Thank you for offering "Random acts of kindness", juellie. The world needs more of that kind of love spread around. Some folks sort of like being parents ... to the whole world, as though it were mostly composed of little kids. I hope that you can let the unpleasantness roll off of your back like water off of a duck, juellie. I've appreciated your emails, though I haven't answered every one: I assumed that you didn't expect it. I don't mind my particulars being on a list held by a number of KT people: I'll risk having someone peel a strip off of my back, if that's what makes them happy. That said, I agree that we do need to take some precautions to protect our identity. Actually, I've put my phone number on some threads, from time to time, scattering the numerals around so that it would be hard for machines to collect it ... when someone was in distress and I was willing to offer them the opportunity to talk (which no one has taken me up on, to date). Keep up the good work, everyone. ole joyful

lov_mkitchen, It does seem like many kitchens posted here are pricy but there are a lot of lower budget kitchens here (mines one of them) and not everyone the cost of their kitchens. I really need to clean up my kitchen and take some photos. I encourage all lower budget non-fancy kitchen owners to post their kitchens! If understand what you are saying about the question morphing but disagree a little. I am one who digs deeper when someone asks a question. Not just here and not just about kitchens. Sometimes people ask what "bandaid" to use but they really need "stitches". Just a random example and not even a good one .... Someone asks a question about fitting a 32" sink in a 24" base. The layout shows that the sink is not in the best location. The real issue is the sink location but the OP just wants to know about fitting a large sink in a small base. OP assumes it will be very costly to move the sink but never actually priced it. Of course we are going to encourage the OP to get estimates and if possible move the sink! Yes, some will suggest building an addition and doing a full scale remodel and others will offer lower cost options. They are just suggestions and the OP would be wise to at least think about them. DATED, I hate the word. I want to be unique, not trendy.

A follow up to my previous post on this thread: Like Oldhousegal, we have decided Marmoleum Click isn't for us. A minor leak from the dishwasher (that we can't even locate yet, so it wasn't a huge flood) made a big, raised mess of the flooring. (Top was ok and cork was ok, but inner core wasn't) With the click-together seams, it would mean ripping out to one side of the room to replace, not just the damaged spot. Our color is no longer available, but we might have some extra that would cover. However, since we already had the problem I talked about above from the puppy breaking a water bottle open onto it (it shrunk back but isn't perfect), as well as another spot where the seam separated a bit from another tiny water event, we feel we need to start over and get something a little more bullet-proof for a busy kitchen and sewing/utility room. We have 2 sinks, 2 dishwashers, and laundry equipment in the rooms with this flooring, plus a big, busy family and pets... so we're likely to have some kind of water issue again, and want a floor that can 'take it.' I also want to make clear that I consider Marmoleum to be a material that develops a certain amount of 'patina.' If you don't baby it or protect it with some sort of finish that you'll have to maintain, there will be scratches and scuffs. For me that was part of the retro-look charm, and as I also said above, the impact was greatly minimized by the color and pattern of our flooring, but if you always expect it to look pristinely brand new, you might be disappointed. Here is a link that might be useful: Blog Post: Having the Marmoleum Pulled Out from Under Me

Well that can be a blessing and a curse... warranty repairs are the least desirable of jobs and even more so for equipment that company 'b' didn't put in. Company 'b' doesn't have anything to gain. A tech gets paid less to do warranty work. Time is money, not only for the company involved but also the tech they send. Because their company didn't install the equipment, this will likely give you the feeling of getting a run around. This type of mentality is very common in my area of service... I've never run service in Florida, but I suspect it will be quite similar. Plan on getting a run around going this route and it very well could wind up being just as bad or worse than what you've already experienced with your current service provider. With that said, I'm different because if you live in Katy, Texas I won't send you a tech. I will come myself. In many cases that is a huge difference.