One of my current project is using a ceiling treatment that is good looking and inexpensive. When a ceiling is joist with I joist, (quite common since the early 90's) The bottom cord of the "I" joist can be stained and a 4 x 8 plywood any where from 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch can be cut into strips the with of the web to web measurement. These are added to the top of the bottom of the I joist and form a very attractive paneled ceiling the can allow you to keep access to the between space for future wiring or plumbing additions. I've done these with Mahogany stained bottom cords and 1/4 inch luan plwood , which with a light mix of Mahogany stain and Swedish oil finish gives a very warm ceiling. In the current basement build out I'm using 3/4" blond wood 4x8's and adding 1'' foam w/an acoustic channel on top for sound control. The bottom of the I joist will be stained black for an oriental look No nailing is required as the panels are kept in place by gravity.

So i guess the LIMITED lifetime warranty is void if the flashing is painted...REALLY! Thats pretty weak. So you are telling me you manufacture a plastic flashing that can not be painted or it will ruin the integrity of the resin. WOW that impressive... Lets be honest here. You make plastic flashings to save a buck, NOT for the customers benefit but for your own. Plastic should not be used as a roof flashing. What is your limited Lifetime Warranty? How many years is it? I see nothing that states it can not be painted. I see nothing warranting it against warpage or uv degradation. Fact is your warranty is a sham and alluding to a lifetime warranty with the words limited in my opinion is misleading. (READ WARRANTY http://www.odl.com/downloads/warranties/tube_warranty.pdf Basically just covers defects. Vary vague, except for exclusions, they are very detailed. I feel sorry for the customers that end up paying us to replace your plastic flashings on a yearly basis because they have disintegrated. Just replaced another one last month. By the way, it wasn't painted. I guess alot of people are as you said " leading me to believe something was done to this flashing outside of our normal recommendations to cause it to become brittle." Yes ODL, your right, its the customers fault. They should have never put your plastic flashings on there roofs. Then they wouldn't have to worry about the chance of degradation. What is it with Big Corporations and all there lies. Why not just admit that you have had a problem with it. The pictures i have posted are proof positive. A good company that has had problems with this would have dropped the plastic and stayed with the aluminum. But you sale more plastic and it is cheaper for you to manufacture. So please stop with the excuses. Solarise is not the only one that has replaced your products plastic flashings. I hear these horror stories all over the place. Every Manufacture makes mistakes. Its not the mistakes we make but how we go about resolving the situations so that these mistake dont happen again. A good manufacture wont hide behind it but admit it fix it and move on.

I think children should be very honest with their parents right from the start on what they like or don't like. Certain children of ours would be thrilled to receive any of our antiques, and others have indicated that they "are not into" them. That's ok with us, We'd rather know up front so if we wish to pass something down, we don't have to worry about passing it to someone who does NOT love it. Also, by open and complete honesty, then you can also say, "I would love for this to stay in the family, so if at one point you don't want it anymore, would you at least offer it to all of the other family members before giving it away to someone else." Of course, once you give it away, it's theirs, but the mere fact that you are giving it to them with a simple request, gives them the option of refusing the item if they don't want to be burdened with the request, or understanding that you are not just giving them some generic present, but rather, an item that you loved and felt was representative of you and you want them to enjoy it as much as you did. Also, the best thing you can do when passing down a family heirloom is to write a short note about it and place it somewhere inside, taped to the back of, etc the item. Often, memories start to fade, details get lost, and often, the recipient down the road would love to know a bit more detail about the history of the item. Even if the story is, "well, we were driving down the road and stopped in this little antique store in XXXXX", people really want to know. I would KILL to know more background on several of our antiques, especially our old Belgian confessional, our murphy bed, my dad's great aunt's dresser (all involved are long dead). . . . what a gift it would be to know the history of those pieces!

@Pennydesign The space between the DW and corner cabinet is 9" with a 24" dishwasher, although someone else pointed out that It would be 15" with an 18" DW. This would be a great way to optimize space; perfect space for trash. The 9" isn't really wide enough to do anything meaningful with, although I'd do as you said (spice rack or cutting board/cookie sheet storage) if push came to shove. Basically I was going with a 24" DW, because I need to buy 3 Ikea appliances to get the 20% discount. If I go with the wall oven, this is a non-issue, but if I go with a range I'll have to buy another appliance, because Ikea only sells 24" DW's. Not a fan of the glass FYI, thanks for the suggestion though. Just more money, effort, cleaning, etc. - with no benefit IMO. Going with aftermarket doors because the cost isn't prohibitive and I have WAY more options in colour and finish. Locally made, thicker and i'd like to think, better quality for maybe ~$800 more. + the company will make me custom filler pieces and end panels, which I'll need to outfit my fridge (tall ceilings; I think Ikea's panels are a couple inches too short). @Lindsey B That's funny, because thats the fridge I own. I am not in love with it - It crapped out on me after a year and I had a hell of a time getting it fixed, although ultimately paid a flat fee for an LG authorized repairman to fix it, and that fee was covered by CC insurance. I lost hundreds of dollars in meat and it threw my life into major turmoil. In addition, I feel like the drawers are flimsy, the freezer is awkward, and the crisper isn't big enough ... I make it work and do appreciate the bottom freezer, the interior light, and in general, the appearance, but honestly (in hindsight, after the repair) I wish I spent twice the price and bought a European make. I will say, it does optimize the kitchen space though!