Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romero’s 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 cabin on Mount Lemmon and I’m having trouble with painting the exterior plywood siding. I can’t get the paint job to last. I had it painted by a profession al. I’ve tried water based paint. I’ve even used deck paint, but the pain wears out after a couple years.
ANSWER: You really ought to be getting maybe five or six years. I think you should start by using a pressure washer to remove all the loose paint. After that, buy a primer so you can recover all the surfaces. After priming, you also need to caulk around all the windows and doors. The final step is coating the exterior with 100 percent acrylic paint.
Q: We’ve got a 1960s era home that’s never been remodeled except for doing some cosmetic work. But now we’d like to extend the dining room into a single car garage next to it and perhaps add a sliding glass door. Will we need to get a building permit for this work?
A: Yes, you will need a permit in part because of the electrical changes you may have to make. You should probably go down to the planning and department and talk to them right now. They’ll be able to give you basic advice about your remodel and the various issues you’re going to have to deal with.
Q: Recently, I bought a grapefruit tree that I planted in my yard. However, there was some Bermuda grass in the pot and when the tree was planted, the grass grew and we can’t control it. My landscaper doesn’t know how to get rid of it. What can I do?
A: Bermuda can be very invasive and it’s impossible to dig out its rhizomes and above-ground runners or stolons without damaging the roots of your grapefruit tree. You can, however, apply a herbicide to the ground under the tree without damaging the plant. Just don’t get any of it on the leaves or the plant could die. Some home gardeners might find herbicide objectionable, but it’s really impossible to get rid of the Bermuda.
Q: I want to plant a dwarf lemon tree and I wondered whether I should plant a Meyer lemon instead of a Eureka or Lisbon.
A: A Meyer lemon is smaller and has a smoother, thinner skin than the typical lemons. A Eureka or Lisbon will be larger and have thicker textured skin. The Meyer lemon tends to be a little bit sweeter and is often preferred by gourmet cooks. It won’t pucker your lips. Meyers, Eurekas and Lisbons can generally all be substituted for each other.
