Right now, I need a sump pump...and I live on a hill. More rain in the forecast, too. The weather pattern has changed here - normally an El Nino year means severe drought in Oklahoma. Not this season anyway. With our normally semi-dry to dry summers, I use the garden hose to water EVERY day in most areas and every other day in other areas that prefer dryer conditions. We have our own well, so I can also use the sprinkler without ill affects on my plants. It is just like rain water. The birds, butterflies, bees and amphibians love it too. When I hand water, the birds follow me from tree to tree, so I spray up into the trees and they chirp and sing for me. The occasional tortoise will come out of hiding for a long, cool drink, too. I set the mister on the tropicals and water-loving ferns etc. to keep them happy. This takes all day. I use soaker hoses under my veggies when it is very hot and very dry to prevent scorching and so the water will get down deep where the nutrients are and encourage deep roots. For under my Phlox and roses, &etc., I screw on a fan sprayer and let it run slowly, gently and deeply under them to prevent leaf-scorch, and do this as often as needed. I even water in the winter if it is a dry winter. Soil heave (freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw) is terrible here in Okie, and in dry winters this will kill plants and even small trees and shrubs. And of course, potted plants need a drink just about every day in the summer. That is how I have to do it here to keep mine alive year round. ~Annie

I got lost looking at the lake, but I say if that's the shrub you want, then plant it and just be careful raking the roof - do a few inches at a time instead of a foot of snow at once. I roof raked for 35+ years over rhododendrons and, yes, some branches got broken during some winters, but not the whole plant. Had to pay the landscaper to take them out last fall, and I just planted R.Ken Janeck in the same place because I won't have to prune them. The old rhodys were Roseum Elegans that wanted to be 10' tall. I bought them for $3 each when I had no money and they stayed in the ground for more than 35 years, as I said. The new ones will not require pruning. IMO, inasmuch as it isn't a metal roof, wisely noted by NHBabs, I say life is short, get the Cherry Cheesecake if it will make you happy. Jane

My house was built in 1940, and we did a basement bathroom conversion from a single toilet and washtub drain to a full bath, utility sink and washer. You should first look at your main vertical soil stack and also at the point where your water supply line enters the house, because this will give you an idea of the path for the existing drain pipe (main soil drain usually exits the house on the same path as the incoming water supply). Assuming the drain under the floor is on a line between the soil stack and the incoming water line, how far will your new bathroom be from that line? You must plan to demo the entire floor under the new bathroom, and enough of the cement floor to reach the existing drain pipe. Now determine where you are going to run your 2" vent stack for the new bathroom. It must go at least to the attic, where it could join with a larger main stack to penetrate the roof, or it will be a dedicated run to exit the roof. Once you get that figured out, you should lay out the new bathroom and figure out how all the vent lines and drains will tie together. The drain "flow" must be toward the existing drain, including the required slope and use of proper fittings where pipes connect. I have found that an experienced plumber can lay this out quite quickly, and its a lot faster than trying to read through how-to books and code compliance info to figure it out yourself. Also consider where windows will be, if you need to install a vent fan and/or heater, etc. Look at your existing electric wiring and breakers to determine what you need anything new for this area. Adding a few LED lights is a minimal load, but an electric bath heater and the mandatory 20 amp GFCI will require new wiring and breakers. From there you need to make your project plan and start finding contractors, or just find a general contractor to do it all. You could certainly do the floor demo yourself, but then you have plumbing to install, cement to pour, framing, wiring, etc. You will also have to comply with local code for insulation, water management, etc., but its usually not that complicated. Bruce

Perhaps it's the photo, but the area to the right seems to slope away from the patio. I would slope the roof in that direction. Does water flow from the left either from your downspout or your neighbor's yard? If so, you can consider a French drain. Where the drain is put depends on where the excess water is coming from. It might be better to run it down the side of your home towards the front yard into a rain garden. The best plants for a rain garden are those that don't mind occasional wet feet but will also do well in dry conditions. Here is a list for Pennsylvania and here is one for Texas. Do a search for "rain garden plants" for your state. The simplest fix for keeping water off your patio is to raise the patio level with a layer of pavers. Way simpler than digging trenches. As to moss in your yard, I have to ask why? Do you have a high annual rainfall and/or many cloudy, humid days? Is your soil a heavy clay? Is the soil deeply wet or only wet on the surface? I don't see any trees in your yard, so it ought to dry out enough to keep moss at bay. However, even less dense soil can become compacted and resist rain infiltration. The fix for dense, compacted soil is to aerate it and add a thin top dressing of sifted compost. This is best done in the spring of each year. Be sure to water well a couple of days before aerating as well as after adding the compost.