re: galvalume. this is my post of july 23, which i'm sending to you fyi. "we just finished lining the ceiling of our glassed-in porch and also underneath our overhanging eves with galvalume (galvanized corrugated aluminum). (it's not on top of the roof -- you look up at it). it's reminiscent of the old corrugated iron shed roofs, but really beautiful. however, it has developed hundreds of whitish/gray spots, which look like a venting/condensation problem, although the spots do not rub off like dried cloudy condensation spots usually do. it's brand new, so i don't think it's corrosion, although who knows? the spots run along near the wall of the house, about a foot wide, exactly where the old soffit was. this is occurring on the galvalume under the eves, but not the galvalume on the sunroom ceiling. (i think the sunroom ceiling, which is 10'x20', has more space above it and the air moves around more, so there's no venting issue.) i looked at the mfg. website (U. S. Steel), which says that "storage stain" can occur if the materials are stacked without ventilation, causing white or black spots. maybe it's related? (the mfgr. does not warranty the materials if the area is not vented properly) the GC and the architect are coming out to look at it next week. when the galvalume went up, it was spotless and beautiful. does anyone have any experience with this? I would like to get some information before meeting with the builder. THANKS."

I have a recommendation for whole-house fans, and that is to go with the ones made by Triangle Engineering of Arkansas (made in the USA!). These things move more air than any other brand. As an example: the 36" belt-drive model sold at Lowes & Home Depot moves 6,900 CFM on its highest speed. The 36" one that Triangle makes moves 10,600 CFM. I just put one of these in last week and am so taken with it that I'm evangelizing for Triangle now. These things are much higher quality than the other brands too -- these are made with very heavy-gauge solid welded steel (as opposed to the thin, flimsy metal - often aluminum - that other brands use). They use a very solid motor made by Emerson, the best of the top three motor-making companies (the other two being Fasco and A.O. Smith). They come pre-framed on a wood frame for installation, AND they have sponge-rubber noise-dampening material between the fan and the frame, so they are much quieter than the other brands. Also, Triangle holds a patent on an automatic belt-tensioning system these things use, so you don't have to worry about getting the tension right when you install the fan (or in the years thereafter as the belt loosens up). Also, they come in more sizes than the other companies -- from 24" all the way up to 48" blade diameter (which moves a ridiculously whopping amount of air; no one else makes one that big). They're sold online at Southern Tool amongst other places that ship nationwide, so they're available wherever you live. Also, Triangle re-brands some of these as a private label for Dayton, which is the "store brand" of Grainger - so if you have a Grainger store near you (check your phone book or their website), you can buy one there. I will say this, though - Grainger/Dayton makes their own shutters, and those shutters are much better than the one Triangle makes. Triangle makes great fans, but crappy shutters. Luckily, they're sold separately -- so buy a Triangle fan and Dayton shutters; money can't buy better products. They also re-brand some for a company out in San Francisco called "Fanman" (a/k/a "Delta Breeze"). A word to the wise -- these fans move a lot of air, so make sure to install at least the recommended minimum amount of attic exhaust space (gable vents, soffit vents, roof vents, some combination thereof, whatever works for you) - if you don't have enough, the fan will operate at reduced capacity, and there will be a backpressure which will cause the shutters to rattle when the fan is in operation (any time you hear whole-house fan shutters rattling, you know there isn't enough exhaust space). Oh, and one other thing -- only buy a belt-drive whole-house fan, don't EVER buy a direct-drive model...the direct-drive models are at least five times louder, they sound like standing on an airport runway next to an old prop plane getting ready to take off. Several of the dedicated whole-house fan installing companies have chosen to use Triangle fans; that should tell you something. These companies want satisfied customers, so they use Triangle and only Triangle. Refer to http://www.trianglefans.com/wholehouse.html for more info

Hi Claire, thanks for thinking about my layout issue, and thanks also for the feedback! Yes, I am using sketchup. What program did you use to draw on my jpg? I wouldn't necessarily mind turning that staircase if the benefits outweigh the drawbracks, but I'm not sure what I would do with the rest of the layout, and I would also have to turn the basement stairs (there is a half staircase from the garage to the basement directly underneath the stairs currently in the living room) and the headroom for the new stair orientation would have to come from an upstairs closet (there is a bedroom above most of the current living & dining rooms). Also, the length of the wall where you wrote "open" is only 3' 1" (from the beginning of the stairs to the dining room wall). Our upstairs hallway is 3' wide and it seems very narrow.

A couple of notes: - You don’t actually want to plant as densely or as close to the walk as in Doug’s sketch or in three years you will need to do a lot of pruning and in 5 or 8 you will be ripping out plants and starting all over again with many of them. Add large pots or a birdbath or art or annuals while you wait for some of your woody plants to put on size. - Whatever you plant needs to be sized appropriately for it ultimate growth. Plant tags often give plant sizes at an unrealistic 5 years, so be sure to look up on a reputable website such as the Missouri Botanic Garden’s Plantfinder to find the actual expected size. - You have a big overhang that creates a rain shadow that will always be dry without irrigation. Be sure to plan on irrigation for anything within that rain shadow. Regardless, don’t plant anything so close that it will grow to within a foot or so of the house. - Wider steps are great to make a welcoming entry. - Notice in both sketches that the plants in front of the windows are lower with taller plants framing it or placed further down the slope to not block the windows. - Plan to have some of your plants evergreen for a winter presence and some with either colored foliage or flowers for interest. - Sod or hydro seed the lawn at the appropriate time of year for your area which may be now.