Anyways we are not doing it out of spite but after catching the 23 yr old son hiding near fwy underpass with a camera and a backpack, taking pictured of me while I gardened ( he had to tresspass onto the freeway underpass since I was gardening away from where they have cameras recording our pool backyard area (and this made me realize they are seriously stalking us and really sick,.. Ugh I'd be calling the police first. Not 911, the office number. Ask to file a written complaint. Get your complaint recorded so there is a WRITTEN record on file with the police. Then the following. You need screening immediately. Like today. I'd do a temporary screen right away, then work on a more permanent one. I'd get a piece of plywood and secure it so it blocks the offending window. Now. Today. Make it neat. Paint it the same color as the wall. Place it so it is straight, tidy and not hanging over the neighbor's side. If the neighbor's complain, refer them to the police report you filed. If the city complains, refer them to the police report you filed. Then you can go one of two ways. A screening shrub, or a trellis with a vine on it. Check with your city to see if it would be legal to put a section of wrought-iron fencing on the top of that block wall. If it is, do that (get the style with spikes on the top), then grow a vine like star jasmine on the wrought iron. Until the jasmine gets established and growing, use a piece of outdoor fabric neatly attached to the wrought iron as a screen blocking the window. Take photographs to show it is neat, tidy, and on your side of the fence. Make sure everything is on your side of the fence. If there is any damage, take photographs of it and call the police and ask to file another written complaint. The other approach would be shrubbery. Ligustrum japonicum (available at any home depot or lowes) is fast, tough, and makes a DENSE screen that you can't see through. It would need trimming, but it's fairly easy, and won't cause you the problems that a tree would. Leave the plywood in place until the Ligustrum has grown enough to be a screen. A less common plant that makes a fast dense hedge is Silverberry, Elaeagnus commutata. This is good because it has sharp thorns that will discourage your peeper from trying to paw through it. Another alternative would be 'Skyrocket' Junipers, a number of them planted closely together. They are inexpensive and fast. Don't use Italian cypress, because they can get very big, and are not as fast. Find 'Skyrocket' Juniper. Good luck! Remember to document everything and every time you are harassed, with date and time. Write everything down. If you have friends over and the problem occurs, write down who was with you, and what occurred, the date and time. A written record with photos and witnesses will help you protect yourself.

Film forming finishes normally need to be stripped before re-application. This includes spar, poly, or many of the deck stains (really thin paint). Oil finishes that completely soak in can often be recoated without removal, but they provide the lowest level of protection and are not typically very suitable for exterior use. If enough layers are applied to build a film, the film needs removal before recoating in most cases.

Does the front porch sit on a crawl space too? It's pretty rare you see anything like that, maybe on a very old house. Can you post any photos? I would consult an Architect or Structural Engineer so whatever you do will be done right and per the code.

Here is a website that can help with grass identification: NCSU TurfFiles If you're in Chicago, zoysia is the most likely culprit for the brown grass that greens up in summer.. Bermudagrass is less likely. Do some research on "invading zoysia" or "how to get rid of zoysia" and you will begin to see what you're up against (if the ID is zoysia). Aerating would make the problem worse. You will need to think about whether you want to do battle with the invading grass or live with it. Doing battle would involve killing everything (several times) after it greens up and reseeding in the fall. And even then it may not be successful in getting rid of it. What length do you cut the grass? Zoysia and Bermuda like being cut short; cool season grasses do better cut longer. In general it's good to leave clippings on the lawn. That has nothing to do with your problem, but since you mentioned it, you should know that clippings are good organic matter, help fertilize. Do you not water because you always have plenty of rain or some other reason?