Thanks Baymee: Looked at that fuel comparison, seems like oil replacement is the best option. At my age (61) I also have to look at payback time. Here in B.C. Canada, we have gotten a price for a new 86% effecient oil-boiler at $3600 installed. And we already have a 250 gallon tank. Wheras, the propane boiler is $7500 plus, including installation. As for daddo, yea, could look at cheaper fuel, but we do buy the more expensive bio-fuel. 20%canola-80%oil. Eases my conscience a bit-lol. Just in case you guys were wondering what it costs to heat a 1700 sq.ft. home here, it goes like this= 4 cords firewood-$660-60 gallons propane-$275, and this years total oil bill was-$720. or approximately $1700 per year. I suppose in todays world, that isn`t all that bad. The reason for the different heat sources is this old house is a four level split. *And when the power goes out cause of a wind storm, we like to have that back-up. Thanks again for the feedback. George

Bumblebeez, I'm glad you let me off gently! As a matter of fact I am married to Mr. Clean who has a professional pressure washer that he uses around the house. Two weeks ago he pressure washed the porch floor so I could put a water sealer on it (hadn't been done in years) and also lots of wood steps and surfaces outside. My mom and step dad were a different story. The driveway was only a small chapter. Probably my least favorite chapter was that thee could never be noise or music in the house....it was silent. Hope you find a solution for your driveway. I'm still a year away from getting a cement one. Then I suspect hubby will pressure wash that too!

Oil based paints were the go-to product for years but these days the water based paints are just are durable but much easier to use. Also, oil based paint will change color with age while waterbased paints will stay true to their original shade for decades. At our shop we recommend the Insl-x Cabinet Coat for kitchen cabinets, doors and trim. It dries quickly with no smell and cleans up with water. It cures to a very durable long lasting finish. It is still technically a Benjamin Moore umbrella product so you should be able to find it in a Benjamin Moore store. We tried the Advance and frankly were not very impressed. It develops that oil based smell after a day or so and stay soft for a long time. Additionally, it will also discolor with age - though not as much as the old fashioned oils. I hope you find this helpful. Good luck on your project!

Sorry to be late with a response but I would use something like harvest cloth/Remay/row cover/garden fleece or a similar lightweight covering that will provide as much as 15 degrees of cold protection. If not available you can use bed sheets. Anything too heavy can damage the tree so be careful using blankets unless they are the lightweight thermal fleece type. And never use plastic!!