Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romeroβs radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.
QUESTION: I have a river-rock water feature in my yard, and the rocks have gotten very dirty and need to be cleaned. How can I do that?
A: I think you might have to pick them up those rocks one by one and rinse or scrub them and then put them back into the water feature. That probably sounds like a lot of work. In addition to that, the next time it rains and then dirty water washes back into the βriver,β the rocks will get dirty again. You could also try to power wash them.
But the easiest thing might be buying a fresh pile of river rock to put on top of the old ones.
Q: I have a 30-year-old mesquite that recently started growing a root above ground. Itβs only about a foot long right now, but itβs starting to cross the sidewalk. Can I just take a hula hoe and flatten it out? Or will that damage the tree somehow?
A: Taking one root off a tree shouldnβt hurt it. I would go ahead and chop it off.
Q: If itβs 80 degrees outside, is it warm enough to coat and seal my roof?
A: That should be warm enough. If youβre doing this job yourself, make sure that your roof is very clean and completely dry before you do it. Any repairs that may be needed for the basic roofing material should be done prior to applying the new coating.
Q: I have an historic home built in the 1930s, and Iβm wondering if itβs time to replace the wiring in my house? Iβve had a few incidents recently when Iβve had to replace fuses as well as problems with my dryer. Iβve been in the house since 1980, and I havenβt had to rewire it yet.
A: Yes, you probably need to have some work done. But before you go to the expense of totally rewiring your home, have a licensed, qualified electrician make a thorough inspection of your fuse box, your wiring and the overall condition of all the electrical distribution systems in your house.