I did pipe boot connections on my retrodrain through the wall of the pond. Didn't make my hole as large as what Horton suggested--only 1/2 the diameter of whatever size pipe. Most recent was 3" and made a 1 1/2" hole in the centre of where I wanted the pipe. The liner stretches but it takes strong fingers. Easy to do and as far as I know no leaks. Curious why aren't you looking at external pumps for your pond? They are more energy efficient, easy to winterize. I have a priming pot on both of mine even though they are below ground but had a problem with quilt batting getting wrapped around the impeller of the older pump before using a priming pot. I have a Sequel 4350GPH pump that is very quiet uses 175W. This year I plumbed this pump to my sc and the old pump (Sequence 750 4200GPH but only pumping about 1/2 of that due to bent shaft) to my skimmer. I probably don't need both pumps as also changed my waterfall out this year so is smaller. The Sequence is noisy and leaks a little on start up around the shaft. Long story short I love the external pumps. Aquaart carries good external pumps and also the bottom drain that is mentioned either here or other forums. I also like the skimmer--it collects alot of surface stuff like dust! In the fall I run my pond on the skimmer only so that I can remove my drains (have a midwater drain now which is also awesome) before the water gets too cold. Like Horton my pumps/sc are hidden under a deck. Two pummps might be an idea for your pond as you need less flow through your biofilter and more flow through your waterfall. One idea I saw here if you only use one pump and need the circulation (in your case at least 5000GPH) was to pump part of the water back into the main pond and the rest through the biofilter/stream. Aquaart has a diagram of how to do this. As for valves depends on if you have a drain on you skippy filter etc. I have a knife valve between pond and sc on the bd but on the midwater drain which also goes into sc I don''t--I use a standpipe. After skimmer and sc 2" ball valves--I know could have used knife valves there but ball valves are more reliable. My check valves are after the pump but before the ball valves to the waterfall filters. This is to keep the water from the waterfall filters coming back down through the pump and into the pond if power goes off which it does here frequently. Because I have priming pots, sc and skimmer I don't need check valve before the pump. Can't remember when you need check valve before the pump--sorry. Ball valves after the check valves to control flow to filters. I know that I could get away with running one pump now due to the changes I made in adding a midwater drain to my sc (had alot of draw down!) and waterfall changes as the valve on my Sequel pump to higher waterfall is turned down more than 1/3rd. It's just time consuming and more pipe to change it out again. I don't know if you are allowed to use ABS in the US. I use it here as fittings are available and it stands up to my climate. Also because it's black any pipework in the pond lie retro bd don't show as much. You have a fun project on your hands! It can get rather overwhelming but there are many knowledgable people on this forum who can help you. Good luck. Patti

this is from the GardenWeb terms of service. Basically if you upload to their servers your content is fair game. "By submitting content, which shall include your member name, to any "public area" of the GardenWeb Network, including, but not limited to, the forums and your personal website, exchange page and journal, you grant iVillage a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive right (including any moral rights) and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, sublicense, assign, derive revenue or other remuneration from, communicate to the public, perform and display the content (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed, for the full term of any Rights that may exist in such content. If you are not the creator of such content, you also warrant that the holder of any Rights, including moral rights in such content, has completely and effectively waived all such rights and validly and irrevocably granted to you the right to grant the license stated above. You also permit any visitor or member to access, display, view, store and reproduce such content solely for personal, noncommercial use" from photobuckets TOS "When you make your Content public, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to copy, distribute, stream, post publicly display (e.g. post it elsewhere), reproduce and create derivative works from it (meaning things based on it), anywhere, whether in print or any kind of electronic version that exists now or is later developed, for any purpose, including a commercial purpose." Most other website that allow uploading of content have the same TOS. Now if you own the Server and the website then you have a bit more "rights" When i share a photo I realize that now it is public and could be taken and used elsewhere. That is why I would suggest everyone watermark you photos. mike

Well, that really helps - eliminating the soulless orange wicker chair prospects! It's too bad shipping is so much because there are probably a bunch of them around the country sitting in stores. I wonder if some of us found them and asked to have them shipped to your nearest store, if they would?

This post is either a hoax or God help anyone that owns a home worked on by Brian S. Union rough carpenters are making $30 per hour give or take, and that is the labor source on most new builds. Add benefits and taxes and the employer is paying about double that, $60+ per man per hour. $12.50 an hour is disgraceful. That is either illegal labor or highly unqualified, and a remodeling company will likely be repairing leaky, shoddy workmanship in about 10 years. Secondly, it looks like you were given some potential resources above to buy windows at or near wholesale but have not followed up. Whether its Okna, softlite, or a host of other window makers, these are 95% remodeling sector companies and so are their dealers. Complaining that you are not getting good service as a builder? Yeah, no S#!T. I wouldn't go to a steak house and complain that I didn't get my food in 2 minutes like I do at a fast food joint. Realistic expectations you do not have. You are throwing people under the bus for not servicing you, but its because its a completely different sector. Not sure what is not understood about that. If simonton gives you great service then go with them. They make a fine window. If your homeowner is the one that wants Okna windows and you are all bent out of shape because you don't want the hassle, then tell him to source them, or tell him that you need to pay more. You are not going to get a premium window on builder grade budget. Coming on here and trashing a window company because of your own incompetence or unwillingness adapt to that fact that you are dealing with a different sector of the industry is shameful. Good luck to you, but more importantly, good luck to whomever you are working for.