Hi Julie, how strange you couldn't post this to the other thread???!!!! Anyway, love that you've got your geraniums going. I'm finding them pretty easy to overwinter. I actually dug a few of mine out and threw them in a pile planning on getting to them to re-pot then forgot them for four weeks. Well I found the pile in the stuff in the garage and just for jollies I chopped them all back to about five inches or so from the soil line, repotted them and voila, they are ALL doing well and leafing out. Hardy plants! I cleaned bathrooms and changed the sheets on the bed as well as washed the kitty bedding today. Not a lot to show for the day but I also spent some time in my blind. Deanne

There's a difference between "anti-fracture", "crack isolation", and "decoupling" when it comes to membranes and tile. Some are defined by the industry. Some are just stated by the manufacturers. I'll toss out what may not be a perfect answer...since there really isn't a perfect definition of the three terms within the industry. But here's my "sort of" best definition: If you have active movement in a floor, for example, a wood framed platform floor than has a little vertical flex to it, then a decoupling membrane like Ditra or Strata-mat would be a good choice. If you tile over a concrete slab that has existing shrinkage cracks in it, A crack isolation membrane can absorb some horizontal movement if the cracks move. If there is vertical up/down movement though, all bets are off. Crack isolation membranes usually aren't "whole slab" coverage types of applications. They are just applied where the cracks are located. Anti-fracture membranes usually are "whole slab" coverage membranes. Now, if you tile over a slab that has movement joints cut into the slab itself, the best installation is to have the grout joint in the tile fall directly over the movement joint in the slab. Instead of hard grout, the tile joint over slab's movement joint gets filled with a soft material. It could be caulk, but it normally would be a commercially made type of soft expansion joint material. If the tile grout lines can't be lined up right over the slab movement joint, then an anti-fracture membrane can allow the tile joint to be offset from the slab joint by a bit. Again, the anti-fracture will help with horizontal movement. But any vertical movement? You can have tiles popping off the floor. All that written? Even though a product like Ditra isn't an official "crack isolation" or "anti-fracture" membrane, a lot of folk use it over slabs because of its waffle structure. Strata-mat will likely be used in the same way. A lot of what I wrote is predicated on slab versus wood subfloor too. While Ditra would be used over both, the others are usually just used over slabs. "Do people use Hydroban to cover their floor instead of Ditra?" Not really. HB is listed as a "crack isolation" due to the fact that it can bridge gaps, and it does have a little flex to it, so it does offer some shear protection. But that protection is really just against shrinkage cracks, usually just in thinset. It won't protect much against any vertical flexing. I do know that some folk have used up extra HB on a bathroom floor "just because". They might paint it on the cement board in front of the tub or shower to provide a bit of waterproof protection prior to tiling. I've never seen it used for true "wet room" protection. Mostly just because they have extra HB left over, so why not use it? I have seen it used on kitchen countertop substrates, prior to tiling. "Don't they both have anti-fracture properties? Or, is the decoupling action of Ditra more than an anti-fracture function (of Hydroban) ? " On a floor, yes, I do think the "decoupling" nature of Ditra would provide more protection against movement than the "crack isolation" protection of Hydroban. Example, that outdoor balcony I have coming up? I'd primarily use either Ditra of Nobeldeck even though to a certain extent Hydroban would also be appropriate. The reason? The tile will be exterior in a freeze/thaw environment. The tile will be in direct sunshine, so thermal stress is an issue. Being thicker in structure, both Ditra and Nobeldeck would provide more shear protection than Hydroban. With it being outdoors, I also want to use a modified thinset. That pulled me to NobelDeck versus Ditra. And to top it all off, in case the project gets delayed, Ditra could suffer and degrade from UV exposure if left uncovered for too long. Anyhow, a long-winded reply... Good luck with bringing the crops to market! There was an interesting article in the paper this past week about GMO corn again being susceptible to rootworm, and about how the water level in the Nebraska aquafer has gone down over the past decade and how both of those issues are affecting corn (and other) crops.

Hmmm, I assume that means you currently have a tv in there. Wasn't clear from the nice hanging out space comments, but I can see your problem. I would also assume the tv is currently by the stairs where I suggested putting the bar? With the entrance from the garage moving, that is now a walkway and is probably no longer a good spot for a tv, but would work for a bar. The only things that come to mind, and I am in no way in expert in anything related to design so I'm sure someone here can help more, is to either find a nice hutch or cool open room divider and put it in front of the bar to separate the room from the new walkway a little. Or maybe mount it somehow on a pole hanging from the ceiling between the breakfast/lounge room and the kitchen, off center toward the garage so people can watch and still visit since they are facing the kitchen? And it was the cabinets behind the sofa I suggested eliminating, mostly to keep the openess you like. With the space open, you could make the island wide enough for a set of cabinets or drawers on the side facing away from the stove for lesser used items, so that could help. You could also keep a short run between the rooms to put the tv on, you could make it a double sided hutch! Back to back lower cabinets, back to back shelves, that could be very functional. Or if there isn't room, you can make drawers that open to the kitchen with false fronts on the lounge side with double sided shelving above.

My mother-in-law's condo has/had a similar space, but it was completely enclosed, no open air. It had sliding doors that were usually open. She had it as a sitting area, plant room, and where she did her morning devotions. When grandchildren stayed over, closing the sliders and semisheer curtain made it a nice spot for the inflatable bed and a sleeping bag. Some residents took out their glass for a bigger living room, but I felt that hers made the condo feel bigger, because it acted like another room. When she remodeled the kitchen, she did take out the slider that led to the tiny breakfast nook (really just big enough for a bistro table) and it flowed nicely. Here, I don't think I'd want to lose the outdoor space. When you live in an apartment building, it's nice to be able to go outside in your pajamas!