I think the tub probably is cast iron. When I tap on the slope of the back, I hear more of a bell sound. The tiling on the apron may be muffling any sound when I tap on the sides of the tub. On the drain cover, it says "Made in Taiwan," and it looks like cast iron tubs may have been imported from Taiwan in the 80's. The main incentive for the bathroom remodel is a serious leakage problem with the shower pan in the stall shower. A secondary reason is that the entire layout has never been ideal. Third reason is that all the small tile and grout is a pain to clean. Fourth reason is the decor (tile) is dated. I don't know if it's possible or cost-effective to remove the tiling around the tub without damaging it. It would be challenging to design a new bathroom around the old tub with the existing tile. I need to operate the window; it is the only source of ventilation in the bathroom. Changing the layout would provide easier access to the window. I've thought of several alternatives - add a fan, add another window, change the window configuration (awning-type window), or find a window treatment that provides privacy without sacrificing ventilation. While the exterior length of the tub is 66", the interior length is 44". The depth is 15". I'm 5'1" and this size works for me, but probably not for the average-size adult. My teenage son likes to take baths. He's a foot taller than me and has long legs. I took him with me to try out some longer tubs - even some of the 72" tubs are too short for him, depending on the slope of the sides. Given that I'm accustomed to a cast iron tub, will I be disappointed if I replace it with a new acrylic / fiberglass tub? There are some other types of materials, such as Victoria & Albert tubs and WetStyle tubs; I'm thinking about looking at these.

Aloha Nancy Louise, We have a similiar woodstove, too! Someone had it out by the side of the road to be taken away but it was too heavy for the trash folks. We saw it from the garage sale next door and went over to look at it. If we would have asked, they might have given us something for hauling it away. We used a wire brush in a compressed air drill to clean the rust and rough stuff off. That took the rust and spackling off real quick. They had been remodeling so there was spackle and paint drips on the stove. I don't think it had been used much if at all, though. It had been put outside a house in Hawaii Kai on Oahu and it doesn't really get too far into woodstove weather there. We are too close to sea level over here on the Big Island to really need it, but at the "price" we couldn't resist. If we move to a higher elevation it will come in handy. Stove blacking is easy to use and inexpensive, too. I think it is wax with soot added, but it makes it a proper sort of black. I reblacked the stove a year ago last spring and it has been sitting in the storage area under the house for a year and looks as black as it did the day it was finished. A hui hou, Cathy

We bought teak patio furniture a little over two years ago. We were told we would need to clean it once or twice a year to keep it looking new, but that if you do it more often, it is much easier and faster to do. If you let if grey, it requires more work to clean it and restore the color. Within a couple of months of us getting the furniture, my mom broke her hip and then she and my dad had other problems. The both passed in the coming months and my youngest graduated from high school and went off to college -- we were busy and I wasn't really up to tackling the patio furniture. It really didn't look brand new, but it wasn't bad. Last year, the other older son graduated from college and both sons had two moves before the summer was over. Patio furniture was once of those things we let slide again. This year we were hit with nearly non-stop rain, and now that the rain has hit the pause button we have dangerous heat ---- so, the teak has been on its own again so far this year. I've seen weathered teak and it is a pretty grey -- soft and the texture is still smooth -- not raised grain like you might think. I'm not sure if we will let ours continue to patina or clean them back to the original color. Both are good. Right now, the two chaises are nearly grey with white slings and the table and chairs are semi-greyish. We have teak rockers we bought from Sam's on the front porch and they have not changed much so far. Teak is not cheap, but it may not run a lot more than quality metal sets and it should last you a lifetime. This is the set we got. I liked the round tables but we didn't have the space for a larger one. The extensions allow us more room to seat 6-8, possibly 10, when needed, but the Laguna chairs are on the narrower side and we can sit 6 even when in the round. But if you have the space, there are so many options out there. BTW, the site I linked has a 10% sale right now. Earlier and later in the season, they have deeper discounts for early birds and end of or off season. The prices will probably go down by $th of July or soon after. If your current set can hold out a little longer, you can save 25-30% with free shipping (I just checked my quote). Of you cose them, they really do crate, pallette and accept free returns (we tried two chairs to decide which was most comfortable -- we ordered one of each style, sent one back and ordered 5 more of the one we wanted. No cost for sending the one back. Great service.

We do the majority of our cooking in cast iron. We have 2 pans that were my husband’s grandmother’s. And 2 newer pieces we bought. My husband is a freak about them. The newer ones we seasoned when we first got them. Vegetable oil or canola oil and bake in the oven. Then use a lot! I have the lodge scrapers and use those and super hot water to clean. No soap. Maybe once in a while if I feel like it really needs a cleaning. When I do that I tell my husband because he will dry it and then wipe it down with some oil, his favorite now is coconut. My son and daughter are already making noises about who inherits what pan lol.