Open Question: Gardening in less then ideal light?

I have a lot of new plants growing on my patio. I'm on a third floor and the roof has a overhang. I receive some sun from 2pm-6pm daily and maybe about 2 hours of direct sunlight. I'm growing peppers, corn and tomatoes. I know the plants will grow just not be very fruitful. My question is, what are some ways to increase fruit yield. I do have a grow light and willing to spend some for more. I cannot use reflection or paint. Please be detailed I have about 14 x 32 ft patio using maybe 4x12 feet for plants.

20 May 2012, 2:19 am | click here to view more

Open Question: HELP! i have BEDBUGS?

ok i found a festation on my kids top bunk. bottom bunk matress was still covered in plastic the infestation was in the wood part where the screws where in. i immediately took the bed and beddings apart and carried it out before treatment. threw the mattress on the side of the home and wood and every the bedding on the back patio. now people are telling me i spread them through out my home and they could have re-entered thru the patio and jumped off in the living room and so forth. also it was just the top bunk the bottom bunk was perfectly fine as far as i know. very odd to me.ive just got the room where i had the infestation at completely cleaned and now the kids r back in there. also i layed de diamoutious earth down in every cracks and crevices on the baseboards and below the bed. put vaseline on the legs of the bed. so that room is done. now the relax of the home do i need to go crazy like i did in that room and toss half of everything away everything i cant bleach or wash and dry. i just know there has to be more somewhere because she was getting bit up really bad for over a month and she receive s in my bed in the middle of the night every night. also my daughter gets in bed with me every night only my daughter would have the welt up bites no one else has signs of them, she has been getting them for over a month. i cant find a festation anywhere in there? or any other part of the home please someone tell me your story of how u got rid of them and how bad ur infestation was

20 May 2012, 1:54 am | click here to view more

Open Question: Cat questions!??!!!!!?!!?!???!!?

I have two 6month old cats they r sisters and we let them outside the problem is that my neighbor has dogs 2 huge ones their yard is barred around but my cats keep slipping through the bars and I these dogs receive a hold of them there r very little chance of them living they aren't always out thought only when they go to the bathroom but if I'm not home and the cats are in their yard and they don't look them then they'll die idk my neighbor well becuz they drink and I don't and I can't keep them inside what should I do? Ever since I got my cats there r a lot of flies outside on my patio, why and how do I receive rid of them? my cats also keep attacking my plants I tried putting orange peels but the still attack it Please help! Thx in advance Are there any tricks I can tutor my at just give me ideas :)

19 May 2012, 9:51 am | click here to view more

Open Question: Anyone have a dog with IVDD?

Our 5 yr. old female Shih Tzu had back surgery for a "slipped disc" a little over 2 months ago. I have read almost everything there is on the internet about IVDD, but would like some input from folks on here who have experienced this with their dog. Have you taken your dog to the groomer since? How do you let your dog play now? We have 2 other Shih Tzu's who want to play with her, and I let her, but only for a few minutes. I know that "a dog has to be a dog", but I am so paranoid of anything happening to her again. We don't let her do stairs, up or down, nor jump on/off anything, but is 1 step sized "jump" ok, as in onto our deck outside? We will be fencing 3 quarters of the dog, because as it goes out into the yard, it gets a bit steeper. But the one area off of the patio stones is almost the same as her going onto her orthopedic bed... Any other tips you may have would be much appreciated... Thanks! :)

19 May 2012, 9:47 am | click here to view more

Open Question: Can anyone possibly tell me if they Know what bit me?

I was sitting outside Friday night with my kids.. When I got up from my patio I brushed my bacK side off, when every of the sudden my wrist started burning like it was on flame. Now today it is sorta stiff when I move it, swollen and red, but you can look where I got bit by what ever it was. Has anyone else had something like this happen before? If it dont start clearing up by tonight i will go to the er, just wanted to try and gt an idea of what it possibly could have been. No insect attached, but when it first happened it was a tiny white circle around where I got bit. Now it is just red, swollen,slightly stiff,and really itchy.

19 May 2012, 9:28 am | click here to view more

Open Question: Am I torturing my cat by having a bird feeder hanging over my patio?

I've had this bird feeder hanging over my patio almost as long as I've had my cat. For at least two years. In those two years, not a single bird has arrive to eat the bird food. For some reason they've decided to eat the bird food now and my cat is absolutely fascinated by them. Her perch is up high, close to the bird feeder yet she can't reach the birds. In fact, a few days ago she fell out of her perch trying to watch them, maybe even reach them. Is it cruelty? Should I remove the bird feeder? Or is it harmless stimulation? It's been a few weeks and she has not been able to receive at the birds, nor do I know that she would want to receive at them.

19 May 2012, 9:01 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Built my wife a patio now I can get my new Glock, need help?

I really cannot decide between a 9mm or 40cal. Which would you receive?

19 May 2012, 8:04 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: are my landlords in the wrong?

we have been battling with our downstairs people about us "being too noisy". our 2 year old is running around the home playing and stuff, and the complex is cheaply built. so she hears every step. she has been beating and beating on the ceilings for a few months now. she has gotten to the point where she is complaining enough to the apartment complex that they actually gave us a "lease violation" for noise. She wrote a personalized note on the bottom of the violation stating "there is to be no running stomping, playing with balls, slamming doors, or yelling from the patio, This should make every people who live in the area glad. If you do not comply you and your wife will be forced to move" To me this seems a little jacked up. She wrote that just to us, and our apartment now has different and more strict rules and policies than everybody else who lives here, just to please the downstairs neighbor. Is this right? Can she legally do this and tell us WE CAN'T STOMP SLAM DOORS RUN OR PLAY BALL INSIDE OF OUR home? (she's aware by playing ball its not a basketball or anything, its a blow up $1 ball from walmart). She is also aware that we are not intentionally being noisy. Up until we got that lease violation we have been walking on egg shells to please the downstairs neighbor. We are doing nothing but living a normal life. We just happen to live upstairs with a 10 year old, a 6 year old, and a 2 year old. This "new policy" did not go out to other neighbor's either. This was written directly to us. I live in texas BTW. Any help would be appreciated!!!!!

19 May 2012, 7:27 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: I think my apartment complex is discriminating against me and my wife.?

we have been battling with our downstairs people about us "being too noisy". our 2 year old is running around the home playing and stuff, and the complex is cheaply built. so she hears every step. she has been beating and beating on the ceilings for a few months now. she has gotten to the point where she is complaining enough to the apartment complex that they actually gave us a "lease violation" for noise. She wrote a personalized note on the bottom of the violation stating "there is to be no running stomping, playing with balls, slamming doors, or yelling from the patio, This should make every people who live in the area glad. If you do not comply you and your wife will be forced to move" To me this seems a little jacked up. She wrote that just to us, and our apartment now has different and more strict rules and policies than everybody else who lives here, just to please the downstairs neighbor. Is this right? Can she legally do this and tell us WE CAN'T STOMP SLAM DOORS RUN OR PLAY BALL INSIDE OF OUR home? (she's aware by playing ball its not a basketball or anything, its a blow up $1 ball from walmart). She is also aware that we are not intentionally being noisy. Up until we got that lease violation we have been walking on egg shells to please the downstairs neighbor. We are doing nothing but living a normal life. We just happen to live upstairs with a 10 year old, a 6 year old, and a 2 year old. This "new policy" did not go out to other neighbor's either. This was written directly to us. I live in texas BTW. Any help would be appreciated!!!!!

19 May 2012, 7:26 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Where can a stray rooster sleep?

I found a rooster in my apartment complex this morning. We caught him and now he's in my back patio. It's Saturday, & Animal Control refuses to arrive pick him up, & I have no way of transporting him to the shelter until Monday. I bought chicken feed & he's got clean water, & seems to be enjoying his new spot. Really friendly guy! But I obviously don't have a chicken coupe for him to snooze in. Any ideas?

19 May 2012, 6:37 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: I need to block the sun when sitting on my patio. I face the sun?

19 May 2012, 4:22 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: My neighbor keeps letting my indoor cat outside when we don't know?

Without my knowledge my neighbor keeps opening up my sliding screen door to my patio and keeps letting my indoor cat outside. Should i be concerned by this?

19 May 2012, 3:51 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: What could be the cause of birds I've found dead in my garden?

A few weeks ago I found a dead Greenfinch in the garden. I thought nothing of it. I have a lot of birds arrive to the garden that I feed with bread, bird seed etc. In the last few weeks I've had Robins and Blue Titts nesting in the garden. This morning I found a dead bird on my patio, this time, a coal titt. I then found the Robins nest with 6 dead chicks in. Concerned, I then checked the Blue Titts nest, to find 9 dead chicks. Im unhappy and really worried about what could have caused the sudden deaths. Any ideas? I should mention that I knew where the birds were nesting because the t*its were in a bird box I put up and the Robins I had seen flying into a bush. I hadnt seen the parents going to the box or bush for about a week so presumed the chicks had flown off already...which is why I took a look today and saw the unhappy news :(

19 May 2012, 2:46 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Report a Termite situation to my HOA but they have yet to take action.?

So I reported Termites on my patio wall more then a year ago. The HOA manager told me that the are in the works on replacing them every. So instead of treating it, they would replace it soon. But they put that on HOLD before they got to mine due to major construction on the driveway. Now there are termites in my walls, which I reported 3~4 month ago. I have a termite inspection done on 4/26/12 after I finally talked to the HOA manager face to face. That took a week after I talked to him. Now, they gave me ANOTHER inspection cause the board voted to receive a 2nd opinion. The HOA manager has yet to respond to my repeated calls. What can I do? Also, other then phone records that I made calls, I have no proof that I talked to him about my termite issue. I do have 1 or 2 emails that I wrote him about the issue. Is that a factor? I owe the condo, and up to date with my dues.

19 May 2012, 1:00 am | click here to view more

Open Question: What if you do not have enough overhang of shingles?

I added a patio to the back of my home. I am not sure I have enough overhang for the water to dump into the gutter.

19 May 2012, 12:54 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Just adopted a cat and it has a weird cough?

My husband and I just went to adopt a cat from some couple on craigslist.. The cat was living on there back patio witch is not screened in(not sure if that matters) When he gets excited/glad and purring a lot he makes this weird cough/wheezing noise...the couple said they had a litter box but it was covered in magets meaning it was never cleaned.. (unhappy) He is neutered and seems overall glad with us..but what is this wheezing from? He is UTD on shots and everything. I plan to take him to the vet scheduling his appt tomorrow but its a little past midnight now so obviously there is not vets open =)

19 May 2012, 11:40 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: My dad is way to overprotective and im a 15 year old guy?

What he does, I cant ride my Bike 3 miles to school, Walk to the movie theater two blocks away, Swim by myself and if you look out our patio window you can look the lake and its like 8 feet deep. Stay up past 9:00 PM Do homeowork right after school ( I have staright A's) Stand up for myself at school, I receive bullied severly Ive been kicked down 22 concrete stairs, been slashed across the face with a tac, cyberbullied. I am 6'1 my dad is 6.05 ft i can bench 160 weigh 180 oh and we are very needy. on a scale 1-10 10 being Middle class ... 1, I just cant take it anymore so many rules and what ever i do i cant make him proud :(

19 May 2012, 11:23 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: What did I see in the sky? I know I saw it, I had someone else see it too.?

Okay now I know my mind was going 1000 miles an hour but I know I saw something. I know if it was a UFO lots of people won't believe me. I called up my brother and told him but he didn't believe me. I am being 100% serious, I am as serious as serious can receive! I want to know what I saw! Okay, so here's the story. Me and my wife were sitting on the back patio and we were out there a good hour or two. I saw something through the trees and just thought it was a road light, so obviously I thought nothing of it. Then about 20 minutes later I saw a yellowish orange thing moving at a decent speed through the sky, then it booked it and went so far then disappeared. When I saw it 20 minutes later I pointed it out to my wife and she saw it too. Then I started thinking about when I thought nothing of it, that there are no road lights out that way. So I saw it a total of 2 times so far, one when I thought nothing of it and one when I pointed it out to my wife. So I pulled out my phone and watched a video on UFO's. What it described did a lot of the same things I saw. Except, I noticed on the video that the lights were white and the light I saw was yellow/orange. When the video was almost over, I saw it again and pointed it out. It was even closer but not close enough. It went in the same direction and was pretty much just like the last time. After that, we waited forever hoping to look it again since we had our cameras and binoculars ready. We never did and decided to go in for the night. Now, it has been about 40 minutes since I saw any of this and I am just wondering what it was. I crossed off every the possible things. I know it wasn't a shooting star. I know what those look like. I am just freaking out because I know whoever I tell probably will just giggle. Trust me, I never believe in this nice of stuff, but now tonight I am having second thoughts. My wife and I know what I saw. I want to know what this was. Was it a UFO? There has apparently been spot-ings in my state before. I don't want to give my exact location but I live close Springfield, IL. Again, I crossed off a lot of things of what this object could be which leaves me to believe that it could possibly have been a UFO. I just want to know what I saw. I plan on being outside a lot tonight with high hopes of seeing it again and if I receive a decent picture I will post it. Thank you those of you guys who are taking this seriously.

19 May 2012, 11:19 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: teak patio furniture?

Where can I purchase used teak patio furniture?

19 May 2012, 11:15 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Neighbor's dog pees off deck, what should I do?

Our neighbors allow their dogs to pee and poop on their second level deck. The urine streams down to their concrete patio below. This is not only disgusting, but smells awful especially on hot days where the sun beats down on their patio. I have kids who like to play outside, but sometimes the odor is just unbearable. It is a townhouse community, so our yards are tiny and close together. I don't know what to do. I am not excited about the idea of talking to them, because I am sure it will not change their behavior. But, not sure if I should call the police over it. Any advice would be appreciated!!!

18 May 2012, 9:56 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: How do I save a copy of a Sims 3 house?

I built a big lot (home, garden, yard, pool, garage, porch, patio, etc). I just went to keep and it says "File Corrupt". Ok, I deleted the original keep and tried to resave a new one. No good, it says the keep failed. Now I'm stuck with the sims 3 on my xbox/tv with no way to keep. If I want to close it off, I loose everything I did. I was hoping to keep a copy of the lot to my studio. Can I do that after already building? How do I do it?

18 May 2012, 9:42 am | click here to view more

Open Question: When charging Chillite Pool and Patio Lights, what color is fully charged for the batteries? Blue or purple?

When the batteries are fully charged what color does the indicator light turn? Purple or blue? I don't want to over charge my batteries if I can avoid it.

18 May 2012, 8:47 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: does proximity to house foundation matter with a desert willow tree?

I have a desert willow tree that emerged right on the edge of our patio. I've heard willow trees will seek out piping and such causing big problems. Is the Desert Willow tree any different or should I dig it out. Great looking tree, hate to rip it out, but don't want longer term problems.

18 May 2012, 8:45 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Old apt tenant vs. new apt tenant in the state of MA?

The old tenant of my apartment moved out mid April, and left behind an older big screen TV, 3 matresses and box springs and outdoor patio chairs. Everything was in okay shape and could be useable. The landlord shown us the apartment end of April, and he acknowledged that the old tenant left stuff here but since he never came back to receive it, we can do what we liked of it. The TV is huge and very heavy but worked so we decided to use it since we didn't have a TV, the matresses and box springs were in good shape and clean so we used them in our kids rooms, whose new bunkbeds did not have mattresses at the time, and the outdoor chairs were functional, so we decided to keep them and use them. Anyhow, we signed our lease agreement May 1st, and moved in May 2nd and 3rd. May 17th, the guy shows up at our apartment and asks for his stuff that is still left in the apartment, as well as every his mail, which we never kept, but returned to sender. He said if we wanted, we can buy the stuff he left but if not, he wants it back. I said there is no way; he left it every there when he moved out, he had time to move it before the new tenants came in, and now that we signed our lease, he has definitely forfeited getting anything old of his, because he lost the possession of it by abandoning it and now we are entitled to do what ever we please because we are the new tenants and have it in our property now. So, who is in the right, the new tenant or old tenant?

18 May 2012, 8:44 am | click here to view more

Open Question: I had two skink lizards try to attack me on my patio! Does anyone know why they would do that?

They both had orange heads and blue/purple tails. I was just sitting there enjoying the sun and they both ran out from below my central air unit and tried attacking me! I lifted my feet off the ground knowing well they can jump if they wanted to but they just had a stare down with me for like 5 seconds and then ran off. I've been too scared to go like my back patio ever since. My boyfriend's dad said they are called red headed scorpions (or something like that) and he also told me that they are poisonous. Is that true? I can't find any answers to my questions.

18 May 2012, 4:45 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: How tall a pot does a patio pepper plant have to have?

I had some success last year starting peppers in medium-sized pots on the patio and later moving them to a more sunny spot below a tree, but still in the pots. I got a lot of peppers but they were not very big, not regular size. If I do this again this year, I have a question about how far the roots of peppers really grow. Was I crowding the roots too much in a plastic pot 12 inches deep? What suggestions do you have? I just adore growing vegetables and herbs in pots. The tree I set them below allows morning sun until about 3:00 PM, which is plenty in West Texas. The hottest part of the day here is tardy afternoon, and it often reaches 90 to100 degrees F. By then the sun has shifted and the plants receive some shade.

18 May 2012, 11:20 am | click here to view more

Resolved Question: What's the typical pay for this task?

I am refinishing a patio set consisting of four chairs, a table, and an umbrella stand. I wire brushed the rust spots, soaped, and rinsed them off with water. I then applied a primer via spray and ultimately brushed on a paint.

17 May 2012, 5:49 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: I need help with my Spanish Homework! LIKE NOW!?

Read the short story and answer the question based on the story. Respond with a complete Spanish sentence. Mi casa es muy grande y bonita. Hay dos cuartos muy especiales: la sala y la sala familiar. También hay un garaje, un patio y un jardín. En la sala hay dos sofás grandes, tres mesas y dos lámparas. En la sala familiar hay un televisor y dos butacas pequeñas. Me gusta ver la televisión en la sala familiar. En el garaje hay una bicicleta roja y una bicicleta negra. En el patio hay una mesa y cuatro sillas y en el jardín hay muchas flores. Me gusta mucho estar en mi casa. ¿Dónde está el televisor? When entering your answers for fill in the blank and essay questions, please be sure to use accent marks and/or correct punctuation to avoid your answer being marked incorrect. You may copy and glue the accented character or punctuation mark from this list if needed: á é í ó ú ñ Á É Í Ó Ú ¿ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read the short story and answer the question based on the story. Respond with a complete Spanish sentence. Mi casa es muy grande y bonita. Hay dos cuartos muy especiales: la sala y la sala familiar. También hay un garaje, un patio y un jardín. En la sala hay dos sofás grandes, tres mesas y dos lámparas. En la sala familiar hay un televisor y dos butacas pequeñas. Me gusta ver la televisión en la sala familiar. En el garaje hay una bicicleta roja y una bicicleta negra. En el patio hay una mesa y cuatro sillas y en el jardín hay muchas flores. Me gusta mucho estar en mi casa. ¿Qué hay en el garaje? When entering your answers for fill in the blank and essay questions, please be sure to use accent marks and/or correct punctuation to avoid your answer being marked incorrect. You may copy and glue the accented character or punctuation mark from this list if needed: á é í ó ú ñ Á É Í Ó Ú ¿ ¡ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read the short story and answer the question based on the story. Respond with a complete Spanish sentence. Mi casa es muy grande y bonita. Hay dos cuartos muy especiales: la sala y la sala familiar. También hay un garaje, un patio y un jardín. En la sala hay dos sofás grandes, tres mesas y dos lámparas. En la sala familiar hay un televisor y dos butacas pequeñas. Me gusta ver la televisión en la sala familiar. En el garaje hay una bicicleta roja y una bicicleta negra. En el patio hay una mesa y cuatro sillas y en el jardín hay muchas flores. Me gusta mucho estar en mi casa. ¿Cuántas butacas hay en la sala familiar? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read the short story and answer the question based on the story. Respond with a complete Spanish sentence. Mi casa es muy grande y bonita. Hay dos cuartos muy especiales: la sala y la sala familiar. También hay un garaje, un patio y un jardín. En la sala hay dos sofás grandes, tres mesas y dos lámparas. En la sala familiar hay un televisor y dos butacas pequeñas. Me gusta ver la televisión en la sala familiar. En el garaje hay una bicicleta roja y una bicicleta negra. En el patio hay una mesa y cuatro sillas y en el jardín hay muchas flores. Me gusta mucho estar en mi casa. ¿Hay dos sofás en la sala? When entering your answers for fill in the blank and essay questions, please be sure to use accent marks and/or correct punctuation to avoid your answer being marked incorrect. You may copy and glue the accented character or punctuation mark from this list if needed: á é í ó ú ñ Á É Í Ó Ú ¿ ¡

17 May 2012, 5:25 pm | click here to view more

Resolved Question: Help, was this animal rabid?

An animal tore apart a bag of trash on my patio and I started to pick up the trash with my bare hands this morning and then realized I could be getting rabies on my hands! I think it was a possum. I look those from time to time in my neighborhood... Should I go to the ER?

17 May 2012, 3:01 am | click here to view more

Resolved Question: What are some good ways to get rid of flies without chemicals?

I need useful advice on how to receive rid of flies without chemicals. We have a 9 month old with breathing issues, and we just don't want to risk chemical residue causing more problems. I clean with bleach in the kitchen, do dishes daily, his diapers go into the diaper genie, we take trash out every couple of days, we have fly strips everywhere.... The big problem is that every time I open the front or back doors, flies swarm inside. We've hung zip-lock baggies outside with water in them, but so far, that's been no help. I believe the reason there are so many flies outside our door is that the community's area for storing the trash bins is just 10 feet away from our front door. Besides being annoying, this is getting to be a real health issue- I clean very well at least once a week, and do every the little maintenance cleaning throughout the week, but it's been no good. I've heard that basil plants and vinegar repel flies, and was considering buying some plants for our front door, and getting a big bottle of vinegar to spray out on the front stoop and patio. Does anyone know if this actually works? And have any other solutions to try?

17 May 2012, 1:14 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Karcher pressure washer not pressuring water.?

I have a 5 series karcher, it has stopped pressurising when i use it to clean off my patio, any ideas, before i buy another one.

17 May 2012, 12:46 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Revenge ideas for gross neighbor?

My new neighbor chain smokes on her front porch that faces my daughters bedroom window, our back patio door and kitchen windows so we cannot open pretty much any of our main windows anymore because the odor gets in our home and my daughter has bad asthma and it affects her. I went over there and explained our situation, that we do not have A/C and need to have our windows open yadda yadda yadda...and she gave me a rude "my property i can do what i want F off" So! Since she is keeping me from enjoying my home, what can i do to her?

17 May 2012, 12:14 pm | click here to view more

Resolved Question: Good company names?? ?

Basically, the business is external cleaning. Power jet washing brickwork to make it look new, gardening, car washing, minor external repairs and cleaning services (eg; window, gutter, patio...) The business will be for youths, to gain knowledge of a work place, receive off the streets and put every there unused energy into something more efficient.

17 May 2012, 11:22 am | click here to view more

Open Question: How do I curb excitment peeing in my 3.5 month old hound/lab mix puppy?

We just adopted a beautiful 14 week old lab/hound mix from a rescue organization. The story we got about her parentage was that Mom was a black lab. She looks very houndy to me. She's got the long soft hound ears that almost reach her nose when pulled forward and she's very slender but strong like a hound as well. The rescue folks pulled her from a shelter in Georgia. Even though she's solid black (with a tiny white tuft on her chest) she looks very much like a redbone coonhound to me. Except for her solid black color, she doesn't look like a lab at every. She pees when she's excited. I went out to the patio this morning to look her and she left little puddles everywhere as she danced on her hind legs and greeted me. How do I curb the excitement peeing?

17 May 2012, 10:21 am | click here to view more

Resolved Question: Please can you tell me or recommend to me what thickness of paving slabs is required for a driveway?

Hello, I purchased a quantity of beautiful Jura Limestone slabs ( Beige) of 25mm depth, and 900mm x 600mm size, and have had them laid for my patio and Driveway at the end of last summer. They look fabulous, however after just four months I noticed tiny chippings and flakings appearing randomly along the edges and not just in corners. They are getting much worse and even faint crack lines are now appearing, in the areas where my car drives in and out only, the relax of the patio looks fine still. I am obviously devastated and have contacted the company where I purchased them. One of the Sales Directors has been over to my property and told me that although they look as if they have been laid correctly, there must be a problem with the bonding of the rock to the concrete below otherwise they would not crack. He tells me that there is nothing wrong with the stones. Last night I got a paving tradesman to arrive round. He cracked one slab and removed the parts to look below. He told me that the concrete below was perfectly laid, but that the grouting was not really the best grout that I should have used. The Company had sold me every the products including their possess grout ( Easipoint white). He said that he would have used a lime based grout which would be more flexible and absorbant, allowing for some movement which is actually important. But the most important point he immediately raised on taking up the slab was that he said that the stones should have been at the very minium depth of 50 or 75mm, sometimes even more if destined for heavy use ie for Driveways. He said that there is no point in re-laying my stones as they will only chip and crack and look ruined in a couple of years, and that the only solution is to lift them and replace with thicker slabs on to the already prepared concrete. I am absolutely horrified. I had researched the company I purchased my stones from and was confident that they were giving me the best advice. They particularly recommended this limestone to me when I visited them onsite. It was not cheap, in fact more expensive than my budget but because they advised me that it was one of the best, most difficult-wearing and low maintenance natural stones, I decided to go ahead, and spent £7000 on the stones, including £200 for just the Grout. I never for once even thought to ask if the depth was sufficient for Driveway use. They do not offer a Warranty on their stones because they say that they have never experienced any problems with them - and in any case they are telling me that the fault must be with the laying. I have not yet contacted them about the tradeseman's comments last night as I would like to receive a second opinon on this before I start the painful process and consider if I have grounds to take legal action. I would very much appreciate any advice. Does anyone know if Jura Beige Limestone can be purchased in thicker slabs of the same size, ie 50 or 75mm? I had a very helpful answer a week or so ago but at that point I had not had a rock taken up and he was suggesting that it was a problem with the grout, but I notice he did not ask me the depth of my stones. Therefore I would like to be certain that this is an imprtant factor before I go back to the company. Thanks so much, Nanette.

16 May 2012, 9:57 am | click here to view more

Open Question: So embarrassed friend heard me complain about them.?

I'm an adult and my partner and I have a pal. This pal talks a lot and sometimes says one thing one day but then the complete opposite the next, I here about ex's I dated 8 years ago and every bit of their lives. This person calls my name out in supermarkets asking "Hey Haley did you clean up your patio this week, and where are your sunglasses?" I leave feeling so embarrassed. This person would visit almost every day until 3 weeks ago. 3 Weeks ago I went to a friends home and he was there, he tried emotionally bullying me. I got home and spoke to my partner about it.. I complained everyday for the past 3 weeks ( embarrassed). I said how much I dislike him and went on and on about behaviors. I had seen him 10 times over the past three weeks, and he was silent barely said a word! One day he couldn't receive away from me quick enough. Then last night he came by.. Walking! We heard a knocking sound and ignored it as no one was at the front door and no car we continued talking about a movie.. then there he was at the window! close the back door. He sold his car 3 weeks ago! I feel he heard me talking about him I don't hate him I just don't like the attention he draws to me. I felt sick every night. I feel so awful about this, I've been trying to de stress and think about how to lesson stress after interacting with this person but now I feel really stressed. I don't know what to do or how to fix this what should I do?

16 May 2012, 9:46 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Help with a math question?

A square patio has an area of 169 square feet. What is the perimeter of the patio? I need to show my work so please add that. Thank you in advance.

16 May 2012, 7:56 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Am I wrong to expect a family of 5 to bring their own table to a pool party?

My husband and I are having a pool party for Memorial Day where we have invited a few of our close friends over. My husband's brother wants to arrive and bring his 3 kids plus his wife making for a party of 5. We have a patio table that seats 6 which is exactly how many friends will be there including my husband and me. I think his brother and wife should bring their possess table for their kids vs making our friends stand while eating so their kids have a place to sit. Am I wrong for thinking that way? We don't mind having them over but it's difficult to accomodate such a big family without us making our other guests stand which I think is rude or my husband and I having to go spend our possess money on a table just for their family. Not to mention if their family is going to join us in future gatherings it would be helpful if they had their possess kid table to bring with them. Oh and they have another kid on the way so they will soon be a party of 6. Serious replies only, please. I should have mentioned a couple of things... One, we are expecting our possess child and money is extremely tight right now so there is no way we can invest in another table and chairs right now. Two, we carefully planned how many to invite so as to have enough seating but then the brother threw a wrench in when he decided to switch weekends with his ex so that he would have the 2 other kids with him that weekend. So technically he added the 2 extra making us short on seating. We do have some extra chairs but I do not think we should expect our friends to give up the table altogether for some guests who weren't exactly invited in the first place because I know they will want to sit as a family and end up taking over the table. And his brother isn't exactly the best brother in the world (world class flake) so we are more concerned with not slighting our friends. Oh and his brother and wife are chain smokers who refuse to smoke on the side of the home like we have asked repeatedly

16 May 2012, 7:50 am | click here to view more

Resolved Question: How is my first page of my book? Is it bad? be honest:?

this is only the first page: If it needs improvent let me know, do you think im a good writer? Im imnot, i'll cease writing my book: Is it a good page so far? Every Girl wants to be me : Only a few are lucky to be me. Waking up and seeing the beautiful ocean outside my window, smelling the fresh French Bread downstairs cooked by the professional cook: Living in a white home that's private property twice the size of your regular home, and living in the Beautiful Beverly Hills makes my life complete. I wouldn't want it any other way: A wealthy Girl is always a wealthy girl, no matter where she goes: Dani Bong is laying on a Beach seat outside on the patio pool. The sun touches her white asian skin with dark brown hair:The sun is too strong, she has to cover her brown eyes with chanel shades. In her hand is a Strawberry chilled smoothie. " Can you put more cream on" Said Dani to the Guy in a white shirt giving her a foot massage. " How do you stay so toned, you have runners legs" said the guy in white " aww... Jenny craig: Give her a call" said Dani. Dani's mom comes out on the patio seeing Dani getting in a tan with her pink binki on: " How long are you going to be out there?" " Just 5 more minutes okay" Dani demanded " Instead of getting a tan, you'll turn into a lobster if your skin goes red" Dani look's impatient. " I said 5 minutes" - " Dani there are other things to do then to just lay around and receive a tan" - " this is what I planned Mom" " Plan something else: Go shopping, receive some new shoes" Dani mom's left, while Dani look's annoyed. She receive's up, and she wraps a blue towel around her. - " Is there anything else you did Miss?" - " No that will be fine" Dani leaves the patio, and goes inside. " Miss do you need anything?" Said the blonde maide. " receive my car out, im going out" " Yes Miss" Dani heads upstairs. She later then comes out in a skin tight jeans with a halter top, with a expensive bag: - - " Mom im going out" " have fun Dani" - - -

16 May 2012, 7:34 pm | click here to view more

Resolved Question: Anyway too Fix A BIG MISTAKE!?

Ok recently , My Neighbor has been flirting with me the past week well her Bf is away. Til the 22nd just lil things and last time she really tried getting Close (If you are mature to understand what im saying) Well , Snice her bf isnt home she keeps needed help moving shit around. And Keeps somehow getting my mom to receive me to help her.(My mom makes me Help) So today she need to put her patio table in chairs in the garage so they could repaint the pool deck. So I had helped her and she went to hand me money. And Again I didnt take it , So they have this huge pool and she said i could use it anytime , I wanted she give me a extra key to receive in through the back. When her and her bf arent home. I can even invite friends over just have to make sure , I pick back up. I was like really sweet thanks. So she said to arrive back later to grab the extra key. So I left and went home and went out for like 6hrs with friends , I came back and decided to cease by to grab the key. So i knocked on the door and no answer. I rang the bell and no answer. So I went around back to look if she might be doing something on the pool deck. I walked around and She Was in her pool Naked! And im like Ms.Kendra I came by for the key. At this point i didnt know she was naked til she got out. Keep in mind she is like in her 30s and has abody of a 25yr old at max. So I started to receive a lil horny but was able to keep it from showing, She acted like it was normal and didnt say a thing about it. Im 20 And I think for being a Young&Horny Guy I Kept it chilly. Until she asked me to rub lotion on her back it was liike 7pm There was no sun , Dimmed light almost getting dark. So i said sure and just did it. She then saw me , receive to excited and I just went Boom on her ( BOOM AS IN BONER) She noticed and smiled and Im like sorry and she said no sorrys hun and reached in my pants and rubbed on it for like a solid 5mins (Handjob). I was about to arrive till i heard my dads truck tug up into are driveway. My dad is every Respectable and type guy. So I know if somehow he caught me. Id be clip of from my family. So i said got to go and bolted. What do i do now. Im not a bit sorry for what happen nor do i care that it happen. She came on to me its not my fault if she came on to me. So I dont feel that bad for her bf. Once i Heard A guy say Its every fair if its his gf but a married women is Locked to a promise of trust. So am i right, She asked my mom later tonight if i would go back over cause she needed to talk to me. Thats what my mom said atleast

16 May 2012, 7:03 pm | click here to view more

Resolved Question: Caramel-vey: Have you ever seen a beehive before..?

been close to one (with bees still in it) ? .. at my old home, there used to be a hive in the patio, it was causing trouble, so had to call in pest control .. and we got no honey either :(

16 May 2012, 5:46 am | click here to view more

Voting Question: Can a planning permission which has been granted for a house extension be removed?

I have been granted a certificate of lawfullness for a rear extension, The work had started and now building control just visited to say someone had complained that i was building at the front. Most people believe that the rear of the home i the front of vice versa but we were always told that even if people enter the property through what they think is the front is in fact the rear. The rear has a patio garden and the front faces communal gardens. Can the council withdraw his consent? when they give me authorisation, they came before hand tpo have a look at the property and it says in one of the letter they gave me:whilst the extension fronts a highway, in this case the principle elevation is the western elevation which fronts the public footpath and grassed area. The front entrances of the properties are located on the western elevation. So even if most people think the back of the hous eif the back it is in fact the front.

16 May 2012, 5:37 am | click here to view more

Resolved Question: critter in potted plants? how to repel...?

some lil critter dug around in my potted plants on my patio last night (think it might be my friendly lil chipmunk pal) how can I repel the critter without hurting him or my plants? thanks....

16 May 2012, 5:06 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Do you think my neighbors are inconsiderate? What can I do?

Our patio is overlooking their entire yard. We are on a hill and are over them. We are also very close to eachothers property. They are outside from 8:00 in the morning until 7:30-8:30 at night every night on weekends and during the week they are out from 4:00 to 7:30/8:30. They are always always outside! They have 3 young kids. There's times when my husband and I are just sitting on our patio having a drink and they look us out there but still go out and eat their dinner and are extremely noisy. We always just go in. I just don't understand why they would set up dinner outside if they look us settled in outside already. Or maybe it's because they figure we will just go inside? There's no privacy between our yards other than a tall white fence. Believe it or not but it isn't enough at every! There's really no other options. Not even trees. I just remember being a kid and this was way before the tall white fences and everyone just had the metal mesh ones. When neighbors were outside my parents would say "give it a little while, they're out there". I brought this up to them and they said "well we we're always considerate to other neighbors". On top of that, these neighbors are certainly outside far far more than I think the average person. They don't give it a relax! I dont really know what to do, I honestly think this sounds even less considerate but I wonder if they'd every want to be outside if we had a rowdy houseguest with foul language? My husband says they would probably say something! Also I don't know if this is really common or what. Like I said, they're certainly outside more than anyone I've ever known of.

16 May 2012, 4:55 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Need suggestions /help on carpet smell?

In the corner of my bedroom the carpet smells musty, almost like this mildew moldy odor even the lower part of wall stinks. It has a wooden border (if that helps) the water heater is also on the other side (outdoor patio). I've used baking soda, carpet cleaning spray. The manager had them remove the pad below the carpet only and had it steam clean but every this only seem to mask the odor for a few days. Today the supervisor came and said something about painted the walls. I know what mold/mildew smells like (for I lived in a place that had it for over 3 years) . But the management and there clean crew insists that its nothing. I even had a few friends arrive over & odor the carpet & they said it stinks. I don't know what else to do.....any suggestions?

16 May 2012, 4:17 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Carpet Smell ( mold? )?

In the corner of my bedroom the carpet smells musty, almost like this mildew moldy odor even the lower part of wall stinks. It has a wooden border (if that helps) the water heater is also on the other side (outdoor patio). I've used baking soda, carpet cleaning spray. The manager had them remove the pad below the carpet only and had it steam clean but every this only seem to mask the odor for a few days. Today the supervisor came and said something about painted the walls. I know what mold/mildew smells like (for I lived in a place that had it for over 3 years) . But the management and there clean crew insists that its nothing. I even had a few friends arrive over & odor the carpet & they said it stinks. I don't know what else to do.....any suggestions?

16 May 2012, 4:16 pm | click here to view more

Resolved Question: Does anyone know the name of this butterfly?

He's in my patio, sometimes he flutters around with a pal. I live in North San Diego County, California. I would like to know what type of butterfly he is and what he likes to eat. Thanks! http://tinypic.com/r/jg0hv5/6 http://tinypic.com/r/f06a78/6 http://tinypic.com/r/1zlyv7p/6

16 May 2012, 3:15 pm | click here to view more

Resolved Question: BEDBUG HELP plzzzzzzz?

ok i found a festation on my kids top bunk. bottom bunk matress was still covered in plastic the infestation was in the wood part where the screws where in. i immediately took the bed and beddings apart and carried it out before treatment. threw the mattress on the side of the home and wood and every the bedding on the back patio. now people are telling me i spread them through out my home and they could have re-entered thru the patio and jumped off in the living room and so forth. also my daughter gets in bed with me every night only my daughter would have the welt up bites no one else has signs of them, she has been getting them for over a month. i cant find a festation anywhere in there? or any other part of the home someone plz help me. i have no money for an exterminator and the health department told me i could do it myself. this is in the wrong section for some reason

16 May 2012, 2:45 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Leopard gecko or not?

Me and my family found what looks extremely like a leopard gecko on our patio at our apartment.but upon closer inspection i realized it was missing key traits that a leopard gecko has,eyelids and the "non-stick" pads on its feet.this gecko clearly has sticky pads on its feet and no eyelids,but yet clearly has the coloring and bumpy skin texture of a leopard gecko. any ideas what species this may be so i don't release the wrong gecko in the wrong place?

16 May 2012, 12:08 pm | click here to view more

Open Question: Which tiles work the best when attached to cement for a scrabble board?

So, moving along in our backyard, my wife and I have decided to add one more thing to our patio to make our backyard even more inviting. We are going to add a scrabble board to the patio. We would like to use 6x6 inch tiles making the whole game board cover 56.25 Sq. Ft. Question is what would be the best nice of tile to use in this type of project? We would also like to do it for as cheep as we can too, we still have to buy the pieces.. We don't want to have a huge lift up from the patio and would like to have some nice of border, so any suggestions on what to use there would be helpful too. and yes I know I spelled cheap wrong LoL I plan on using simple 1x6x8 treated boards clip and beveling the edges with my router, then placing decal letters and numbers on the wood then brushing them with some lacquer. A lot of work, but worth it in the end. Would a ceramic tile work for this?

16 May 2012, 10:53 am | click here to view more