Thanks so much for the info. We're back and forth about putting a roof or pergola over our existing deck, or putting up a freestanding pergola a little farther out in the yard. We already have power there, so lighting wouldn't be a problem. Your pergola is probably the most beautiful I've seen. It looks much better than a lot of the ones that were professionally built in our area. DH is pretty handy and he also does a better job than the pros, so we'll definetly be doing it ourselves. Not sure if we'll get to it this year or not. We usually tend to plan projects at least a year or two in advance. Gives me time to do research. Yea, I research things to death, but I only steal ideas from the best! Thanks so much!

Our city added a new position to the Planning Dept about 5 years ago. It is a code compliance position. Apparently this position follows up on complaints for high grass, junk vehicles, fences built without permits (someone complains it's on their property), and who knows what else. I have a shed built in my back yard, that was here when I bought the place. It is a permanent structure with a foundation. Never gave it a thought until the county auditor came around to reassess property taxes. Low and behold, it wasn't on the taxes. Now the city became involved because no permit was pulled. But, even tho it's a foot too close to the property line, they didn't make me tear it down or anything. Guess what I'm getting at, if you live in a city, sooner or later big brother finds out what you've been doing.

No easy answers with attached garages and the dangers they introduce to otherwise healthy homes. At least you don't have the dreaded bonus room or living spaces above the garage to worry about. I would encourage further insulating the garage, especially since you are already using exterior foam. Great choice by the way! Fiberglass batts might be fine for the cavity insulation with good air-sealing in place. Assuming you are doing forced-air, I would try to expose the supply duct to the bathroom to put in an inline damper to better control that seldom used room. Might just be extreme cold weather, cracked open to keep the plumbing from freezing. You need to be very meticulous with an air barrier to separate the garage air from the house air and need to install a garage exhaust fan to try to overcome the physics of the garage air mixing with your indoor air. It depends on how complicated any existing framing is. If building a rigid air barrier up to the roofline is overly complicated or broken up, I think using spray foam at the garage flat ceiling and in the cavities of the shared house walls would be best. Ducts in the attic means keeping the thermal barrier at the roofline but if they come from below, I would be tempted to create redundant insulation at the flat ceiling level for those isolated areas. It again depends on what plane will be easier to airseal. The most overlooked area is the mudsill sealer at these shared walls. Also be sure to air seal the door jamb to the framing and maintain the weatherstripping. It's a great question and concern that I wish more people building new were paying attention to.

ok, there where no peers install. Its a post-tensioned structural slab with no peers. I large 1/8 crack development when the framers did their thing. The tensions weren't tightened before the framing was done. Some people say it should have been like 5 days after the pour and before the framing. Dont know if that is why the crack occurred. But it has. I did hire a structural engineer and take grade levels and he has and he will after it had been tighten, which was done today... It is the structural engineer that is says because of the crack or failure in the foundation, he might recommend peers now. before tightening, his measurements showed the center on the garage were the crack occurred as about 3-4 inches lower than the outer right and left edges. So it might be showing signs that the center has fallen. This MAYBE a need for peers for long term stability. That is were things are at now. Just trying to get the best info I can get to know what to do here...