Showerheads, sod and woodpeckers were this week’s most popular DIY topics.
Question: Is replacing a showerhead a do-it-yourself job?
Answer: Yes, and it’s pretty easy.
Turn off the shower faucets so you don’t get drenched while you’re working. There’s no need to turn off the water to the house.
Unscrew the old showerhead by twisting it by hand in a counterclockwise direction. Most heads aren’t anchored with a set screw, but if yours is, remove the set screw.
If it’s tough to remove because it’s old and corroded into place, you might need to use a wrench. Be sure to cover the jaws of the wrench with masking tape or place a soft cloth around the neck of the showerhead to prevent scuffs and scratches. It is very critical that the neck of the shower not be loosened at the union in the wall. Secure the neck to ensure it does not move while removing shower head.
Pro Tip: Don’t throw the old shower head away just yet. If the new one doesn’t fit or is defective, you’ll have to put the old one back on.
Once you remove the old showerhead, you’ll see a threaded pipe in the wall. Don a pair of gloves and protective glasses and use CLR to clean the hard water buildup, gunk and dirt from around it and dry the threads.
With plumber’s tape that you can buy from a hardware store, wrap the threads in a clockwise direction. The tape will create a watertight seal between the new showerhead and the pipe, which will prevent leaks. Plumbers will generally use no more than they have to ensure a complete wrap. Do not wrap in a fashion that creates two or three layers.
Attach the new showerhead by screwing it clockwise into the taped, threaded pipe. Make sure it is tight.
Turn on the hot and cold faucets and see if the showerhead is leaking. If it is, turn the water off and tighten it some more.
Q: Do I need to prepare the soil before I lay down sod?
A: It is a good idea to prepare the soil with gypsum and fertilizer. Both can be incorporated into the final soil preparation or applied to the smooth level surface before the sod is laid out. If the latter is done, be sure not to wear your best gardening shoes — you’ll find yourself with white soles once your work is done.
Apply a starter fertilizer first, before laying down the sod. Water or work in an application of gypsum, which will loosen the existing ground and encourage a healthier root system. A 40-pound bag of gypsum will cover approximately 200 square feet — you can’t use too much. It’s so economical, using too little would be a shame during this critical phase of any lawn installation.
As a general rule of thumb, use a 6-20-20 fertilizer.
A good fertilizer should have less nitrogen (the first number of the fertilizer analysis) and more phosphorus (the second number of the analysis). The role of phosphorus is to stimulate rooting and the role of nitrogen is to stimulate vegetative growth, which is more desirable later on.
Always follow the label’s directions, but you’ll want to apply approximately one pound per hundred square feet for an acceptable dosage of fertilizer.
If you have leftover fertilizer, use it the first and even the second time you feed your lawn, usually after the third or fourth mowing. Don’t be afraid of buying more than what you think you need for the initial application. When the starter fertilizer is gone, switch to a fertilizer with more nitrogen (remember, for vegetative growth) moving forward, such as a 21-7-14 or a 16-8-4
Q: Why do woodpeckers poke holes in my roof?
A: Woodpeckers are a migratory nongame bird and are protected by the state and federal wildlife departments and therefore should not be harmed.
It may be difficult, but remember the above when they start that annoying peck-peck-peck, called “drumming” on your roof or siding. Try to take it as a compliment; it means a woodpecker has taken a liking to your house.
Woodpeckers drum on your roof or siding for three reasons:
- To mark their territory. A drumming woodpecker is warning other birds that your home is his. The birds also drum to attract mates. It’s most common during the spring early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
To carve out a home for themselves. They nest in cavities that they create with their beaks. They prefer to create those cavities in dead or dying trees, but if there aren’t any around, they’ll use your home as a substitute.
To find bugs. Well-seasoned wood is not usually infested with insects, so woodpeckers drill into new houses, for about the first two years after a home is built, in search of dinner. It’s illegal to kill a woodpecker without a federal permit, and you can’t get a permit until you try every non-lethal scare tactic in the book.
Here are some ways to try to scare away the noisy birds:
Mount small magnifying mirrors, like the ones you use in the bathroom to apply makeup, flat on the house, magnifying side up, where you notice the damage.
Install mobiles that look like hawks. Place ones that are around 22 inches from wing to wing and 11 inches long. You can make them yourself from cardboard, plywood, or Styrofoam. Paint them dark and hang them with fishline from the eave near the damage.
Attach lightweight objects such as aluminum pie tins or pinwheels to plastic strips along the side of the house that the woodpecker likes.
Fly balloons painted with crazy eyes around your house. Bird control companies sell them.
Mix up a solution of cayenne pepper and water into a paste-like consistency and brush it onto the surface where the birds are active. When they get a beak full of pepper, they will find another home.
A recent caller said they had recorded a woodpecker drumming. The next time he went at it they played back the recording. Never did it again.
Spray bottle or water gun kept by the door — spray them every time they start. Good at least for a little extra sleep.
