5' down they are talking about is essentially from the top of the wall. It's a judgement call whether to excavate another 2.5-3 ft. deeper to be sure the entire wall is state of the art. I certainly wouldn't compact the new fill. If the weepers--assuming there are any--are working, you want the water to go down to them and drain away. I believe clay weepers were still in use in '69, in which case you can be all but sure they're not functional. And, to confuse matters more, if you have free-flowing material at that level, weepers may not be necessary at all! (Only so much one can suggest at this distance.) The house isn't endangered by the excavating--unless it's being done by a careless machine operator. By hand is always best! I've used Permaquik crystalline waterproofing in both exterior and interior applications. Sometimes as the primary waterproofing, other times as a secondary in addition to the bubble membrane. ******* Did your structural engineer determine what caused the crack along that section of foundation? Water leaks leading to frost-push damage? ******** How bubble membrane works in conjunction with weeping tiles to keep the foundation wall dry This post was edited by worthy on Thu, Mar 21, 13 at 20:06

I do not know how new your unit is but if you have insurance I would headed that route and throw in a little extra money to upgrade. Unless you have no other alternative, I would send it through insurance..lightning can do some crazy stuff. Pinholes in coils and burns on bearings... who knows what high dollar items have been stressed that will work right now but will give up shortly.

Wow I am having a hard time with some of these answers. The feedback is wonderful, but the harsh rants about my putting form over function and the garbage comment feel very uncalled for. LWO, you apparently did not even read my posts correctly and missed the fact that I am moving my kitchen OUT of my entry. If you are going to criticize, which is, after all, what I asked for, please realize that you know nothing about me and ask before you rip apart motivations you do not understand. I have no romantic notions about ranges in islands. I have lived in houses with wall ranges and island ranges, with young children, and know that for MY lifestyle, an island range would be ideal. This is based on PRACTICAL considerations and experience, not TV or magazine imagery. Yes, I will have a 30" x 42" hood with a 1200 cfm blower. Regardless of percentages of prep vs. cooking, this is what works for me and is a key element of my design. I have no issues explaining why this is, as you all have valid points as to the drawbacks. LWO, you may have good considerations, but the way you worded them was very hostile and uncalled for. We have different opinions and habits and I expect mine to be treated respectfully too. Buehl, thank you so much for your thoughtful post. I would love to see a sketch if you have time! I see the point abut the space between sink and stove. Maybe I could put a small prep sink in the island like you suggested? I like that idea a lot. Maybe we could fit my main sink under the left window - do they make corner sinks? - and center my fridge between the windows. Or leave it to the left but put in cabs next to it, and then a stacked TO/MW? I am not sure that I have room to push that countertop further into the mudroom. As I planned it, the stacked W/D will be against the back wall, and I can't shove it directly again the mudroom sink as I need some cabinet space to store laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. That hampers me a little in the kitchen area. If I put my kitchen sink under the left window, could I put it right against the counter corner, or would that make it very uncomfortable to work at? Shannonplus2, I do understand that island cooking is not like on TV. But as it is, I cook on my island and look out to check on the kids frequently. The problem is that I have to step away from the stove to do this, since the kitchen right now is in that entry room! It's funny but most of the ideas you all have suggested, mirror my current kitchen layout which is a galley design as Lisa_a sketched above. This remodels coming about more because I need a mudroom and laundry room, plus all the kitchen cabs and appliances are dying or dead, and I don't really care for large rectangular islands, for some reason the L shaped ones work better for me (my mom has the big rectangle and it is too big a stretch across for a shorty like me, but so long that it's not as cozy to work together in the kitchen). So, I am trying to keep what I...

Thank you all for your great ideas. Diana, the living room is the 1st room you enter after passing through a small enclosed entry on our large front porch we also have the deck 9x25 along the side of our house. We live in a New England seaside community so we live and entertain on the 2 areas all summer, so removing that door wouldn’t work. We have a family room off the other end of the deck with a slider. We use the living room for holidays and when company is here I bring in some chairs but there just is no room. I would love to seat 6 comfortably and have a TV tucked in somewhere for the times when grandkids are here or my husband and I don’t want to watch same thing. Other than that, it is the main road through my house! Ugh. Deco, I have attempted to break up this long room by centering love seat opposite fireplace which also allows tv viewing. Put the desk area and storage of grandkids arts and crafts stuff there. Maybe less bulky furniture would free up some space. I did have the tv on a lovely cedar chest but last year put it in that stand in order to confine the chachkis to one space. Lol. Any other spot for TV? We just converted from oil to gas, FP, so plan on converting the fireplace too. Do use it sometimes in winter. Took out the wall between dining and kitchen years ago and it is right next to fam room so not sure how that would work. And you hit the nail on the head with the wall space. Would be happy losing or gaining any furniture if it helps. Only room in my house I hate and it’s the 1st anyone sees. Thanks for replying and all ideas. I really appreciate