My countertops are solid surface that isn't as thick as Corian, but is the same kind of material. It may be a local name because when I google it, the fabricator I used is the only one that comes up under that name. I used this material because they had a blue that I liked . . . I didn't really like the Corian blues, and in my color scheme -- cream cabinets, yellow walls, blue counters -- it was important to me to get the blue color right. My integrated sink is a lighter blue, speckled. The integrated sink is one of the things I like best . . . absolutely NO place for yucch to collect. It almost never looks dirty, but when it gets stained, a quick swish with soft scrub does the job. To solve the problem of not being able to set hot pans on the countertop, I had the area next to the stove inset with tile the same color as the cabinets. I also have one long serving counter done in the same tile so the area by the stove doesn't look out of place. It has worked perfectly . . . I'm thinking my next kitchen will have the same thing. I've liked my solid surface counters a lot. My make-up table is the same product in matte white. I get lipstick and other makeup on it regularly, and just soft-scrub and it comes off. You know the pitfalls -- you may be cleaning more often -- but if you love the look, it will be worth it.

"I've used Cabot oil-based stain. Semi-solid on all parts (un-weathered) before assembly with a 2nd coat a few weeks later. Never any popping. After 3 years, it's now been up for five, I re-stained using Cabot solid stain in order to better hide the wood grain. Ours is built using "egg-crate" cuts to nest the rafters and I wanted those joints protected even though I've caulked them too. If yours is a more traditional build with shade slats atop the refters, your need will not be the same. OK, that explains why your pergola looks painted. All the post that I have read of yours has said you used the semi-solid. Nothing about the recovering with the Solid Stai. Good to know! Our problem is that the structure is so large, it's going to take a painting crew to come in and paint. That's included in the contract for a one time deal, but I cannot see them coming back after a couple of weeks and reapplying. Other than getting the columns painted (and maybe the screened porch,) I am thinking it may be best to let the structure sit until early summer next year and then have the whole thing done in the solid oil stain where it will soak in easier. Oil will have a tad bit more sheen that the Latex stain will not, and more of a look that I want. That's the reason that I want to paint the porch. I like sheen! "I'd feel the same protected or not. Voice of experience here 'cause I once had to entirely sand a painted deck in order to stain - paint kept popping." Here are the two wood types that we have. The darker - the heart of the cedar - is on the pergola. The lighter is the store bought cuts that have really been planed smooth. They have very little cedar smell, unlike the other wood that smells the whole neighborhood up. lol So, seeing the below wood types and seeing my screened porch railings in the above photo, you don't think it a good idea to use a Latex PAINT on those railings because they are horizontal? I wonder if I sanded them a little to roughen the surface if that would let the paint stick. hmmm We are in TN and the weather is not quite as intensive in the winter as yours. I plan to take my wood samples to my local Benjamin Moore store tomorrow and ask their opinion. They are top notch down there. I would have used them to get the paint from - and still may - had it not been for the gift card I won through Gardenweb. I still have over $200 on it. Seemed silly to go anywhere other than SW. Where can I buy Cabot stains? "Pergola is almost perfect after 5 years of Illinois weather. It gets streaks where rain water runs which I pressure-wash each spring. Otherwise it hasn't required any maintenance. I did see some close-up pics of your streaking. That's from the dirt, right? I am surprised that you can pressure wash and not have the stain come off. I was planing on using a telescopic brush and use regular water hose pressure to clean my pergola in the future. "Enjoy your new shade." Funny you should say that. The pergola was mainly for aesthetics off the back of our house, and to provide a sense of privacy from our neighbors that look down on us. The pergola is actually only providing a bit of shade, early to mid afternoon. lol We get the morning sun from the left, and the intense high and setting sun to the right of the pergola in the late afternoon and evening. I wanted to add more slats and may still get my way (they are 2x4's 12" on center,)but DH doesn't want to. He said nothing will protect us from the setting sun. I mentioned that we could do shades like you have. We are thinking on that for that right side. What did you use for a material?

"Sand and restain" is rarely a good option. Stain really needs unfinished wood and sanding is a poor and risky way to remove finish (especially if the top if veneered). The dots look like damage from something with plastic feet that was set on the table for extended periods and it's damaged the finish. One option you might try first is just to abrade/polish the whole top. One product that will do that is an abrasive and oil-impregnated cloth that's used to remove water spots (blush). But it also works like a fine polishing compound and will give you a glossy finish. If the dots are significantly deep, you might need to back up a step and buff with 0000 Steel Wool that will be a little more aggressive (read: faster working). Then follow up with the cloth to even out the sheen. Homak and Jasco are two brands of the same cloth that comes in a little envelope (see link). Only difference I can see is one has yellow and black package and the other red and black. I've seen them in the paint departments of Home Depot, Lowe's and Wal*mart. Worst case, you have not spent a lot of money or done any irreparable damage and you can try something more aggressive Repairs like this are like making soup -- it's a lot easier to add more onions than to .make less onion. I have used Howard's Restor-a-finish several times as an experiment and I'm not impressed than it's anything more than a fancy furniture polish,. Some of the alcohol (methanol and/or ethanol) in it may remove blush, and some of the colorants in it may temporarily disguise scratches. In a few months it won't look significantly better. My opinion of it is that it's putting lipstick on the pig at the antique store and when a customer buys a piece and comes back in a few weeks to say the finish is dull, the antique store will say, "Here, you need to buy some of this..." Here is a link that might be useful: one place to buy the cloth.

Chicory, any pictures of the house yet?? You make a good point about the gravy train coming to a halt - I really hope that prices start coming down. Maybe they'll get better manners, too! It's disgusting how many don't return phone calls, don't show up for appointments, etc. Michael, that's a lovely roof on your retirement house. We just want something plain in a coppery-brown color - we won't be able to afford a real copper roof, but something that emulates that "old penny" color in the painted/powdercoated products works for us. (If we win the lottery I'm not doing it to this house, I'm selling it and buying another one I know of and putting a copper roof on THAT one!) Most of the FDs up here are well-stocked because we're relatively close to Worcester MA where that terrible fire that killed a whole slew of firefighters was. People started really pushing to equip their firefighters after that, and Sawzalls are one of the cheaper things they can really use. It won't help in your area but the Jeremiah Lucey Grant Program provides $25,000-50,000 for equipment and training for FDs in NY, MA and along the Gulf Coast. BTW - In my book, Michael isn't advertising because not once has he ever posted the name of his business nor any contact information for it - in fact, more than once in the past he has gone to great lengths NOT to do so in order to comply with forum rules, even though he's been asked outright. It would be rather ridiculous, not to mention tedious, to call every roof/window/door company in northern Ohio and ask "does Michael-who-goes-by-the-nickname-Brushworks-on-Gardenweb own that company"? :-)