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[ned]

Last week I wrote about what I called the 75% rule in which some termite companies would refuse to install plastic vapor barriers over more than 75% of the soil in the crawlspace.. I have heard this many times over the years and it seemed wrong headed and self defeating. If you want to stop moisture from entering a crawlspace from the soil then cover all of the soil and not simply 75%.

I received an email from Ray Hess the Retail Division & Safety Director of the Pest Control Store for Peachtree Pest Control in Warner Robins who politely scolded me suggesting that I needed to get my facts right before casting stones at the termite industry. He directed me to the website of the Georgia Department of Agriculture Pest Control Division and showed me where the regulations state that a minimum of 70% of the crawlspace soil was to covered-not a maximum of 75%.

This is big news for all those consumers who have been told that it was against the law for pest control operators to cover more than 75%. Instead it turns out that Termite companies are absolutely allowed to cover all of the soil. So if you have been given the story about 75% tell them that you know the truth and tell them to check the regulations and that you want them to put plastic over all of the soil- if they won’t then call another company.

On a different subject, I have discovered the most amazing thing for watering my wife, Meg’s huge number of plants on our deck. This task normally takes a full hour every day. Last week I was at the building supply house browsing around the plumbing department (some folks browse at cool TVs- I browse in the plumbing section...). I noticed something called a drip irrigation system that is different than soaker hoses. This system involves running a ½ inch flexible plastic pipe around the perimeter of the deck or in your flower beds and then running little ¼ pipes to adjustable drip heads that individually go into every flower pot or windows box etc. It really looks like little tentacles running from the mother pipe out to the pots. Then with a simple on/off valve I can water my plants automatically. They even have an electronic timer that will turn it on and off for you! Every drip head is adjustable to that your low water succulents can get the right amount even as you soak down your elephant ears. My wife says that I have changed her life....in a good way! Check it out.