I never thought about it before, but critter control? If they could be cut up it sounds like pieces could be placed upside down in key spots to keep kitty cats from digging in the garden. I have kitties and don't have too much trouble but I have heard others complain. Larger pieces could be buried upright where woodchucks have been trying to dig under the fence. The only problem, other than how to cut it up, is that picky side may be dangerous to humans too! Another thought is in the bottom of a raised bed where you want to keep maple or other tree roots out. Those darn maple roots get into everything. It would have to be for annual plants - kind of like a giant planter, and have drainage directed out the sides or something. Being able to cut it would be important for most ideas I have: water proof a bird house roof for example. I'm intrigued by how durable they are. I wonder how they last outside in the weather? Could they be incorporated into a cold frame? I guess they kind of yellow over time so maybe not the best. Wind protection for the veggie garden? I have an extra one at work that someone left in an office. Now I'm totally intrigued. Here are suggestions from a recycling database on the web (there's not much and they don't say how to cut them): Carpet Protectors (Plastic) Cut to the desired size and use as a boot tray. Keep on the floor in front of the back seat of the van to keep snow/mud off of the carpet. Use as a drop cloth. xxx I'm hoping someone here has already used them. I think I may have broken a piece off one once by bending it (by mistake). Kathy

A couple of things... "Grout" is probably deck mud. Could be regional, could be poor word choice on the part of your new contractor. "Deck mud" is a lean portland cement mixture, generally 5 parts sand to 1 part portland cement. Mixed with just enough water so it sticks together like beach sand used to build a sand castle. It's not concrete, it's not mortar, it's not grout, it's deck mud, or dry pack. Saving the "pan" for re-use? Nope. Have them provide you with a new membrane. Take a good look at the cross section of the shower that terricks posted. If the membrane is flat on the floor but still water-tight, all you're going to get is a slow drying shower floor. The mud bed under the tile may saturate. The grout may stay wet for extended periods and mildew. You might see wet grout at the bottom courses of wall tile due to water wicking up the walls a bit. But the curb? The curb structure should still be as dry as a bone. There's either a leak in the membrane; in the membrane itself, at the clamping drain, in a corner, or the membrane is not properly detailed despite being flat on the floor. Despite the membrane being flat on the floor, the curb should not be wet and blowing apart due to swelling. So there is no way on earth they can reuse the "pan" or membrane. Also look at Terrick's graphic, where the membrane turns up the shower walls. The membrane should run 8" to 10" up the shower walls. You can see that the membrane goes against the wall studs. The poly or felt runs down the wall and laps over the membrane, The cement board or tile backer board then goes on the wall, but does not get screwed or nailed where the membrane is. Remember, no fasteners through the membrane. The only places where the membrane gets fastened is at the top edge where it runs up the walls to secure it to the wall studs. On the outside face of the curb. And it also gets clamped at the drain. So how in the world are they going to remove the membrane without removing the bottom rows of wall tile and cutting away the bottom section of tile backer board? "He will construct a new curb is damaged"? The curb is most definitely damaged. The wood most likely expanded due to moisture absorption, right? So that wood will not be used either. What Bill needs to do is: 1) demo the curb to the membrane. 2) Demo the shower floor, remove tile and deck mud to expose the membrane. 3) remove the bottom few rows of wall tile up about 10" to 12" above the height of the shower drain. 4) Cut the tile backer board horizontally a couple of inches below the bottom of the remaining course of wall tile. Careful when cutting, as you don't want to cut into the felt or poly (6-mil thick polyethylene plastic sheeting or #15 tar paper). 5) Fold up the poly or felt and tape it to the tile higher up on the wall. 6) Undo the clamping drain and remove the membrane. Toss it, it's no good. 7) Make any repairs to the exposed subfloor. Then rebuild it properly. The guy doesn't want you there? doesn't even want to see you? Right. He's really earned the right to work unsupervised, hasn't he. To let him work unsupervised is not a wise move. I think letting him do the work is not wise. He's not trustworthy. But that's my opinion. But my other opinion is that either you are there or your new contractor is there. He's already proven to be untrustworthy and to not do proper work. Remember, the core issue is not just a flat membrane. Water somehow got under the membrane to saturate the curb. I'd want to see the membrane detailing around the curb. The folds at the inside corners, see if there are any nails or screws in the top or inside face of the curb. The thing is that if he didn't detail the folds or if he put fasteners through the membrane the first time, he's going to do it again. He'll just do it with a sloped membrane instead of a flat membrane. I will raise a warning flag about your new contractor. So okay, we know the membrane wasn't sloped. But why did the curb swell and expand? How did water get under the membrane and into the structure of the curb? I'm not sure if your new guy knows how the curb failed, or if he knows how to repair a shower, or how to build one. I'd want eyes on the project when the demo is carried out. I'd want to see the membrane with the tile and mud off of it. I'd want to see if he just nailed cement board to the faces of the curb, nailing right through the membrane. I'd want to see if he nailed through the bottom edge of the backer board on the walls, nailing through the membrane, creating little holes. Hey, maybe your #1 guy did a great job (with the exception of not sloping the membrane) and it was an errant something or other that accidentally poked a hole in the membrane. Or maybe he's ignorant and apathetic when it comes to building a proper shower. My vote is that your #1 contractor is #2.

Buy better quality varpet that has it built into the fibers. Aftermarket is a rip off, as it’s removed after every cleaning and needs to be reapplied. And it atttacts dirt and makes it wear out prematurely due to that.

Area rug on wall to wall carpet is acceptable. The Ikea option is great. Just make sure it is big enough for your table/chairs. To determine the right size, you will need to measure the amount of space the table + chairs take up. To do this properly, you will place the table and the chairs. Then you will pull out ALL THE CHAIRS as if people where about to sit down. The amount of space you NEED to pull out the chairs and then sit down is part of the equation. Once you have pulled out all the chairs, you will measure the length and the width of your set up. You will then add 3" - 6" to the length and the width...this is so it looks 'right' if the chairs are pulled out. Good. Now that you have done your homework, you will go out and find an area rug with those measurements (or something as close as possible...bigger is better than smaller).