Cynthia, I don't have any experience with your banana. I only grow Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelli' which is an ornamental Red Abyssinian banana. But you might try a very active banana forum called bananas.org where you may get some good information. See link below. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: Bananas.org

At least hammer out the two inch portion as two inches would be the absolute minimum that you can pour over in most areas and it's just not enough, imo. Drill 5/8" holes with a masonry bit/hammer drill and epoxy 3/8" rebar stubs sticking up about 1-1/2" - 2 inches every 16". Then tie wire mesh to the stubs at the top so the concrete can get under the mesh. You can also drill 3/4 to 1 " holes in the existing concrete randomly about every 16" or so to give another avenue of connect for the new to the old along with using the rebar/ mesh. Properly compacting any dirt/gravel areas where not going over the existing concrete is key for a sound base. Depending on your native soils type, you might want to dig out and down and replace it with a compactible base that will keep it stable. Your local masonry supplier will have the info for what works in your area.

Thanks for replying John & gran. gran- The mold issue on the bamboo was interesting because I read it was mold resistant! Once again, hard to get a straight answer. John- Can you please give me more info from your perspective with the Ipe? Does it meet the criteria I need it to? I posted the question on GardenWeb for unbiased responses based on experience with the product (GardenWeb is a really good site for getting all views). I watched an HGTV (maybe it was DIY Network?) special the other night where they used the Ipe and gave some "facts" about it. When I Googled it, I found conflicting information as far as maintenance, durability, cupping, fading, etc. The reviews I found online tended to be dissatisfied customers. The GardenWeb search again yielded some conflicting information. I also saw where a statement was made about suppliers and ensuring that the Ipe you buy is truly Ipe from Africa and not that imitator stuff. I talked with someone else in my area today about the Ipe (I'm in central NC) and they indicated that it was not available locally and while the cost of the material itself is cost effective, the shipping costs break the bank. Perhaps you could help point me in the right direction in getting straight answers based on experience? Thanks again!

If the house isn't centered on the lot, how much room do you have and on which side? Can you draw the entire lot with the house and add dimensions? Which direction does the porch face? South? North? Are you removing the roof to make vaulted ceilings? You said you are from the south, but have you ever lived with vaulted ceilings? I live in Oklahoma, and I hate my high ceilings. So hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I also have an open floor plan with kitchen, dining room, and great room that was made out of two different porches, a living room, and a kitchen. I don't know what the previous owners were thinking. They had to put two manufactured beams and one steel I-beam in the open area. The old porches had different kinds of ceilings and different heights of ceilings. We spent $20,000 on a new 35 ft beam to get rid of the choppiness that people have been mentioning. Putting the new beam in caused other issues that had to be fixed, so more money was spent just on structure! I would not get rid of the porch. It makes the house look inviting. It keeps the house from looking like a box. Your contractor said he could add a shower only and demo the porch, dig foundations, add walls, concrete footings, match the siding, paint the entire exterior of the house, install drywall, doors, moldings, paint all of the living room, dining room, and kitchen, and run new electrical wiring for the front add on, lights, shower stall, plumbing, and whatever else I did not mention. Add a new front porch enclosure, raise the roof for vaulted ceilings, remove the kitchen wall which you really need to keep in place.....it is going to snowball. And...you need $10k in new windows because the old ones are shot. He will do this for $20,000? Every time we started a project in our current house, it always cost us more than the estimate. A lot more. Our new siding was $9200 more. The upstairs remodel went from $3200 to $12,000. They don't know what is under what they are taking out, so the estimate is their best guess if nothing goes wrong like a rotting porch. Are all the other homes around you larger than yours? Have they all been enlarged or updated? You need to think about the area and whether or not your home will have a comparative value. If your home becomes the Taj Mahal in the neighborhood, you may never get your money out of it once you sell. How old are your kids? Will they be leaving home within the next five years? 10? 15? Kids can deal with sharing a bathroom with you. I think the king sized bed may have to go because you don't have a place for storing things like holiday decorations, etc. I didn't see a garage, anyway. When you start removing walls like the dining room wall, you start losing places to put furniture and end tables with lamps. Your kitchen will have less wall space if you remove the wall. You could probably fit a small table and chairs on that wall. Since you bought it, I assume you will want to move in soon. I would start with necessary things like new windows. Everything else is just "wish-I-could-have". You really must live in it for a while to know where best to spend your money. Once you live in it, you may find that the heat/ac need replaced, or the hot water tank, or the plumbing needs repaired, or the roof leaks..... Don't hire a contractor until you know for sure that nothing else needs repaired or replaced. Live in the house for a while. I live in a fairly cheap state for building costs, and all of your plans would cost $80,000-100,000 here. My 15 windows cost $18,000. Ask your contractor if you could "go up". I don't know if your walls and foundations could support a second floor or not, but I have always heard that is much cheaper to go up since you don't do any ground work. Maybe that has changed though... Congratulations on your new home! When you start remodeling, post the pictures so we can all celebrate with you! Your kids will love having their own bedrooms and love the front porch, too! That is my favorite! I love the detailed woodwork!