metal rusts. both the zinc galvanization and the vinyl coating are there to help inhibit and slow down that action. but it is a temporary fix... there are problems with both systems... 1) Zinc galvanization does rust and break down... it is a white powdering coating (zinc oxide). 2) the vinyl coating can crack, tear and rip... so that water can enter be trapped - rusting the steel wire from the inside. water, salts and acids can all help the rusting process along... ALL of which are present in a good healthy garden and compost pile. In welding we avoid zinc galvanization, because of the dangerous off gas that is created, but even that requires long term exposure and high quantities... do a topic search of: "zinc oxide poisoning" Vinyl arguably leaches potentially dangerous chemicals over time... do a topic search of: "vinyl leaching" sorry... too much information?

Need some advice on what carpet to buy and Where to buy, We are buying a new construction and we have to buy the carpet ourselves. Is Homedepot a good place to get carpet. We are looking at low to mid range. Thank you for all your help

There are some people who talked about getting TIF-Grand but I have not read about their successes. I'm not a fan of zoysia. I have a spot of it as an experiment. At first I thought it was great, but it did not compete well with bermuda. Disappointed, but at least it's not my main lawn. I was also disappointed that we let it go dormant one summer and it never greened up again that season. It greened up fine the next April, but that was a long time. And that's when the bermuda got in. I see that in the full zoysia lawns in my neighborhood. It is definitely not all it's cracked up to be. I have another suggestion for the lawn. If you are patient, do the power rake only on the grass in the shade. Then put down only enough St Aug for the shady area. Make sure that takes well and sit back. The St Aug will spread and spread to take over the bermuda. All you have to do is pamper the St Aug and don't pamper the bermuda. That means mow all the grass at your mower's highest setting, fertilize infrequently, and water deeply and infrequently. St Aug spreads when the temps are between 60 degrees and 80, so you'll have two windows of opportunity. It will spread in the spring and again in the fall. It should spread about 5 feet each time. I let that happen at my house in George West, TX and now have an additional 3,000 square feet of lawn (acre lot started mostly in weeds). SuperSod mentioned compaction. Unless you've been parking the car on the lawn, playing football in the rain, or grazing livestock in the rain, then your soil is not compacted. It is very likely hard, but hard and compacted are different things. Compacted comes from driving all the air out of soggy soil. That's how adobe bricks are made. Hard soil comes from reduced population of beneficial microbes - chiefly fungi. You can get those back very easily. Apply 3 ounces of any clear shampoo per 1,000 square feet with a hose end sprayer. Follow that up with at least 1/2 inch of water. Repeat every few weeks as necessary. I did mine in San Antonio twice in 2011 and it's still soft today (checked after the rain yesterday). You'll know it worked when your soil becomes very soft after deep watering and then becomes very firm again a day or two later. That's normal. Give that a try. In my opinion burying compost is way over rated. Shampoo, deep watering, and routine use of alfalfa pellets should be plenty enough to boost your organic matter.

Since it sounds like you're not really anxious to use a lot of smartphone capabilities, I don't think it matters much which of the popular brands/models you get. If they're duds, they're not popular. :) If the Tech gal gives you a choice of several, for getting your texts, you'll do fine with whichever is cheaper, prettier, or more comfortable in your hand. A good feature, since you're using it for work texts, is having texts show on the lock screen. The Edge also will show them on the bevel at the side, so you can discretely see them scroll when your phone is on the table and the side is toward you, without obviously looking at the phone. Try out the keyboards. Some are more comfortable for texting. You may also like a Bluetooth keyboard case, or separate keyboard, or one of those things that are like a heavy lipstick case but project a keyboard onto a flat surface. Or you might prefer something a little less smart with keyboard buttons, if it will also do the fast text exchange. For other uses, Apple still has the most apps. Who has the best screen for movies goes back and forth. The Note is optimized for writing on with a stylus, though all have apps that will do it. Android system (which is on many phones) is about as well liked as Apple, and most significant apps are also available on it. Fire phone also runs on Android, I think, but has some limitations (which I only know from reading the online brochures, so research what that means), but gives you more integrated Amazon access (though that is also available on most phones). Re carriers, it's against the rules for a carrier that does not have good coverage at your home to sell to you, but you really need someone who has good coverage wherever you're likely to be. For awhile there were dead spots in major metropolitan areas, where one carrier or another would be the only one with signal. This has been pretty well ironed out. In less heavily covered areas with more natural barriers, there may be a local preference. There are also resellers who give discount rates and rent their space on the system of one of the big boys that owns the equipment. Considering you're upgrading to get rid of lag, I think you'd have more leverage if there's an issue if you were dealing with the company that owns the system, but that's just a feeling. I don't know if there's any real world backing to that. Before you talk to the Tech gal, why not go to a phone store and check out some of what there is? Then at least you won't be saying, "Huh?" when you meet with your company's person. Also, make a list of things you might like a smartphone to do, especially as applies to work. All have contact managers, for instance, but one might have something that integrates well with your company's system.