Gorgeous garden! I remember we had a gate just like that at my mother's old house. Although hers probably wasn't as wide as yours. It's amazing that something so utilitarian could look so pretty back then. I was just discussing that with an antique dealer the other day when I was looking at a gorgeous antique sewing machine cabinet. When they made something like that years ago, they made it pretty as well. The gates look great in your lovely garden!

We had to have a very large portion of the floor in our new home removed and replaced TWICE, and it was a mess both times. The floor was wide plank engineered wood glued to a cement substrate. This is what I learned. The dust was insidious and was everywhere. If possible, I suggest turning off your HVAC and covering the registers so dust does not go inside. Also, place towels along the doorways so dust doesn't get underneath into other rooms. My husband and I covered almost everything with plastic sheeting held with painter's tape. (The tape did remove some paint from the ceilings but it wasn't too bad). We tried to hang the sheeting from ceiling to floor to block off areas where the floor wouldn't be replaced. This was difficult as our first floor is very open. It took a long time to cover everything, but it did help. I hope everything goes well.

I actually mean a lumber yard, and not the blue or orange box stores. This is where you bring your blueprints and they work up your materials list. Since PlyGem, WinTech and Alliance are out of the question, my options are really limited. Another local lumber yard sells Quaker which I read has some issues as well, and another recommended brand WinCore has limited new build selection line with nail fins that does not supply casements or the two colored options. we got a quote for WinTech for over $16000, for 36 two tone windows. I know that two toned windows are more expensive but paying over $350 for a 3030 fixed window is a bit extreme and almost $700 for a casement is crazy. It has been 3 years since out last house where we paid $6000 for PlyGem so maybe i am a bit sticker shocked in comparison. if im going to spend $20k on windows, i’d like to get good quality. Marvin is not in my area and Simonton is owned by Plygem???? I researched many brands, and there are many options for replacements, but not so many for new build. This project will be stressfull for sure.

I'm not an expert on these things, but I did once use epoxy wood repair material to fix a rotting corner on a wood window. I waited until we'd had dry weather for several days before tackling it. You can buy kits at the big box home center stores. Here is how This Old House did something similar. I wouldn't mess with foam. That stuff makes a mess, and I don't think it will help your situation. Nor would I worry too much about mold. As for killing it (if really necessary), I've used diluted chlorine bleach for that purpose. I don't know about vinegar. There's really no good answer to your last question. If you can't fix it and can't find someone who can, well, it'll just keep getting worse. It's tough to find contractors who are willing to take on small jobs. That's where a good handyman, uh, comes in handy. As in all trades, they vary in skill and diligence. Ask friends and neighbors. Fifteen years ago you could trust online reviews of tradespeople, but unfortunately all the review websites I know of have pretty much sold out. These days, a mediocre (sometimes worse) tradesperson can often get negative reviews suppressed just by buying advertising on the review website.