Kinetico RO.....Highly recommend the K5W unit....the one with the "water-on-water" storage tank, which I believe is Kinetico exclusive. Much superior to their own or anyone else's air-bladder tanks. Uses line water-pressure for delivery so no drop-off in flow rate from full to empty. Also refills with zero back-pressure so replenishment is much faster and with much less wasted water. I've had two of them at different locations for more than a year. 2.7 gallons capacity. Flows about 1.2 gallons per minute at my 65psi line pressure. Refills from empty in under an hour. Far superior to previous (or current) air-bladder tank. Worth every penny of the extra in terms of convenience IMHO. (Had previous Kinetico RO units for 18 years with zero problems. Responded to their exchange-discount offer.) Kinetico is high-end supplier but they absolutely do hold up their end of the bargain in my experience. They did everything. I did nothing.

Busy day - Macbook has been crashing, got that post out in between crashes. Worked with Apple Care on the phone, think they fixed it. So yes, IR Scan during blower door test. I'm sure I will get all the details, but he said it's not uncommon, but because of the drafty house, he could not get the fan up to a certain level. Forget what that number was or the value of that number. So the house did not get that cold either. The blower was running for a long time, and the house cooled down from 70 to about 63. I expected much worse after you guys wrote about it in here. I think I expected the inside to feel like outside. Anyway, he pointed out the edges of all walls, at the corners and top rails where you can see there is no insulation. I think you can clearly see that the walls are insulated ok. Attic access panels are killers. We dont even try to fake it here, just a thin wood or sheetrock panel, we have 3 access points. He suggested buying a can of Mastic, spread it on the back and press on insulation, it would help. He suggested sealing any recessed lights, and using the spray fluffy insulation in attics. For one of the attics that has an air handler, he suggests creating a conditioned attic space by insulating the walls, but I dont think I agree with that. For the Crawl, he first suggests I stop any water entry, yes there is right now, might be hard to fix. I have two Sumps down there, but somehow water gets in, and just hangs out on the floor, never more than 1/16 inch deep, but spreads out. Then he says insulating the walls of the crawl to make it air tight, no venting. Or the other approach is to insulate the ceiling or main floor - floor. It's insulated now, but he says it's not doing anything, Its installed backwards, and only a few inches thick . He said I could go with a spray foam, a little pricey, or a real thick high R value insulation. I will share the report when it comes. Was nice having the house warm over the last 24 hours, but I used well over 300 KV in that time.

First, read the "Read Me" thread. It has a lot of useful information to help you get started. In particular, take the "Sweeby Test" (link to the test is in the "Read Me" thread): http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0215535329506.html There is a lot of information in the above thread! Everything from how to use this Forum to planning for storage to links to helpful threads. Don't ignore it! Next, learn about kitchen design principles...i.e., research! Here are a couple of good resources: National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Kitchen Planning Guidelines with Access Standards: http://www.nkba.org/guidelines/kitchen.aspx BH&G Kitchen Design Guidelines (it appears to have some updates to the NKBA guidelines that are not in the link above): http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/kitchen/planning/kitchen-design-guidelines/ Note, however, the BH&G slideshow of "kitchen styles" violates quite a few of the guidelines they quote from the NKBA...so be careful about buying-in to their sample kitchens. BTW...it's not just the BH&G site, but most sites that show "dream kitchens"...most of these kitchens are really what are known as "show kitchens" as opposed to "working kitchens"...i.e., they look nice, but you wouldn't want to work in one for very long! Research your appliance choices as well. Hopefully the "Read Me" thread + Sweeby Test have given you a good idea of what you want. Then there are the myriad of other choices...research them all as well! #1 What is your goal or vision--Take the Sweeby Test #2 Layout!--This is actually the most important item but will be, in part, driven by the results of the Sweeby Test. It will drive the rest of your decisions/choices. Read up on "work zones" (see the "Read Me" thread). Don't scrimp on time or effort! General Kitchen Layout--Galley vs L vs U vs G; Island vs Peninsula vs Table vs none; Open to rest of house vs definite room separations; wide open and airy vs small and cozy Kitchen Style--Modern/Contemporary, Transitional, Traditional, Vintage, Craftsman, Minimalism, etc. Flooring--Wood (engineered, full 3/4" or so), Tile, Vinyl, Linoleum, Laminate (like Pergo), etc. Countertops--Granite, Soapstone, Quartz, Marble, Solid Surface, Butcher Block, Stainless Steel, Laminate, etc.; Edge (eased, ogee, bullnose, etc.); 3cm vs 2cm thickness Backsplash--Full or partial; Tile, Countertop Material, Stainless Steel, etc.; Simple pattern, Complex pattern, Mural, etc. Sink(s)--Main/Cleanup Sink, yes; Prep Sink?; Stainless Steel, Silgranit, Cast Iron, etc.; Undermount, Overmount, Farm/Apron, Integrated, etc. Fixtures--Faucets & their styles; Pull Out, Pull Down, Bridge, Separate Side Spray, etc.; Soap Dispensers, Air Switches, Sink strainers, etc.; Finishes...polished/brushed; nickel, SS, ORB, Chrome, etc. Cabinets--Wood Species; Paint, Stain, Glaze; Framed or Frameless; Inset or Full Overlay or Partial Overlay or Frameless Doors;...

Update to the 6 & 10 Rule: It only applies when the 1/3 - 2/3 Rule of Cantilevering applies (1' can cantilever over 2' of cabinets). If your slab is 2 cm, you can have up to a 6" overhang without support. If your slab is 3 cm you can have up to a 10" overhang without support . If you are using a pony wall or cabinets with a depth of less than 2 times the depth of the overhang, then you need to provide support to equal at least 2/3 of the total depth of the countertop. . Thank you Joseph Corlett, LLC for the additional information!