The Roots of the Problem
Question: My back yard has a large pool with concrete decks and a drainage system. The underground drains have been blocked for years, apparently by infringing roots, and attempts to open them with long snakes have been ineffective. A new problem has developed this year: A large portion of the deck, about 8 by 30 feet, has lifted up to two inches. I suspect the offender is a large ficus tree just over the fence on my neighbor’s property. As some roots enlarge, they lift the deck and as water gets in directly via the blocked drains, there is a huge accumulation of mud. Is there a less expensive alternative to spending thousands of dollars removing the deck, disposing of many cubic yards of muddy soil, removing tree roots and replacing the soil and deck?
Answer: I checked with several experts and I’m afraid there seems to be no less expensive alternative. If the drainage problem were a matter of leaking pipes, it would be relatively simple to detect the leak with sophisticated instruments. But tree roots are another matter.
IN THE MAIL: David Hostetler of Rolling Hills Estates writes in response to a request printed in the Jan. 24, 1988, column regarding a remote-control system for lights: “There is a readily available system that would seem to fill most of the needs of the reader. This system is sold by Sears, Radio Shack, Egghead Software and perhaps others. Egghead and others stock it as the BSR System X-10. Sears calls it their Home Control System, while Radio Shack calls it their Home Minder system.”
“The system sends radio-like signals through the power lines in the home to remotely controlled lamps and appliances that are plugged into control modules. The light control modules come in two styles, one which plugs into the wall for floor lamps and the like, and one which replaces regular wall switches. Both modules allow local control of the light as well as remote control dimming. There are several units available to send the control signals to the light and appliance units. Various units have built-in timers, wireless remote control and computer interfaces.”
