I agree with boxers..1st off the mention of hd and lowes with the predicament you state....has you in the wrong direction. A 25 ounce builder grade nylon with a 7/16 6 lb cushion will do you well. Shaw store..ask for Zipp Plus....should be able to have it installed for maybe 2.19 sq ft. Good value. A box store can never give you that guidance..just forget about what you are looking for in a box. The shaw store will have to show you a deck board of it ...they will not have it on a card or swatches. If they show you Hawkeye, demand Zipp plus..same specs both Continuous filament and cost the dealer about a buck a yard less. They can install it for 2.19 sq ft..trust me..We sell it to builders for under 2 bucks installed but you will not get that price and rightfully so. SmartStrand will be quite a lot more. There is a SmartStrand called Powerplay that will compete with the price of the Shaw piece..doesent quite have the hand that the shaw piece has....but a great value. I am giving you inside info to 2 fantastic products at the right pricepoints that will perform for 10 years in the enviornment you describe. Now it is up to you to listen to it and HD or Lowes cant help you at that price to match up to these. Good Luck

The Bluestar was my absolute first choice. I just LOVE those burners! However, I was scared away by the many posts that described the *tinkering* factor. I'm not a tinkerer...I don't DIY, am not interested in playing with gas levels and replacing ignitors and all the other little things that many Bluestar lovers don't mind at all. It's certainly worth it for some...it is an awesome cooking machine, but I knew it wouldn't work for me. Also, I've read over and over again that the doors get quite hot! I dont' have little ones anymore, but it could be an issue for you. I really wanted induction, but after my double ovens didn't fit, decided I needed a range and wasn't willing to spurge on the mysterious Diva induction range (that no one seems to have) and DH thinks it's hideous (but boy is it powerful...it's really my dream range). DH really wanted fire so after I gave up on induction and couldn't have the Bluestar it was all about form. That's how we ended up with the Lacanche. We've had a DCS for the past 12 yrs, all 4 burners are 15K btu's. I found this to be enough power for what I do (though they can't heat a pan as quickly or evenly as induction). I don't think 12K would be enough. Have you looked at the Five Star range, comes in black, can get brass trim, highest burner is 18.5K btus. It looks pretty nice but has 6 burners, not 5.

Oceanna, do you have a photo online? Would love to see. I've bought estate sale sofas, garage sale sofas, new sofas. If you can find a classic style with good bones used, and have a good upholsterer, you can get something custom without paying more than a middle of the road new sofa. My last and current sofa is Flexsteel. I did a lot of research, sat on a lot of cushions, and brought home about 2 dozen fabric samples from 3 stores before buying. I did some online research too. With a sale price, I paid about $1300+ about 8 years ago. I got a better quality fabric to stand up to child and dog abuse. I paid an extra hundred bucks for Guardian fabric protection and have not yet had to use it. The sofa still feels good, is supportive, and looks new. I may need to replace the foam in the seats next year so it will plump up a bit. We lay on it, sit on it, dogs jump on it, eat on it, and generally live on it. Love it. Love the Flexsteel steel frame construction. By the way, the 'life' of a sofa under Calif rules, is 7 years. Mine is going strong and I would most definitely consider another Flexsteel. Plus, the attached back cushions and 3 cushion seat style lend themselves to staying attractive and comfortable longer than some other styles. The moss sofa in forefront of photo is my Flexsteel. You can see how the seat and back cushions have their shape still. You don't see the slight camelback style, or the nailhead trim, or the bun wood feet. But those are personal style issues and I think you are going for longevity. In the back of the room is my 40 year old rattan sofa, bought through an ad in the newspaper. It had a lovely pink and mauve and green and white floral swirl print from maybe the early 70's. Nice. I had it recovered about 4 years ago in a sale chenille in a moss bronze color. It's all cushion styling. But again, the frame was great and worth recovering. Red

Hey samgibbs3rd - we are in the beginning stages of building our home, and I came across your post. I'm curious which home builder you decided to go with and your experience with them. Thanks!