Next time, I will probably buy Scotts Premium Topsoil. Had I known about that product, I would have saved a lot of money (this mushroom compost crap was grossly overpriced), and not gotten full-sized sequoia trees in each bag. Actually, some bags of this mushroom compost were smooth as butter. Others were awful. If only I were not rushed for time, I might have been able to be more careful. So, it's established that I screwed up. I acknowledged that in the opening post. The question is--what do I do now? Will my power mower help with this issue, as has been suggested? I'm going to spend some time picking up the worst of it by hand. Raking is not an option, as I can't disturb the seedbed. This should be fun.

Thanks alb. You've chosen C, which is my least favorite for a few reasons, but if that's my only option left, I'd do it. I've found the "throat" is the correct term for the 3 inch space I would have left if I cut the treads down to 10 inches. Does anyone know if the throat can be cut down to 3 inches on 4 steps on a 2X12 PT wood? Also, how would B look if I placed a small one inch piece in between the treads?

how to plant...: https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub i figured it was a builder deal ... based on looking seep into the pic .. as to my pic ... i had a kids pool to the left.. i wnated to sit under the tree.. in the shade ... hence the pruning ... its now about 10 years later. ... and the bottom branches.. are about 3 feet from the ground.. the major part of the branches did not go down.. but the branchlets off such.. did .. the bottom line.. how i remember it... roots like to be cool and moist.. to do their job... bark is meant to be DRY ... by putting park underground.. you will rot it ... and the vascular system of the tree... the cambian layer.. is just below that bark ... rot the bark ... kill the tree ... dig down.. give us a few pics... maybe we can come up with some ideas ... like an wall of one or two or 3 retaining blocks.... to hold the soil back ... there has to be a term for that.. but its escaping me.. to google you a pic ... ken

Glacier White Corian wouldn't at all be a waste and would save you money over quartz right now with the tariffs on Chinese imports if you purchased a non-American brand which is basically anything except Cambria, and Cambria itself is expensive. You can even get the Glacier White Corian in a 3/4" thickness (most other colors only come in the 1/2" thickness). You might want to read up on some of the durability issues between the two surfaces. For starters, quartz can change color with exposure to sunlight which is something you don't see with Corian, and quartz can melt at lower temperatures (150 degrees Fahrenheit) than Corian (380 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit). Corian can be resurfaced easily, while this is much harder with quartz. Corian will develop a patina of light scuffs of which you are already aware, but again these can be buffed out whereas scratches in quartz aren't as easy to make, but if they are made, they're hard to repair inconspicuously. If your base cabinets are dramatically unlevel, then you could consider placing a narrow wood trim piece underneath your new countertop to disguise the shims. You'll want the surface level within 1/8" for any countertop installation including Corian. While Corian isn't as heavy as quartz or natural stone, it can still crack when placed on an uneven base. Another option would be to have the edge mitered to hide shimming. In any case, leveling can be done from the top as the previous commenter pictured.