I'm getting a new washer tomorrow and just spent way too long trying to disconnect the old one because when the previous owner installed the stacked washer/dryer in the hall closet they used hoses that are barely long enough to pull them out. I also don't like the flimsy PVC stubs they were connected to, I had to bend them pretty far and I'm a little worried I could have created some weakness. I was thinking while I'm getting new longer lines why not just go all the way to 10ft and replumb the whole thing to move the connections to the basement. They cut like a 10" square hole to feed the dryer vent through so there's plenty of room to thread hoses through too. And then if that connection does leak at some point it's only dripping on my concrete basement floor right next to the drain instead of the hardwood floor in the closet. I'm no plumbing expert but I've done simple things like this before and can't see any reason this wouldn't work. Are there any hazard or downside to this I'm not seeing?

• We’re scaling up on projects • thinking about buying nailer and paint sprayer • ZERO experience with air compressors • please explain this to me like I’m a high school student

• thanks

(Note: total noob here, know nothing about electrical work at all, sorry. Hope my question makes sense. Any and all knowledge, insight, advice welcome!)

We got a somewhat old house, the wiring is not in great shape and needs to be redone, including all switches and outlets. The electrical panels are also being replaced (there’s a main and secondary one).

We are also thinking about adding recessed or other lighting, but we’re not sure if we want (or have budget) to do that now, or later.

If we wanted to add lighting later, hooked up to light switches - what would that entail? From what I can tell, there will be steps to cut mounting holes, install the fixtures themselves, hook up wiring to the fixtures and the switches, and I assume hook up wiring to the main circuits of the house? (Again, sorry if I’m mangling some terminology here)

How much of that can / should be done ahead of time kind of as “future-proofing” while the house is being rewired, vs. how much of it can be relatively easily done DIY later?

I am in a high-rise and the unit does not have coolant. What could be? How I can check if something is clogged? What I don't understand is why sometime cools and sometime not. I have pictures of the unit but can't attach.

I purchased a house a few years ago it was originally last updated in the 90s so it unfortunately has the popcorn ceiling. These crazy people even sprayed it on one of the smoke detectors. The walls look like a kid painted them with all the drips everywhere. I’m looking for a sander or whatever I need to remove the popcorn ceiling and also to use on my walls before we repaint them. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

J’aimerais mettre chez moi une patinoire synthétique pour que je patine à la maison. (Je fais de la danse, pas du hockey) Est ce que je peux la mettre en extérieur ou à cause de la chaleur (?) ça peut endommager la patinoire ? Dois je la mettre dans mon garage ? Quel budget préparer ? Au début j’avais regardé des plaques synthétiques sur Amazon pour environ 400€ mais j’ai vu dans les commentaires qu’on ne pouvait pas y patiner avec des patins, que c’était plus pour s’entraîner si on faisait du hockey. Je me demandais si je devrais plutôt mettre ~1000-2000€ pour avoir un meilleur résultat et pouvoir utiliser mes patins ? Ou est ce que je délires et je dois mettre 10000€? J’ai essayé de chercher sur Google mais je n’arrives pas à me renseigner !! Aussi est ce que il y a beaucoup d’entretien? Merci beaucoup!! Je n’ai aucune idée d’où chercher toutes ces informations et je ne sais pas du tout comment m’y prendre!!

https://imgur.com/a/2aShsla

I am most worried about rain water entering the home foundation, and of course, the aesthetics would be better had there be no water accumulation right a rain.

Appreciate if you guys can provide solutions with varying budget as well!

My heat wasn't working so I called my normal repair guy. He repaired it by replacing my gas distribution system. Now it's not working again. He said he didn't like how it sounded whbe he left but said it was working and he didn't see any cracks.

I later realized that I have a a home warranty. So I called them and used him again and just agreed to pay the difference if what the warranty would have covered. I didn't yet because he never sent the new invoice.

Now they are saying I need a new heater. He says my out of pocket cost is 1,700 to make the old transition to fit the new system. Should that be $1,700? Is it reasonable to have to pay 1,700 for Non-covered cost: New drian pan Settlemenr trap Float switch Supply and return modification

He also said that a new furnace from gum would have been $4,900.

I have 2 units. This is for the downstairs unit. Thank you in advance.

Things I've tried :

An application of sulfuric acid.

6' Toilet Augur half a dozen tries, nothing really came out, it goes in fully.

Verified the roof vent isn't clogged (rank sink, went on roof, clearly heard running water).

A few years back there was a clog in the drain line going to the septic which was cleared from the septic end, but I doubt this is the issue because the sink and shower are draining normally. When I had the drain clog before, the shower would fill up with water when in use. It isn't doing that now.

I live alone (male) and don't flush anything other than toilet paper (the really thin scotts stuff).

When I flush the toilet will fill up almost all the way, then slowly drain out, however sometimes it flushes normally/completely.

Keep auguring? Another round of acid? Remove toilet?

I'm running out of ideas.

My family has just purchased a new home and I would like to convert the basement into a usable space. The space is roughly 500 sq ft but part of it is taken up by stairs and the furnace.

The walls are painted cinderblock and the floor is concrete (decently level, but not perfect.)

The ceiling is bare and just had the wood supports for the flooring above and some duct work that hangs down varying amounts.

There is a permanently installed well-type sump pump in one corner, but I don't notice see any signs that water gets in regularly.

I'm trying to find a cost effective way to cover the ceiling, add flooring, and cover the walls to make the room more comfortable.

I was thinking carpet tiles for the flooring - something cheap from a second hand construction store maybe.

I have no clue where to start for the ceiling or walls though.

Any tips or help is appreciated! I'm new to this, so just let me know if any of this is unrealistic or if I'm missing something critical.

Link to pics of the space: https://imgur.com/a/Q5KigRg

I am doing some grout repair in my shower. There is a small hole along this line where moisture has gotten in. It’s been drying up a bit over the last 24 hours but still has moisture. My questions are, can I repair while moisture is still present? If not, how can I make sure there is no moisture trapped underneath? Any other concerns along these lines?

Lots of snow one winter. It built up very high in the valley pointed out with the red arrow. The next day, temperatures rose and the snow melted quickly and water infiltrated townhouse on the left. Water ran down to basement, soaking insulation all the way down. Was told that the issue is the "waterproofing" in this valley was built to code for the region (Maryland), but it is too low for the amount of snow and the melting snow level was over the top. In order to avoid this from happening again, we have to redo the siding (it is 34 years old). What should we ask for (in terms of "waterproofing" - membrane???) so that this doesn't happen again? I am not sure how to post a picture so sorry if one doesn't show up right away.

I'm removing this shower wall so I can cut out some of the tile and relay it. The previous 10-in did nothing about cracks in the grouter anything, and it was shoddy from the original builders. The wood underneath is rotted and deteriorated so I'm going to be replacing the underlayment and putting some basic tile down. This should suffice until I have time and money to completely reno the bathroom. The challenge I'm hitting now is I don't want to break this shower wall glass sheet because I'm planning to reuse it to save money in the short term. What I'm not sure it was how this glass is anchored to the wall. I assume the track against the wall is screwed into a stud. If you have removed this before, what worked for you? I saw two screws into the track and I've removed those. I'm afraid to just Yank on it or bend it because I don't want to break it. Any advice?

Heres a few pics.

#DISREGARD, I GOT IT AFTER CUTTING THE SILICONE AND GIVING IT A FEW GOOD PULLS.

<$2k USD. Particle board or veneer 2-3k USD. Some solid doors, gum wood, and horrible designs 3-5k USD. Solid wood and quality. Decent designs

I stopped at 5k as it's my budget for a 48" single vanity w counter and sink.

Please tell me I'm missing something? Who should I goto for a quality vanity?

FWIW: Renovating a 10'x5' bath and want a quality vanity.

I have a trim that has rotted from water dripping from the bathtub, and am about to repaint the bathroom. I am not sure if I should have someone epoxy the rotted part, or replace the whole trim.

Trim: https://imgur.com/a/POVBKbw

Thoughts?

Please advise if we are in the wrong group for this question. We met with a realtor and contractor regarding getting our house ready to be sold. Both of them convinced us that the Texas Hill Country style was not what younger buyers wanted and that we should replace all the fans and lights with more modern fixtures. When the realtor and contractor learned that we have a vacation home in another state, they persuaded us that the renovations (including painting, kitchen countertop replacement, hardwood refinishing, etc) would be completed easier and faster if the house was emptied. So we took their advice, had an estate sale and moved other items to our vacation home. We stayed at our vacation home for approximately four months until we were told the renovations were completed. When we returned to our home, we expected to see the old fans and light fixtures stored in the garage, as they still worked perfectly and some were quite new. Instead, they were gone, as well as expensive shelving in the master closet, shelving in the garage, custom lights to illuminate paintings and inside and outside speakers. We certainly see no reason the custom lighting and speakers were removed because painting was not done where they were located. When we asked the contractor where these items were, he said that he had hauled them away because we had “abandoned” them. We can find nothing in our contract that gave him authority to take these items. We have never worked with a contractor before and are wondering if this is standard practice?

Putting some shelves up, and sceews aren't tightening properly. They just keep spinning and, while the shelf is being held up, it's not perfectly tight.

The holes are the right size, the rawlplugs are the right size, the screws are the right size. I believe it's due to fairly soft plaster.

So, anything that might sort it? Is there any sort of expanding glue or some sort of fixer for loose rawlplugs / screws?

Trying to avoid a full renovation in my small 1 bathroom house. I had a Kohler tub installed 10 or so years ago. They didn't put it on a mortar bed so as expected it has a small crack in the floor. I have ceiling tile in the basement underneath it and I'd like to very carefully cut a square out of the subfloor directly beneath the crack, patch the tub, and close it back up. I don't know if the tub is acrylic or fiberglass. It's flexible and feels almost plastic. I'm wondering if I can't use Bondo here (may have poor moisture resistance) or fiberglass mesh and resin (may not be flexible enough). Thanks for reading

I’m going to need to replace my furnace. The company also offered to replace my equally old A/C unit at the same time for a discount.

I have the cash on hand for at least one and possible both if I sell my stock. Problem is this will completely drain my entire emergency savings and I won’t have any cash on hand for anything else. I just replaced my roof and had to refinance my house for that and REALLY don’t want to do that again if possible.

Do i prioritize just the furnace knowing the A/C is likely to go next? I’ve put off home repairs before and usually it doesn’t work out well. I’d prefer to have both fixed and not worry about it.

I don’t want to deplete my entire saving, so do I finance part of it and cash for the rest? Or just suck it up and start my saving account over from scratch?

Part of my fear is I will likely have a large tax bill at the end of the year due to a new business I started, using my savings means I won’t have that available come tax time. I believe the IRS accepts payments though.

Any suggestions?

PS. I really did want to sell within the next few years but repairs Iike the furnace and roof could not wait. I’m not sure if I will recoup the cost or not, but for now the furnace is not an option. The house has electrical repairs that will need to be done at some point as well. Running window A/C units isn’t the best idea as I have old knob and tube wiring in much of the house so I don’t necessarily want to wait until the A/C system fails.

Hey all,

I have a wood stove and a hearth in my lower level (split level home). This is my personal residence.

There’s nothing but bare wall on either side of the hearth. I want to build built in bookshelves on both sides but the front of the hearth is rounded and I feel like if the bookshelves were kept square closest to the hearth it would look weird. Maybe I’m over thinking it and it would look find but I’d love some input.

I attached a picture so y’all can see exactly what it looks like. Please excuse the absolute bomb of a mess, clearly I have kids lol (4 and 3; and this is their play area and yes we have a gate that goes around the hearth when the stove is active for their safety.

I just desperately need a place for my books. I also have a vision of what I want my house to look like. It drives me nuts my rentals are nicer and more updated than my personal residence.

And yes that’s HVAC ducting that’s dropped down from the ceiling 🤮 house was like this when we bought it (first house we ever bought).

Here’s a link to the photos of the hearth:

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B28GFssfGGKzB8V

Anyone have a recommendation for a material to fill the gaps between planks of hardwood floors and chipped planks. I don't mind getting something expensive, I want it to last

I was set on getting some overhead racks but can't install them bc I have I- beams. Are there any good alternatives to look into? Or would I have to build some custom tall shelf but just have shelving up at the top?

Looking to fit the large black/yellow bins

Want to clear up room to move some gym equipment into the garage

https://imgur.com/a/dOt32s3

Recent storm pulled gutter partly off. I'm guessing the kink means I cant just prop it back up and screw it back in place? Do I need to call a guy to replace?

I have two and only one is doing it. No one else can hear it (not unusual, I can often hear things many other people can’t, like the sound coming from fluorescent lights).

They were purchased in September. It’s def not the alarm, or a chirp, and it stops when I unplug it, so I know that’s where it’s coming from.

Anyone else had this experience?

I was blessed with this second floor closet washer/dryer setup in the renovated home we purchased in 2022.

https://imgur.com/a/2SdNbQQ

It's about time that I start cleaning the dryer vent more regularly, but trying to wobble these forward feels like a disaster of floor scraping where I can't even see how I'm tugging and bunching the pipes and vents behind. Anyone have something similar where you've found a way to make it easier to move your washer/dryer once a year or so to clean behind them?

I think I’m looking for an altimeter. Anyone have any suggestions/directions on a unit specifically for leveling pier and beam homes?

The woodstove is coming out.

The brick at the back is usually only a few degrees warmer than the outside temp. I'd like to keep the brick look in the kitchen and use the space creatively for something.

Would foam board help? Or should I build walls inside to insulate. Or do I spray foam the brick?

https://imgur.com/a/6PLpd5t

I have some rentals that I manage- not a big operation at all, just a small triplex in an old building built around 1930s. Its very solidly built but has water heat and a boiler in a small room accessible separately. The equipment is not aged, but not new either. Two of the three tenants have small gas stoves still. I'd like to replace them out but so far I can't find ones small enough in electric to fit where they are, and they're working fine..

I'm interested in the plugin gas leak detectors after watching a Youtube video on gas explosions nationwide that didn't do much to make my Sunday morning.
OK fine, they sell the detectors, and the ones that plug directly in an outlet look the best.
I could get one for the boiler room, and one for each unit right.

However, if you've managed rentals or leased to other people at all you know all the drama involved with doing this. I see most of these devices have blaring, scary alarms and flashing red lights that would send my tenants into a keniption fit, even if they misfired which it looks likely they may often. One or two misfires and I'm getting reported to the gas company, or they're demanding to move, or to get new appliances, and on. Just the kind of thing that can make good renters become unhappy renters wanting to leave right.
Not to mention them frantically contacting you at 3am and enraged because you coudln't be reached, and on. I envision all this from years of managing rentals and frankly it looks like a nightmare. Sorry to sound so pessimistic lol.

But of course I care about gas leaks.
How are other people that have rentals managing this, and what has worked best for you? I think I would much prefer a discreet alert that would go to my cell phone without causing a political mess, but I think all of these would require me paying for Internet service there which is pretty overkill. And before you accuse me of being a negligent and selfish rental manager for saying this, let me point out that most rentals I know don't even have these devices at all. I am being proactive and caring MORE, not being negligent.
What have people done that has worked in scenarios like this?

How do I insulate this hole and seal it off. It originally had a receptical that has since been used for a ceiling fan. Now I'm left with this hole and my exterior walls are not insulated causing freezing cold air to come from this hole. Plaster and lathe walls https://imgur.com/a/nDkAGgx

Hello, I have a few new rugs for my home which are leaving a residue feeling on my hand when I rub the fibers. There's no more odor from off-gassing, but it is leaving this feeling on skin which makes me go wash my hands.

Any way to remove this? I'm thinking about hanging it up outside in the sunlight. Any products I can use?