Does Lowes do installs in your area? Ours does, and a call to the store will tell you for how much. It seems to me that when we wanted a new entry way door installed, they quoted us something like $90.

A lot depends on what you are replacing. If you are replacing a similar door, it should be around where WB stated. If you are changing the type of door and it has to be mounted in a different fashion (as with when I replaced my arcadia door with a french door), there will be additional materials required and a much higher installation charge (I spent about 140% of what my door cost on additional needs for the installation and the installation charge).

Well, right now we have a wood door, and as much as I like wood, I have a feeling it'd be replaced with a vinyl or steel door, because that's what they make these days, and they're easier to maintain.

...I passed the condo with the pretty oval window door today.... *jealous*

Well, if it is the same size and you have the same hinge placement, you should be able t install it yourself - just an issue of taking off the hinge pins.

Huh... I guess I was under the impression that the door jamb and door come as one piece these days. Maybe I'm overthinking this!

On a slightly unrelated note, my mom's going to come out sometime and help me repaint the kitchen :) No more ugly olive green, hello sunny Tuscan yellow! Unfortunately, it's either glossy or semi-gloss paint, so we probably have to sand, which sucks.

You can purchase them that way, but if you are replacing the same size door, you shouldn't have to purchase a prehung door. The problem with that, though, is hinge alignment. You would need to be very sure that the new door as the hinges in the same location that your old door does.

For painting over a semi gloss or glossy, you might be able to use a primer instead of sanding. I'd check with the Home Depot people about it.

Anyone remember my tramploine saga of a couple years ago? Guess what I took out of my back yard today. Sigh.

Now I'm trying to figure out what to do back there. My yard is very small...18 deep by 45 wide (in feet). Any ideas?

I've thought about artifical grass and a putting green, but that's pricey.

I recommend raised planters around the perimeter and flagstone the rest.

Or spanish tile with a fountain in the middle?

I already have a flagstone patio that runs down the wide side of my yard - it's probably 12 by 20. I'm leaving that in an probably going to get a nice BBQ island eventually to go on that.

I have some raised planters I made with some sort of red trapezoidal brick type stuff, and they look OK, but I'm considering yanking them. It's so small already they kind of look too big for the yard.

Contemplating a spa. I've also seen at some new housing development models with some above ground pools in smaller yards that are just really nice. Kind of a black marble look for the walls with water that spills over the edges into some river rock, which is of course pumped back into the pool. Looks nice, but I fear something like that is VERY pricey.

What style is your house?