I can relate to the clay soil. I use wood chips for paths so I can walk around even when things are waterlogged. I know this will generate some discussion, on several issues, but here is what I did with clay and wood chips. I made a new bed in clay/sandstone, and I dug in quite a bit of partially broken down wood chips. I first hired a backhoe to dig out the huge rocks. Lots of subsoil got mixed around in the process, but the "topsoil" was about as bad. I dumped about 8 inches of wood chips on top along with some non-organic fertilizer (It was what I had, and budget was limited) plus some chicken manure (free for cleaning out a chicken house.. next time will wear a good mask!) I turned it with a spading fork, a little at a time when I had time. Over the winter I double-dug it, a bit at a time. It was getting pretty well broken down. The next spring I spaded in some more manure and some bagged compost, and planted tomatoes in one end. I had to fertilize again with some non organic fertilizer, but I had a good crop. Over the rest of the area, I planted a buckwheat/cowpea mixture and turned in, several crops over the summer. I planted a winter cover crop last fall (oats, vetch, fava beans, peas). This spring I turned it in, along with some homemade compost to the area to be planted in tomatoes. I have canned lots and lots of tomatoes already this year. The soil is starting to look like real garden soil. In last year's tomato area, I have bush beans, blackeyed peas, and some peanuts just for fun. Earlier this spring I had snow peas with good yield. I have used no chemical fertilizer this year. I am finding earthworms, where there were none. I am not having drainage problems, despite heavy rains, in the former clay. All the hard labor is paying off, but I was not keen to repeat it. All that for a 12 by 30 veggie garden. So.. I took a different tack for the next project. I had an area next to concrete and thick with bermuda grass. It needed a flower bed. I layered newspaper, wood chips, manure, and more wood chips. The idea was to have a nice bed in a year, free of bermuda grass. The bermuda loves it. Thick, lush... I am mowing it. I will have to resign myself to another winter and spring of hard labor. In the long run the soil will be good. Another use for wood chips: "mulch trenches". I have a sloped lot. Heavy rain runs off, the clay erodes and what's left bakes hard. I have dug several trenches with the pickaxe, perpendicular to the flow of water. I filled them with wood chips, and overfilled one to make a raised path across the drainage area. The trenches trap the rain water. During wet weather, they provide some drainage and keep the area in between the trenches from being waterlogged. During the dry spells, the trenches are small "reservoirs" for what little rain we get. During the downpours, some silt washes into the trenches, rather than down the hill. When I do get ready to do something with this area in a few years, the wood chips in the trenches should be well rotted. I am already getting grass and wildflowers (OK, weeds) back in an area that was nothing but an eroded ditch. I love wood chips. I get them by the pickup load free at the city greenwaste place. They usually save the good stuff (rotted, mixed, partially composted) for the commercial outfits that buy it by the truckload. I have learned that if I go on a Sunday morning, with coffee and homemade cookies, when the big trucks aren't there, the stuff they put in the pickup is a lot richer and darker.

You are referring to what is called mulch, cedar or pine bark mulches to be exact. It doesn't matter what colour works best, choose the colour you'd prefer. Mulch works to maintain moisture, keep temperatures steady and also to suppress weeds. you'll have to use aged wood chips to do this otherwise fresh ones can rob the ground of nitrogen which is detrimental to plants. However mulches (whether wood or stones) will not be able to suppress weeds for too long. It can kill weeds beneath it and prevent weed seeds from growing, but it cannot prevent new weed seeds from growing on top of it. The way to tackle any new growth is simply to disturb mulch with a rake or hoe when the weeds are young and usually this is enough to kill off new weeds. - but to make a point on how persistent weeds can be, a dandelion for example will find a way to grow in aspalt. The way to apply the mulch is to put down weed cloth which is usually black and then top with the mulch. Don't use a poly sheet which is shiny and not porous. You can get weed cloths at hardware stores. Weed cloths need to be porous so the plant can still receive water. Eventually though weed cloths can deteriorate and require replacement. Hope this helps..

We installed Pergo oak floor in kitchen about two years ago with kitchen remodel. Have two pets with plenty of fur dust bunnies and sand tracked in from backyard (haven't been able to train the dog to wipe his feet yet, LOL). For those of you who have Pergo with animals, what do you use to clean floor? I use Swiffer sweeper to "vacuum" the floor then use Bona hardwood floor cleaner to "wash" the floor. But Swiffer is a big pain, wish I could use regular vacuum with beater brush and Bona really doesn't clean the floor, either with or without using a steam mop which I have also. Floor has lost its shine. Help! How do I get it looking shiny again and what's the best way to sweep it and then clean it? What really works?

with sofas, one really needs to sit on them, and be prepared that almost everything new deemed "affordable" (whhich is not cheap at all btw) will be of worse quality than it was say even 20 years ago so I'd say -either be prepared to pay more, but also go to stores and try to sit first and see whether works for you since seating is very personal..depends on one's height etc..you might also be lucky and they'll have sale, or even better- floor models they want to get rid of, etc. Check Room and Board, Design Within Reach(can't get over the name lol..but the quality's nice), different stores carrying good imports from Europe..Cantoni for example..will be very different price yet who knows, one might get lucky. Or even very lucky. or. If you're inclined to invest your time rather than money(which is what I usually prefer to do)-go to vintage stores, even flea markets if you have good ones in the area..some sellers refurbish vintage mcm, and happen to do it quite well. Then you'll be at West Elm price, even lower maybe, but much more superior quality yet another option -your local Craigslist. Saw amazing mcm couches there many times ..pity that I don't have where to put them lol. actually any site that will have option for local pick up is worth checking, but one needs to search by area. these would be Etsy, Chairish, Everything But The House.. I'd take my time in searching for the right sofa. and I might go for a different one-say fabric as opposed to leather. So it'll be purposeful, interrsting mismatch, yet within same sensibility, and with propotions that will have similarity. I spent my childhood with mostly mcm furniture and it's just as comfy as other furniture..when made well. Again sit on it first. Otherwise you play sort of roulette-will it be comfy? will it be not? Whatever's good for hundred reviewers might have absolutely no relation to me when it comes to seating.