The gypsy moths seem to have become much less of a problem in general due to the fungal disease that now keeps their numbers in check. Nothing like the devastation of the '80s - early '00s. I still think most of the dead snags of large trees you see in parts of PA are due to the gypsy moths. Although things are starting to fill in nicely in those areas now. The "benefit" was that a lot of the understory was able to fill in, although anecdotally I've heard a lot of the oaks in PA that perished are being replaced by red and sugar maple instead of oak.

I did not have any experience with glass door installation yet, but I am in the same area and in the same situation - planning a master bath reno. I made some research and read lots of online reviews on the local glass companies. Narrowed it down to two companies: River Glass Designs riverglassdesigns.com and Dulles Glass and Mirrors http://www.dullesglassandmirror.com/ I will shop around more when we will be ready to install, but these two companies sound very reliable. As for the prices, Dulles Glass and Mirrors has an online tool to submit a request for a quote. You can choose the configuration, enter your dimensions, choose glass type and hardware type.

The KD we had at EXPO in Columbia, MD, has become an independent KD. However, I do not have her contact information right now. As far as design is concerned, she is very good...just don't let her do the final measurements! I would definitely use her again as long as someone else did the measurements. She does her best to do what the customer wants but is not afraid to tell you why she thinks something may not work. If you want it anyway, she'll do it. When we began planning, I had insisted I had to have an island. She pointed out to me that I didn't really have the room, but I insisted. So, she drew it up for me and pointed out the 22" aisles I had b/w the corner of the islands & the window area. I realized she was right with that design so posted here asking if anyone could me come up w/a design w/an island. Everyone here worked very hard to come up with an island plan (and there were some very creative ideas!) but in the end they made me realize an island just wouldn't work... So, I asked both my KD and the folks here to start from scratch and redesign...both my KD and all of us here came up with very similar designs in the end. The main differences were (1) she had put in cabinet pantry cabinets but we had a corner pantry (which is what I stayed with) and (2) I added a "mini peninsula" that my KD didn't have and wasn't totally happy with...but she told me to mock it up and if I was OK with it she would go ahead with it in the design...I was OK with it (I loved it!) so she put it in. The problems I had with her later had more to do with EXPO policies that she had to follow and, of course, the measuring mistakes. (It took an anonymous GWer's intervention on my behalf at Home Depot Corporate to get our local EXPO to make good on the measuring mistakes without charging me.) [I just asked my DH and he agrees with me on all points!]

Be Careful. Whomever you choose, make sure that they are a window manufacturer who makes their own windows. (I recommend Champion if you are in the Eastern half of the US.) Most window companies are buying someone else's window, so you get a 3rd party warranty. No good. If you have an issue? The window maker will say it was installed improperly, and won't fix it. The installer will say the window was flawed and won't fix it; you get screwed (happened to someone I know.) If they make it & install it, they are responsible for it. A few of the best companies warranty not just the window, but also lifetime on labor and installation. That's huge. Also know that there are basically 4 types of glass anyone is selling right now: Crap, poor, better, and best. The cheap Home Depot windows have crap or poor, with weak vinyl (has chalk and clay fillers; not strong pure vinyl), and they aren't as cheap as you think. The $172 price? Add $60 or more for a "custom size" (they are all custom, there is no standard.) Installation is not included, so that costs extra with a subcontractor of dubious workmanship and warranty. It becomes a $450 window for crap that is poorly installed and no reliable service afterward. Also beware of buying just a name like Renewal by Anderson. they make many grades of window from poor to excellent, and sell them to many window installers who may be of dubious ethics. they could show you a great window, charge you for a great window, and install just a good window. Do buy Vinyl windows, not aluminum. Metal gets hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. Wood swells in the summer, becoming hard to open. In winter it shrinks, can have drafts or leaks, rots in the rain, and needs regular painting and maintenance too (great fun for 2nd floor, right?) Vinyl has nearly identical energy efficiency to wood, without all that maintenance, ease of use, and comfort issues. If you are going to sell soon, you can spend less because no buyer will happily pay more for premium windows. They just don't know or care. But if you are going to stay for years more, get the best value (with "triple low-e" glass) and your energy bill will be reduced by a lot (for the whole house - a few windows won't change the bill much.) It will pay for itself over time. Energy prices are expected to more than double in the next ten years. Vinyl, being patroleum based products, only get more expensive when gas and oil go up, so get them sooner rather than later. Also, like buying a car, the price is negotiable. Ask for a discount. Then ask again. Ask "Is that the best you can do?" But don't get confused that the lowest price is best, because the cheap windows are so bad, they really are the most expensive to buy and have to be replaced sooner. If the cpmany you choose makes their own windows, you'll get a factory direct price, so make sure they do. The big name brands (like Pella, Anderson, etc) may just be a local franchise owner. If he quits, dies, retires, or moves out of state, what do you think happens to your warranty? Same with the local guy working out of his truck. Get an established company, factory owned, who make their own windows.