I don't think the OP is expecting anyone here to give an iron clad diagnosis. I think they are looking for some direction for an issue they have no experience with, that's what the forum is all about. Information is empowerment. I do feel, if an OP presents an issue, they should answer questions as they are presented by helpers and have the courtesy to provide follow ups to the people who have spent their time and free expertise or even just opinions. This really helps others in the future who read the thread and see what works and what doesn't. Rhododummy...In most instances, tearing out the existing structure (i.e. remodeled bathroom) is not necessary. If indeed there needs to be some support work, the use of jacks and other means would be used. I think you should continue to look into having the problem analyzed and perhaps corrected since the integrity of any supporting structures is in question. I have seen these issues seem to go away once snow loads and temperatures are not an issue. Folks put the issue on a back burner and then it resurfaces later and sometimes is worse than before. The reason I asked you to check a nearby window was to help determine the extent of any possible wall or even foundation movement. Not that it would be an exact diagnosis from long distance but, because there are certain characteristics peculiar to specific problems recognizable by an experienced person, of which there are many who participate in these forums. For instance, if brick is popping loose outside or the siding is bulging, you have a supporting wall issue that could be caused by water, termites/carpenter ants/wood borers, etc. If you are not seeing that, it's possible the foundation has shifted, depending on soil, seeping rain water, rising ground water, etc. The problem could be (very common) due to water leaking through the thresh hold and deteriorating the support beneath. This would cause some shifting at the door. Although many folks don't like the look of a storm door covering their prized entry door, they serve several long term purposes with this being one of them.

The internet is a wonderful tool for a cook. I use it frequently, much the same way as I use cookbooks, for ideas mostly. I get itchy just following a recipe, though I will if it is a dish I've never tasted or one using ingredients I'm totally unfamiliar with. I prefer my cookbooks, because I can take them into any room of the house, including the kitchen, without having to print out recipes. Plus, you get to know a cookbook. You know which ones mesh with your cooking style and your taste. You get to know which ones you can trust too. However, sometimes I want a recipe I don't have in any book, or one I know I have but I can't remember in which...I have lots of cookbooks! Or, I get on a roll with something and want more recipes for it than I have. I do this when I'm teaching myself unfamiliar dishes from other cuisines. I want to capture the essence of a dish, and learn to just make it, the way I just make the American foods I grew up with. So I will cook the same dish many times using many different recipes, and eventually I end up feeling comfortable just winging it. For a kid going away to college, I have to agree, they probably won't be bothering too much about cooking. For one, if they're living in dorms, their ability to cook is generally pretty limited. If they live off campus, sharing an apartment or house with friends, they may cook sometimes for parties etc, but most will not break out the cookbook to cook an omelet for breakfast, they'll just grab something out of the microwave or eat a slice of last night's pizza. But, on the occasion they DO decide to cook, a tried and true, basic cookbook (my pic is Fannie Farmer's) with simple, easy to follow recipes is something they'll likely use from time to time and then keep for the rest of their life. I still use my FF, when I can't remember how many minutes to cook this or that at what temperature or want to refresh my memory about some basic dish I don't often make...like meatloaf. I don't make it often, and when I do I'll check on the proportions of meat, bread & egg, as well as oven temp & cooking time. What the heck temp need I cook this meat to? How long for a baked potato? Things like that. Anyhow, maybe buying the kid a cookbook might just start something, who knows?

DH & I had an Aha Moment when we hired a pro for landscape design. We live in the northeast and see much of what gyr described. Thirteen yrs. ago we bought a newly built home on a couple acres with plenty of naturally growing trees surrounding the building site. But the deep front yard had been clear cut, the lawn was sparse and the house looked like it had landed on the moon. We thought it would look "off" to just decorate the perimeter of the house with bushes and shrubs and just have this big lawn stretching up to the road. Several neighbors had done that and added a small island of plantings somewhere in the middle to break up the expanse of lawn. That "island in the lawn" look has become prevalent here in new subdivisions. Our revelation came when the designer began planning from the inside out. She began with what our views would be from the rooms facing the yard. She put full size trees in different areas that bloomed at different times, had different shaped leaves and included some evergreen varieties that grow naturally on our property. We do have low boxwoods and some of the typical plantings in front of the farmer's porch. But overall, and especially now that it's had 12 yrs. to mature, the front area is not "fancy" or contrived looking but is so complementary to the style and scale of the house. We had 2 kids in college at the time & had to budget for what got done when. Paying for that service was some of the best money we've ever spent. It's a good example of "You don't know what you don't know". Re the OP's observation about different landscape styles in different regions...our DS & DIL lived in the Bay Area for a while. One of my favorite things when I visited was touring their surrounding neighborhoods. I love that area!

Yes, Sam, thats the area, I was referring to. I have to agree, this is probably a total tear out, but, please do not hire the same contractor. Do your research well, and find someone that actually knows what they are doing. Its better to pay some extra money to get it done correctly, and it will last for years, than to pay less, and end up having to redo in a yr or less. If you could be there when it is redone, that would even be better. Watch those videos, and read all about proper installation, and waterproofing, and materials to use, and then be a guard dog, and watch your contractor like a hawk, and make sure it is all done 100 percent correctly. If you see even one little thing, being done differently, or not right, question it immediately and make sure it is redone. Your contractor may not like working for you, but, thats not really important. What is important is the job done right.