I just read through all this. Glad it is going to work out! Plywood can/does have formaldehyde in it too. The good news is that California has passed a law requiring it all to be gone by 2012. My new cabinets (last summer) came with a sticker on them saying they complied with the law. California is a big enough market that manufacturers may change for other states too, although writing your congressman/woman is a good idea! California approves limits on formaldehyde, used in wood products 04/26/2007 By SAMANTHA YOUNG / Associated Press California air regulators on Thursday approved the nation's most sweeping restriction on emissions of formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical found in kitchen cabinets, shelving, countertops and ready-to-assemble furniture. The rule will require manufacturers to reduce by more than half a toxic chemical in manufactured wood. Experts say it is inhaled most frequently by new home buyers, home remodelers and workers who handle the chemically laden wood. "There is no safe threshold for this carcinogen, and we know how to eliminate it," said Harry Demorest, president and chief executive of Columbia Forest Products, an Oregon-based manufacturer that began taking formaldehyde out of its plywood in 2002. The standard, approved 8-0 by the California Air Resources Board, would be phased in starting in 2009 and would become the most stringent in the world by the time it is fully implemented in 2012. Other countries also are moving to tighten rules for formaldehyde use. For some American cabinetmakers, manufacturers and others in the wood industry, the higher standard would force them to use more expensive wood glues and lead to longer processing times. That could affect profits and drive up prices for consumers, said dozens of witnesses who testified during Thursday's hearing. Health advocates, meanwhile, complained that the state was not moving quickly enough and urged the board to implement its standard two years earlier because of the potential for severe health risks. The proposed regulation would cut by nearly 60 percent the amount of formaldehyde emissions that seep into the air from the resin or glue most commonly used to bond plywood, particle board and medium-density fiberboard. Whether those emissions are harmful to the general public were a key part of the discussion. State regulators and public health groups cited studies linking formaldehyde to throat cancer, workplace asthma and increased cases of asthma and allergies in children exposed at home. In 2004, the International Agency for Research on Cancer linked the chemical to throat cancer. An analysis for the Air Resources Board estimated that formaldehyde exposure leads to an increase in cancer for those exposed as adults and during childhood. The board listed the chemical as a toxic air contaminant with no known safe exposure level in 1992. Some experts questioned the credibility of the studies California was relying upon in drafting its proposal. Dr. Gary Marsh, a biostatistics professor at Pittsburgh University, cautioned that formaldehyde's designation as a carcinogen was "premature" and was based on a small sample of workplace deaths. Formaldehyde emissions are mostly unregulated in the United States, unlike Australia, Japan and some European countries, which have set some standards. American manufacturers meet a voluntary standard set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that is described by California regulators as insufficient to protect public health. The California rule would apply to all products sold, used or manufactured for sale in the state. It would require manufacturers to obtain third-party certification, maintain records and label all wood showing it complied with California law. The regulation would close California markets to low-cost, chemically laden wood imported from Canada, China and other parts of Asia, according to the Air Resources Board. It also is expected to affect the U.S.-based, wood-products industry. Some manufacturers warned that the California rule could put them out of business. "All this leads to additional costs," said Wade Gregory, president of SierraPine Ltd., which is based in the Sacramento suburb of Roseville and is one of two particle board manufacturers in California. "These costs would have to be passed on to our customers or we simply go out of business."

Texas_Gem, she's lovely. and her project is great! I was wondering how many others' bridges stood up to the rock test? mtdoug, I was having a down moment. They happen. :) Thanks for asking. Teri, I've got my fingers crossed for you and am using my incredible psychic powers to send influence to the hiring boss. Ok, so my eyes are squinched up, my cheeks are bulging out (like a big whistle) I have my fingers pressed into my temples, and I'm making big, lifting effort sounds. Looks a little like I'm constipated, I'm sure, but I'm certain, on some level, I Have The Power. I know you'll get the job! :) Wednesday was my birthday. 56. Who IS that woman in the mirror? I was to meet my sister in Silver Spring for dinner at 5:00, but at 4:00 I called her just leaving Second Chance in Baltimore. I was getting onto the rush hour Balto-beltway with 15' of antique pine boards hanging out of my 6' truck bed for a 40 minute drive. I wasn't smart enough to buy a cinder block to put on the bed end of the boards, so they were tied down. With every bump they were bouncing up and down in slow motion. Wahhhh-Woooooo-wonk-wonk-Wahhh they went up and down. But I made it. And the best, self-birthday present ever. That, and the 20 ounce prime rib I took myself out to have, along with an unexpectedly giant bowl of vanilla ice cream. And we're talking entrée salad bowl size. Whooo woot! Happy birthday to me, as I went home feeling like a whale. Finished picking up my Techo-bloc pavers. Got a couple turf stone pavers and hope to pick up 20 more today. I am certainly an eclectic person. Or so I tell my Bad Self. All you wood working kinda people here? your homes are looking absolutely beautiful. The grain on those doors. The smooth, clean detail of the trim? Oooooo so pretty. Annkh, I'm looking forward to seeing your table! That's it. I'm done for the week. Saturday starts a new one!

So very sorry it's been so traumatic all around. Here's to hoping for a less crazy, "seamless" October! We have an L near our sink (much smaller kitchen), and were supposed to have the one seam behind the sink. We have that, plus one other where the two corners of the L meet. I wasn't crazy about a second seam, but the soapstone guy insisted it was the only way unless the contractor ripped down the temporary wall between the dining room and kitchen for the day, and then put it back up. He was right - there was no room in our small house to bring a giant piece in, unless the temporary wall came down. We were not willing to have that stall, and decided to go for the seam (nervously). In the end, with the soapstone I never notice the seams (phew!) Good luck and I hope you get what you want because that's what you deserve and that's what you were promised!

Amber, we paid a carpenter to assemble and install ikea cabinets in our last house. We were living on the other coast at the time. It was still less expensive than comparable quality cabinets I priced out. We are planning to have our barker cabinets assembled and installed this time too. Dh works a million hours and we have kids so I don't have time to assemble. I honestly didn't price out other options specifically this time. I suggested barker as an option to my GC who called and got numbers from barker. He's done a lot of kitchens and used to be a custom cabinetmaker and I trust him. He was impressed by the pricing. I know he was prepared to suggest alternatives if he had concerns about quality or cost. (Obviously neither of us has seen the cabinets yet so can't judge quality reliably yet--decision is based on the specifications and online reviews.). I specifically asked about ikea (which he has and will install so he's not anti-ikea) and he said the savings would be negligible and he preferred Barker's specifications.