Hi, Thank you for sharing. The soil I use is very soft and the wind is very strong so it cannot hold the stem firmly when we had strong wind very strong wind. The plants are not snapped but it makes a kind of gape around the base of the stem. Before I bound it the stem and leaves leaned to the stake, tight and lose when the wind blown so the stem got bruise and the leaves have torn. I really hate bruise stem and torn leaves. :) They were indoor plants but not leggy, I cut off the lower leaves because they touched the soil and shaded the new leaves. I started all these plants from the seeds. The first one is Scorpion Moruga Blend yellow, the seed from peperlover.com. The second one is Rocoto De Seda Yellow the third one is 7 Pods Brain Strain Red the youngest, both seeds were from the local seller. The plants are healthy and they were hardening off very well now. The fan I use inside is not big and strong enough it is a computer fan. First I used long stick but the problem was the new leaves, so I cut the stick to avoid the new shoots. I will use the long stick and rubber band now Thank you all again for the feedback. Caelian

We had a Nexan lock-dry deck installed about 3 years ago, and we're happy with it, but it does require some maintenance. We chose the buckskin color, which we still like, but it does show dirt, and bits of green algae collect at the base of the railings certain times of year. We have the deck pressure washed 3-4 times per year. The decking itself does get hot--I'm guessing it's on account of something added to the powder coat paint, but it wasn't hot enough to bother my dog. I wouldn't want to walk on it barefoot. The railing does not get hot--it's got a different type of paint finish. If we had to do it again we'd have the railings mounted on the outside instead of on top of the deck, because with the top-of-deck mounting it's hard to get to the dirt that's beyond the railing. We chose a railing type without posts, and it was challenging for the contractor to miter the corners precisely--when we got our deck there was apparently no trim to deal with that issue-not sure if that has changed. We like the cables in place of balusters because they don't obstruct our view of the bird feeder. Because of the edge trim, water does tend to collect along the edges in spite of the slight slope, and I use a blower to get rid of it when it collects--otherwise it tends to leave dirt behind when it evaporates. Overall, we're quite happy with our Nexan aluminum-clad deck (wooden support system except for stairs), and we'd make most of the same choices again.

Cup of Glad this thread is continuing to get so much traffic. I'm curious first, why are you replacing your windows? I ask because what most people don't realize is in "most" cases the best windows for any home are the ones that were originally installed - The exceptions to that can range from poor quality windows, poor install, failure Think about many homes that were built around turn of the century - 75 -100 yrs ago, how the windows have stood the test of time. Yes, they are not "energy efficient" however, from a proper fit & aesthetic view point they work. I think when the window sales people massage the homeowner on the "efficiency" issue - If you are changing out 16 windows let's say at avg rate of $750/window - for product & install that would be 12K - . The equation the sales people negate to offer said homeowner is what the return on investment would be & how long it would take to get there. I have done this, believe me - It would take most folks 10-20yrs to realize any investment. If you have done your homework & still feel replacement is the way to go - other considerations that should be taken; What is the original architectural render of the home? Can a replacement window capture that? think size/scale - muntins, mullions, configuration, trim, fascia - One can't just figure a one size fit & then install without a compromise elsewhere. Pictures of the exterior of your home in daylight & night help with proper choices. This is where I see many failures. One can have a beautiful 1900 home and take out all windows & replace w/replica vinyl - One could put in custom wood in the same home, but that does not guarantee aesthetically correct rendering. I found looking in window books & catalogs helpful only to a certain degree - I had to make sure the size, material configuration was indeed matching to what the original rendering of the home was (that was only for 4 windows!). Yes, it took some doing - when I finally thought I had it right, my architect friend brought yet another issue to light - "The muntins make the window look squatty" huh? - turns out the configuration of the muntins created a rather horizontal appearance in the individual panes rather than vertical - she was right. BTW we used Marvins - the project was a kitchen gut in 1930 Dutch colonial home. The replacement windows were done because the part of the kitchen we replaced the windows was once a screened in porch and PO put in aluminum picture windows w/side casements on front & back - ALL wrong for the home & unbalanced. Research here and other places led me to the Marvins - very pleased with the product. For the rest of the windows (26) double hung - we considered Marvin's sash replacement product (mentioned above) but do to the scope of our original renovation & cost over runs we decided against this. Instead I found "the window doctor" - yes that is the name of his company. For $200/window he replaced all parting strips, re-weighted where needed, all new roping, repaired chalking - Many of the windows were not operational, painted shut etc. Every window is now operational & they are lovely over 80 yrs young & very fitting to the home. I wish more homeowners would give consideration to rehabbing windows rather than ripping them out for a substandard product. Ok, I'm an old house snob - truth is told Best to you - stepping off soapbox

He claims that he has Aluminum windows himself. He did not mention the brand and he also said he has the thermal break within the frames. During the winter he if he does not open his blinds the frames will start sweating and sometimes the glass will have condensation. I guess due to it being cold outside and warm on the inside of the house. According to his window and door supplier they mentioned to him that if using the Milgard Aluminum Series Windows and Doors it is preferred to not fully encapsulate the house otherwise they will sweat. If i choose to go with this option anyway they will make me sign a waiver stating that I understood this and they are not liable for any damages this situation may cause.