HOME RENOVATION

 SUBURBAN SUPERDAD 

When

‘WORK FROM HOME’ prompts

‘RENOVATE THE HOME’

10 BITS OF ACQUIRED WISDOM FROM SUPERDAD’S EXPERIENCE

After this past year, there are certain concepts a great many of us would not shed a tear to see disappear from our lives and vocabulary, forever.

But no matter how you feel about it, one element of the age of COVID-19 that will likely remain? Working from home. As a work-from-home hipster who ditched the commute before it was cool, I had long wondered why the idea had not grown more in popularity. What’s not to like about being able to just push back from the desk on a warm and sunny day in early June? Or, wake up one snowy morning and simply remark, “Oh, it snowed last night,” without worrying about local road conditions? But when COVID-19 forced so many to take the plunge, the sudden change clearly showed many had no plans for how to balance work and life, when work and life must share the same few hundred square feet of indoor living space. That’s why another trend will likely continue for a long while: redesigning and expanding that indoor living space. Just like working from home, such renovations turn out to be something I know a bit about, as one who recently starred, unexpectedly, as project manager in our own home version of “Love It or List It.” So, with the experience of our home addition project still relatively fresh in my mind, allow me to share a few tips to help you more successfully navigate your own construction projects.

1DON’T PANIC. These words, made famous in Douglas Adams’ “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” top the list. At times, the construction process will be filled with excitement and glee. At others, the good vibes will be swapped for dust, disruption and a bit of despair. But try to keep everything in balance.

2The project will almost always take longer than anticipated. We were told the project would take 12 weeks “if everything went right.” (Everything did not go right.)

3Things will go sideways. One day, we learned our main sewer line needed replacing. With a giant hole already dug, the change proved no big pill.

But another day? The pro who we hired to oversee the project decided he enjoyed his Florida vacation a little too much. His sudden relocation led to my general contracting debut. With some help from a friend, the project still moved forward. Again: See Tip No. 1.

4Get out in front of the project as much as possible. TOUGH LOVE TIP: If you are planning a project that involves excavation and concrete, and you want it done this year, you’re likely already too late. 5 Hire local contractors, who know your community, other contractors and your local inspectors. Nothing could wipe the smile off my face the day our local building permit coordinator told me how happy they were we hired one particular local contractor. The small additional cost was worth every penny.

6Speaking of building departments: Get friendly with them. Then, keep them updated. No bribes (obviously), but smiling faces, no surprises, no drama, always.

7Ask lots of questions: to bankers, contractors, inspectors, everyone involved. There are stupid questions. But ask anyway. And if your contractor won’t answer your questions, you may need to find different contractors.

For example: Ask your excavator if their bid includes dirt disposal. (Yes, seriously.)

8Watch and learn. Take the chance to watch your contractors work, without getting in the way. You might be surprised what kind of home maintenance skills you pick up.

9Take photos. You’ll want to show and tell everyone all about your adventure. Plus, you’ll have keepsakes of an unforgettable time in your family’s life. 10 Remember, throughout: Ultimately, this is your house, and you will live in it. Enjoy the journey. And: See Tip No. 1.

 Jonathan Bilyk writes about the triumphs and travails of being a modern-day dad who legitimately enjoys time with his family, while tolerating a dog that seems to adore him. He also doesn’t really like the moniker “Superdad” because it makes it sound like he wants to wear his undergarments on the outside of his pants. (Also, the cape remains on back order.)

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July 10Th - 11Th & 17Th -18Th

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ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM

Right SpotRight Plant

Isee any number of plant and landscape issues every day. Drainage problems. Rabbits or deer damage. Winter burn. Pruning nightmares. Neighbor’s “stuff.” Too much shade. Too much sun. Dead grass. Grass in groundcover beds. The list of landscape woes goes on and on. But the biggest issue I see is plants located in the wrong spots and then struggling, dying or being butchered by poor pruning. I am a firm believer in RIGHT PLANT, RIGHT SPOT. So many landscape issues are caused by plants in the wrong spot. I get it — that cute little river birch you grabbed on sale at the end of the year needed to be planted, and the only open space you had was 3 feet from the corner of your patio. Flash forward just a few years (often less than 10) and that cute little river birch is now 25 feet tall and wide, and its root system has made itself at home under your paver patio’s gravel base. Now you have to cut it down, and you are angry at the plant when it was just doing what came naturally. A little more thought before the birch was planted and instead, you could have a beautiful tree lilac that behaves itself and will cast shade and flower but stay less than 20 feet, fully grown. We want plants to do jobs for us. But like any human doing a job, the plant wants to do its job and do it correctly the first time with as little human interference as possible. I always tell folks to figure out what size they want the plant to be full grown. Do you have room for a 20-foot tree? Or only room for a larger shrub like a viburnum that will bloom and grow with little maintenance and stay under 10 feet? At least once a week someone tells me, “But I won’t be here that long” — I get that, too. You may not live in your house forever. Or you may stay longer than you expect. Do you want the cost of removal down the road? Think in advance of what you are planting, and you’ll be rewarded with many years of hands-off maintenance. Plants take care of themselves if they are happy in their spots. You shouldn’t force a plant to do something it doesn’t want to do. If something wants to get to be 6-8 feet tall (such as a dwarf burning bush), having to trim it 10 times a year to keep it 3 feet tall isn’t doing anyone any favors. You are damaging the plant’s longevity as well as wasting

Right Spot

your summer trimming every weekend. Instead, choose a dwarf weigela or a small shrub rose. They will max out at 3-by-3 untrimmed! See? No maintenance and lots of color.

Making smart plant choices is the easiest way to create a “No to Low” maintenance garden. There is a plant for every single situation you can think of. We are lucky to have so many plants in Illinois working for us! If you need help choosing the right plant for your spot, never hesitate to ask a plant person. I know that I love to see plants untouched in the landscape, and my clients are happy because they don’t have to do anything to it! Meagan is the Senior Landscape Designer at Wasco Nursery in St. Charles. She can be reached at 630-584-4424 or design@wasconursery. com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Let us grow them into the garden of your dreams.

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