HTML & CSS Layout Help

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jzm

Hello,

I am trying to create a layout with the sidebar on the left and content on the right, this is my first time creating a site with this layout type:

Doctype: HTML5 -> Transitional

Issues:

I am having trouble to create a layout that expands dependent on the amount of data given.
How would I produce the graphic -> Metal so that it expands.
Why am I getting overlap with I hover over my nav dropdown menu -> The nav does not seem to get wider for the number of options within it.
Would I make my #rightCol graphic a fixed width?
Do I even need #rightCol?
Should I make the width 960 or 990px?

HTML:

       <html>
    <head>
    </head>
    <body>
    	<div id ="wrapper">
            <div id ="header">
    		<h1 id = "companyName">Houses</h1>
    		<h4 id = "companyQuote">"Houses"</h4>
    	    </div>
    <div id="leftCol">
    <nav>
    <ul>
                <li>Dashboard></li>
                <li>Edit Pages
                    <ul>
                        <li><a href="#">Pages</a></li>
                    </ul>
                </li>
                <li>Gallery
                    <ul>
                        <li><?php echo anchor('admin/addimage','Add Image');?></li>
                        <li><?php echo anchor('admin/deleteimage','Delete Image');?></li>
                    </ul>
                </li>
                    <li>Sales
                        <ul>
                            <li>Add Sale</li>
                            <li>Edit Sale
                        <ul>
                            <li><a href="#">Sales</a></li>
                        </ul>
                        </li>
                        </li>
                    <li><Delete Sale </li>
                </ul>
                        <li><Log Out</li>
                </li>
    </nav>
    </div><!-- Left Col End -->
    	<div id="rightCol">
                   <section id="content">
                       <h1>PageName></h1>
                        <p>Content<p>
                          </section>
       </div><!-- Right Col End -->     

    <div id="footer">content</div>
	</div> <!-- Wrapper Close -->
</body>
</html>

CSS:

        /*Reset */
    html, body, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, form, input, ul, ol, p, fieldset { padding: 0; margin: 0; }

/* Main CSS */
#wrapper{
    width:990px;
    height:auto;
    margin: 0 auto;
}
#header{
    background-image:url('../images/header.png');
    background-color:#000;
    width:990px;
    height:220px;
}

#leftCol{
    width:190px;
    float:left;
}

#rightCol{
    width:990px;
    margin:0 0 0 0px;
}
/*Menu */
nav{
    float:left;
    width:190px;
    height:500px;
    margin:0 0 0 0;
    background-image:url('../images/metalnavbg.png');


}

nav ul{
    float:left;
    margin:0;
    list-style:none;
    font-size:14px;
    width:190px;
}

nav li a{
    font-size:14px;
    color:#fff;
    line-height:25px; /*Text Hight On Button */
    text-decoration:none;
    text-indent:25px;
    display:block;
    width:190px;
    height:27px;
    background-image:url('../images/normal.png');
}

nav ul li ul{
    display:none;
}

nav ul li:hover ul{
    display:block;
}

nav a:hover{
    background-image:url('../images/onclick.png');
}

/*Content */


#content{
    width:990px;
}

#content h1{
    margin: 10px 0 0 0;
    text-indent:25px;
    font-family: 'Josefin Slab', arial, serif;
    font-size:24px;
}

#content p{
    margin:10px 0 0 0;
    text-indent:26px;
}

#footer{
    clear:both;
    background:url('../images/footer.png') no-repeat #000;
    width:990px;
    height:60px;
}

/* Misc*/

#metal{
    float:left;
    margin:160px 0 0 -190px;
    background-image:url('../images/metalnavbg.png');
    height:400px;
    width:190px;
}

/* Text Formatting */

#companyName{
    text-align:center;
    padding-top:45px;
    font-size:35px;
    color:#f0f0ef;
}

#companyQuote{
    text-align:center;
    font-size:18px;
    color:#a5a4a2;
}

/*Forms */

#leftFormCol{
	float:left;
	width:100px;
	border:1px solid gray;
}

#rightFormCol{
	float:left;
	width:150px;
	margin:0 0 0 75px;
	border: 1px solid blue;
}

/*General*/

#validation{
    font-weight:bold;
    color:#ff0101;
}

form{
    width:100%;
    float:left;
    margin: 0 0 0 25px;
	border: 1px solid black;
}

fieldset{
    border:none;
}

label{
	width:30px;
	margin: 0 42px 3px 5px;
	border: 1px solid green;
}

input{
    width:130px;
    height:20px;
    margin: 0 42px 3px 5px;
	border: 1px solid red;
}

::-webkit-input-placeholder{
    text-indent:5px;
    color:red;
}

/*Admin Login */
#loginForm{
    margin: 0 auto 10px;
    width:150px;
    height:150px;
    background-color:#c5c4c3;
    -moz-border-radius:3px;
    -webkit-border-radius:3px;
}
#loginForm label{
    font-weight:bold;
    margin:5px 0 0 15px;
    display:block;
}
#loginForm input{
    margin:10px 0 0 15px;
    height:15px;
}
#loginForm input[type=submit]{
    margin-top:5px;
    display:block;
}
#sales{
    width:150px;
    height:180px;
    margin-left:15px;
    border: 1px solid red;
}

#sales .thumbnail{
    height:150px;
    width:150px;
}

#sales .location{
    float:left;
    text-align:center;
    font-weight:bold;
    margin-left:8px;
}

#sales .price{
    float:left;
    text-align:left;
    font-weight:bold;
    padding-left:5px;
    color:#ff0101;
}

njaohnt

I have no idea.