Growing clover, there is never a shortage of nitrogen...clover fixes nitrogen right out of the air and is one of the reasons why it can feed soils next to it and help reduce the need for feeding other plants. Rolling in the clover...nice idea but better get used to using your washer more and the need for stain removals. The dryness you suggest then does also suggest moisture is not making it into the ground....run off is more likely the result. Sand you speak of....is that due to the area's ground make-up or because you have added sand as part of seasonal build-up. The use of compost or a good topsoil every spring..about 1/2" to 1" is sufficient to help build up organics...which can lead to increased amounts of moisture being retained. Sand, if given as part of any seasonal help, should be the type that allows for good drainage....builder's sand, coarse sand, is the type that should be used. Purchased at any quarry or soil dealer. Play sand, the type used in children's sandboxes, or the type you remove from the beach, is the type that should never see the light of day on any lawn. If you can stand putting up with the clover, continued overseeding, every fall and spring, can push out the clover and the weeds by letting the grass grow higher. Clover cannot stand up to shade. A pre-emergent at this time can help kill the seeds that will try to develop next spring.

Just a little eye rolling left! Second floor is important should guide your decision. Some units vibrate less than others due to the type of suspension - someone help me out here, but I believe a washer with a "hanging" type suspension will vibrate less. Also, with a second floor you have to worry about leaks destroying your house. Two things will help you never have to deal with this. Have your plumber install "Burstbuster" valves and use Floodchek hoses (google both to find them). Do not use hoses that come with the machine or that you can buy at the home center. They are inferior. Burst washing machine hoses can release hundreds of gallons of water and are the second top reason for home insurance claims (first - leaking fridge ice maker plumbing). You don't want to turn your stairs into a water fall. Please whatever washer you buy, be smart with a few ounces of prevention. The Floodchek hoses are superior and the likelihood of them leaking or bursting is far less than standard hoses. If they ever do leak, the Burstbuster will detect the water and shut off the valves thereby saving your house and thousands and thousands in damage.

I'm as proud to be Canadian as could be possible. But my ancestry does have an interesting American history that I was unaware of, until about 15 years ago. My maternal ancestry was easy to research. We knew where my mother's family lived in Ireland for many generations, before her father came to Ontario, Canada in the 1800's. But we never knew when exactly my father's ancestors came from Europe, because as far back as he knew, they had all lived in Ontario, Canada, like us. We just assumed they must have come directly from Europe to Canada. When my brother was in the military he researched our family name through my father and each previous father and was surprised to learn that our family was in fact only about 6th generation Canadian. Records showed that prior to our father's greatx4 grandfather, they had in fact lived in America. Upon tracing every previous father, the surprise for us was that not only were they all American, but the earliest one to come to America from England, was in fact, the man who commissioned the charter of The Mayflower, started the first settlement in Plymouth and preached the first sermon there. He was Robert Cushman, a Deacon, from Kent, England. My father is his direct descendant through his paternal side, all of them bearing his surname. Through the generations, Robert's descendants moved eastward, ending up in Michigan, until the one who moved his family to Canada, settling in Ontario. We're curious as to what would have made him decide to move from the States, which began all future generations of our family to date, in Canada. One day I would like to visit Robert Cushman's monument, erected in Plymouth. I'm a proud Canadian, but it's still interesting to know that our first ancestor from England was actually a founding father of America, and not a Canadian settler after all, as we had always assumed. The first site is about Robert Cushman and the second is a record of "The Mayflower And Her Log," which contains a lot of information about my ancestor. Despite this, my mother's side is far more notorious, as she had a relative who robbed trains for a living! http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=12498539 http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4107/4107-h/4107-h.htm

In my state a homeowner can protect themselves from fiscal loss by researching the contractor's insurance and license to make sure they are current and with and only with a contract with well spelt out expectations. For example adding clauses specifying scope of waterproofing, following product specs and following certain industry standards. Also take pictures through out install. Then if you end up with shoddy work you can go to court. If they are insured you could recover lost funds. Does your contractor have insurance if so you could try small claims court but in my state you would have no case. Also my homeowner's insurance will not cover unpermitted work did your guy pull permits? If not you should retro actively do so before moving forward. Good luck.