Go Green Go Lawn

Grass is cool. Did you know that front lawns of eight average houses have the cooling effect of about 70 tons of air conditioning, while the average home-size central air unit can only do 3-4 tons? If you can imagine lying on a lawn vs. on a sidewalk the results are not hard to fathom.

A lot of people berate lawns as a costly consumer of natural resources but they are actually a huge natural provider for our ecosystem. Healthy, thick lawns absorb rainfall six times more effectively than a wheat field, four times better than a hay field, and they prevent runoff and erosion of precious top soil. Lawns also trap much of the estimated 20 million tons of dust and dirt released into the North American atmosphere every year. Grass purifies water entering into the water table–it's root mass and soil microbes effectively filter and breakdown all kinds of pollutants. It generates oxygen for improved air quality and it reduces urban noise pollution by 20 - 30%.

According to Dr. Karl Danneberger, a professor of Horticulture and Crop Science at the Ohio State University most homeowners are making large investments in their lawns because they take pride in the beauty associated with them but he maintains, "It’s important for homeowners to know that the beauty they’re creating actually is helping to support the environment.”
Turf scientists say one of the best ways to achieve these benefits is to maintain a thick healthy lawn, which means feeding it on a regular basis with a fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. While some people believe these fertilizers are likely to run off a lawn and cause pollution, the scientists say the opposite is true. “Like human beings, there are vital nutrients that grass needs to be as healthy as possible,” says Dr. Beard, who is also professor emeritus at Texas A&M University. “And just like people, if grass is well-fed, it becomes healthier and stronger. Multiple studies have shown that healthy turf acts as a sponge, actually reducing runoff not causing it.”

It gets better. Lawn grass increases real estate market value and salability. A Gallup Survey reported 62% of all US homeowners felt investment in lawns and landscaping was as good or better than other home improvements. The investment recovery rate is 100-200% for landscape improvement, compared to a deck or patio that will recover 40-70% of installation cost or a pool which is usually a "loss leader". Proper and well maintained landscaping adds 15% to a home's value according to buyers.

Start Greening Now

The Forsythia (yellow flowered shrub) is blooming right now! This is the long agreed upon spring marker for giving your lawns their first and most important feed of the year. Any lawn fertilizer will do. A ten dollar bag will give you very pleasing results. Here are some steps to follow for the rest of the season:

Start in April: First thing, first; wash your lawn. Do this with a cheap hose end sprayer (available in any garden center or hardware store). Fill it with a solution of one cup dishwashing soap, one cup of non-scented household ammonia, a cup of sugar and the balance with water. Spray it on your lawn. This does several things. The soap breaks the soils surface tension which allows water and nutrients to readily pass through to roots. It also cleans all of the winter pollution and grime off of the grass leaves. The ammonia (nitrogen) and sugar act as a quick meal for your lawn. The grass takes it in and immediately perks up bright green and photosynthesis ready. Repeat this every month for the entire growing season. Optional step: Spread Gypsum pellets (available at Pre-Dawn Nursery) on your lawn as you would fertilizer but do it one to two weeks before your first fertilize. Gypsum is a natural mineral which does two things: It sweetens the soil and and it breaks down clay particles that compact the earth making it hard for grass roots to take hold and thicken. Two weeks later you are ready to fertilize. Lay it down according to instructions and water it in. Fertilize again in June and again in the cooler fall months.

Water the lawn regularly. One and a half to two inches a week will keep a lawn lush and green right through the hot summer months. Remember that a brown and dormant lawn is not doing it's eco job effectively. Always cut your lawn to the proper height. Two to two and a half inches is ideal. Shorter than that and you will scalp or burn your lawn reducing its healthy vigour. Longer than that and your grass will get thick blades and grow in tufts. Mow your lawn regularly as needed and leave the grass clippings on the lawn. Cut any dandelions or weeds out by the root with an old steak knife. Thats the whole regimen in a nutshell. Remember...If you're green, your cool.

Metropolis Shows how Windsor Chamber Used to Sell

An interesting snapshot of how our city showed in the 1950's. Also take a look at the postcard featuring Ouellette Avenue from the same era. Note the diversity of business. Cool places to hang out at that time were Biff's Coffee Shop and Kresge's Lunch Counter. Some department stores were Smiths, Adelmans, Kresge's, and Zellers. Downtown was always packed with pedestrians. So were Wyandotte and Ottawa streets. It was a pleasure to take the bus from one to the other.

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Roofing the Rows. What You Need to Know.

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Back in the day when 4th Street was one aspect of a privately owned corporate town (Walkerville), all of these cookie cutter row units were uniform in every way. When the roofs needed to be replaced, the whole quad was done. This ensured that the look and soul of the neighbourhood was kept in tact. Uniformity was key. That was back in the day.

In 1936, the Municipality spun the ownership off to individual owner/residents. As could be surmised, uniformity was lost to autonomy. Unit by unit, the roof lines started to deteriorate because of individual tastes, economics and demographics. The neighbourhood had lost its original planned sense of community.

Enter the eighties. This was the time when a group of new, pioneering owners who realized the historical and architectural significance of these homes simultaneously kicked off the regentrification process. One unit at a time, the 4th Street homes were being renovated and retrofitted. This process continues today. Gentrification brought with it cooperation and collaboration. Neighbours helped neighbours with their projects and before long the healing process to restore Hiram Walker's original vision of community started to unfold.

One of the most difficult challenges which faces the neighbourhood today remains the roof lines. Many neighbours got together to re-roof entire quads and this for sure, has proven to be the desired look. It also knits the street together as a whole. We still have quads with a quilt work of colours, textures and undesirable seams. Some of the units carry the entire history of Monmouth on their frames. Six layers of shingles including the original shake! Imagine the tonnage up there. The outermost layers are not even fastened to wood. The reasons are the same as they were back in the 1930's. Economics, timing and taste. Getting around all of this takes cooperation for sure.
How do we start? Coordination is key. Communication is imperative. All it takes is one person to have a roofing contractor measure up and quote the entire quad. The roofer will break it down to payment for each unit. This information is then shared with each owner and feedback has to be aquired. How many neigbours are ready, what colour and type of shingle etc.? There are many roadblocks which you might encounter. These include the neighbour who just shingled last year, economics and so on. There is a solution and fix to every one of these scenarios. Assuming that everyone is now on board, here's what you need to know about roofing on Monmouth Road:

1) If needed (it probably is), tear off all existing layers of roofing materials. You want to do this for a number of reasons. One being that you are taking an incredible load off of your roof (measured in tons). The most important being that shingle manufacturers will not guarantee the roof if you don't.

2) Plywood overlay is not needed. Your roofer will try to sell you this because it makes his job immensly easier (at a cost to you). The original roof planks on these homes are five quarter Douglas Fir. That is, they are a nominal one and one eighth inch thick (heavy duty). Adding a sheet of flimsy 3/8" roof deck offers no added value. He might also tell you that you need it because the breathing gaps between the planks (ours are 1/4") will cause problems. In fact this is good for shingles of any kind. It allows them to breath. Think of it this way: How did the roof get along this way for the last 100 plus years?
3) Make sure that the perimeter of the entire roof gets at least one coarse of felt paper applied (the whole roof can be done for a small additional cost). The reason for this is two fold: It is minimum code and it protects against a winter condition called "ice damming". These buildings are particularly susceptible to this because of the low pitch on the back roof.

4) A very modern and very good material called "water and ice" (a semi-cured rubber sheet material) should be used on the lead edge of the back roof, in all valleys and around all roof openings ie. chimneys, gables, skylights etc.

5) Many of our roofs have inadequate ventilation. A good rule of thumb is to have three vents for each unit. You will be surprised at how cool this makes your home in summer months. Always make sure to put them on the back slope because they are not the most attractive thing to look at from the street. Same goes for skylights. Never put them on the front roof! They absolutely kill the historical integrity of these buildings. If, for example, you want a skylight in your front room you can still put it on the back slope because the back roof actually covers most of your front room.

This is pretty much everything you need to know in order to make an informed choice. Remember...Knowledge is power.

Within the last couple of weeks we have collected quotations from several contractors. Prices for individual units (quoted as per above) range from $2,500.00 to $3,100.00. These prices are actually better than they were a couple of years ago. Some contractors offer 30 days to pay.

Done right, you will be proud to have a better looking house, a better looking row and a better looking block. Best of all, you will have a higher resale value than those units with just another added layer; ugly, unlevel butt seams and all.

If this is the year to re-roof, this information is good to know. If you need more information post to this author. Glad to help. Happy roofing!

COMMON WALL, COMMON COURTESY

If you have to renovate, you have to respect your neighbours. This is especially true if you share a common wall like many of us do in Old Walkerville. By and large this rule has always been upheld by sticking fast to common sense but every now and then some of us lose sight causing needless friction with our good neighbours. Here are some tips to keep the peace and to keep your project on schedule:

Plan your project well. Good planning up front makes the whole project run efficiently and effectively. All details of the project should be taken into account including material storage, cleanup and scheduling.

Even though it's your renovation, the first and most important thing to do is talk to your neighbours.

Let them know what you are doing and find out if it will interfere with their routine in any way. Remember that people are looking to relax after a long day at the office. This is the time to set the ground rules for working hours. Reasonable hours are after 10:00 AM on weekends and never past 8:00 PM on any evening. All hours should be negotiated with your neighbours. Plan your project so that the heavy work gets done in the daylight hours and lighter work such as cleanup gets done in the evenings. No blaring music in the evenings! This is especially true if any of your work has to do with the common wall. You will be surprised at how much more work gets done when your work place is clean and organized.

Your building methods also have an impact on keeping the peace. Instead of using a hammer and nails to frame a wall; use construction screws and a drill. This makes the work much faster, stronger, more accurate and much quieter. In the off hours try using a good hand saw to cut studs instead of a powered saw.

While you are talking with your neighbours, find out if they might benefit from your renovation as well. For example, if you are opening up the common wall maybe they might be interested in upgrading or adding to their electrical, plumbing or communications infrastructure. It would also be the right time to discuss sharing some costs for certain things like fire blanket and sound attenuation. You might also find your neighbours are glad to chip in and help with the renovation. Invite them into the process not the problem.

If you are on the opposite side of the coin; that is, your neighbour is the one who is not being courteous, then it is your responsibility to address the problem with him. If you don't, who will? There is a good chance that he or she will be more than willing to adjust their work schedule. Perhaps they are thinking that if no one is bringing it up then its OK. (testing their boundaries) If you feel that they are not approachable for whatever reasons, then send them this link or print it out and stick it in their front door.

We all have to obey the rule of common courtesy. No exceptions. There is nothing more valuable than good neighbours. Here's to happy renovations and great relationships!

Easter is a Walk in the Park

One of the cool things about Easter is how it brings everyone out of doors. Historically everyone gets dressed up and heads out for the day. Children play with their new toys, people go to church, families, singles and couples go out for brunch or just for a good old stroll around the community.

We don our Easter outfits, easter bonnets and all, and get all shined up for the occasion. Many with baby buggies in tow. Being seen and socializing is a big part of the day.

Why not play the whole event up a little more than usual this year. Make a point to get ready for the day and head out of doors. Take a walk through the neighbourhood, go to the park or even head out for a nice bit of lunch. A great day to greet friends and neighbours or even other passers-by. A great day to just soak up the arrival of spring. Wouldn't it be sweet to see a whole lot of people out for a good old fashioned Easter.