Table Layout

Ok so i gave up on my last site because is was becoming a real pain in the @$$ with all this css bull crap and what not and i didnt even have it set up to fit the screen so.... I started a new one, this time with the intention of having the site fit the screen. So i have my top bar all set up and my left menu too so now its time for the meat of the site the information area. Well i have my left column set up with a width of 137 pixels and so i tell my right column to take up the rest of the screen with a % (tell me if im wrong with the percent thing) but when i got to put my information table in my right column it turns out my left column is taking up over half the room??!! Does anyone know why my left menu column is not 137 pixels wide and why my right bar isnt taking up the rest of the screen? Also in case it matters i have one css style applied to my entire left menu and another applied to a few lines of text in my left menu.
Heres the basic outline of my table without all the images and stuff
(=Bracket or Carrot
(table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0")
(tr)
(td colspan="2")(img src="this is my top bar")(/td)//my top bar area
(/tr)
(tr)
(td width="137" valign="top" class="sidebarbackground")//column with a style applied that gives my left menu a background image
(span class="makeheaderwhite)(header)(/span)//makes my headers white
(a whole bunch of links)//my link area
(/td)
(td width="%" valign="top")//start of my right menu the one i want to take up the rest of the screen
(table)
(tr)
(td)my information area(/td)//table within the right column of my larger table
(/tr)
(/table)//end of smaller table
(/tr)
(/table)//end of big table

do you sketch out your site on paper first? it makes it easier to organize your thoughts and design. it would help alot if you gave us a link to the problem and not a whole bunch of HTML with carrots and peas. the problem might not lie where you show us, rather, it might be an error in your coding before this.

ok yes i do sketch it out on paper for two resolutions too along with the plan thats in my head. I can link to it because its in dream weaver and the host i have is a piece of crap and it would take me longe to upload it then it will to figure out my problem so let me just try and simplify this for you. I have one row on the top of my page and below it lies two columns i want the left column to be 137 pixels wide and i want the right column to take up the rest of the screen but it didnt work with the html above can you see any errors there or do you know about any common problem that occurs while performing such coding?

did you use a percent for the table that takes up the rest of whatever you're talking about. Post a link and someone can look at it and maybe give you a solution.