Mz, I agree with Luvs..a trap is a very good idea. Perhaps there's a wildlife sanctuary in your area that would be willing to take them ? In regards to antifreeze.. it's my understanding that the component that had the most detrimental effect on animals has been removed.. the makers claim your pets ( thereby incl non-pet animals ) can safely drink the stuff. There's also another solution that may be a little bit more viable for you. It sounds disgusting.. but most sporting goods stores carry a lot of varieties of bottled animal urine ( I know..ewwww ). Perhaps you could spray or pour it around your property line it would help deter the little pests from coming into your yard. My ex was an avid hunter... so I know all about this stuff...lol. Maybe if the little bandits smelled a "predator" in the area they would leave for parts unknown.Seems like I actually saw bottled bobcat or mountain lion urine in one of the hunting catalogs he used to get. At any rate... good luck and hopefully you'll find something that will work. Susan

This may seem a little more costly than you want to do but I like to use baseboards (ground level 2x4" boards)to hold the PVC from twisting. Pipe clanps will then secure the arches and then you can anchor the base by more methods. An angled steel bar attached to the baseboard could have concrete blocks set on it to hold the framework down at intervals and you can also somewhat secure your plastic/row cover by this method if you prefer not to fasten it. The baseboard allows for fastening a cover and even would permit the whole unit to be lifted and moved.

Well, its been thunderstorming the past 2 days since I started this thread so I still haven't been able to get out there and start the cleanup. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, DH pointed out to me that my entire newly-planted lily bed (of over 300 bulbs) had been ravaged by deer. These lilies were only a couple weeks away from blooming and were chewed right down to stubs. As many of you know, true lilies from bulbs will only put out one flowering stalk per year and if it is cut there will be no flowers that year. I spent a fortune on bulbs in the fall, not to mention the backbreaking labor and was so close to enjoying their long-awaited blooms. The deer have been a problem this year with munching on my roses but at least that rosebed are all modern roses that can bloom again....the lilies are done for. It's getting more and more difficult to not give up. Beetle season will be arriving as soon as the sun returns. But as DH pointed out, no matter what, I could never stop being a gardener. Its in my blood and in my heart, for better or worse. This year has certainly seen the worst! (sigh) Celeste Lily stalks chewed down by deer.....

I like your design far better than your architect's. It is a small space, but you have used it well. Would you consider a pocket door at the main entrance to the space? And would you consider having no door at the threshold between the utility closet and the sink? This might open up the space visually, and make it more accessible. Would you also consider a more European look in which the floor is all one piece, tiled, with a slight slope toward the shower drain? I do not think you would need an actual shower door, unless you wished to have it. At a minimum, a Euro-screen would be sufficient. Although they have not caught on in the USA, they give a much cleaner, more open look. Arc and Aqua Uno are, to my knowledge, the only companies that supply them in the USA. I've linked one below. I think you are wise to go with the tankless water heater. My plumber will not install anything else. As soon as mine dies, I will be switching. We have our laundry room upstairs in our current home, something I had always longed for. I love it. Yes, water containment is simple. Not to point out the obvious, but the most effective you thing you can do is to install the best supply hoses money can buy on your faucets, and make sure your water shut off is easy to get to. I have been looking at laundry room renovation, and my plumber tells me this is the biggest mistake he sees people make -- they use basic hoses, and then stack their units with the shut off behind them. I hope this will be of help to you. Here is a link that might be useful: Ark shower screen