I've seen extensive damage to branch tips on a wide variety of trees due to squirrels. That's another possibility for you to consider. Nandina, do you remember the huge 'epidemic' of squirrel damage to the live oaks in Beaufort? Everyone (including me, probably) was convinced that it was some kind of fungal infection until Michael Murphy started investigating. It was a drought year, and the squirrels had been BUSY!!! I don't have any good ideas about the icky stuff dripping from the tree. I do not, however, think that it's from spittlebugs. I disagree with Ken that trees can withstand most anything that comes their way. Urban trees face circumstances that can set them up for failure, infestation, and infection. Such factors as compaction, street and sidewalk construction, poor soil, vehicle emissions, some street lighting, and an assortment of other 'trials and tribulations' can each (or all) take chinks out of a tree's natural armour. If these trees are valuable to you in terms of shade and/or added property value, I'd seriously consider finding a couple of ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certified arborists to come out for an evaluation and estimate on any needed work, if required. You might even be lucky and find that there is a well-informed certified arborist at your local extension office. That would be worth a phone call.

You can't nail or staple to concrete. So your options would be to glue or, yes, forgot about floating. Not sure I'd want to float a floor with potential for liquid spills. Research slab installations for limitations and requirements, but the specific flooring documents will tell you how they need to be installed and cared for. It looks like the linked floor is 3/4'. Glue down is typically 3/8', some can go up to 1/2' but I'm not sure it's a best practice. Can't remember floating specs either but they are usually thinner, maybe up to 1/2' and need to be at least 3 inches wide, as I recall. They are certainly easier for install and removal. These new floors just do not hold up like the solid wood ones of the past. Engineered can be better than solid depending on the weather in your location. Beveled edges are often if not always used for prefinished floors so the boards can fit together as a flush surface. With square edges on solid unfinished, they install, sand flush and then finish. There are micro bevels that are less noticeable. Be aware of the board lengths of the floor you select, if you want a traditional random length look. The cuts today are often shorter and sometimes even all the same. Note how much variation in color/grain there is. There is a scale for comparison. Also be aware of the way floating floors sound and feel under foot, with or without underlayments, before you commit. They have a different hollow sound and feel. One I walked on in a show room, supposedly professional install, squeaked like the devil all over. Unfortunately, you need to do your research quite a bit on this! Make sure you know how they will install it so that it will meet specs. Avoid the mass production stair stepping method and H joints. Make sure the wood is acclimated to your house for a number of weeks; stored flat, only two or three boxes high. Floor must be flat and level; checked for moisture content and be in equilibrium with the flooring boards moisture content at install . Etc! And verify anything I've said, lol. Installers are not necessarily diligent (or even reasonably careful) with this stuff. Here's a link with some pointers: Here is a link that might be useful: Hardwood installation tips This post was edited by snookums2 on Wed, Jul 31, 13 at 20:11

Is your heart set on the type of piece you posted? I am just wondering if it is the most practical way to hang coats and things? Will wet jackets or gear dripping onto the wood cause a problem over time? Would you consider a regular wood or metal coat rack or "tree"? We have recently put one right inside the door everyone uses when entering our home. It is a great thing to have and even better when the items being hung are wet. This past fall DH & I visited BIL out west. Our guest bedroom featured a coat rack to catch all of our clothing that wasn't hung. I loved that convenience, and was motivated to put one in my own foyer. It was great for outer gear. Previously, guests coats landed in my laundry room, piled on top of one another on the WD, as our coat closet in the foyer, is too crowded to hang guests' coats. Even if it weren't full, I wouldn't want wet jackets hung in my coat closet, so the closet tree has been the answer for us. I don't know a thing about the products to change the wood, but am wondering about the wood suffering damage over time from wet jackets, etc? I do think those types of pieces are beautiful, but I've never seen one in a home where jackets are actually hung? The pieces I've seen are usually not sporting any jackets:).

bbstx, thank you so much for the tips. I have some other remodeling to be done by contractors. These days, I have been busy buying lights and materials for bathroom remodeling. Sorry for my late response. For the kitchen cabinets, I will paint them myself. screedesq, thank you very much for sharing your experience, which is very helpful. I'll use the Benjamin Moore Advance Simply White Semi Gloss. For the primer, I'll use Sherwin Williams PrepRiteProBlock latex primer. The sales lady recommended SW premium wall wood primer. But according to bbstx's referred post, the former should be better. I have the external hinge of bronze color. Did you have the same? Did you change them to stainless steel? I don't know if it would be a good idea to change them to internal hinge and if it would be an easy job. Did it take you a lot of time to degloss and sand the cabinets? Did you use a rotary orbital sander to do the job? The contractor who is going to remodel my house suggested Rust-Oleum Transformations. I doubt it would produce the same good result as SW preprite problock latex primer + BM advance? Really appreciate your help.