RCMJR & misoilman, tnx for your replies. RCMJR: LDJ appears to have been in business since 1999. According to the LDJ website they claim the boiler is "Great for radiant floor heat systems". I'd be interested in talking to existing users to see how they are getting on with the the system. I took a closer look at their page about the corn boiler and they claim it's thermostat controlled, perhaps it's able to be dialed down. The picture of it looks like a water heater with a hopper sitting next to it. I'll post the url for the corn boiler. The capacity of the water heater portion is eighteen gallons. They also have an option that would allow the boiler to provide hot water for "domestic" use. So would be able to heat water for shower's, washing dishes etc. Right now the utility room has two gas fired water heaters sitting in it, one for the floor heat and one for domestic use, I think. We'd have to talk the heating and plumbing guy that took over from the H&P guy that had been maintaining the system for many years. The retired fellow is still in town and we might be able to talk him into coming over and orienting us with the systems. misoilman: Having the seller comfirm the moisture content of the corn would be the first thing I would insist on when purchasing the corn. I do know from talking with the folks at the elevator, they will not accept corn that is more than 15 percent moisture. I also need to check with the city to make sure there isn't an ordinance that would preclude me from having a small gravity box sitting next to the carport. If the gravity box is small enough, I'd even consider backing it into the carport. Alas, there is no basement on this dream house. Just a thick concrete slab...:-) So We'll probably use a couple of five gallon buckets for transfer of fuel from the box to the hopper. I'd just consider it a form of exercise...:) We're also a bit concerned about the age of the plumbing in the floor as it is original to the house. The impression I got from the house inspector was that the in floor plumbing was put in place then had the concrete poured over it. I'm going to have to have someone that has better eyes than me and know's what they're looking for, look at the blueprints and see if we can find out how thick the concrete is. Luckily, we've secured a "home warranty" from the seller for at least the first year (at their expense), and there is a possibility of extending it through the second year. I should also probably state that the corn boiler is not a done deal as we are still in the early part of the research stage. Although, a friend of ours has suggested we check the website of the Governor of Illinois and see if there are any grants or other incentives that we might be elgible for. Governor Blagojevich (Bla-goy-a-vich, what a mouthful) is very interested in promoting alternative fuels and energy use in Illinois. Here is a link that might be useful: LDJ's Corn Boiler page

Based on my experience, I'd say that trying to divide an open area into two zones won't work. We built a 1000 sq ft addition of several rooms and and an open area - it has its own furnace and a new furnace was put into the existing structure at the same time. The connection between the areas is a wide-ish hallway. When both furnaces are on, the house is evenly warm. Without closing doors, it's not feasible to have the heat on on one side but not the other because the cold air mass on the "off" side keeps the "On" part of the house from warming up. The areas most distant from the border will get too warm as the system tries to compensate, and the areas near the border stay cold. Neither cold nor warm stays put because you want it to. In your plan, I think there would be a constant flow of warm air to the cold area along the ceiling and cold air to the warm area along the floor. Not a question that you asked, but your plan suggests you're going to have a very dark region by the dining room and stairs. You've got a long wall with no windows between the living room and the family room, and the fireplace will block light coming from the front. Good luck

I think weâÂÂre in the wrong forum here, however⦠The dimensions for this bathroom are a mere 36in wide by 9ft long - thatâÂÂs it! The shower area does not feel cramped due to there being no constraints of either a door or threshold to step over. There is no âÂÂstep-up' into the bathroom as it was planned as a European shower which by definition means no step up no threshold no nothing beyond what there was to enter the old bathroom. Cost for the Schluter water proofing materials, and labor to install Schluter & tiles was $10k not including tiles, Schluter linear drain or any preparation to have everything ready for the tile installer, Hugo Sanchez. All dimensions had to be prepared to within a 1/32in for the linear drain to fit perfectly between the finished walls. Electric in-floor is not a problem, nothing should go wrong, however, it would be very difficult to repair if there were a problem within the electric floor mat itself. It must be connected by a licensed electrician to a ground fault interrupter circuit breaker for your safety. We also chose a thermostatically controlled exposed shower faucet (Grohe Grotherm 3000) not only for its aesthetic appeal but also for servicing, as the tiles will never have to be removed for any kind of servicing. Regarding Schluter, which is the âÂÂgold standardâ for wet room waterproofing, you can contact them for a recommendation to a certified installer. Even better might be to ask for a recommendation from a high-end ceramic tile dealer in your area. Even so, ASK about the level of competence and quality of the installerâÂÂs work. Also ask for references. Regarding your bathroom window location, I think this will always be a problem left as a conventional window as indicated in your drawing. What I would suggest as a permanent fix would be to replace the entire window with square glass blocks either set in place with an epoxy grout or silicone. This would satisfy the need for privacy and make the window area virtually trouble and maintenance free. Regarding storage space Robern is THE choice, fully manufactured in the USA, high-end and drop dead gorgeous throughout! Ours is wired with 6-electrical outlets within the cabinet (standard) and is internally wired for cable TV & Internet. SR Here is a link that might be useful: Robern

jup Really sorry you are experiencing all the angst and other w an inferior plumber. I would get things inspected ASAP and all your lines pressure tested. Have you paid the guy fully? if not, you have some bartering chips - not sure where you are and how the law works there, but it might be best to get a qualified plumber in there to redo things correctly...you don't want problems popping up over time. I live in city but have had a country house/ranch and 11 utility sheds and barns..I know the drill. Mice and rats look for 2 things: shelter and food. take either one of them away and they leave. Plug anything dime size and bigger. build storage facilities [and homes] that does not allow access to insulation, clothes, or anything they can make a nest. Put out taps before you even think you have a problem. I like the spring traps bc you can see what you catch., Bait them w tootsie rolls - rats/mice have a huge sweet tooth and you can squeeze on the tootsie roll where they cannot get it off unless the trap is spring. I'm not a cat person, but they do the gig well. Also, I always put snakes [non poisonous] under my house or direct them that way. Anyway, hope you get your retirement house fixed soon and obtain peace of mind..good luck