Since this is an outer wall, I'll wager this is thermal expansion/contraction of the piping or heating elements. When I was very young, the house had a family room that had been converted from a screened porch. A loop of hydronic baseboard heat was the easiest to add to a system that had radiators elsewhere. As the heat would come on, one could hear the baseboards creaking with expansion, which would occur sequentially around the room. Sounded like some small and not especially energetic critter making the rounds. If you don't see droppings, you don't have mice. Snakes, maybe, but not mice.... ;-) Cheers

Based on my experience as homeowner (not a professional), I'd say a 2 ton or 2 1/2 ton AC system would be the max you'd need. I'd be very leery of anyone saying you needed anything larger unless they had the facts to back it up. American Std is made by the same company that makes Trane, so it's not a low end brand. 13 SEER is now the mininum you can buy. Your wiring will probably be ok, but you can discuss that with the salesmen who come out, they take all that into account. Get a lot of estimates, at least two on each brand. Keep in mind there's a 30%/$1500 Federal tax credit on more efficient models. I found that with the tax credit included that some of the mid-grade systems were actually more expensive than some of the upper end units.

We have a few addicts in our family. You probably know these things, but in case you don't... The first things drugs do is destroy a person's conscience. Right and wrong mean nothing to an addict--they only care about finding the money for their next fix. Addicts lie. MOST of the time. NO ONE can 'fix' an addict or their relationship with one. As long as you're trying to help him (paying for life's essentials, letting him get away with abusing you, etc), YOU are keeping him an addict. Most addicts really don't change. The few who do usually do so only after they've totally hit rock bottom. Helping him as you are, is keeping him from deciding to get the real help he needs. Look, as the others have said, YOU cannot fix this problem. All you really can do is save yourself. Get out. Take some time to heal, and find a real man, who truly loves you, and won't abuse you physically, verbally and financially. And just in case those words don't help you make up your mind--are you prepared to go to jail for this man? If the police find drugs in the car while YOU'RE driving it, YOU could be charged with the crime. And do you really believe this guy would step up and claim ownership of them to get you out of trouble? I doubt it. Whatever else you decide to do, please start squirrelling money away for the legal fees you no doubt will be paying sometime in the future, because one or the other of you will probably need to be bailed out and defended at some point

We are going to be replacing the carpet since it looks HORRIBLE in real life. I’ve thought about different banisters or the glass look but worry about the dogs and kids. Paint is a good thought! I just feel like the current rails are bulky. I’ve also thought about closing it off completely with drywall but wasn’t sure how that would look. Thanks everyone!