amyochoung I live in a suburb of Portland Oregon and do not need a permit to build our deck! I am also wondering about the cost!

Meg Padgett We also didn't need a permit - hence the weekend project. :) I'm sorry I can't be more helpful with the cost - the decking was a gift from my dad who got a killer deal on it during a hardware store liquidation sale. My best guest for a DIY 12x20 deck with good quality cedar similar to ours would be around $1500-$2500. As with most building projects - costs vary depending on each specific job. Fine Homebuilding has a handy deck calculator to help you estimate the cost - http://www.finehomebuilding.com/pages/calculators/deck/

Meg Padgett An electric toothbrush also works great and saves on the elbow grease!

Meg Padgett @Tile Center - thanks so much for the expert advice!!

saudicoach @modfan We just had our shower tiled and used epoxy grout. I used a razor blade to get the residua granules off and a product called Blaze by Bostik for removing the haze. It is billed as a "grout haze and general purpose cleaner". I applied the product to not only the tile but the granite as well, which had more of a noticeable glaze. I used a textured sponge that was a bit abrasive made by 3M. Overall I was pleased with the end result. The Blaze does need to sit for at least one minute before you start to work on the area. Hope this helps.

musingfox I have had my shower tiled in a textured porcelain, including a recessed shelf, and I'm having a terrible time keeping the grout between the schluter edge and the flat base of the shelf clear of mildew! I tried the above suggestion with the Oxi-Clean + Lemon juice and an electric toothbrush and it isn't helping.. I think it's because of the slight pillowing in the diamond pattern. I have included pictures showing the whole shower and a closeup of the tile's profile, thou I don't know how well the texture shows up.. Please please help!

cpaldridge You started your article with the fact that you were replacing aluminum windows. I'm curious, where in the process did you fill the gaps around the window with either spray insulation or loose fiberglass insulation. By not installing either, you missed a good portion of the potential energy savings.

This was a good DIY article for those with little to moderate experience. The only suggestion that I make (like the others have) is to finish the edges on the ledge and apron. I find that a finished edge gives that little extra vs. the unfinished edge as shown.

Meg Padgett We're definitely going to finish off the ends - thanks for all the tips! Also, we did apply spray foam when we installed the windows so the gaps are filled and the space feels night & day warmer!