says to paint another coat...so you're getting finished before ..you know..like 3 days is up and there are layers of paint from 3 days ago on there. If you know what I mean....

[Sean]

1. Grass: Can of gass and some matches. After that it's very low maint. :up:
2. Painting: Spray paint, that way you can "shade" the colors.

Check out Home Depot, they usually have free classes on a lot of this stuff.

[McVaaahhh]

Get your lawn plugged, do it now.

I've already turned my sprinklers on, however I don't have the normal cycle going yet. I'm manually turning them on if we get more than 3 or 4 days without moisture and there isn't much in the forecast.

Fertilize before the start of may.

Not sure about the dead spots from the dog though.

[Gregger]

Thanks guys!

[Gregger]

Any suggestions for ceiling painting and corners where two colors intersect?

[Nick_Ninja]

For the dead spots :D

https://www.officialtvwebsite.com/

[Gregger]

Should I get a Shamwow too Nick?

[Nick_Ninja]

Any suggestions for ceiling painting and corners where two colors intersect?

Paint the lightest color first then the darker of the two. Tape over the light color to make the intersecting line then go to town with the dark color.

[asp_125]

Dead spots, if they're smallish, just throw down some seed and fertilizer, rake it in just under the surface, and keep it watered and keep the dog out of it. Add some topsoil if it's down to the hard earth. Big patches you may want to dig it up and re-sod.

[64BonnieLass]

I think I use Scott's with weed control. I like to put it on right before a good rain/snow storm so that it gets into the lawn quicker.

With the painters tape, I take my tape off as soon as possible. Wait until the paint has set up just a little. No longer wet to the touch, then get it off. If it sets up too long, you risk pulling new paint off the wall with the tape. Otherwise, a good idea is to "score" it with a blade prior to taking it off. Still take it off slowly though.

[asp_125]

Yeah it's a great time to do lawns, with the weather being unsettled. Can't ride anyway. :)

[Nick_Ninja]

Should I get a Shamwow too Nick?

HELLS YEAHS!

http://images.yuku.com/image/jpeg/e0e1693f2d7f107a57ff9d324550a3d9c6439a74.jpg

and a HOOKER!!! :up:

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gawker/2009/03/Picture_7_10.png

[64BonnieLass]

Any suggestions for ceiling painting and corners where two colors intersect?

Paint the ceiling first.

Then trim out the walls. Either tape the ceiling first or pray you have a steady hand while "feathering" it.

[longrider]

Here is a great tool for the ceiling/wall cut, i also works great around door frames:

http://s.sears.com/is/image/Sears/03076040000?hei=248&wid=248&op_sharpen=1&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0

This image came from Sears but any paint supply will have it, I bought it at Home Depot

[brennahm]

Spend the money for good paint. It covers quicker and applies easier. It's a hard pill to take, but well worth it. I've used the Behr Premium or whatever from Home Depot with good results. +1 on buying a ton of cheap rollers and tossing them when done. Also, take your time taping, the result is worth your time.

[Gregger]

Thanks guys. I'll keep you posted when I start painting. I was quoted 650 for the living room/kitchen/dining room and the ceiling, and that's with me buying the paint still. I think I'll DIY it.

[The Black Knight]

Well I'm not much of a paint guy but turf maintenance is right up my alley. Aeration and dethatching can all take place right now. We've had enough moisture and temps are decent enough to really soften up the ground.

As far as your irrigation system goes, I'd say you could fire it up now but be sure to drain down your backflow(vacuum preventer) so it doesn't hold water. The ground is warm enough that your main line and laterals won't freeze but with our cold mornings(30 degrees or less) we still have(and can have all the way to May) freezes that can happen. If you freeze your backflow you'll be pissed and have to replace it(home systems aren't that expensive but it's a cost you can avoid by draining it down real quick). You can start leaving your backflow charged once you start having temps in the upper 30's but preferreably 40's +.

Also a good irrigation start up is only as good as its last blow out. If you had some guy do a blow and go and not really make sure the lines were clear of water you might have freeze breaks in the lines and then you'll be replacing laterals. Also during your charge up start slow. Close off a valve at your back flow(in-let side from the house tap) and open the valve all the way in the house. Then turn on a zone at your clock(irrigation controller) and slowly let the line pressurize(if you don't you can blow a line, though home systems usually lack the total pressure to make this happen)

Lastly for green up. If you want your turf to go green fast. Slam it with a rich Nitrogen based fertilizer. Nitrogen will help bring your grass to life from it's winter dormancy and help jump start it. Then as the season progresses back off to a more balanced mix where you'll have higher potassium and phosphorus in the mix. During our hot months having those two nutrients helps root resilence against heat, stress and disease. Don't forget Iron in the mix as well.

Oh and you're dead spots from dog urine. Just hit them with a good grass seed mix and keep the dog off of it. If you can, get a disk/slice seeder to insert the seed in the ground and then throw some top soil over it. This will also keep birds from eating your seed and your dog from running over and pissing on it. Best thing is to just keep any traffic off of it. Seed usually spouts quick with a very gracious amount of water(don't drowned it but keep it wet) and will return in a good 6 to 8 weeks and be full. Or if you want to replace quicker, just lay new sod(same thing with seed though, it must have constant water for 30 days).

Hope that helps and good luck :up:

[sag]

keep your old paints stored properly and label it very very clearly lol

[Gregger]

Well I'm not much of a paint guy but turf maintenance is right up my alley. Aeration and dethatching can all take place right now. We've had enough moisture and temps are decent enough to really soften up the ground.

As far as your irrigation system goes, I'd say you could fire it up now but be sure to drain down your backflow(vacuum preventer) so it doesn't hold water. The ground is warm enough that your main line and laterals won't freeze but with our cold mornings(30 degrees or less) we still have(and can have all the way to May) freezes that can happen. If you freeze your backflow you'll be pissed and have to replace it(home systems aren't that expensive but it's a cost you can avoid by draining it down real quick). You can start leaving your backflow charged once you start having temps in the upper 30's but preferreably 40's +.

Also a good irrigation start up is only as good as its last blow out. If you had some guy do a blow and go and not really make sure the lines were clear of water you might have freeze breaks in the lines and then you'll be replacing laterals. Also during your charge up start slow. Close off a valve at your back flow(in-let side from the house tap) and open the valve all the way in the house. Then turn on a zone at your clock(irrigation controller) and slowly let the line pressurize(if you don't you can blow a line, though home systems usually lack the total pressure to make this happen)

Lastly for green up. If you want your turf to go green fast. Slam it with a rich Nitrogen based fertilizer. Nitrogen will help bring your grass to life from it's winter dormancy and help jump start it. Then as the season progresses back off to a more balanced mix where you'll have higher potassium and phosphorus in the mix. During our hot months having those two nutrients helps root resilence against heat, stress and disease. Don't forget Iron in the mix as well.

Oh and you're dead spots from dog urine. Just hit them with a good grass seed mix and keep the dog off of it. If you can, get a disk/slice seeder to insert the seed in the ground and then throw some top soil over it. This will also keep birds from eating your seed and your dog from running over and pissing on it. Best thing is to just keep any traffic off of it. Seed usually spouts quick with a very gracious amount of water(don't drowned it but keep it wet) and will return in a good 6 to 8 weeks and be full. Or if you want to replace quicker, just lay new sod(same thing with seed though, it must have constant water for 30 days).

Hope that helps and good luck :up:


You sir, are the man.:siesta:

[The Black Knight]

You sir, are the man.:siesta:
Thanks, I'm not really all that great it's what I do for a living. I've just learned from alot of others that came before me and who were excellent at their jobs.

[Gregger]

Thanks, I'm not really all that great it's what I do for a living. I've just learned from alot of others that came before me and who were excellent at their jobs.

To bring this thread back a bit.....

I got the lawn nice and green, filling in nicely after aeration and overseeding. Spots are slowly closing up as well.

This week, I've had brown spots show up, in no specific shape, of slowly dying/drying grass. Not dog sized either. Watering habits/mowing habits have not changed at all. Any suggestions as to a possible problem? How to fix?

[Jim_Vess]

Yeah, tell Mother Nature to stop watering so much. :)

Seriously, I had a similar problem several years back. We had a neighbor up the hill from us who had just put in new sod and they were watering it way too much. The excess water was running down into my backyard and we ended up with brown patches like you are experiencing.

I was told it was a fungus caused by too much water. It was suggested that I go beat up my neighbor and use the granular version of Revive on my lawn. It worked, the brown spots disappeared in about a month and the neighbor cooled it with the water.

[GixxerCarrie]

Yup...was just going to say the same thing...if its not a pet issue...its too much water...I'm seeing the same thing in my lawn...and I happen to be downhill from 3 houses.....

[The Black Knight]

To bring this thread back a bit.....

I got the lawn nice and green, filling in nicely after aeration and overseeding. Spots are slowly closing up as well.

This week, I've had brown spots show up, in no specific shape, of slowly dying/drying grass. Not dog sized either. Watering habits/mowing habits have not changed at all. Any suggestions as to a possible problem? How to fix?
Quick question Gregger, did you notice where these brown spots are at, before they turned brown where they any different color: like maybe a brown or silverish or white in color?? If so, you might have "dollar spot". I've not seen it in the Parks for a few years but the last time I saw it, was back in 2004 when we had a rainy season(seems like the high humidity brings it out). It's really not a bad fungus, and it's something you can clear up with a good fertilizer(something rich in nitrogen).

My best advice is, if it is Dollar Spot. Try and keep it contained to one part of your turf. If you've got it say in the front yard. It's fine, you can still mow your front yard. But when you go to mow your back yard, wash off under the mower deck and sterilize your blade.

Dollar Spot, gets spread through grass clippings and people walking through it. It's a little fungus that spreads quick and attaches to everything. So without seeing your turf, I can't tell exactly what you might have.

But if it looks anything like this:
13619

it may be "dollar spot". Also here are some sites I pulled up real quick for managing turfgrass diseases:
http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/turf/index.htm
http://www.turf.msu.edu/disease_profiles.htm
http://turfgrassmanagement.psu.edu/turfdis.cfm

or google: "turf disease" or "turfgrass disease"

Hope this helps. Also, I'm not sure how much rain you're receiving up in your area. But in the Springs we've been getting pounded everyday(at least in my area). So make sure you're clock/irrigation controller is off. And stays off for several days. If you're getting free water from the sky, no need to suppliment it with irrigation water.

Also it's even good after the rain quits to leave off your system for a few more days. Even to the point of letting the turf almost stress. Why? because it drives the root system of the turf down further into the soil. The further down the root system, the better it will be able to withstand heat and wind(moisture robbing elements).

Don't water everyday, that's a waste and keeps your turf's roots very close to the surface. It's best if you can get down to 4 nights of watering(3 nights if you do it right and know what you're doing). Anything more like 5 nights can be a bit much, although in 100 degree days it can help. Just break your watering nights up into cycles.

At my house, I run 4 nights, with 4 cycles of only 20 minutes. Equals 1 hour of water. 3 Watering nights are tough, because my lawn faces the South and gets hit with Morning(East), Midday(direct overhead South) and Evening(West) Sun, so it gets alot of sun all day. So I run the 4 night schedule. Lots of things will come into affect when watering, but know that you should be at 4 nights of watering max.

Yeah you'll see businesses around town, that water everyday, water in the rain, water at 3PM in the afternoon. And if they have the money to waste, let them. But they are always the first ones to stress during a stretch of 90 degree days, because their root systems are shallow.

Again good luck, and hope this helps.

Jason

[buzzardman36]

I'm not going to read all the reply's cuz that takes time but I will say this.

the usual fee I charge is $350 per room for interior painting. So yes, if you are at all handy then do it yourself. The trick to making absolutely perfect lines from cieling to wall and for two colors coming together is to tape off, then get some clear painters caulk. Cut the smallest hole possible on the tube and lay down a VERY small bead of caulk right over the edge of the tape at the paint line. Then very quickly smooth the caulk with your finger and the goal here is to remove as much of the caulk as possible but what this does is fill all the empty spots where the tape isn't catching with the textured wall. Then do your cut in and roll, then back roll (very important) and remove the tape. Don't leave the tape too long because if the caulking dries up too hard to the tape and the wall, it will peel off what you just painted over it.

Paint the ceilings first because when your rolling, your going to get spots falling off the roller onto the walls. Paint the walls second to cover those spatters. Same principal for washing a vehicle, you start at the top and wash it all down.

Hope this helps and if you would like, you can offer me some cold tea on one of these hot days and I'll ride over and show you this technique.

Also, check your local pet store for a product that you add to your dog's water that will stop it's urine from damaging your lawn. Fix it at the source right?

[Gregger]

I've had my sprinklers off for the last couple weeks because we've been getting good rain in the afternoons. That's when I noticed this. It doesn't look like dollar spot because there's no shape to it. Irregular patches of brown. Seemed like the grass got really dark green/grey almost before it died. I have my sprinklers set to M/W/F mornings, 20 minutes per station.

[The Black Knight]

I've had my sprinklers off for the last couple weeks because we've been getting good rain in the afternoons. That's when I noticed this. It doesn't look like dollar spot because there's no shape to it. Irregular patches of brown. Seemed like the grass got really dark green/grey almost before it died. I have my sprinklers set to M/W/F mornings, 20 minutes per station.
Hmmm, might be Brown Patch then. That's good if you're getting by with a 3 night water schedule. Means you're making the best use of your water.

Quick question, are you getting Mushrooms to come up because of all this rain?? If you are, that might indicate that your soil is over-saturated. Which like others have posted, means you've just got to much water. Though with mother nature in affect there isn't much you can do with over saturation. Just hope for some hot days to dry things out.

Also not much you can do, unless you want to cut in some drainage. But that's almost to the point of over doing it, when all it might be is just too much rain. We're having a rainy Summer(like we had back in 2004), it's just a seasonal thing. I'm just thankful it's a ton of rain, and not moderate drought conditions like they first thought this year might be.

[Gregger]

I'll take some pics in the morning. No mushrooms growing. No standing water, as my lawn is on a hill..