Thanks for all the ideas and advice. I really don't like the look of raised beds, and don't like the expense/extra heat/evaporation issues either. But maybe they would be something to consider in the areas near the tree roots, and then maybe do in-ground beds in front so we can do both. Fascist_Nation, you have given me a lot to think about. We had/have all the irrigation on a daily timer. So I'm guessing the bed got watered too frequently and not deeply enough. It just doesn't seem like that's possible, but I guess it is what it is. I never actually tested it, and then when I was going to see how long the irrigation needed to be on for it be water all the way down, that's when I discovered the entire bed was tree roots. So I haven't managed to find the answer to that yet, but you can bet I will before I start planting in whatever new beds we end up with. I did add composted manure and peat every year -- is that not enough as far as replenishing nutrients? And I'm a little confused about root depth.... If I do in-ground beds there, I'd need to create a barrier (you recommended concrete) to keep the tree roots out. If I do a concrete slab down to 4 ft and then dig the beds 2 ft deep and line them with landscaping cloth, that will keep the tree roots out? For how long? And how well does that cloth really work? The tree roots I found in the bed were very fine, and at first I thought they were leftovers from my veggies of past seasons. Then I found the mother root and realized the tangled knot that was my garden soil was all tree root. We have landscaping fabric underneath the red rocks all over the yard and we do still get weeds coming through it, so I have a hard time believing that the mesquite roots won't penetrate that. (Although I know the concrete will buy us some time.) Wouldn't the tree roots just grow down and then under the concrete and come back up for water in the garden bed? The drainage pebbles are relatively useless right now (they were just for decoration, apparently -- previous owners put that in) but we are planning to redirect the gutters and drainage to the beds.

Hi, My husband and I did a lot of research and decided on a "Superior Wall" foundation system. We now have a finished basement that is cool and damp. Mold grows under the furniture and has to be wiped off on a regular. When we are spending time in our finished space we must ALWAYS have blankets on to stay warm and there is ALWAYS a musty odor in the air. I have a gauge which reads at 60% humidity (prime conditions for mold growth)and that is with a dehumidifier running at ALL times. I know I should look under the wall to wall carpeting, but I fear what I'll find and that we will have to remove $3K worth of carpeting/padding. We contacted Superior Walls and they took little if any responsibility for our damp/cool living conditions. We were sold a line when we were told that we would have a warm and dry basement. Instead we have a cool and damp basement. Not much different than that of our former home which has a cinder block foundation. I am writing only what I am experiencing as a home owner.

When I installed a Dreamline pre-fab shower base, the directions were to leave an opening in the concrete that had about 3-4" open around the drain pipe. I got the pipe aligned as well as I could, and then set the base in place and pivoted/moved the trap and pipe slightly so it would line up with the hole in the shower base. We then cemented the pipe joints so they would stay in place and the pipe would stick up through the hole in the base. When we set the shower base it had thinset under it to keep it level and supported, but directions said we did not need to fill in the area around the p-trap with cement. That part of the base was reinforced and it was just left with a base of sand. The drain fitting in the shower base was installed before it was set in place, and as we set the base in place a rubber collar slipped over the 2" pipe that stuck up from the P-trap. There was a threaded inside fitting on the flange in the base, and as you screwed the fitting down with a special tool (supplied) it expanded the rubber collar so that it fit tightly over the PVC pipe. Then we trimmed the top of the PVC pipe and popped the decorative grill into the drain. My point in explaining all this is that if you use a similar design shower base, and you have a 2" drain line, you would only need to jackhammer a small section of concrete out to install a 2" P-trap, and would only have a very small section of concrete to replace. However, if the shower drain pipe is 1.5", you have a lot more work to do if you want to meet code. Bruce

Maybe the solenoid is bad? Here's a video showing the steps to diagnose a faulty solenoid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkPSQSIyZFo