Archive - May 2020

Leach Field, Mounds, and Other Alternatives To A Septic System

Leach Field, Mounds, and Other Alternatives To A Septic System

Living in a home located in a suburban or rural area would mean that it cannot connect to the municipal sewage system. This means that installing a septic system would be the apparent choice. As practical as septic systems are, they cannot be used in every situation. Locations where the soil is just too shallow or dense or the water level is just too high a septic tank is not viable. Another issue may prevent you from installing a tank underground which leaves you stressed out on what to do. There are alternatives to septic systems that meet local regulations and keep the encompassing environment clean. Some of these alternatives include a leach field or even mounds.

Septic tanks are not always cost-effective in certain areas although it is the most popular option. Knowing the alternatives can assist you financially. It is also important to know which alternative is most useful in your area and which system would be suitable for your land.

Leach Field

A leach field works almost like a leaching system which is connected to a tank without a tank. The effluent goes from the house towards the perforated pipes in a layer of trenches filled with gravel. The effluent goes into the gravel coming from the perforated pipes before seeping into the soil. The leach field requires less space than the traditional septic system. Leach field beds are often layered. There are limitations to the sizes of the beds because the excavation has to be handled from the edges to stop the compaction of the bottom. Slopes that are steeper are not adaptable to leach fields. A minimum soil depth of 18 inches is required below the bed.

Lagoon System

The lagoon system is employed to treat the effluent via exposure to sunlight, air, and bacteria. Storage tanks collect effluent, which drains into solid piping ending at the bottom part of the lagoon. Lateral fields catch the overflow before it drains to the soil. Lagoons are less expensive than septic tanks but septic tanks and easy to install. Lagoons also need low maintenance compared to a septic system. To secure the lagoon, fences and gates are needed. The removal of surface vegetation makes the system efficient. Lagoons are difficult to establish in places with rocky soil or on steep slopes.

Mound System

The mound system pumps the effluent to a mound using distribution networks within the upper portion of the sand. The effluent enters through the soil, into the fill material, before going to the natural soil. This system is mostly deployed in regions with high groundwater, clay, or bedrock soil. This is often beneficial as it only requires a low maintenance system. This system requires level land, which is hard to design, making it more expensive than a septic system. The mound system requires regular inspection of the system. One problem of the mound system is that it can be disrupted by power failures.

Constructed Wetlands

This system features a primary treatment unit that has two compartments, as well as a rock-lined bed. The bed contains 12 inches of rock near an overflow lateral field. This system uses aquatic plants to help the treatment of the effluent. The excess is placed within the lateral field. The fields are often placed on irregular or segmented lots. The wetlands can also be placed in areas with high bedrock and shallow water tables. The disadvantages of this system include the fact that it requires a higher level of maintenance compared to other traditional systems. Constructed wetlands are expensive to install while its longevity is unpredictable.

Aerobic Sewage Treatment System

Aerobic septic systems are residential wastewater treatment facilities. This system adds oxygen to the septic system to help the expansion of aerobic bacteria which will break down the organic waste within the sewage. This leads to a cleaner effluent.

The aeration chamber brings oxygen to the sewage. This allows the bacteria to multiply and break down the waste. Solids fall under a clarifier which is recirculated to the aeration chamber. The effluent becomes free of organic waste and becomes odorless. It rises into another section for disinfection. Once the effluent is chlorinated, the clean water flows to a holding chamber which will be discharged.

Compost Toilet

Compost toilets break down the effluent. The effluent is held on a bin below the restroom. This is where decomposition takes place. Wood shavings, leaves, and straws help the system. The bin is emptied and buried in the yard. This method eliminates septic tanks. Compost toilets are good for areas where other sewage systems can’t be installed. However, many areas do not allow composting toilets as a standalone system. Improper operation of a compost toilet can cause problems with the disposal of solid waste. The disadvantage of this system is the need for constant heating to properly work, needing a continuous electrical supply.

From Kitchen Design to Roofing Repair

From Kitchen Design to Roofing Repair

Here Five Tips On What To Do For Your Home Improvement Project

It doesn’t matter if you live in a condominium, a house and lot, a fixer-upper, or an apartment as long as you reside in it you’ve got to take care of it. Your place of dwelling should be maintained. Owning your own place brings the will to enhance your home or encourage you to perform some necessary maintenance and repairs in your home. A small kitchen design renovation or bathroom renovation could make a serious difference to your home. It can even raise the resale value of your home.

From Kitchen Design to Roofing Repair

A home’s aesthetic is often improved with some minor changes. The kitchen is one of the foremost important rooms inside a home. Renovating or remodeling a kitchen would surely increase the home’s value. If you propose to sell the house within the future, a more modern kitchen design would be an excellent place to start out. After the kitchen is taken care of, you’ll start moving on to other locations in your home and redesign it to your heart’s desire.

Tips on How To Improve Your Home

Focus on Renovations That Have Good Return of Investment

If you’re given a huge amount of money, there will be many tasks and home improvements that you can do for yourself. However, the likelihood that you’d renovate every area of your home is high. Perhaps, you’d want to refinish your hardwood floors, refurbish your living room, renovate the kitchen and update your appliances. You have to remember that albeit you’ve got a huge amount of money prepared for your home renovation, there are projects that will increase your home’s value more than the other areas in your house. You must focus on renovating or improving areas that will provide a good return of investment regardless of what plans you’ve got within the future.

Prioritize Projects That Are Urgent

Even if the season is summer or winter, there are home improvement projects that are important and more urgent. Some projects are simply for aesthetic purposes to beautify your home while others need urgent attention and necessary. If your roof leaks during the rainy season, it’s best to focus your project and time on the roofing repair. If your kitchen is having some utility and piping problems, it’s better to prioritize in that area. It is advisable to specialize in the projects that are considered necessities to help save your money and avoid any permanent damage from happening.

Plan Ahead

It is understandable if you would want to save money and reduce your costs by performing the home improvement tasks by yourself. However, not all home projects are doable with just one person. There are times you’d need the assistance of a service contractor. The best way is to combine DIY and professional jobs to do your home improvement project. You can start performing some do-it-yourself tasks except for the technical projects where you would need to seek the assistance of an experienced contractor.

Invest in the Proper Tools

If you’re still saving money to be able to afford a service contractor, it’s best to start performing some DIY projects in your home. Nonetheless, you have to make sure that you have the required toolbox and equipment to perform the tasks. You have to ensure that your safety is a priority. Your family must also be kept safe from the tools and any partition that you may demolish.

Partner With the proper Contractor

Your house is where you and your family reside which is why it’s important that you work with a reputable and experienced professional contractor to do any renovation in your home. A reliable kitchen remodeler will give insights and proper advice to ensure that you will have better kitchen design ideas. A specialist can also foresee any changes that might be needed in your home. If your budget is limited you can start working on the necessary repairs, proceed to important areas and hire a specialist to work on those specific areas.

Home improvement is an important project that needs to be well-planned. You may not decide to sell your property but the renovations are helpful to determine problem areas that require repair or maintenance. It doesn’t need to be expensive as you can compartmentalize your tasks and focus on rooms that need your urgent attention. Work with a reliable contractor who can walk you through the materials and the process that will be done for your home improvement project.

Importance Of A Divorce and Child Custody Mediator

Importance Of A Divorce and Child Custody Mediator

Divorce and child custody are both emotional issues that happen at the same time. Often times, when a divorce takes place, child custody would immediately come next. It is a sensitive time that can cause a greater conflict if both parents cannot agree on an arrangement due to emotions running high. To reach a settlement and agreement that would be beneficial for all sides especially to the children involved, mediation would be needed. A divorce and child custody mediator would help everyone involved properly discuss the process that will come to a fruitful resolution.

Child custody mediation is an important process where the parents work to develop an agreeable outcome for their kids with the aid of a third party. The mediator must be neutral and does not side to any party. Mediation can be privately done but some court-related mediation has become popular in the past decade. Many states have made it mandatory for parents to undergo a mediation process before the litigation of custody cases.

The parenting plan must be structured. A divorce and child custody mediator can help both parents plan out their parenting plans. With the parents working together in the mediation needed to create the structured parenting plan to avoid any battles that can damage both interests, including the children.

Tips On The Mediation Process

Open Mind

When approaching the mediation, both parties must have an open mind. The divorce might be emotional and could have caused some resentment for each other but the parents must focus on their children’s needs. Parents who are open to listen and discuss often reach a better resolution that will benefit their children.

People who are stubborn and believe that there is only one solution to the custody issues of the child refuse to compromise. This can lead to a devastating legal battle that will be emotional and stressful. It is important to come with an open mind even if there is anger to be able to brainstorm solutions that will work for everyone.

Focus on The Child or Children

Divorce and child custody discussions can often open up wounds. In fact, those emotional wounds have not fully healed yet. Some parents will argue during mediation and bring up the issues in their marriage. The mediation process is not the place to bring up marital problems but it is a time to work out the parenting issues after the divorce. It might be difficult for one parent to face his or her ex-spouse but instead of thinking about the other person, the main focus should be the child.

Before the mediation, parents must communicate with the child and determine his or her needs. Focusing on the other person or retaliating to the anger displayed will not solve anything. It is important that parents consider their children’s needs and discuss them with a mature mindset.

Research and Come Prepared

Parents must do their respective research to be able to lay out their plans that will be brought up during the mediation. It is best if the parents would write down the proposals they have in mind so that it will be discussed during the mediation process. They must list down the child’s needs so that it will be stated during the meeting.

Maintain A Perspective

Mediation can be tense as two opposing parties who decided they could not stand each other decided to go the divorce route. It is easy to waste the mediation meeting just because the two parents kept on arguing. Avoid this unproductive time by maintaining a perspective. Parents should always remember that they are in the mediation process for their children, not for themselves. If necessary, take a time-out from the session. If it helps, have several mediation sessions to attain a satisfactory agreement.

A divorce and child custody mediator can be found through law firms like Benari Law. Once the parents have a mediator, it is best to listen to his or her advice. The mediator has no emotional connection to the parents and as a neutral third party adviser, he or she will have no bias in seeing the child’s best interests. It is the mediator’s job to balance the child’s needs and respect the parents’ desires. Parents must be calm and let the mediator ease them through the process.