Bentgrass can be a fine grass. And living with my sister might not be miserable. IF YOU WANT TO WORK YOUR BUTT OFF. First of all, what you're used to doing, well, it's just not enough. Nope, with bentgrass, you have to get a reel mower, because that grass has to be kept short. And don't let it get away from you, like skipping a mow or two, as it's pretty dense, unforgiving stuff. The only way to keep it in check is to keep it mowed short. So next time, you can get an easy mow in, by mowing short again. My brother in law, after putting an addition on their house last year, has been informed that she has plans for their newer addition. Then you've got fertilizer. Bent is what's called 'high maintenance' because you need to fertilize the stuff all the time, to keep it vigorous, and to keep the color uniform: no sense having one (healthy) color over here, if you can see a less healthy color over there. Nope: fertilize it again. And you're going to want a light dose on that fertilizer, so you don't burn it. But because it's a light dose, you want to do it fairly frequently, because the fert is needed. And my brother in law just got done, this winter, actually painting the room where the new doorway is going to be punched, to get out to the newer addition. Well, that work turns out to be wasted, given that he's going to be starting over from scratch, eh? Then you've got weed infestation: Because the lawn is so short (literally a golf course green: that's what golf course greens are made of, bentgrass) weed seeds can get contact with the soil, and can thus sprout, because there's not a tall canopy of grass keeping the sunlight from that weed seed. So you've got to treat weeds more often than 'normal' people with taller lawns. And Weed B Gone might not do it. If it's a grass infestation, like Poa, you have to get out the roundup, and do your best with a spot spray general killer. Of course it left a spot: it's roundup. And, apparently, my brother in law left some spot (you'd have to be really looking, to notice it) on the newly painted wall, and the whole wall needed, of course, to be repainted. So after you get the grass out of there, with roundup, you have to re-grow some bent in that spot, right away, so it's only two weeks or three that it will be noticed, and commented upon, if you know what I mean. And there's more: every part of the underlying soil, that is not dead flat, like a pool table, will show. So you're going to want to take some time, again, and re level those areas, so it looks dead flat, like topdressing, or something. Mostly, it will work, but then there are those times it doesn't quite work, and you have to do it again. With more fertilizer, this time, if you please. Then you've got to keep that reel mower sharpened, or you'll get an irregular cut: that will show pretty plainly, we don't want that. Of course not. Haul the reel mower back up to the sharpening shop. Drainage issues, of course, and that's when you learn why most golf course greens are elevated, and why the ones that are not elevated tend to show water spots, and not look as good as the rest of it. Those can be topdressed, or the green re leveled, in an attempt (the first attempt) to get drainage right, and the spots gone away, so they won't be noticed. Very much. Or commented upon. You're not going to get all this work done, without having to interrupt it, for that mowing, with the reel mower. All the time, mowing. Twice a week? More? Depends on how much fertilizer you put down, how fast it grows. And, it's true, that the spring green up comes a little more late than the neighbor's lawns, because it's bentgrass. And there isn't much point to wondering out loud (if you know what I mean) about what could be done differently this year, so the lawn stays as green as the neighbors, in spring, because it's bentgrass. And the poor greenskeeper who has to do all that work anyway just doesn't have the time to actually do more than was done, because so much was done, and about the time you get it all done, or about the time you run out of season, in October/November, and you're a little tired of it, well, you're done. Until Spring. When you get to start it, all of it, over again, and do it a little more frequently, this year, please, so the lawn might look a little bit more uniform, you know what I mean? Or do you want her to explain it?

In most areas there are plenty of options for buying locally. Just google your city + appliance parts distributors and you should get a few hits. The only advantage to this is that you will get the parts quicker. Often, prices will be higher and the return policies will be less generous. Speaking of return policies, let's look at the ones of the "big three" online parts shops: SearsPartsDirect: "You may return an unused and uninstalled part in its original packaging. We must receive the returned part(s) with the Return Authorization number within 365 days of your original order date" RepairClinic: "You may return any item for any reason within 365 days of placing your order" AppliancePartsPros: "Unlike our competitors that only offer 30 or even 15 days, we offer 365 days to return a part and we make the process very simple and truly hassle free! If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase, we will be happy to accept a return for a full refund. While our competitors have strict rules about returning electrical, gas, or special order parts, we let you return any part you buy from us. All we ask is that you send the items back to us in the original packaging, and make sure that the merchandise is in the same condition" After reading those, which one would YOU buy from? Clearly Sears Parts Direct is the inferior option. I usually use APP out of habit (it's the one I found first), but RepairClinic should be just as good. There have been a couple times where I've been trying to fix an appliance that is loaded with electronic boards, and the problem could be caused by 2 or 3 of them (There is no way to test electronic boards except a visual inspection. If they all pass, you're left to guess). Well I can just order the 2 or 3 possible boards from APP, test them one by one and return the others. They have great customer service and are the most relaxed company I've ever dealt with.

Glad to hear some good news for your project Sara! You’ve waited a long time. As a former licensed contractor, and now a full time real estate investor, I have been on both sides of this arena. I can remember interviewing a finish carpenter who told me how skilled he was trimming ornate staircases, stacked crown molding, etc. When I brought him over to a compound miter and asked him to install a simple piece of crown, he spent 15 minutes adjusting the saw, made three wrong cuts, complained about the molding and finally said its been a while and maybe he “forgot a few things”. Unbelievable. When I hear ridiculous excuses from these guys, I know right away what they are all about. Many of them are just day laborers calling themselves “pros”. They would rather complain about the distance they have to walk to a house than swing a hammer and earn an honest day’s pay. So, it’s got to be hard to deal with these types as a homeowner. Many of these self proclaimed contractors overstate their skills beyond the pale of mere exaggeration to downright lying. They are also the same ones who complain about everything: its too hot to work, too cold, they left their tool bag at home, etc.… Any excuse to stay home and drink. Its sad but true. Some of them have spent more time in prison than on a jobsite. So be sure you do a background check before you let anyone in your home to do work because there does seem to be a correlation between the amount of complaining and the incarceration rate of some of these guys. Anyone who doesn’t have the professionalism to return a call or, worse yet, not show up for a client meeting should be called out on it using the array of review sites I mentioned previously. Now after writing all that, its only fair to say that not all contractors are like this. You seem to have found a very decent electrician who is assisting you with a new GC. I wish you all the best with your addition and I hope it is completed soon and on budget.

I was going to write much the same type of reply that skydawggy already did, but his reply made that unnecessary. I went to replacement window link and I was amazed at how much misinformation was posted there, which is a shame, because I happen to agree that in the right circumstances restoration is the way to go. But, there is so much about the information on that link that is either way outdated or was simply never true at all. One example from the preservation article is comments on laminated glass ---- " ¼ ", laminated glass has better UV protection than all the low-e coatings. It also approaches similar thermal capabilities as insulated glass, is more soundproof, is safer and cost less than insulated glass". Safer? Yep, it is. More soundproof? Again, that is a yes versus either single pane or standrad dual pane windows. If someone is specifically interested in sound blocking ability, then that is another issue entirely. Less expensive than an IG? Not typically, but there are exceptions. More energy efficient? Nope. A laminated glass lite has pretty much identical thermal or energy characteristics as a monolithic lite of the same thickness. There is no energy advantage to using laminated glass in place of monolithic glass. Better at blocking UV? Yep. But while laminated glass does block over 99% of UV light from coming thru a window - which is more than any LowE coating will block and which I assume is specifically referencing fading protection - fading is also related to visible light as well as UV and while laminated glass will provide extensive UV protection, the correct LowE coating may be even better at fading protection. And, my take on restoration versus replacement, if anyone is interested............... First, when the "restoring versus replacing" argument comes around to the energy performance differences (if any) between the restoration window and the replacement window, they will eventually be lost in the rhetoric of the aesthetic reasons for restoring versus replacement. And these are often very valid reasons by themselves. Second, because no matter what the numbers show about individual unit performance, ultimately the individual window is still part of the overall structure of the home and its performance as part of that overall structure is what is important - not necessarily how well does it perform in the lab environment. As I mentioned previously, I happen to really like old windows when they are a significant part of the architecture of a home. I believe that they are so much a part of the charm of an older home that it is worth every possible effort to try to save them. I certainly understand the appeal of replacing older windows for the potential improvements that replacements will bring in energy consumption, comfort, and the potential ease of maintenance; but I also understand the desire of many people to try to do everything possible to save the original windows in a classic home. There are a lot of misconceptions about old windows versus new windows and many opinions often based on opinions and feelings and not on facts that come up in discussions like this one. I would offer a few for consideration: FACT if a homeowner was to opt for top-quality replacement windows, he or she could get them made in any style that they wanted in wood, fiberglass, aluminum, steel, and yep, even that old villain vinyl. There are available styles that would fit their home and that would be virtually indistinguishable from the original windows in the home and, these windows could last every bit as long as the home. But note that I said "top-quality" spelled $$$$$$$$. FACT a low end replacement window doesnt come close to meeting the same sort of standards as does a top-quality product from the materials used, to the glass used, to the hardware used it could be like comparing a Yugo to a Ferrari (and whatever happened to Yugo BTW?) and from a performance standpoint a good restoration will almost always be a much better investment of time, trouble, and money than changing to a junk replacement. The guy in the Sunday paper who promises to replace every window in a home at "$99.95" with his "sooper-dooper-highest-quality" vinyl or aluminum window likely has neither the highest quality window nor does he have the homeowners long term interest at heart. He needs to get in and to get out and what happens in five or 10 years? Thats no longer his problem. A very common comment from folks who favor restoration over replacement is that restoring a single-pane window and storm window combination will result in energy performance numbers that are comparable to any new window on the market regardless of any glass coatings or gas used with the new window. Fact the newest dual or triple pane windows made with LowE2 or LowE3 coated glass and argon or krypton fill are substantially more energy efficient than old windows single or double pane. A triple pane window with LowE2 coating on surfaces 2 and 5 combined with krypton gas infill and a low conductance spacer system can achieve energy performance numbers as much as 10 times better than an original single pane window and as much as six times better than a single pane with storm (or a low-end dual pane window as well). R-values aside, since they measure only conductive thermal transfer, and any discussion of windows has to include radiant performance (60% plus of total window performance), the primary advantage of multi-pane windows over dual panes is the ability of a multi-pane window to include LowE coatings. The coatings improve both conductive and radiant performance of the window over clear glass. If one wants to discuss R-values in window systems, then the current "highest" measured R-value glass currently on the market has an R-20. A good triple pane window with LowE2 coatings on glass surfaces 2 and 5 can achieve an R-10. A dual pane with a single LowE on surface 2 can theoretically achieve an R-5. But, again, that is ONLY a measure of conductive performance and it is far from the full story. Comment old windows may have lasted 50, 75, 100, or more years and new windows will always fail in short order only lasting 5 or 10 years. Fact quality products will outlast non-quality products no matter when produced. For all of the older windows that are on homes today and that deserve the chance to be around even longer, there are tens-of-millions of windows that were made in the last few centuries that didnt make it into todays world for a wide variety of reasons including simple window failure often as a result of poor or non-existent maintenance. The ones that have made it thru are often the best that were produced and they likely had a good bit of maintenance at some point. These are all very good things that make the idea of keeping them around even longer worth serious consideration. Ultimately, older windows have lasted as long as they have because they are of simple, uncomplicated construction that has had the distinct advantage of using a material (old growth lumber) that is no longer widely available. The pyramids will easily outlast a modern skyscraper that doesn't make a pyramid inherently superior than the skyscraper - it is simply different. Old growth lumber can be worth preserving if only for itself. And as an aside, when I am talking about "older" windows, I am not necessarily talking about much of the junk that popped up during the post WWII building boom. I am considering classic houses with architecturally classic windows. Obviously there is quality and there is junk from any era. Just because something is old, there is no reason to consider it "better". The better, newer, dual and triple pane window systems now on the market and installed all over Europe and North America should easily reach 50 years life expectancy - many will go well beyond that time. There are vinyl windows in Europe that were installed over 50 years ago that are performing flawlessly today. Comment restoring old windows is good for the environment and helps with energy performance. Fact while this is certainly true, it isnt the entire story. Despite comments from folks who love their old windows and there are a variety of very good reasons for that feeling those reasons are primarily aesthetic, not primarily efficiency. Replacing older windows with available higher-end energy-saving products will directly save energy over restoration. But, restoration and the addition of a good storm window can still be a huge improvement over windows that are stuck, painted-over, drafty, and without storms and it will keep those windows out of the landfill. Fact many old houses have their original windows and some of these windows (if they have had adequate maintenance for their lifetime) are in very good shape. And some are also in very poor shape, most are somewhere in between. But, they have all made it this far and if they are worth restoring, then by all means that should be considered as a very definite option. Again, most (but not all) older windows are made with old growth lumber which is inherently better than almost any lumber available today - which while being absolutely true and rather sad in some ways - in the end this is what our ancestors left us with. Makes me wonder sometimes what we will be leaving our descendents?. Fact older double hung windows with sash cords are inherently energy wasters because that open spot where the weights hide is an energy black-hole. There are alternatives to the sash-weight pocket that can improve this energy dump, but while replacing the sash cords and weights will improve energy performance, not everyone would consider that to be a viable option. And there are other options involved with keeping sash cords that will help as well. Fact many people like the look of wavy glass which was the norm in windows made long ago; yet the waves and bubbles in glass are technically a flaw in the manufacturing process. Glass producers did their best to avoid such embellishments, but it was the best that could be mass produced at the time using the sheet glass process. Actually, for higher-end (spelled $$$$) folks they could produce glass with much less waviness, even back at the turn-of-the-century, but it was expensive and few folks wanted to, or could afford to, spend the money for it, which of course doesnt mean that such ornamentation doesn't add the charm and character of the window and subsequently the home. Lots of "flawed" items have a certain charm and character of their own. And btw, I very much like "flawed" wavy glass and it is available today, made in the exact same process that was used 100 years ago, only today it is considered decorative and is therefore expensive. Finally at the end.