>>It's interesting that there's crown molding on the columns and a lot of detail on the wall, but no crown in the kitchen. Is there crown molding elsewhere in the house?Oh my, have you hit on a sore subject. Crown molding was only included in the formal areas and master bedroom. They also crowned no sloped ceilings. Adding crown to other areas was $250 per "room". $250 now, not so much. 20yrs ago when we're building a house and running out out money, it was. Crowning just that hallway and the adjoining family room cost $500 because it counted as 2 "rooms" even though it was only as much crown as a bedroom; the exterior wall is sloped so the family room is really only 1/2 crowned (one wall not crowned and open on one side). I didn't crown the kitchen because the only wall that would have received crown is that single wall (because again, the outside wall is sloped), and it would have cost me $250. Don't think so. I did the crown in my office myself (come on -- a box) along with the sloped ceilings in the formal living room. If *I* can do it, why in the heck couldn't a carpenter? New cabinets will go up to the ceiling in the kitchen. They put tile crown where I cared in the master bath when it was remodeled. What I should have done was made them crown the hallway to the bedrooms just to punish them. It has so many compound angles it would make any carpenter cry.

I have to seriously disagree with Frodo's "volume is volume" statement above. This issue has been raised a few times before. The answer is a bit more complicated than that. To begin with, you can't move more water volume than the amount that can pass through the smallest portion of the supply. If you have a 5/8" meter or 3/4" supply (or 1/2" in some cases) that dictates the most water you can move through the system given the same pressure. Given that max, it's possible to introduce flow restrictions that will reduce the flow even more by having long lengths of pipe with lots of elbows and not using full flow valves. The way to minimize those additional flow restrictions are to increase the diameter of the pipe and/or reduce the number of elbows. That said, you can not increase the flow beyond the max that was introduced by the supply restriction. There can be an argument for installing the proper sized distribution system when replumbing or repairing so that the work that you do is correct - with the understanding that it's not going to change anything until the remaining restrictions are fixed. With all of that said, I think you need to do the calculations to determine if your current water service can supply the house needs + the sprinkler system that you intend to install. Gut thoughts are that it won't. If that were my house, without the irrigation, I would install 3/4" or possibly 1" all the way back to the garage as it is now. That would give me the option to do a water softener later as well as give me an easily accessible main shut off. If cost was an issue, I would look at PEX, otherwise I would use copper. Clearly you need to fix the problem of copper/galv pipe. I would also install a return loop for hot water circulation even if I didn't install the pump and controls right now. Your setup with the heater at one end of the home and the bath at the other is a bad setup for hot water distribution. Be sure to insulate all of the hot water lines including the return loop. Also be aware that having oversized pipes for the hot water lines can lead to longer wait times for hot water, more water wasted and more energy waste.

I would never fork out that much to move that, and I think his estimate is accurate dealing with that cast iron and running a new bulkhead, then trying to get it to where it used to be below as well. Just open up what you can and leave a small wall for the mechanical. Either you have an unsightly large bulkhead, or a small wall. Looks like you would only need 3 of those stud bays. Plus removing that cast iron will result in more noise downstairs if they use PVC which they probably will. PVC makes more noise on horizontal runs. If you want to hear the toilet water moving in your kitchen then go for it. The current cast iron keeps noise very low. You could use that wall for cabinet and countertop space too.

Boxerpups, I needed those images. Thanks so much! Isn't it amazing how a simple image can clarify so many things? Am reminded about the architect Sarah Susanka's comment that bookshelves are like wonderful wallpaper. I hope that my cookbook collection and the other items I need to store on shelves will function in that way. Was on a road trip to a wedding recently and had lots of time to make sketches. I have a better idea of my bookcase options now, but hadn't been able to picture the moldings and such. These images are very helpful. The red-painted shelf units with the curved trim are so intriguing. Wonder how they suspend those long shelves? Or did they make a vow to only store lightweight stuff? The images of various same-width multiple shelf units are extremely helpful; You're a painted cabinetry gal, aren't you? I am trying to imagine them in oak instead of paint. These regular soldier-like niches are likely what we'll end up doing. The over-the-door shelf is something I had considered but DH vetoed. Now that he's sat with me looking at your images, it's back in consideration again. I am supposedly working on the denoument of this project's planning but am still dithering about cabinet glass for my kitchen so I went to a local glass company to talk. They said they make lots of glass doors for labs, businesses, etc. I think that they would help me with sliding glass doors for bookshelf if I want them. They are in the custom glass etching business so they can even temper and etch decorative (textured) glass, which would allow me to get a strong, textured, opaque effect for lower shelves that may accumulate junky stuff. It would be expensive, but extremely distinctive. (This added to my dithering and got me off track, again.) [Confession time: Problem is further compounded by seeing an antique piece that would work in that space also. Unfortunately, when he was working on wallboard phase, DH refused to wallboard the back side of the bookcase space when it would have been easiest to do it, claiming that it would be redundant work. So there are literally a number of holes into the inside of the wall on the back of the bookcase niche to contend with if I win the piece at auction. Am in another quandry. Best solution: stay out of auctions and antique shops and estate sales.] ___ Leel: would love to learn more about the steel shelves you have used. Sources?