Well it seems that with all our help you should be able to sort out your machine! I know a huge fuss is made over hackers getting into computer systems, but now you see why they do it. The internet is dominated by a computer program/s and a company that has put out a flawed product and expects everyone to suck the big one themselves if something is wrong with it. I have always used programs that have nothing to do with the big corporate softeware giants and have never had spyware, virus or other problems (touch wood ;-)) that sound as bad as yours...as for my wifes advice 'format c' and use firefox!!! Get someone in who knows what they are doing to fix the problems by reformatting your hard drive, don't let them install any unecessary programs...like IE. Use firefox and get the same person to set it up so you don't pick up extra junk, use the firewall, adblock etc. Finally, be very careful on which links you choose to look at, there are so many bogus ones out there. As for people complaining about ads...what ads? I don't see them...Yay for firefox!!! Wazzimodo

Hi Caterinms, I sort of agree with brickeye in the respect of the 'One Solid' wall enclosure is a bad thing in a flood area. I believe the reason is that your foundation may float in a bad storm. Imagine your basement as a large bathtub. You have walls and a concrete slab. I agree that it will not be 100% water tight and some water will seap in. The failure mode is if the water rises sufficiently fast such that your basement become bouyant enough to shift. That will essentially take out your foundation. I think it may be worth looking into housing building techniques in Dubai. The artificual island homes build on reclaimed land have water tables just below the surface, lots of sea water pressures. The technology I used is Dutch which allows for basements below the water line. Granted however that there are fewer storms of Katrina magnitude in that area of the world. In your situation what would it take to add the extra four feet of concrete height? Also could you try and divide your basements into smaller enclosed chunks? This will add cost, the question is how much? Also I guess is will it look different to what you have already in mind. 4 Feet of fill is alot of fill dirt, and trucking will be expensive. Just an idea, say you did not fill. Your house would not be anchored, and your door will be say 4 feet above grade. For aestetics, you would like your house anchored to grade. Maybe there is a deck, porch, or other structure that may facilite this? Difficult to suggest in that I cannot see your picture for some reason. From the height requirments, it is almost as if the best solution for your location would be to build the house on some sort of stilts, almost like a pier. Then you would not have to bring in all that fill. Stilt houses are quite nice. One example is the Farnsworth house by Miles van der Rohe. This is sort of late into the process to think about a redesign, but I think some sort of redesign is required in that I think the local inspectors are not going to sign off as is. For piece of mind, I think building it higher is better. Also you would get a better view. Warmest regard, Mike.

I hear you. My hat is off to anyone who is able to have aged parents move in with them, and share the family/TV room, kitchen, etc. but what you described in your last post is a recipe for life being h***. It's one thing (and a big thing) to take on the responsibility of having aged parents nearby and caring for them, but it's a whole nother step to have an older person in charge of the remote camped in your living room every evening of your life. I know you didn't ask for advice on the personal part of it, but your last post expressed some very understandable and very human trepidation about too much closeness. (My mom has alzheimer's so I do have some idea what is coming eventually as far as your FIL.) And maybe I'm reading too much between the lines, but it sounds as if you are facing a huge life change without completely being consulted or getting to vote....so you ought to have huge veto powers on the arrangements (just as, if you wanted to bring your mother into your home your hubby should have big veto powers over the exact arrangement.) Meantime, your MIL is still in good health and active, and it sounds as if she would also be happier with her own space and privacy? As your FIL's condition deteriorates, and eventually your MIL's health (which might be a long time from now) you can still be near enough to help and there are alarms and buzzers that can be wired even into a separate cottage, apartment, or duplex (and some people cut a door between duplex units for this very thing, then put it back for resale.) In any case, don't let anyone make you feel bad for not wanting to share your kitchen and LR with your in-laws; chances are they will also be happier with their own space and as much independence as possible. To bring this back OT...I think resale for a nice duplex or separate apartment is pretty good in many areas. ;~)

@cpartist, thank you for that encouragement. I hope ours is the same. In residential there is normally never any oil or fluid in the pit. The piston & cylinder are along the side (https://symmetryelevators.com/how-do-residential-elevators-work/). The ram (or piston) has a very thin coating of hydraulic oil and I believe this is the source of the smell as it is a lot of surface area. My thought is a powered vent (likely a small inline blower) in the top of the shaft and possibly an open vent for supply air in the bottom on the same side as the hydraulic system. My hope would be that this would pull air in, across the hydraulic components, and out.