Softball, your suggestion gave me a laugh. Years ago a friend's daughter was getting married. They were young and starting from scratch. At the wedding shower I gave her a laundry basket with washing powder, bleach, dryer sheets, dish soap, dish clothes, tea towels, AND a "two-egg size" black cast iron frying pan. The pan even had a picture in it of bacon and two eggs. She not only loved it, but several of the guests said they wished they had thought of that. I wish I had thought of a plunger. the practical-minded Sue

I always tell my customers that if you don't mind a little shine on your walls, then eggshell is the way to go. Satin is too shiny and more appropriate for trim. Even though Benjamin Moore and really all manufacturers market their matte finishes as being washable, they really aren't as durable as the eggshells.

I have installed carpet commercially and that was pure laziness to not remove the old tack strip. Think about this---the nails that hold the tack strip in place simply make holes in the tiles. Pulling the old tack strip consists of a pry bar from the inside of the strips, not the outside(with the possibility of prying too deep. Even if the tiles were damaged/torn, simply nailing down new tack strip prevents any further damage. I have experienced rooms where the flooring on the edges of the room were deteriorated and new tack strip would not stay in place long term. Those cases required repair to the flooring, as locating the new tack strips would also eventually fail. The pad was also installed badly. Over all, that is a very sloppy job. That is not a seam, seams are done with obvious seam tap, which is installed w1th special heated irons. And, when done properly, will be as strong as the carpet. Just for giggles, my first job installing carpet involved sewing the seams together, with a big curved needle and thread almost twine size.

I went to the hardware store after work today to learn about some of the supplies and see what I am going to be working with. I have a couple of questions. 1. If I were to go the grass killing route, what percentage of Glyphosate should I be using? I have seen 40%, 20% and 8%. 1a. Any suggestions on killing weeds in bush mulch beds? I am now seeing some that are sprouting. The store had some products that solely killed weeds without the grass killing label. Would general weed killer suffice? 2. If killing the grass, after the labeled amount of time is up for further lawn work to be performed, do I have to till/break up the soil with a bow rake? Or some other ground puncturing tool? 3. Seeding - what type of seed/brand do people suggest if I go Tall Fescue? This type of grass seems to be the most common, but I was a little overwhelmed (for lack of a better term) when I saw that seed bags were mixtures of seed that also included Ryegrass and KBG along with the Fescue 3a. Should I supplement the seed with a layer of hay or additional netting? (Some of the old hay and netting has not disappeared yet from the builder seed.) 3b. Since it is also mid-September, should I consider a seasonal type of seed such as a specific Fall seed? The reps at the hardware store suggested that with the season being so late (is it already?), that I should just keep my lawn the way it is and just spread whatever type of seed he was showing me at the time. 3c. What is the most optimal way to seed (could also be answered with the questions above)? Should I just purchase a spreader and apply or do the additional processes mentioned above need to be performed? 4. If not killing the grass, can I just add seed and respray my lawn with more weed kill? What brands are suggested? 5. Mulch beds - how often should I overturn the mulch? I read that at least once a season and apply 0.5-1 inch of additional mulch yearly or around that time frame. 6. Any suggestion on brand/type of spray applicator? For performing whole lawn maintenance, I was looking at the hose attachable handles with reservoirs to hold lawn care product like herbicides, etc... I could also supplement that with 1-2 gallon pump sprayer just in case. Sorry for the plethora of questions but I am still in the learning phase before I take action. I would plan to do some maintenance beginning Saturday afternoon if possible and continue it throughout the week coming straight home after work.