What a great job. In a month!!! Have been working on ours for a month and we almost have a real good start going. DH is toooo picky, almost to the point of not getting anything done because it might not be right. I'm going to show him your pics and hope he gets going, cooler temps would help also, and maybe if I really cook supper tonight. LOL Hope you have had a party or two on that gorgeous flagstone this summer, you deserve a chance to show it off.

I can't believe your installer did not put edging stone around! Highly unprofessional! I wouldn't think that would survive intact through the first winter. It's trickier to install edging stone AFTER the patio is installed, it should have been done at the time. Two choices that I can see: - buy edging stone like large pieces of cut granite. Many cities use this kind of stone for curbs. It needs to go below ground level. I have a hard time seeing this work effectively unless you use VERY large pieces now. The problem is that years of water coming through the patio and frost heave will be pushing it out. It should have been installed with a deep foundation and probably mortared together. Might be too late. (your installer never thought of this???) - you may prefer to get a few loads of topsoil in and have a gentle slope from the patio to the lawn. It would probably be easier, and would nicely eliminate the step from the patio to the grass. To be effective and not look funny, it will have to be a small gradual slope, so you are probably looking at adding topsoil 8 feet or more from the edge of your patio. That is a lot of topsoil but I think would give you nice results.

Here are links to some of the earlier threads . . . http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0708180218905.html - unique/favorite features in your build.... http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg051803107471.html - Things you couldn't live without or wish you had added http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg012331272427.html - What things did you find needed adjusting or changed? http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg052337148911.html - is there anything you wish you had done http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg1011400927581.html - What about your new build makes your life easier; what doesn't ? http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0913570232282.html - Brands/Products That I'd Use Again http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0321442732113.html - Share your best sites for deals on supplies! http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0818041222629.html - To help others - Things I would do different and things i love! http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg021705141306.html - Things I wish I'd specified on my plans http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0120301431285.html - It's been two years...what I've learned, would change, etc... http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0901543214301.html - Biggest Mistakes? http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0521381417863.html - Help!!! Have I forgotten anything? http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg122305046544.html - designing electrical in house http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/build/msg0316075322256.html - doing whole house audio

THINGS I'M GLAD WE DID We planned for the future and ran PVC pipe underneath all our concrete walks and drives so landscape lighting could be added later. Also ran pipe for electric wires out to the backyard where we would be building our barn the next year so we wouldn't have to dig up the yard again. Wired for an entertainment system in the basement (which we are finishing now -- 2 yrs. after move-in). DH insited on 400 amp service so we would have plenty of electrical for pool, barn etc. Splurged on the kitchen cabinets and appliances. It's one of our favorite rooms and is large enough for both of us to cook at the same time. Makes cooking & cleanup easy and enjoyable. Insisted on a pool bath with a separate entrance into the home. We fired our first designer when he insisted it was a waste of space in our northern home and would present a security risk because it makes another entrance to the home. It's great not to have guests walk across our wood floor when coming in from the pool to use the restroom. It's also a great changing room for the pool and hot tub and the shower is a great place to wash the doggie. Lots of very large windows to view the beautiful landscape and wildlife from everywhere in the home. What a way to increase the endorphins during an upper midwest winter. We used to live in a house where we could barely see outside. Our coffee area in the MB suite. We saw this in a parade home and had our second (and final) architect plan for this. It consists of some cabinetry, a small refrigerator and a bar sink -- perfect for making coffee in the morning or storing juice and sodas. It's located outside the bedroom, bathroom and closet area but still inside the suite area. Planned for a single, very large MB closet. It's 10 x 15 and is a perfect size for storing all our clothes and is also a roomy changing room. A covered lanai in the back of the house to escape the summer heat but enjoy the rainstorms. Our hardwood floor (Brazilian Teak) throughout the house. One of the biggest "wow" factors to people visiting. THINGS I WISH WE HAD DONE DIFFERENTLY Mostly small size changes which you wouldn't understand unless you were inside the house. A couple of feet here and there to make a room slightly larger. We actually cut those feet off the original plan to keep it just under 4000 sq.ft. Boy, I wish we had kept them. Really checked our cabinet layout. Our laundry room has a tight area when using the fold-down ironing board. It's mainly because we chose a front loading washer & dryer which are deeper than traditional machines. Try to visualize the cabinets and how they work in the room.