DIY Life

This is the second part of my article on installing beadboard in a kitchen area, after the demolition of some '70's era wall tile. You may see the first part here. We now move on to the carpentry work itself, and I'll show you a couple other things I did in the ongoing process. Take quick look at the gallery to see where I'm going.

Gallery: The beadboard installation.

I recently had a great opportunity to install a bunch of bead board in a kitchen; that part of the work was reasonably easy, and a lot of fun. The difficult part was demolishing the old wall tile that was on top of the sheet rock. I want to cover both aspects, but I'll do it in two segments -- demolition and construction.

If your project will ultimately end in hanging some tile, look here for some hints.

Take a look at the gallery; it will provide a sense of the process in removing the tile from the sheet rock wall structure.

Gallery: Trade your wall tile for beadboard.

Weed block is good stuff. It has a myriad of uses, from keeping weeds down to backing a wall, to stabilizing soil, to, well, a bazillion things -- more than you'd think; we'll get into them. It's a material that will keep weed and grass seeds from germinating while allowing air, moisture, and nutrients to pass through to the soil and nourish the roots around your plantings.

Gallery: Types of landscape fabric

I have built a number of ponds and water features. In so doing, I found that the biggest concern my customers had was about water clarity. With proper planning and foresight as to the location and type of the water feature, the size and amount of rock, the kind of filter media, and the addition of fish and plants, I was able to allay their fears. It's a lot less terrifying than it sounds.

Let's go through the stuff noted above. You can then proceed with your pond construction and enjoy the process, without worrying that it will be a pea-soup green bog at the finish.

Since I have found that siting of the water feature is of primary importance, take a quick look at the gallery to note different locations and conditions for the ponds, and we'll continue.

Gallery: Very cool ponds!

Location, location, location

How many times have you heard that phrase? Given that a water feature is a prime addition to your personal real estate, it pays to give it special consideration. To thoroughly enjoy your water feature, you should site it within easy, useful access to a patio, porch, deck, or a frequently used pathway.

It is a plus, of course, if the feature can also be viewed from the inside of your home. Should you be able to accommodate the above requirements, the next item to consider is the aspect of easy maintenance.

Algae, the most difficult clarity issue associated with ponds, likes sunlight. If you can site your pond where it gets morning sun and afternoon shade, you get bonus points, as you will minimize algae growth, help keep your fish cool in the hot afternoons, and still allow the widest variety of plantings in and around the pond.

Not to worry, however, should your water feature end up in the direct sun (as many do); there are a number of fish and plant-safe products available to control algae. Barley bales are gaining increasing homeowner popularity in the control of algae; they are initially slow acting and will not kill the existing algae, but are proving very effective in prevention.

A minor downside to having a full sun pond is that, in the heat of summer, the water will evaporate more quickly than it would if the boulders were in the shade, thus requiring more frequent refilling. This is more true with a pondless waterfall than an open water pond.

A final consideration is that of leaf fall in the Autumn. If you can site your water feature away from trees, you will have less vegetation to remove from the surface of the water, the skimmers, and filters.

Pond or pondless

Open water ponds allow for fish and plant life and a place to dip your toes on a hot afternoon. They also require more maintenance to keep clean and may be not be such a great idea if you have young 'uns. What to do? How about a pondless waterfall?

A pondless waterfall is essentially the same as an open water pond without the open water; the water flows into a rock basin as it begins its recirculation cycle. Pondless features require less maintenance, have fewer components, less of an algae problem (I'll explain later), are safer for small children and pets, and will support plant life, but not fish.

Pondless waterfalls came into increasing popularity about six or eight years ago and, in my experience, accounted for about 95% of the water garden work we performed. I highly recommend them.

Filtration basics: caution, engineering content ahead

There are three basic types of filtration systems -- biological, mechanical, and water sterilization. Let's briefly look at each of them:

• Biological -- uses beneficial bacteria powder (good bugs) to break down pond wastes into, ultimately, plant fertilizers. Mother Nature is very helpful in this simple component of pond health and maintenance; more on this in a moment.
• Mechanical -- uses filter boxes to remove debris such as leaves, trash, and algae from the surface of the water. Initial installation costs are very reasonable and maintenance requires only infrequent filter media replacement, at minimal cost. Biological and mechanical systems used in tandem to remove solids are very effective.
• Sterilization -- uses ultraviolet lamps to kill and agglomerate (your word of the day) algae for removal by a mechanical device. The big downside here is that it also kills the beneficial bacteria and has an initial (extra installation) cost, and recurring costs in the form of replacement lamps and power expenditure. You see where I'm going with this?

Gallery: Very cool ponds!

The nitrogen cycle: not to worry if you didn't pay attention in chemistry class

Very simply put, fish waste and vegetative debris (from pond plants, tree leaves, turf runoff, etc.) produce toxic ammonia. Bacteria added to the water converts the ammonia to nitrites; a secondary bacteria turns the nitrites to nitrates (a much less dangerous component) which is then utilized by the plants as fertilizer or off-gassed to the atmosphere as nitrogen. The cycle then begins anew.

The parts of the filtration system

The skimmer's job is to contain the pump and catch the bulk of the floating debris. It generally has an easily removable basket or net, for leaves and such, and filter mats (a material similar to that used in your home furnace and air conditioning system) to retain the smaller debris and also provide somewhat of a home for the beneficial bacteria to colonize upon. You want to have a box with an easily removable top for access to the pump, net, and filter media.

The biofalls provides the structure for the top waterfall, does the initial aeration for the circulating water column, and contains the largest amount of breeding surface for the beneficial bacteria. A very common medium is a form of lava rock, a very porous material generally kept in a mesh bag for easy convenience in cleaning. (Other media -- plastic balls, etc. have also been used as bacteria incubation devices.) This is the location where most of the ammonia biological conversion action takes place, although the stream boulders and gravel on the liner itself also offer a substantial safe haven to the bacterium.

For the non-mechanical parts of the system: fish eat algae, thus helping the bacteria to do its job in controlling the green menace; the perennial question is how much and how often to feed them? A good guideline is to underfeed rather than the opposite; feed them as much as they will eat in about 3-4 minutes, and not more than twice a day. If they leave food on the surface, you've given them too much. Clearly, some experimentation is called for in the feeding aspect. Don't worry, they won't starve while you do the testing.

How many fish? Many fish enthusiasts use a ball park figure of one inch of fish for each 10 gallons of water. Here's another way to look at it. The fish count is probably the most difficult analysis to make in working to enjoy a pond with good clarity, and it's more art than science.

Not technically a part of the filtration system, the pump's volume of water put through the system is important in reducing algae formation. Stagnant or slowly flowing water is conducive to algae formation; that's reasonably intuitive, don't you think? A good rule of thumb is to have a pump with sufficient capacity to circulate the pond water every two to three hours. Look here for a good calculator.

The boulders, rocks, and gravel in the feature

Beneficial bacteria like rough, irregular areas on which to colonize. It stands to reason, then, that the more rock under the water's surface, the better. Aside from reducing UV degradation of the liner, boulders and gravel on the liner provide a convenient place for the bacteria to call home. Covering the liner above the water line stabilizes the liner, precludes shifting when the pond is filled, and keeps the sun from beating up on the EPDM.

Plants

Aside from the fact that pond plants are just neat looking, they help to purify the pond water by absorbing the undesirable nitrates from the water column; additionally, when properly selected and planted, they convert atmospheric carbon dioxide to help oxygenate the water.

Even if you don't intend to stock your water feature with fish, you should strongly consider the inclusion of plants. In an open water pond they can help shade the water to retard algae growth (use enough to shade 50-60% of the water's surface). In a pondless stream, marginal plants are of great help in keeping the water clean and will make great accents even if they don't float.

Decision time: open water pond or pondless waterfall

With regard to water quality, it's tough to make an easy decision on the best choice. Open water ponds usually have more water volume to facilitate the growth of algae, but it's easy to scoop junk like string algae from the surface. Pondless features, because they generally use more rock and, thus, have more available interstices (another word of the day) in the rock, are able to colonize bacteria more easily.

You can walk on the pondless basin to pick up debris which might eventually degrade into a water quality issue; you can't do that with an open water pond (at least most of you can't). If you're a fan of UV sterilizers (say it ain't so), a pondless is likely not for you.

At the end of the day, the choice is certainly yours; the one non-water-quality factor that usually influences the decision-making process is the safety that a pondless water feature provides. And, of course, it's really fun to "walk on the water."

Gallery: Very cool ponds!

My impetus (your word of the day -- look it up) for this deck project was the very startling evidence (sawdust, clearly where it didn't belong) that the carpenter bees were back! I was not happy about that at all; over time, they can wreak havoc on a deck with their hole-drilling activities.

Even though I had stained all the visible (and accessible) parts of the deck, they are ingenious little beasts and, finding the uncoated areas, began punching their perfectly symmetrical holes last year. I thought I had discouraged them with my site-specific Sevin dust applications and caulking of their homes. Well, apparently not.

Let's get started. First off, safety: I used disposable gloves and wore glasses. It's not like anything I used was nuclear-grade, I just wanted to not wander around for a couple days with stain marks on my hands; just because the stain is water-cleanup doesn't mean, when it's dry, that it won't stick around. The glasses will keep the stain from getting into my eyeballs, which, I'm happy to report, didn't occur.

The time: I split the project into three chunks. I did the prep one evening, the handrails the next morning, and the deck and support structure after siesta -- it's hot in north Georgia at midday, and the sun was blasting the work site! So, total time about 10 hours.

The tools:

• A street broom to scrub the deck surfaces.
• A small hand scrub brush to hit the guard rails, balusters, and drink caps.
• A sponge for the smaller areas to be rinsed.
• A bucket to mix the deck cleaning materials.
• An orbital sander to smooth out the rough spots on the drink caps, with 60 and 100 grit sandpaper.
• A screw gun to replace or tighten the loose deck screws.
• Disposable gloves.
• A piece of plastic to protect from drips and splashes (any old piece of drop cloth will do.)
• A spray bottle to get the stain up under the guard rails, where the carpenter bee condos are.
• Water from my rain barrel. The local water restrictions, because of the area drought conditions, prohibit the use of domestic water for cleanup; I don't like to waste water, in any case.

The materials:

• Baking soda, to provide an abrasive component to the cleaning process; a four pound box, for about $6.
• A non-chlorine laundry detergent ("Oxyclean"-style ); 50 ounce size, for about $5.
• Behr's Semi-transparent Deck, Fence, and Siding wood stain for about $24 a gallon. It was a "penetrating oil formula with easy water cleanup" and contained a mildewcide.The label indicated a warranty period of three years on decks and five years on fences. I chose this product as I had had recent good success with another product of theirs -- concrete floor stain. I used just over two gallons (naturally) but I had purchased three -- better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it, in my view. In any case, I have a large expanse of pressure-treated steps that need their periodic coating, and this will do a dandy job. They are in full shade so they need a treatment only every four or five years, lucky me.

The process:

Preparation

I initially took the time to re-drive the screws that had poked their heads above the guard rails and decking, then I replaced those that were not cooperating -- that'll teach 'em! Bare feet and exposed screw heads don't make for a good combination.

With my orbital sander I, first with 60 and then with100 grit sandpaper, sanded all the drink caps to remove any splinters or sun-damaged areas. The horizontal surfaces of a deck (or any similar structure) take the biggest beating from UV exposure. The decking itself was in very good condition, with some minor cracking in the boards that were in the sun for the larger part of the day.

Then I scrubbed the deck and guard rails with a 50/50 mix of the baking soda and non-chlorine detergent. I had previously ruled out using any harsh or toxic cleanser as I didn't want any undue damage to the recently pruned plants surrounding my deck.

The baking soda provided the abrasion I wanted in order to get the dirt off the decking, and the detergent was excellent in reducing the algae levels. I wet the deck with my rain barrel water, applied and thoroughly scrubbed two buckets of the cleaning mix, and then rinsed the stuff off with more rain water.

Gallery: Construction Chronicles: Stain, seal, and protect your deck.

Looking for the carpenter bees

After the cleaning job was complete, my next task was to figure out where the carpenter bees were likely to make a home. I knew from prior observation that they appeared to prefer the undersides of beams and drink caps (though, curiously, not the bottoms of the deck boards) and stuck pretty much to spots that were in afternoon shade.

So I made it my mission to get as much of the stain as I possibly could into the confined space under the caps. The initial stain job on the roof support structure, from three years ago, was still in excellent condition, given that it was well-protected from the sun. I will stain that part next time around.

Finally, the staining begins

I began the actual stain work by filling my spray bottle and shooting the liquid vertically upward, between the balusters, onto the bottoms of the drink caps. I shot enough stain such that it would drip down onto the plastic drop cloth; that was the only way I could be sure that there was complete coverage. I then wiggled the brush into the area to spread the stain around as best I could.

After that exercise, I applied the stain to the tops of the caps, the balusters, and finally the kick plates at the bottom of the balusters. I made certain, particularly on the horizontal surfaces, to apply plenty of stain; that was doubly true for any that had cracks -- there I really slopped it, then brushed it in thoroughly.

I waited until late afternoon to begin the deck staining. Because the temp was in the low 90's and the deck surface still hot to the touch, I was concerned that the stain would "flash dry" before I could brush it out. Not a problem. While the dry time was certainly less than that of the stain applied in the shady areas, I had ample time to apply it, get it into the cracks, and brush it out.

I always tried to keep a "wet edge" (i.e. I didn't stop in the middle of a board), so I worked my way up and down the long axis of a section of boards three wide, as opposed to applying the stain perpendicular to the boards. And did I mention that I applied liberal amounts of stain to the cracks in the decking? OK, I thought so.

The little stuff

After the upper structure of the deck was complete, I headed for the support posts, and the outside ledgers, giving them a thorough coating. This was not so much for bees as termites, although I have never had a problem with those guys on my deck, probably because of the massive footings and pressure-treated lumber.

I also stained the bottoms of the new copper post caps, mostly for UV protection. When they were dry, I attached them them to the tops of the posts with silicone.

As for the need for post caps, you may have noted, particularly in your drives in the country, that fence posts typically have some form of protection for the top; it's not decoration. The top of the post suffers from rain getting into the cracks in the top of the wood, from UV radiation degrading the surface lignin of the wood, and even the acid contained in bird droppings. It's very important the you not leave your post tops exposed to the elements as they will be one of the first things to rot.

The wrap up

Refinishing a deck is not difficult; in order to ensure a good outcome, it does require some preparation, but it's hardly a back-breaking problem. If you initially employed good construction techniques (e.g. used good quality materials, sunk your screw heads below surface level, and applied a suitable protectant) then the rehab will be substantially easier than if you got stuck with a sub-standard build. In either case, failing to take care of your deck will, at the minimum, leave you with an unsightly appendage (yet another word of the day) to your home, or perhaps a safety issue. With the proper care, it shouldn't be either.

Survey your deck and do the rehab. You'll find that the end result will be cause for immediate gratification.

Gallery: Construction Chronicles: Stain, seal, and protect your deck.