for growing vegetables? 60" - 4 Tier Tower Iron Planter Unique Design Topiary Art Works http://amzn.com/B003GLN02A

I just took a similar style tile out of my kitchen. Not the tile's fault -- it was the patching done as part of my kitchen reno that was poorly done and ate at me to the point that we decided to rip it out and start over while putting hardwoods in the rooms that didn't get new flooring before. We had crema marfil in our entry and powder room and the porcelain tile in the master bath ad laundry room as well as the kitchen, breakfast and family room. I always thought both looked good. I understand what you mean about the builder can say he's going to charge whatever he likes, but really, it's not like people are standing in line to have houses built these days. It doesn't mean you can't ask the builder why he feels he needs to charge more to have a tile laid in a straight line with offsetting joints instead of grid joints. It is not harder or more work. If it's that he has to communicate that to the tile setter -- offer to do it yourself and let him sleep in. I paid extra to have my tile done in a pinwheel in the kitchen and family rooms as well as on the diagonal in the master bath, but it wasn't that much and it was much more complicated to lay. It's been a while, but I think it was $1 to $1.50 a square foot for those patterns plus there was additional tile waste allowed. Your brick pattern shouldn't require more tile -- but maybe he's thinking it would? The trend these days is to have fewer flooring materials, so one in all those rooms would be fine.

Hmmm that is a good point. It's a fairly large tree which is naturally limbed up maybe 30 feet. It's actually near my "eco swale" I was asking about in another thread lol... it's behind the bamboo. sorry my photos aren't the best but I can't beat the ease of phone photos :)

i have had nothing but issues with this product! i have had the company i purchased the product from come out, months with no answers, finally got a company rep out to review the product in my house....still no answers back from the manufacturer! my house humidity is around 32%-37% totally within canadian home builder standards, not to mention the product is sold as 100% water proof?? how is that possible when they are concerned about humidity that has been proven by the rep not to exceed industry specs??