I feel like I've been to battle. A three hour meeting hashing out change orders that had been agreed upon and misc. bills that I had never seen before. Thank god we have an airtight contract. All sorts of things cropped up- the plumber submitted a bill for a well pump which was 4x the amount quoted, the excavator threw in 17k in extra charges for good measure and the builder told me they were going to have a hard time with a few lien releases. I knew that was coming as I'd heard through the grape vine that some of the subs hadn't been paid. Plumber threw a fit when he found out we were going to hold 5k until he fixed the water problems. Our well pump (Grundfos) has been spontaneously shutting off once every two weeks or so. I think that is how we ended up with a well pump bill way out of line with the quote.... Anyway- it's better to hear about these issues before we make a final payment. I can't wait to wrap this all up and just enjoy our new home!

Well, this is dropping and so it's time to take a moment and thank everyone for their feedback. I got a big kick out of everyone's comments. It's interesting to look at the photos through someone else's eyes (in a manner of speaking). I appreciate all the kind words and compliments. I can't wait to have our shelves in. Then the pendant and hood will both look better and less "stranded". I can also then get things put in their "right places" and get some additional color into the room with displays of my pottery collection (a growing thing). I really appreciate all the help BEFORE the big reveal. If I had been left to my own devices I would have had stools at the end of the stove run out in the way of the aisle. I would have missed out on soapstone. I would have never heard of NeverMT. I would have lower cabs instead of drawers and pull outs everywhere I could. I would have done uppers instead of open shelves. I never would have shopped around for cork flooring. I probably would not have heard of Schoolhouse Electric (this impacts my front and back porches and my carport as well). I would have never driven all the way across the state to get my Domsjo and Numerar from IKEA. I would not have ZONES. I would never have dared to sink my fridge in the wall so it was flush with the counters. I would undoubtedly have a 4x4 square backsplash (but I hear those are coming back "in"). :) I have learned a ton here. I have seen a lot of really cool ideas. I will have some more of them before I am done. I will have a charging station and a pet center in my back entry way if it kills me. This forum is filled with great people. While we don't ALWAYS get along, who does? I don't get along with my family all the time. I don't see eye to eye with my coworkers all the time. This community has been very helpful and welcoming. I hope to pay some of the kindness back with DIY knowledge in the future. Got a DIY question? Hit me. Thanks again to everyone! Ne

Color me rainforest green... with envy! Those counters are stunning! I love the wildness and the colors ;) You went bold and it paid off BIG! When I picture my fave granites, they are with this kind of movement and panache. I love, love, love it!

Well, any large carbon based mass left in the ground to rot will cause what is called nitrogen dragdown - bacteria which attack the wood need nitrogen to do the job. The nitrogen is temporarily held up and is not available to the plants until decomposition finishes and nitrogen is released (which for a large crown like that in a dry climate or cold climate can take hundreds of years..) In actuality the phenomenon is quite complex and its detrimental effects, if any, are rate dependent. The more nitrogen is available, to more it is dragged down and decomposition is faster. The rate depends on soil temperature and humidity, type of wood, bacterial life in the soil, depth at which the crown is etc etc so nobody can easily tell if that nitrogen dragdown will have any detrimental effect on plants grown in the vicinity. Especially for shallow rooted plants the effects might be negligible. I would be monitoring soil nitrogen levels for the next few years though to make sure they were OK and take corrective action, nitrogen fertilization, if not. I prefer to destroy and remove stumps and root crowns if I can, but grinding down such a big crown may be a major operation in itself. Another thing to consider is the potential for honey fungus to be established but I don't know much on the subject.