We bought an older home that we are in the process of remodeling. The stairs are a disaster. They had put a huge, heavy ass metal railing that I suspect was intended for outdoor use on them.

We are replacing all of the treads because they are pretty beat up and putting leftover vinyl plank flooring on the landing. We are also going to add a wooden handrail. For whatever reason, the stairs are "open" meaning there are no risers installed. This is very annoying because any dirt falls onto whatever is below them, which opens into the dining room area.

I want to add risers when we replace the treads, however I don't know how to go about it without it looking weird from the side. Any suggestions?

We are on a budget so please nothing like "replace the whole thing" lol. I know they aren't ideal looking, but we have to work with what we've got.

Thanks for any insight! :)

Here are the pics of the stairs in question:

https://imgur.com/a/ATwGpC2

https://imgur.com/a/sSzIGD6

https://imgur.com/a/G0PrNJE

Hi all,

I'm looking to add an electrical outlet box outside my garage for lighting along the walkway. I don't have any outside outlets on that side of the garage or exterior lights, so was planning on running some outdoor cable from inside the garage from one of the outlets to the outside and into a box. I'm thinking my two options are an outlet near the door and the hvac outlet (there's only one plug, not sure if I can just wire into that?) Any thoughts on this? Here is a picture: https://imgur.com/a/nQKlDl6

I'm fairly handy, but haven't worked with electrical stuff too much, is this doable or would this be best left to the pros?

Thanks

We're trying to install new custom window shades (outside mount because our inner trim isn't deep enough). We're hitting something when drilling the holes for the brackets above the window moulding.

I doubt it's electrical or plumbing because we're literally right above the moulding. Any suggestions?

https://imgur.com/a/Wmzq6hh

Hey all. TL, DR: My house is older and has plaster and lathe walls. The siding is cement shingles and there is no cladding beneath it. Some of my exterior walls are cold af on the inside to the point that it's a problem. Is expanding foam a solution that doesn't require me to rip out the old walls to "get my money's worth"?

Here's some extra info for those who enjoy novels:

I bought my house a year and a half ago and this winter I've been chasing down the cold leak areas. I've come to realize that specific walls are significantly colder to the touch than I would expect them to be. Almost icy in some spots. Not kidding, wish I was. In the places where the walls are the worst, the house is arguably sheltered. Given the house's age (120+) and the fact that the wall is plaster and lathe, I feel it's safe to assume that it lacks effective insulation within it.

Which raises the question: what do I do about it? You see adds on tv constantly for the expanding foam where they'll cut a hole in your siding and fill the space. Job done, house warm and toasty. At first glance this seems like the right choice but the more I read, it seems like this is misleading marketing?

My learning thus far states that to properly fill the cavity, they need to open the wall up completely. Context implies that this means to do the job right, the interior walls need to be gutted OR the siding needs to be taken off and replaced. Do I understand this correctly?

I do okay but I'm not loaded and DIY demo of old walls, hanging insulation, and finishing drywall, is well within my comfort zone. Please help me make the right choice for the long term in my home as well as not get taken to the cleaners by a less reputable contractor

Hello fellow homeowners. My attic needs some help. What are some considerations I should make in removing old insulation and replacing it with new? I've started researching how to remove insulation on my own. It would be a big project, but doable and cost effective. Replacing the insulation would be a different story and I'd probably need to hire a company for that. What has worked or not worked for you? I live in Texas where winters aren't bad, but summers are as scorching as they are merciless. Thank you in advance!

Hi! First time homeowner here. Looking to switch the cabinet pulls in the hall bathroom of our house. Only problem - the holes on the existing cabinets are 3 1/8 inches apart - not 3 inches as I thought when I was comparing the old and potential new handles at the store.

It doesn’t seem like this is a standard size … do you have any suggestions for how to make it work?

I'm try to put an exhaust fan in a window. Do the flaps go side by side or up and down?

How do I get to the wiring of this jennair cooktop so I can install a new cooktop? The electrical connection is below the base of this cabinet but above the subfloor (I can’t access it from the basement).

picture

https://imgur.com/a/P5EmYrg

Image above.

So the celing of the house was already a little broken, I dunno why. But my elderly father smashed it open like that a few days ago I think. Be also strung a lightbulb attached to a wire over the knockoff chandelier.

Today, some weird burning chemical like smell started emanating from the area but it wasn't unbearable. But over the course of the day, it's gotten extremely bad. It's all over the house and so strong I can taste it. My throat is burning and I've been coughing. I dunno where the facemasks are so I tied a pillow case to my face but even being folded over twice doesn't help.

What is going on?

I have a sunroom with sliding glass doors and windows. My friend broke the inner pane of a window. I am wondering where I can buy a replacement glass panel. The door came out and apart very easily so it should be east to pop one in and install but maybe im wrong.

They are 34" x 76"double pane. About 1/2" thick.

I need your advice. I am trying to run some wire to a outside wall from my basement.

My issue is the 2nd joist is in the way. I am assuming the best way is to use a hole saw on a 90 degree drill to get through the joist in the way and then drill up through near the outside joist to get to my outdoor wall cavity?

One of the concerns is, if I use this method, is getting a drill bit straight enough through the sill plate. I have a 4" hole saw but that still wont give me a ton of room.

I guess another option is to go from the outside wall, cut out the drywall, get everything done and then patch the drywall.

What do you guys think?

You can see the white piece that’s bowing out. It seems to be holding the glass to the actual frame here.

So the top hole where the roller pivot went, blew out and now the hole is twice the size it should be plus the finished edge of the door is protruding. Given that this bifold is 23”x79” and nobody is selling those dimensions any longer, I figured my best bet would be to try and repair this. However, I have no idea where to start. Would any of you be so kind and explain how this can be repaired? For context purposes, I haven’t done much woodworking outside of building a new fence but I’d like to try and fix this if possible. Thank you

Hi, I recently had my office painted in what was supposed to be “Hippopotamus Gray” and later when I bought a quart to do some touch up, it wasn’t the same color. Come to find out the quart of paint matched the swatch of Hippopotamus Gray” exactly. How can there be more than one “Hippopotamus Gray”? It’s a Kilz color, but I got it from Sherman Willams and it matched the kilz swatch exactly. I have no idea how this could have happened unless the painters never painted my walls the specific color I told them and they agreed to. How can I find fault? Has this happened to anyone before? What ways can I determine to see who screwed up?? Any help is very much appreciated!!

Hey all. So, I’m about 6 months in to my big 1955 ranch home adventure. I’ve gotten to know the house. It’s cold, and it costs a lot to heat and cool. I had a radon system put in.

the basement is cinder blocks. The crawl space got encapsulated years ago due to moisture issues, and they had a pretty beefy dehumidifier in the crawl… it was broken, so I got a new one. With the dehumidifier running, there’s not been a ton of challenge moisture-wise. It doesn’t seem to work the dehumidifier to death. The radon system I put in pulls from under the tarp stuff in the crawl space, and from under the slab.

The wood on the rim joist is, not surprisingly, cold as can be.

When it rains, a day or so later, I can hear water gurgling in the crawl space radon pickup. I had the guys from the Radon company come out and work on that, they took half a bucket of dirt out of the pickup well, but now it just takes longer to gurgle and longer to go away. It seems like the moisture encapsulation of the crawl was definitely warranted, but it DOES seem to keep the moisture out of the crawl itself.

So my questions are…. Anyone ever heard of this issue in a radon pickup? What’s the well known fix for this? Do I need to dig up my house and put tyvek on the wall? Do I install a sump pump in my crawl space? Do I shrug and move on with my life? AND may I insulate my rim joist without finding the source of this water into the crawl space?

I’ve got a sliding bathroom window in a shower. The track fills up with water, which gets kind of gross - and while it hasn’t caused a problem I worry about water leaking into the walls eventually.

See pictures: https://imgur.com/a/g9Y7pDn

A window replacement seems like it’s going to be two to three grand, which is a lot. I’ve considered letting this dry out and just filling the track with silicone or something - I don’t need an opening window there. Will that work? Are there any better suggestions?

Thanks for any advice!

The section of exterior trim is rotting and needs some attention.

Does anyone know the official name of this piece of trim?
https://imgur.com/a/YPZocz3

I work out of my detached garage nearly all day every day. The garage was built in 1998 and has vermiculite insulation in the attic. I don’t go up there…the only thing up there is the heat pump.

My understanding is that I don’t necessarily need to worry about asbestos given the date, but I’ve been picking up mixed messages over the web.

What would you do if you were in my shoes? Are there any potential risks?

Seeking any insight. Thank you.

https://imgur.com/a/G8rScpM

I got this Kholer faucet in my bathroom, i am trying to replace them but the mixer junction is extremely difficult to take apart. It’s installed by snapping the cold and hot pipes into the junction. Supposedly it can be taken apart by squeezing on the bumps. But no it seems to be a one way street, I can’t take out the pipe no matter how much I squeeze them… I don’t want to just saw them open. What else can I do?

https://imgur.com/a/BEAFzOl

The fittings that come with the drain pan only fit a 1.5" PVC pipe while my overflow drain is metal and has a lip, it's too big to fit. If it matters, this place was built in the 70s-80s.

TIA

I realized there's about a 3-4" gap between the 4x4 support and the cement brick footing. There's evidence that there used to be a metal bracket between the two since there's rust on he 4x4 and a hole in the middle of the footing. What is the easiest and most efficient method of replacing the missing bracket without digging up the footing?

Not sure if this is a common issue but has anyone come up with a solution to a squeaky bed . Yes that's exactly what this is about lol and really could with sorting it as it's quite embarrassing. No matter what type or brand of base ends up being a ....problem .

Hi this is our first semi renovation fix. We replaced the self adhesive tiles in our kitchen as there was water damage w the same self stick tiles. This is my dad’s apartment and he told us to just replace w the same but what can we place over the creases to keep water or pet accidents ( we have a puppy) from going underneath the tiles besides the obvious of cleaning it up immediately?? Please help. I don’t wanna have to keep replacing tiles all the time.

Hi all, I saw two old posts on this topic but didn't think it was quite the same situation. I'm looking for ways to better winterize or insulate the bulkhead door to the unfinished basement. Info to know: ● I live on the first floor or this house/apartment thus don't want to do anything too expensive or permanent as it's not my place but also know the LL won't improve it ● The only entrance to the basement is via bulkhead so can't seal from inside ● Current bulkhead is really shitty old doors where one just sits in a groove of another ● There is an "interior door that is just plywood sheet with a latch that is broken.
● The LL had someone put a few strips of insulation in the ceiling before I moved in but the amount of cold air coming up into my floors is still constant and freezing ● Fun fact: my hvac unit's filter slot is fully exposed to the dirt floor. I have never seen that in my entire life. Thanks in advance

I have a single light switch and a light fixture above the mirror in my bathroom. I wanted to swap the 1-gang box for a 2-gang to add in a GFI and change my single switch into a triple switch (one for the light above the mirror, and then 2 other switches because I’m adding in a vent/light above the shower).

I am now realizing the power is going to the light, and the switch is wired to that. I’m struggling to figure out how to make this work. I still want to switch 1 to interrupt the light. As for the GFI, it doesn’t matter to me whether that is always hot or if it’s only powered when switch 1 is on. Any ideas on how to wire this?

I want to grout my shower and the previous own left a bag of what might be grout in the garage. It's gray and matches the color of both the grout in the shower. Is there a way to tell the difference?

https://imgur.com/dBzTy6s

A friend has a storage space on his lanai that had a pair of louvred steel bi-fold doors that have since been removed. While helping him reorganize, we found a pair of hollow core bi-fold doors—very much the same as you would find in an average bedroom closet or interior storage nook.

Using some different parts to accommodate for the smaller track on the lanai, I managed to get them hung, but I’m not quite sure how long they’ll last out there despite being under cover.

Could I just paint these things and call it a day or will the expansion & contraction with the seasons combined with the humidity(in FL)eventually delaminate them? If they last for five years, he’d be satisfied—thanks in advance!

Hi all.

I'd like to have string lights zigzagging across the ceiling in our hallway, but I'd like to avoid damaging the walls. Is there anything temporary I could use to hold them up that could be removed after the holidays?

Thanks for any help!

Picked it up used on a deal and it had these imperfections, just wondering if there's anything I could do or if it would be too much of a headache, thanks!

Dent pics: https://imgur.com/gallery/7cNmpIg

I'm getting my floors redone and I'm simply ingesting too much information to make a decision.

The installer folks I am talking to use "ECO 983" as their default adhesive. They said whether I want an underlayment like cork is up to me, but the building rules say there must be some sort of sound/vibration deadening material underneath the engineered hardwood. A few question:

• ECO 995 appears to be urethane and provides superior mositure control and even sound deadning properties. Would you recommend I ask them to use this (or provide it myself?)
• How do all these compare to Bostik's Best?
• What's the best underlayment to use? Will using a cork, for example, require some sort of additional moisture barrier?
• There's something called "Eco Cork Foam" doesn't require an additional barrier, but it's apparently not compatible with adhesives. Is a floating install inferior than adhesive for my high-rise situation?
• What's the the most effective combination to reduce moisture/sound/vibration issues? (e.g., felt + ECO 983?, cork + ECO 983?) Or would just ECO 995 be sufficient given its sound reducing properties?

thanks for any insights you can offer.