I assume that you mean before the tile is permanently set in place, not when (or if) there is a dry run so to speak to see how the pattern will fit into the space(?) Correct. Would an experienced professional even need to lay out the tiles ahead of time or would they typically proceed directly from prep to installation? Yes and no. Some WILL actually lay them out dry. I've got my own thoughts on that, but however they do it, so long as they show some kind of forethought instead of just finding a corner and starting, they're ahead of the game. What I'll normally do is take several tiles and measure to see what the coursing (one grout joint and one tile) measures. I'll then make a cheat sheet of coursing that comes out somewhere around 2 feet (whether that be 4 6x6, 2 12x12, etc), and then I'll measure around the area, to see how the tile is going to fall. it's from there that I'll decide if I can center the layout, or if there might be a better way, taking into consideration how the tile will hit several different surfaces, and which ones are most obvious in the room. (did you get all that? LOL) With an agreed upon layout in hand, would most experienced installers be able to anticipate potential issues around niches and other elements that could require partial tiles so that you could have a discussion ahead of time as to how they would be handled? before the very first tile gets set, a good installer will know exactly how the tile is going to hit any obstruction in the layout. In fact, I'll grid out the area with chalk lines, and then all my cuts will be made before I set the first piece of tile. but even before the cutting starts, I'll know how big all my cuts will be. Just curious... Do you find that it's best if the homeowner stay available or stay away while you're completing your work? Doesn't matter to me either way. I'd prefer that the customer be available in case of questions that come up, but if they'd like to watch (and I HAVE had several that did) the whole time, they're most welcome to watch. I LOVE playing to an audience!! That's when they see that all this stuff doesn't exactly happen just by "luck"! I know alot of installers who'd rather the customer weren't around, though-- too many questions. Funny thing is, I welcome the questions. To me, the internet has given us the one thing this industry has really needed-- an educated consumer. Not so many fly by nights getting away with their BS any more. And Bill G-- yes-- that's just the labor cost. the retail is MUCH more. Based on 12x12 tyile, a 25 pound bag of grout should grout about 150 sq. feet, for about 15.00- 25.00, depending on the grout. For epoxy, a unit will do about 75 sq. feet, for about 80.00.

I'm not formally trained in this, but I've studied it some, and would offer these opinions: If I understand you correctly,the 4 brass vents around your firebox, 2 to the right and left slightly above it and 2 to the right and left close to the hearth, are connected to a duct system that circulates air that has been heated by the fire. There may be a blower fan connected to the ducts to promote greater circulation of heated air into the room. Whether you have a blower fan or not probably does not matter. So you want to cover these vents for cosmetic reasons in your re-design of the fireplace. I think there might be a concern if you are covering the vents with combustible material (wood), for 2 reasons. (1) If the air in the duct system gets very hot, it could degrade the wood over time. You might be able to avoid that problem if you stuff some insulating material into the ducts. (2) I think there is one other issue you need to consider to assure yourself that you are not incurring a risk of fire: the clearance between the edge of the firebox and the edge of the combustible material. If the latter is too close, it could theoretically catch fire. I do not know how minimum clearances are calculated, or even if there is a general formula for doing that. It depends on how hot the fire gets and how combustible the combustible material is. You might be able to sort this out on your own by making a really good roaring fire, letting it heat up for a good 15-30 minutes, and seeing how hot the vents get, especially the sides of the vents that are closest to the firebox. If they are too hot to touch or almost too hot to touch, then you know that you don't want to put anything combustible like a wood surround that close to the edge of the firebox. But if it gets just slightly warm to the touch, you can probably put a wooden surround that close without any danger of fire. Incidentally, since heat rises, the clearance between the top of the firebox and any combustible material above it will probably be more important to be concerned about. If I were you, I would consider a black metal fireplace surround, to replace the brass surround you have in place now and to extend out so that it covers the vents. Sheet metal fabricators can make one that looks like cast iron (which is too expensive), and that would blend in very nicely with your brick, and you would not have to worry about clearances. You can still get your wooden mantel, positioned one step removed around the metal. Of course, that's a matter of personal taste. You have a really nice fireplace, and with a little careful planning you can make it even nicer. Good luck.

In addition to the structural engineer, stop in at the town's planning department and code enforcement office (that is what they are called in my town). I can't see how the venting of the fireplace is up to current code when it stops at the first floor. They may also give you info on the permits pulled and the builder of the addition.

This is a pot question, more than a sourdough question. The excellence of crumb mostly comes from the autolyse, IME. The thinner softer crust comes from steaming in a closed pot. The hardness on the bottom comes from heat. Is it a convection oven? If yes, can you bake on convection only? Or heat it from bottom and convection then change to convection only? That could help. Or perhaps lowering the overall temperature. All ovens are different in how they acheive and maintain heat. Especially at high temperatures, you mom's oven may just perform a lot hotter than the one where they developed the recipe. You still want high heat for the steam (oven spring), but try backing down 25-50 degrees F. You can also try parchment in the bottom, or cornmeal, dehydrated onion, etc. as a bit of a guard and moisture retainer, to soften up the bottom. Good luck.