I sure do like the ideas already. Do a search on the first forum page for mgs by "Kirkus" as he has made some fantastic trellis out of tree branches, etc. The idea for using them for Christmas and holding decorations is great also. Either paint them or wrap red fabric strips around them to look like candycanes and then top with the star, gift boxes or snowflakes. I think those would look really cute. Or use them to hold faux pumpkins. I've been saving this pic for an idea. The pole in the pic is a porch or stair spindle. You could paint your poles orange and black and other bright halloween colors, nail on a wood top base to glue the pumpkin to and then stream down some colorful raffia with stars or moons attached to the bottom of the raffia or even hang down some fall leaf garland . These would swing in the wind and I think look really cute for the holidays.

Thanks oruboris... Duro is exactly who I'm looking at. I've heard great things about their product and so far I'm happy with their customer service, at least as far as answering emails goes. I found information on the below grade stuff on their website, here, section 1.3, letter "a": Duro below grade. I emailed them and their response was "We put this in our spec as a super precaution. There is no problem laying cork below grade as long as there is not excessive hydrostatic pressure. i.e. under 3 pounds per 1000sf using the calcium chloride test. This is a standard test for flooring." Now, I'm not exactly sure what hydrostatic pressure is, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the amount of moisture being released from the slab. Since we're doing everything possible to be sure the slab is dry (it's our main living space) I'm assuming we'll be ok using the glue down tiles. So, my only remaining concern is the radiant heat. It was my understanding that the floating floor is better over radiant because when it expands/contracts, the floor does so as one solid piece rather than as each individual tile would in a glue down situation (causing gaps), which makes sense to me. However, after looking through some old emails, you're right, they claim that both glue down and floating can be used over radiant. I'm not sure what they're saying with glue down then... maybe they don't expand/contract much if acclimated properly before installation? Ugh. So confusing!

Many years ago I installed a Bruce oak floor for my sister and BIL, prefinished with a wax finish, random width like 3,5, &7 inches. The instructions told me to glue (liquid nails) under the tongue edges of every course, which I did, and they never had any cupping or squeaks in that floor, even though their builder (five year old house) was a real jack-leg and the subfloor was CDX ply -- really rough condition. It was nailed with regular floor cleats. FWIW. Casey

If the manufacturer says it's OK over radiant, I'd trust that. Duro Designs told me in writing [via email] that their glue down was fine as well, though I don't know if they've changed the website to reflect that. When you think about it, there's no less flexible material than grouted tile, but that's commonly used over radiant. I think the reason there's so much trouble finding radiant approved flooring is that once the floor and heat system are installed, the homeowner is in the drivers seat: there's nothing to stop you from trying for a little greater efficiency by turning the water in the pipes up to 120 degrees if you like, and that can cause a lot of materials to fail. So the flooring industry tries to limit it's liability by saying 'fine over radiant, so long as the water in the pipes is kept at 85 degrees'. When you think about it, that's just silly: every floor gets hotter than that when the sun shines through the window or the fireplace is burning or near a heater. So why 85? Because it 'feels' warm to your skin. There's no materials testing, no scientific standard in play other than that. FWIW, I have radiant accross my main and upper floors. The tile is noticeably warm under barefeet, the laminate less so, the floating cork less, the carpet [despite special pad] not at all. I think a glue down cork will transmit heat at least as well as the floating, and would have used it if my heat pipes weren't the sort that rest on top the subfloor, rather than below. It isn't that the cork feels cool at all, it's just that the warmth doesn't make itself known in the same way. BUT be sure to insulate well below the heat: we all know that heat rises, but it also follows the path of least resistance. Cork is a resistor, a 'dam' for the heat, so you'll want an even bigger heat dam below it.