We're also at the wiring stage for our new construction. I was thinking of doing in ceiling stereo speakers and volume control panels all home runs to once central location from 6 separate locations - maybe have IR in each room so I can control everything from a single remote. I initially though to put wire it to my den closet, but I'm concerned about ventilation. Would this be an issue for an amp/preamp and music server setup? Also, what hardware (besides speakers) would you look at? I'll have my Class A system set up somewhere for serious listening. So I just want something that will porovide solid background music for entertaining. I'd also like to be able to utilize my iTunes playlists. Finally, my budget in this is limited since my wife could care less if we had music anywhere but inside my headphones! Any ideas as to what I would expect to pay for the wiring portion?

For anything that needs to be hardwired, RUN CONDUIT. Stnadards are always changing as technology evolves, and what works now may be obsolete in 10, 15, or 20 years. Realize that wireless is better to day than a few years ago, and will likely improve in future years too. But it's best to still hardwire some things. I still prefer hardwired speakers. In my own house, when I built I ran conduit for everything and have all my speakers hardwired. Like a previous poster, I have two 400-CD jukeboxes in my main area that can pipe music anywhere...to any room, outdoors to the pool, etc. A while ago I went over to Sonos for music. It allows my teenagers to listen to what music they want in their rooms, it allows me to listen to what music I want where I am, or my wife where she is...you can pipe different music to different rooms. Easy. It also allows you to play the same source in each room, with it synched up perfectly. The "synch" aspect may not sound important, but we have a couple of friends who have Apple wireless for "whole house" and when they simulcast music to each room, the synching can be off just a tad. Even a tenth or a quarter of a second and it sounds weird. Sonos has control apps so you can run the system with complete control from either a Sonos controller, or from a iPhone or iTouch. It's pretty slick. I prefer the Sonos over my old Niles, and that's a bold statement on my part. Sonos also allows you access to pay sources like Rhapsody and Pandora, plus internet radio. Initially I wasn't interested in that, but we signed up for Rhapsody this summer. It's pretty slick, and at $12 a month it's less than what my kids were paying for iTunes downloads. Several time this summer we'd have friends over and we'd be out at the pool, the conversation would turn to music and if I didn't have that particular song/artist on CD, I'd use my itouch or Sonos controller to call up Rhapsody and play the obscure song or artist that we were talking about. I live in CT, my in-laws were visiting from Wisconsin and my mother-in-law mentioned polka. I called up internet radio and in about 20 seconds I had the radio station from Appleton WI that they listen to back home playing polka out by the pool here in CT. It's pretty cool. Fluff to a certain extent, but the capability is there to listen to what you want when you want, with ease. And without having to do it from your computer. With Sonos, you need a "box" for each area that you want to play independent music in. Figure about $400 per box. Their S5 box is an all-in-one, it looks like a small boom box. They have other stations (ZP100) that plug into an existing stereo or theater setup and you play through those speakers. They have a third type (ZP120) that has a powered amp and you can plug your own speakers into that box. There are other options available too that may suit your needs better than Sonos. I just thought I'd toss Sonos out as an...

I'm almost sorry to comment, because the post will start to fall, but I had to say ROTFL! That is priceless! Thank you so much for posting this, cat_mom. I often do use Bertolli, actually. I wish Alfredo Caldo-Freddo would come to my house and show me how it's done. ;-)

Okay. That earlier post, which I missed, shows St Augustine. Go to the earlier one and enlarge the picture showing the runner escaping into the dead zone. In the lower left you can see the classic boat tail shape of the St Augustine blades. Centipede has pointed blades. If you planted centipede into St Augustine, no real problem. The St Aug will take over completely. I can't watch the video at this time (at work), but I suspect you have a watering problem...or a water accumulation problem. Is that dead area a low spot? Watering: Deep and infrequent is the mantra for watering. This is for all turf grass all over the place. Deep means 1 inch all at one time. Put some cat food or tuna cans around the yard, and time how long it takes your sprinkler(s) to fill all the cans. Memorize that time. That will be the time you water from now on. My hose, sprinkler and water pressure takes 8 full hours to fill the cans. Your time will likely be less. I like gentle watering. As for watering frequency, that depends on the daytime air temperature. With temps in the 90s, deep water once per week. With temps in the 80s, deep water once every 2 weeks. With temps in the 70s, deep water once every 3 weeks. With temps below 70, deep water once a month. Note that you have to keep up with quickly changing temps in the spring and fall. This deep and infrequent schedule works in Phoenix and in Vermont, so it should work for you. The reason for deep and infrequent is to grow deeper, more drought resistant roots and to allow the soil to dry completely at the surface for several days before watering again. If it rains, reset your calendar to account for the rainfall.