Very creative -- really nice use of materials. My last house had a seed-starting room with recycled working sink, cabinets and counters. It also had a second recycled sink that had the drain removed -- I potted in that sink and kept a garbage can under the drain hole so all excess potting soil went right into the can. Gave that up in the new house and already regret it!!

Wow...You really need to table that quote and call in at least two other qualified painting contractors. I'm an interior specialist, but I've been around those exterior guys long enough to know how the exterior pro's work. 1. Powerwashing a wood sided house would be my first concern. Now, that could be his terminology for a garden hose force spray..you'll have to ask him. House cleaners do not require powerwashers to remove dirt, just a simple rinse with a garden hose force is all that's required.Powerwashing a wood sided house should only be done by trained professionals who know what pressure and spray tips to use. What about Mold & Mildew? What's being done to remove that if any exists? 2. Are the peeled areas going to be feather sanded prior to priming? Bridging paint over peeled areas usually results in paint failure within months after curing. 3. Why not remove all the old caulking and replace it with modern technology caulk? 4. Some paints like BM will cover well IF the base is similar in color and in sound condition. If it's chalky, porous and worn looking, your house needs a mimimum of spot priming and two coats and the ideal is one coat of primer and two coats of paint. I would get an estimate on primer and two coats. 5. Do you like semi-gloss on your door? Have you seen one in the bright daylight? Have you seen a Satin one? Something for you to decide, not your painter. Brands? If it were my house, and it's wood framed, I'd choose Duration by SW; MoorGard N103 by BM or Fortis by ICI. Any of those brands are going to increase the costs because they are all three very high quality paints. DO NOT ALLOW YOUR PAINTER TO APPLY CONTRACTOR GRADE PAINT ON YOUR HOUSE! Michael

Hi! We are getting 2 sliding patio doors. Have looked at a variety of doors and are coming down to 2 doors: 1. Renewal by Andersen 400 Series Frenchwood sliding door or 2. Home Depot Andersen 400 Series sliding door They both look similar but price at Home Depot including installation is about $1,500 less per door. How do these 2 doors compare to each other and is one better than the other and why? Thanks!

My house was built in 1940, and AFAIK it still has the original city water pipe connection. We did change the inside shutoff to a ball valve, but that was a simple job for the plumber. What problem are you trying to solve? Is the "unnecessary" pipe in the way of something you want to do? Bruce