Bill: Within 15 minutes, possibly less. There was also an obvious water stain on the joists. I had a contractor out since I posted this. The tub is definitely reverse-sloped about 1/2" toward the faucet end, as is the tile floor. He had two alternative ideas. 1. Put in sliding glass tub/shower door (right now it's just a shower curtain), build it up so water in the track doesn't pool in the "down" corners, redo caulk between tile floor and tub, also redo caulk between tub walls and tub using better quality caulk, total cost about $750, and yell at kid to be careful with water. This is the bandaid fix (he was being honest with me in that all of this will lessen the problem but not solve it) OR 2. Gut the bathroom, which will probably cost $10K or so. This is a kid's bathroom; kid is 16 and, I hope, going away to college in about 2 years. It has an ugly 1980s fluorescent light box ceiling and the same coverings & trim I hated in my kitchen -- 3" square tiles with wide grout, brass everything, ugly ratty pickled oak low quality wood vanity -- and a water hog toilet. I'd planned to just do a facelift with paint this summer when we redecorate his room, but now I'm not sure. I really do not have $10K to spend but I also like to know that I am fixing problems, not band-aiding them. Help! What would you (Bill or anyone else) do? Blue

thanks for the feedback so far. I was so excited to put the plans on here I forgot some details. there will be a full basement, we're planning on putting the garage in there, under the kitchen side. The original house had a dumbwaiter on that side of the house to take groceries and such up. I was also thinking of putting a coat closet on the front side of the stairs, the whole stairs issue has been super complicated trying to go up so far, and not use a ton of space for them. A drop zone is a definate must, I use the kitchen table for that and the other 1/2 has a chest and a desk in the front door. We like to think that we are tidy but make a mess too. Most likely there will be some built ins in the living room too, any suggestions? we're hoping to do that room in wood paneling. The walk in pantry is something I knew you all would say that I needed. Any ideas on how to get one in the space. At the front of the kitchen, closest to the dining room, we have a wet bar/butlers pantry area. In our current house that is one of the most used spots and seems more valuable space wise. Land is close to asheville NC, site elevation is about 4ooo ft. So it's pretty high up for here. The living room faces south. Climate is moderate, we get all seasons up there. The one thing that I'm not sure of is how brutal the winters will be, they have been changing a lot lately. We don't need screen porches, there are not any flying insects at that elevation. I'll try to put the original plans up too. Thanks for your help so far!!

My initial reaction....and it's too late now....is don't pay a dime for any service you didn't authorize. You signed for the diagnostic, and that tech should not have decided what to do with your money. Shraeder cores, if damaged when brazing, can cause small leaks. How old are the indoor coils? They should have been replaced with the outdoor units ideally, but you already knew this based on your post. They may have leaks, but I wouldn't jump to a conclusion there. They should find the leaks and then go from there. You're going to have to put your trust in somebody (ask friends) unless you're willing to spend lots of money on training and tools and materials for your husband. Purchasing refrigerant requires a certification. By the way, I'm not biased from a professional standpoint -- just an average homeowner like yourself. Good luck.

It's natural for heat to rise, so some/all of your first floor heat may be rising to upstairs. It could be as simple as checking the runs coming off of main trunks for dampers that may be mostly (or totally) closed. In most cases, dampers should not be totally closed off, so make small adjustments (+/-). If by chance, your furnace has a variable speed fan, and your thermostat/furnace board has a setting for slow speed circulation, running with fan on with that setting will help even out your temperatures. V