Change of plane joints should always be caulked. Scrape out the existing grout and replace using latex or silonconized latex both are easier to work with. Check with the company you purchased the grout from. The good guys like tec,mapaei,durabond and some others will make caulks in the same colors as their grouts-sanded and unsanded. If you didnt use a company that does that get some grout color charts and see what will work in your joints. If you do some research on the web there are companies who make colored caulks as well that may fit your needs. Applying caulk can be made easier if you use a slightly damp sponge to shape the bead or line to fit your joint. Apply the product straight from the gun or tube and then use the sponge to remove the excess and push the product into the joint so you get a nice clean line. Do this in sections so the caulk is soft enough to work with. Takes a bit of practice but once you get it -you got it. Stu Rosen www.mbstonecare.com www.stoneshine.com

Weep holes are seldom done in residential construction in my experience. I have never seen a code requiring them(could be though). While they are recommended in commercial construction, they are part of a drainage system of through wall flashing & often a mortar baffle that helps keep the weep holes clear of mortar. The flashing intercepts any water & directs it to the weeps. I would not add weep holes to a wall not designed for them. I doubt if they would work & would more likely cause trouble or damage. If their are no water issues at this point their most likely won't be.

nomoreblue - I know that you know this already but just remember that it's only a house (a vessel for all our wordly crap, really!) and we're all blessed to be able to take on these dumb projects and see them through. I stupidly went on vacation about 1/3rd through our project and right before I left I discovered that to me some wall measurements were way off - I kept arguing with my project manager that something was off and that it was impacting the mudroom and powder room. He took the path of "leave the framing details to us, nothing's wrong, we're the professionals" route which did nothing but piss me off and make me worry further (losing loads of sleep). I left out of town out of family necessity but was a wreck most of the trip. I was so convinced of problems that I brought my blue prints with me and digital pictures for a reference point. Suffice it to say, too much time was spent on the phone continuing to argue the point long distance until one day my lead carpenter stepped in and realized "lo and behold" I was right! Yes, I was quite smug and had a few harsh words for my project manager. I returned to town over the weekend and was curious what our interaction would be come the next Monday. When the carpenters arrived, they were suspiciously quiet but I figured they'd heard about the exhange of words and were keeping a low profile. Soon my phone range and it was the owner of the company - I tried to lighten the moment by asking whether my project manager was hiding from me or trying to avoid eating crow. He hesitated and asked me if I had a moment....I realized that work around me had stopped and my carpenters were all looking away...the next words I heard were "He's dead." After the room stopped spinning, I learned that my PM, who was truly a great PM and wonderful guy on whom I had selfishly unleashed my stress, had taken his daughter to the beach over the weekend, was playing in the waves, felt ill, went back to lie on his towel and suffered a massive, fatal heart attack at age 50, right in front of his 9-year old and wife. I can honestly say that it no longer mattered whether the powder room was 12" wider than framed let alone whether the kitchen would be done for Thanksgiving and the arrival of my big extended Greek family. It was a tragic, tragic situation and one that really made me step back, release all my stress, frustration, disappointments, etc and take myself and the project out of the "center of the universe" role that I had allowed it all to be! So, hang in there but keep your healthy perspective and give thanks that you can be in the position you're in :-)

Ah - totally agree about the yellow. Good luck with the off white - it’s really hard to find the right one. Make sure that one of the places you try samples is right above the couch (place them so that the bottom of the sample is below the top of the couch). The grey couch looks like it has a purple undertone and you’ll want to choose a color that doesn’t emphasize that :).