why don't you ever provide any sources for your statements? Because this website does not require sources in order to post. This is a site to share personal experiences and helpful information we might have picked up elsewhere. I did some checking to see what Jeff Lowenfels had to say about RoundUp. I learned a couple things. One - I had always pronounced glyphosate wrong. Secondly, Lowenfels is an organic purist who hates anything he cannot pronounce. That is very well and good, but what do you use when you want to kill one invasive grass that is heading across the mulch toward the other invasive grass? I suppose on a small scale, you could put a little elbow grease into it and pull the invader out. But I wonder what Lowenfels would suggest to kill a yard full of bermuda, zoysia, or creeping charlie in preparation for a renovation back to a different turfgrass. Also if you want to learn a lot more about RoundUp check the wikipedia page. Then check the wikipedia page for glyphosate.

nil13 I wasn't dismissing your advice; please, please don't take it so. I sincerely appreciate anybody who takes the time to read my posts and respond. I didn't mean to impugn your knowledge or advice, and I'm sorry if it came out that way. Not everyone really understands my climate or conditions, and I'm used to getting inapplicable advice from people living in other parts of the US. I know what a rill is, too! It can be a really beautiful feature, and harks back to indigenous water management techniques, which we don't pay enough attention to, imo. The landscaping in front came with the house and is not what I would have put in. Those are not native plants out there, the "landscapers" (and I use that term loosely) plopped big boulders in a very random way, they made that dry stream to point uphill, I don't know where the irrigation system lines go, etc. etc. However-- Right now my biggest concern is simply maintaining the front in a neat manner while I put my attention and money on the back, which up to now has been merely a rectangle of dirt. One of my biggest problems has simply been to find somebody to do the work of cleaning the front, because they'd promise me and not show up. I'm also culpable because being a new homeowner, I didn't understand the maintenance required (i.e, blowing the dirt off) to keep it looking nice. In fact, I have workers coming tomorrow to start the landscape in my BACK yard -- building a low retaining rock wall, extending the drip irrigation, putting a sleeve for future lighting, and delineating a circular feature with steel edging. That's a big project -- for me at least. A major problem still remains with accumulation of dust and sand over every surface. I've decided to wait to put gravel down in the back until it's more finished, because until all of the houses get built and more of my neighbors plant up their yards, it will continue to be a problem. Probably will still be a problem forever just because of being on the edge of the sprawl, but I'll do what I can. My intent with this post is to update you that for now, at least, the front is okay. This forum has been, and continues to be very helpful to me; and again, I appreciate the advice. This post was edited by Violet.West on Tue, Apr 8, 14 at 22:15

Yes, we feel comfortable about the drainage problem being fixed if they replace the sections. The other option is to add additional drainage which would mean tearing out a section of the yard that is already finished and looking good, besides the fact that it will add maintenance and possible areas that could clog in the future. So having the driveway pitched correctly is the correct solution. I think they can do that by replacing the bottom sections, or by replacing the whole thing. This is a question of whether the mismatched concrete will eventually look the same, and how to best manage the color difference if we have a partial re-do. Actually, we really only need to change out one section, maybe two. We thought adding another might actually be good; that a bigger section that looks different might be a better option than a smaller one. Thanks so much for your thoughts, everyone. This is driving me crazy.

Tony, I have lived and worked and looked in Asia and am familiar with no hot water, no DW kitchens. That being said, I think a separate water source and prep area is extremely critical.. Especially in Asian style cooking, water is your most often used ingredient. Instead of a double bowl, I would suggest a single bowl cleanup sink.. Even 24 " would work or one of those IKEA sinks that are deeper front to back..and a small prep-sink (think a bowl big enough to wash spinach or 2kgs of veggies.) that is away from the cleanup area.. It is yucky to wash veggies near a pile of smelly dirty dishes. Especially without dishwasher, these dishes do tend to pile up until they are scrubbed and put away at end of the day. My friend in Mumbai remodeled her flat and added a prep sink and really loves it. She used a really narrow sink as she has a tiny kitchen. small bar sink j Here is a link that might be useful: Small stainless prep sink