[gavinballard]

I'd suggest that your problem might not so much be the tool itself, but the wrong tool for what you want.

I'd be interested to see what "normal" CSS/HTML you would use to achieve a fluid, responsive grid in a relatively cross-browser fashion, that maintained all of this semantic magic. As much as the "content/layout separation" ideal is lauded, it's pretty difficult to achieve in reality - and just because something is in HTML, I don't believe that makes it "content".

Addressing your two examples: first, you shouldn't have to rewrite "all" of your HTML to add a banner to the top of the page. There aren't any "row1", "row2" etc classes in Bootstrap. If that was a requirement, I think someone's done something funky with your layout.

Second, part of the appeal of Bootstrap is that it changes the global defaults of HTML elements. Such resets are commonplace and give you a consistent look and feel across browsers. If you're looking to "undo" Bootstrap's styles, then you probably shouldn't be using it in the first place.

[protonfish]

Here is an example of a generic HTML doc that changes layout by changing only CSS: http://protonfish.com/csssatori/ It's been a few years since I wrote it and it was just a prototype, but it should be a good example of what you asked to see.

Separating content and layout takes a little effort to learn but I assure you it is possible and effective. In my opinion, grid-based layouts are table-based layouts with a coat of paint.