Recently, we were called by a Penryn, CA homeowner to take a look at their driveway. One of the first things we noticed was the signs of soil erosion around the driveway coming from the planters. We also noticed asphalt cracking from settling.

What you see pictured is a driveway to a large country side ranch house. The mulch in the planters is doing very little to keep the dirt off the pavement.

We proposed the addition of poured in place concrete curbs and the addition of a 3 inch thick layer of mulch. We chose poured in place curbs over the typical landscape machine landscape curbs because of durability. The curbs used in landscaping do not have large sized aggregates to withstand cars or farm equipment from accidentally breaking when hit or run over.

Due to the size of this project, we spent days preparing and forming the driveway for the new curbs.

We also felt it was a good idea to continue the curbs around the backside of the wood rail fence to separate the planters from the pasture. This added an additional touch of class to the project.

Once the curbs were poured, we repaired the asphalt with a fresh coating of slurry seal. This added years of service to the driveway and provided a clean and polished look.

Completing the project, we added additional plantings and covered the entire planters with a 3 inch layer of wood mulch.  The wood mulch finished the project nicely and also provides water savings for the landscape.

In the end, our Penryn, CA homeowners were ecstatic. Finally, after many years of having the typical country side driveway, their driveway is now worthy of their country estate.

CAD Construction specializes in country estate property renovations. Whether you need a new facelift for your driveway or a new equestrian facility for your horses, we are here to help.

Before Deck Addition

It looks like this home really needs a deck…

Shhh, slider installed before deck by others…
CAD Construction to the rescue. We were called by the homeowner to help complete his deck addition which was abandoned by another contractor. We removed the existing shade cover and added additional concrete patio to support the new Trex deck.

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• Conserve water. The less wastewater your household sends to the septic tank, the longer your septic system will work trouble free.
• Avoid using a garbage disposal. The solids from the disposal will require more frequent pumping out of the tank.
• Do not put things in your drains or toilets that decompose slowly: grease, paper, rags, coffee grounds, sanitary napkins and cigarettes.
• Do not pour chemicals into the toilet or drains which might pollute the earth in the drainfield or damage the bacteria that decompose the solids in the septic system. Harmful chemicals include: solvents, oils, paints, chlorine bleach and poisons like pesticides and herbicides.
• Keep water from flowing over the septic tank and drainfield. Rain runoff should be diverted to other areas.
• The best landscaping above the septic tank, drainfield and replacement area is grass. Avoid impermeable materials like cement or plastic. These make inspection and repairs difficult. They also block oxygen from entering the soil, which interferes with the biological activity in the septic system.
• Prevent heavy traffic over the drainfield and replacement area. Do not allow vehicles, heavy equipment and livestock in the area.
• Make a diagram of the location of the tank and drainfield. Your local health agency may have this information. This information will be helpful if the system requires maintenance. It will also be useful upon sale of your house.
• Keep a record of any maintenance on the septic system – for both your use and that of a new owner.
• Inspect your system once each year.
• Check scum and sludge levels inside the tank. They should not be within early warning levels.
• Check the condition of the baffles and tees in the tank.
• Check the drainfield for odors, wet spots or sewage rising to the surface.
• Check any inspection pipes in the drainfield. If the liquid level is continuously over 6 inches, the system may not be functioning correctly.
• If inspection indicates the need for pumping out the solids in the tank, do so before sewage backs up or the drainfield clogs.

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You may want to buy a natural gas detector for your home, particularly if your sense of smell is not good. A carbon monoxide detector will not detect a natural gas leak. The two are different gases.

While this article is about the dangers of leaking gas, natural gas has a good safety record, and natural gas emergencies are unusual events.

Leaks Outside the Home

When digging outside, if a gas line is damaged, follow any applicable steps from the next section of this article, including calling the gas company right away. Indications of damage to a gas pipeline include a gas smell, a hissing sound, dirt blowing, or bubbles rising in sitting water.

Emergency Steps for a Gas Leak

If you suspect a gas leak in your home, take action immediately:

1. If there are cigarettes burning or any open flames, including pilot lights, put them out immediately and properly.
2. Avoid any possible sources of electrical sparks. Do not turn on or off any electrical appliances or lights, do not use the phone, and do not plug in or unplug electrical appliances.
3. If it’s a very small leak, open all the doors and windows. If it’s larger, don’t take the time for this step.
4. Get everyone out of the house.
5. If you can, turn off the gas at the meter for your home. It is outside the home. Usually, the valve is on a vertical pipe to the left of the meter. The valve handle should be a straight blade. Use a crescent wrench or pipe wrench to give the handle a quarter turn so that it is perpendicular to the pipe – so that it looks like it’s sitting across the pipe as if it’s “blocking” it. (It is a good idea to hang such a wrench near the meter for emergencies.)
6. From a safe distance, right away call your gas company and 911.
7. Do not turn your gas back on and do not re-enter the house. Your gas company will take the next steps.

Fixing Leaks in Gas Pipes

If your gas company tells you to fix a gas pipe leak, you will need a licensed professional plumber. The plumber will fix your gas pipe so that your home is safe and sound and it’s safe for the gas company to turn your gas back on.

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The result can be low water pressure or clogged drains. Worse, the pipes can leak or burst, damaging your home or business.

If you see signs of rust on the pipes or if they suffer from low water pressure, or clogs or leaks which just keep happening, then we recommend repiping with copper pipes, which do not rust. We are copper repiping specialists, and we can give you a free estimate for this type of work.

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1. Before doing any work on the garbage disposal, ALWAYS make sure the switch to the garbage disposal is turned to the OFF position.
2. Using tongs, clear out anything inside the garbage disposal which might be jamming up the motor.
3. Briefly flip on the switch to the garbage disposal. Flip it off again.
4. If you DO NOT hear any humming noise with the switch on, locate the small button that is somewhere on the disposal and press it. This will “re-set” the disposal. Try turning on the switch to the disposal again.
   If you still don’t hear a humming noise, try re-setting the circuit breaker in your electrical panel that provides power to your garbage disposal. Click here to see How To Reset Circuit Breakers.
   If you can’t get the garbage disposal to turn on or at least make a humming noise, it’s time to call us for advice.
   – OR –

   If you DO hear a humming noise when you flip on the switch, there is power going to the disposal, but the disposal may be broken or there is still something stuck in it.

Your next step is to insert a ¼ inch Allen wrench into the hole in the center of the underside of the disposal. Wiggle the wrench back and forth until it moves freely. Again, you can use tongs to remove any obstruction.

Now try flipping on the switch to the garbage disposal. If it works now, great! If not, it’s time to call us for some expert help.

Garbage Disposal Smells

If a bad smell is coming from your garbage disposal, cut up some lemons and ice and drop them into your disposal. Turn the disposal on for about 30 seconds and rinse with water for about 20 seconds.

Preventing Garbage Disposal Problems

• Use plenty of water when running the disposal.
• Avoid overloading.
• Don’t dispose of hard or stringy things like bones, fruit pits, celery, asparagus or corn husks.
• Make sure that your dishwasher does not drain into your garbage disposal.
• Never use a caustic drain opener in the disposal.

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If all of your neighbors have low water pressure, then there may not be much you can do except to contact your water supplier and complain about the problem. If, however, your home is the only one with low pressure or if only parts of your house have low pressure, then there are steps you can take.

• Determine which of your fixtures suffer from low pressure and which don’t.
• If the problem is a single faucet, you can take it apart to check for a clogged aerator or dislodged washer. If the problem is a shower, see the section on Low Water Pressure in Shower.
• If you can’t determine the cause, you can request a check by your water supplier. The serviceman may discover that a valve to the entire house or to an individual fixture is partially closed.  Or, give us a call to schedule our service and we’ll come out right away to solve the problem for you.
• If the cause is still not clear, your house may have older pipes that have rusted or become clogged with lime deposits. Your house may need new copper piping, and we can give you an estimate for doing this type of work. Also see the section on Rusted Pipes .

Low Water Pressure in Shower

• Sometimes the water pressure in a home is fine, but the pressure in the shower is low. There may be a problem in the pipe leading to the showerhead, or the showerhead may be clogged.
• To check whether the problem is the pipe or the showerhead, start by unscrewing the showerhead from the pipe.
• Turn on the water so that you can check the flow coming from the pipe. If the water flow from the pipe seems to be okay, then probably the head needs cleaning or replacing. If the flow coming from the pipe is the problem, then that’s an entirely different problem and if you give us a call we can quickly evaluate the situation for you.
• If the head is clogged, locate a small disc or screen where the water comes into the head. Before taking it out, notice which side is facing outward so that you can replace it correctly. If you need to, slide a knife or razor blade under it to pry it out.
• If the screen is only slightly clogged, you can try using a straight pin or something similar to clean out the holes. If it is thickly coated with mineral deposits, let the shower head and screen soak in vinegar for a few hours. Then scrub off remaining deposits.
• Rinse the showerhead and screen with water. Replace the screen and screw the showerhead back on.

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As a note, many newer water heaters have no pilot light. Instead they have an electronic ignition.

If you have followed the directions for your heater so that the pilot is lit (or it has an electronic ignition) and you know that the gas is flowing to the heater, but it’s still not producing hot water, try turning up the water temperature.

If you can’t get the hot water heater working, we can send out one of our experienced technicians to fix the problem for you.

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When replacing the old washer, be sure to bring it to the hardware store – you’ll need to find an exact replacement to ensure a perfect fit.  If you need us to do the repairs, we’re only a phone call away!

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