doogan Here is a quick primer. I did my own security system and it is pretty easy: 1. even though wireless sensors are available, hard wire is best when walls are open. wire is cheap, no batteries to replace. Use wireless to augment the system if you need to add sensors later. Most security contollers provide both wired and wireless interfaces. You will need more wire than you think due to snaking up/down walls and through trusses. 2. Motion sensors and Glass break sensors require 4 conductors (power, ground, common, and normally open or closed contact). So it is best to run 22 guage 4 conductor wire everywhere. Magnetic contact sensors only require 2 conductors - so 2 will go unused. But why buy two wire types - the 4 conductor wire is not that much more than 22/4. MAKE SURE THE WIRE IS STRANDED - much much easier to work with than solid. Pay the extra for the stranded wire. 3. Use glass break sensors to cover a series of windows instead of magnetic sensors on all windows. For example, my dining room has 3 window sections and a transom. Rather than use magnetic sensors on each window, I used 1 glass break sensor in the dining room ceiling to cover all windows in that room. The glass break sensors have a range of about 20 feet and are quite sensitive. Using them will reduce the number of sensors you need. I would not recommend wiring magnetic sensors on all windows since this is very labor intensive. The only benefit of this is it will tell you if you have left a window open when you are getting ready to set the alarm. Most crooks will break the glass - unless you happen to leave a winow or door open. If you find out later that you want that - this is a good place where wireless sensors can be added. You can run the wires for the glass break sensors to a spot in the ceiling where you want to install them later. I highly recommend using a piece of 1 inch inside diameter PVC pipe strapped/glued to a ceiling truss that protrudes 1/2 inch below the truss. When the drywallers install - have them cut holes so these little pices of pipe pop through and are flush with the ceiling. Tape the wire inside the pieces of pipe so you can pull them out later. Purchase little covers for the pipe holes until you install the glass break sensors. Use the Honeywell Glassbreak sensors in the small sized packaging (they are a few dollars more than the larger size which look like small smoke detectors - but much more attractive than the larger versions). You want the galss break sensor to be about 10 to 15 feet back from the glass and in the ceiling. NOTE: do not adjust the sensitivity too high. Birds crashing into windows will set the alarm off (I found this out the hard way!). 4. Use magnetic contacts on doors. This is the one sensor that you need to install right now since you will have to drill through the door frames, and doing that after drywall will be a mess. 5. Use motion detectors as a second barrier. The best place for these is on the wall about 7 feet up. They have a range of about 25 to 35 feet. Use motion sensors to cover the second floor - one in the hallway should work. Crooks know that most people only alarm first floor and will use ladders to break in. Download the spec on the motion sensor you will use so you can get the pattern of coverage. Large rooms may need 2 sensors to cover all entry and exit points. 6. Definately install CO sensors - at least 1 for each floor. 7. Do home runs from each sensor location to a central location where you will install the panel. Make sure you label each wire so you know what sensor each wire is connected to. 8. There is a way of interfacing the smoke detectors in your home to the alarm system. If you use the link below and buy from them - their tech support will send you a small interface module that you tie into the last smoke detector in the chain - which is typically in the basement. You want to make sure you have a 22/4 wire run to this location (the end of the chaain of detectors). Call the people at the link below to double check on this. It will save you from having to install separate smoke detectors for the alarm system. The way the Honeywell/Ademco contollers work is that glass break and magnetic conrtact sensors are typically programmed as perimeter alarms. These are monitored when you set the HOME ALARM button. Motion sensors are typically deactivated on HOME ALARM (although you can define a motion sensor as a perimeter sensor if you want). When any perimeter sensor goes off, the alarm automatically sounds with one exception - you can put a delay on any perimeter alarm and that is normall done at entry points (like front door, utility room door) where you have alarm panels. These delays allow you to come home, open the door and turn off the alarm within the programmable delay time before it goes off. The motion sensors are typically defined as interior alarms that are usually activated only when you set the AWAY ALARM button. When you are away - all sensors (perimeter and interior) are activated. If you have pets that roam around areas monitored with motion sensors, make sure you purchase motion sensors that can handle pets (a few more dollars). I provided a link below to the on-line store where I purchased my equipment. They have some tips for installation on the site. Give them a call (located in Maryland) - very helpful. Best of luck. Here is a link that might be useful: On-Line Security Parts

Thought I'd update. Got Windows installed without a hitch, Dell talked me through it. I debated whether to put Win 7 in since I was starting from scratch but worried some of my software might not work Everything went well except I couldn't find drivers for some things such as my wireless adapter so couldn't get on line. Called Linksys and they spent over an hour trying to get the driver in and finally did. That was the best part, finally getting on line and getting hit with a zillion MS updates. I have misplaced or lost some software. We moved here in March and I could not locate my Office disk, wireless mouse/keyboard software and a few other things, might have gotten lost in the move. I'm most concerned about Office 07. I paid for it. Dell says they can't help and I could try contacting MS and see if they would do anything. I haven't moved any of my files back yet. Otherwise, I feel like the computer runs better than when it was new. Things seem different, have to fool with fonts and views, but I'm amazed how effortlessly the machine runs. This computer always seemed to have a few 'glitches' but I was used to it. Now it seems so fast and smooth (of course there isn't much running on it yet.) I don't know how to thank everyone for all the support and help I received. You are the best friends anyone could ever ask for. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks! Thanks from the bottom of my heart... Jane

Well, after the ones mentioned above who saw the botched job said it would be the right thing to do to allow this plumber an opportunity to fix the problem first before taking this any further, I called him the next day hoping he would come by on Friday to look at it. He was almost belligerent in repeating several times "If I'm coming over, I'm going to fix it; I'm not wasting my time to look at it" He said Friday the 31 instead, showed up promptly at 8:30 AM and spent time on it - a lot of loud noise was going on at one point - I was very much afraid to ask about anything, not wanting them to get annoyed with me as he was obviously not pleased to be here. He seemed very involved, but mainly I spent time in a nearby room. (in prior posts I said his assistant did much of the work - I meant initially) When done he was in a hurry to leave and I felt rushed to look at the job - was shocked that they had cut out significant hunks of all the studs along the side wall of the tub, but I didn't say anything as the plumber said they had to and that was no problem, and the entire fix was the best he could do. I focused on the gap between the tub and surround and the panels did align much better although the gap at the back was still pretty large, but better. I thanked him, and as he was rushing out I remembered to ask for a receipt as I HAD PAID IN CASH that Monday the 20th and FORGOT TO ASK FOR A RECEIPT. (all he had said was the cash was better, but never made any attempt to provide proper documentation!) (my memory issues stem from a concussion) He promised he would mail one. (I didn't think to ask him to write one on any old piece of paper as I would have, pre-rear ended). After he left I noticed the surround was extremely crooked, but was late for an appointment, came home hours later and stepped into a flood of water from the hot water heater in the basement, I guess a terrible co-incidence. DD came over and for hours helped w/clean up. She was horrified by the shower, noting after checking that the walls are plumb but the surround is nearly 3/4" off plumb and that it will likely be near impossible for the carpenter to do finish work that won't look like a_ _. Inotherwards, he mostly fixed one problem, but made it all MUCH worse. Meanwhile, the tub water once turned on would not shut off and kept gushing...remember the plumber squashed my idea of integral stops, and the old fashioned shut off underneath in the basement was only able to close it down with tremendous effort. If it let go, nothing would stop the water from gushing into the tub....called the plumber's service and left a detailed message about valve not shutting off and the problem shut off in the basement. He has not yet called; it is one full week today. Surprise: I have not received the receipt. A neighbor of my DD arranged for today a different plumbing team to come in with a not big box hot water heater, install it and gate valve shutoffs for the HWH and 2 in the access panel for the tub/shower - all the basement shutoffs were noted to be "completely shot". . The guy was clearly uncomfortable talking about the "shoddy job", but said it could not be fixed as the tub was set in mortar but not level, and any attempt to straighten it will break the tub. I've put a call in to the carpenter to get his opinion, and don't know what else to do but to report this to the licensing board. I'm an older woman who lives alone, and i tend since the concussion to become paralyzed by these things which feel overwhelming. Don't know how to get the receipt. Should I send a certified letter tomorrow morning? Any other ideas? Help.

As an update to this the bathroom is finally coming together. I'll post pics here when bath is fully done. Lot of work doing all the tile but I took my time and it looks awesome. Far better than the job done by the builder in rest of the house and way better than the contractor I had hired. The shower pan build was a bit of a pain and I did the first layer twice (ie: ripped out first attempt and started over). Once you get the hang of it though it's not bad. Still, if doing it again I might think hard about a pre-formed tileable base despite the extra cost. The end-result though was great and it drains amazingly well as I made sure to slope it slightly over the minimum recommended. One advantage of doing it yourself on the floor was with the natural marble floor my wife could take her time figuring out which pieces to use where so that the overall pattern was optimal. Don't think you could do that with a pro without extra charges for sure. I found I really like the Ditra. Great product for tile and goes down easily. I used the recommended adhesive for it but think in the future I'll just use Custom's Uncoupling mat mortar for laying the Ditra.