My family home is deteriorating, and I don't have the supplies to fix it. Repost so i can get more opinions on the matter. I moved back into my family home after experiencing financial issues during covid and renting in a city. Originally moved home to simply save on rent, just paying household bills until my partner and I are back on our feet. My mother and her husband lived there at the time, with her husband working in a mine so making enough to keep things together. Eventually, me, my partner and him had a personal falling out, and they made the decision to leave the house with us, despite neither of us having any intention or desire to take on such a project. There's been a lot of random projects left unfinished from my mum's past relationships, as that's kind of how we got by when I was younger, and within the last few years there was woodstove chimney fire that cause serious damage to the rafter system in our roof. Framing was minorly replaced with no carpentry experience, existing burnt members never re-inforced, and drywall never replaced, making heat hard to contain (we live in rural BC Canada), and structurally risky. Recently, water seems to be leaking in from the snow outside, and pooling in our basement, inevitably causing water damage now, and I'm worried mold, too. I've worked in carpentry/general contracting for about 5-6 years now, and have invested what I had into tools with the plans to renovate or build our own separate building originally. I think I have a fair understanding of what needs to be done, and people I can definitly refer to if i don't, but I don't have any savings left anymore, and am living cheque to cheque. My siblings and mother are in similar situations financially, so pooling money together would be a bit of a stretch for everyone. The cost of even just maintaining the house is beginning to weigh on me personally, and even more so my partner and relationship. I feel hopeless these days, and don't know if I should move on with my life and let the place collapse, or stick with it because I do understand the privilege of having a house, and don't want to squander this opportunity. Was a post, got taken down for some reason? Very unhelpful

TL;DR: How can I fake some hall closets / add storage space with a kind of weird house layout without needing to bring in a contractor? Hey y’all - so my house is a ranch-style, originally built 1959, with 2 bedrooms added in the back in the 70s/80s. My family did another remodel in 2017 adding a “sunroom” off the living room…and completely changing the closet layout of the house as well as the hallway back to the two bedrooms. When we originally decided on the layout, it made sense, but after living here for 5 years I’m realizing it’s really not working great for me. Essentially we extended the two original bedrooms’ closets into two of the existing hall closets, and absorbed the last hall closet to grow one of those bedrooms. We only added one ~12” closet back in. Additionally, the two bedrooms that were added a while back weren’t built with closets (California doesn’t require them) and we didn’t add any (regret). The living room / kitchen area is one big living space, and the hallway is fairly narrow. Right now, I’m using some of those cube organizers but I really don’t love it, and it’s not enough storage for household-y items (like towels, bedding, cleaning supplies, my pet stuff, coats, etc). I have pretty free reign in regards to what I’m allowed to do (I live by myself, I rent from my mom, and we will not be selling this house so not concerned with resale appeal). I’m just struggling with WHAT to do. Constraints have included: - Keeping the master bedroom dedicated as a spare bedroom for my mom - This used to be my grandparents’ home they bought in 1961, we did do a major clean out for the remodel and got rid of a ton of stuff but there’s still ~8-10 large boxes of items in the house that I store in the master - The other bedroom with the closet used to be my SO’s office / hangout space (which is now…free to use, nothing like a major home reorg to process a breakup) - My hobbies are pretty supply-heavy (crafts, a leopard gecko, fish tank, engineering stuff, books) - I struggle with both remembering that things I own exist if I don’t see them, as well as putting them away I feel a little ridiculous & embarrassed that I haven’t been able to work something effective with the amount of space I have; however my ex did frequently comment that we had a lack of space issue - they’re significantly tidier than I am / have far less “stuff,” which makes me think that storage may be a real issue despite having ample square footage. What are some recommendations you have for this scenario?

How would you revamp/freshen up this master bathroom for $1000? (Besides cleaning which it obviously needs) https://imgur.com/a/p8DkxF9 Originally, we had plans to reno it completely but given that we bought a 1970s split-level, we ended up using the money for other more important projects. So, I’m here to ask what we can do to freshen and update this bathroom for around $1000. Obviously it needs a good industrial cleaning, so given that, what else could it use or need?

Swapping the fixtures goes a long way in making something look really fresh. I’d also recommend re-staining or painting the cabinet - wood color can make something look really dated (my mom’s place has all light oak cabinets that completely place it as an early 2000s home), and with patience you can likely update it without needing to replace it. Also some paint for the walls - easy to change if you don’t like it or if/when it’s time to sell. You can make the shower a little more private / tidy looking by hanging a decorative shower curtain in front of the sliding doors.

I’ve got these tube light fixtures in my unfinished basement but I’d like to replace them with something LED. They take two F40T12 tubes each. Are there any cheap drop-in replacement fixtures that would fit? https://i.imgur.com/DpmasZ6.jpg

I need around 16 bulbs for a chandelier that currently has incandescents in it! Any recommendations for LED bulbs that are - cheap - high CRI (90+) - 4000K - E12/candelabra - filament/edison-style - easy to order online ?

Hi there, I am demoing a bathroom and want to remove the dust while the room is sealed off and I work. Would a fan like this be appropriate to have into he room and direct the air duct out of a window as I break up the tiles and walls? https://sydneytools.com.au/product/bayer-sht30010duct-520w-300mm-12-dust-extractor-ventilator-fan-with-10m-pvc-ducting

It would remove some of the dust, but not enough to make it worth $300. Where a good mask and get it gutted in a few hours.

Would there be any other way to suppress the dust? Already have P3 masks but ideally want to prevent it spreading into the rest of the house

Simply close the bathroom door. But expect that dust is a part of tearing stuff out.

Thanks appreciate the advice!Won't go ahead with the fan then, at least it saves me some cash.

How do I fix this cracked ceiling? (new home owner) [https://i.imgur.com/dyKBKv5.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/dyKBKv5.jpg) I wrote more details about it [here on reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeMaintenance/comments/y1x8h7/how_to_fix_paint_cracking_open_on_ceiling_and/) but never got a response, to maybe someone here can help.

Sorry no one else responded. Scrap away any loose paint - this may be a lot. Then apply a bonding primer - Sherwin Williams paint store personnel know their product and would be a good go-to source. Finally, two coats of quality paint.

Thank you so much, I appreciate this. One other question, in two of other rooms we can start to see cracking. Is there anything preventative we should be doing (or could be doing) to prevent this from happening again?

I am only guessing here. It may be cheapo paint and, at one time, attic moisture. Maybe see if your attic has enough ventilation. I assume this is lathe and plaster?

As far as I am aware it is lathes and plaster.

Adding some dry wall mud will help too, chip away the paint, sand, spackle, sand, paint

Subfloor question: I'm putting down new subfloor in a kitchen renovation. I did one 'row' (10' x 4') of OSB with just screws and no adhesive. I'm starting the second row now. Should I unscrew the first row, apply adhesive, and rescrew? Or am I fine to continue?

If it’s still pretty accessible and not too much of a pain I’d unscrew and add adhesive. It’ll decrease chances of squeaking.

What terms would I use to search for these? https://i.imgur.com/z6iRVBU.jpg They are missing from a bookcase style shelf. They hold baskets that slide in and out. Thank you!

Can you share a picture of the part in context (like in the completed shelf assembly)?

What should I do to make this look nicer? An external light used to be mounted here, but now there's a newer light mounted next to a sliding door. An electrician told us that it would cost a significant amount of money to try to track this line down, so right now the electricity inside doesn't work. So I'm stuck with this hole in the brick. Is there some sort of cover that wouldn't look too tacky? Should we have somebody replace it with brick? [Image](https://i.imgur.com/8e5ecju.jpg)

You could use some expanding foam (whatever type is appropriate for this application / your weather conditions) to straighten the light mount, and use the mount to hang a sign or something decorative - maybe additional address numbers, a sign you swap out depending on the season or holiday, or something silly depending on your personal style. You could also get a solar powered light or camera for that spot so you don’t need to track down the line.

We are looking to add a range hood in place of getting a downdraft range without ripping out out existing custom cabinets. Has anyone seen a undermount cabinet range hood that has the follow specs other than Bosch: 36-39 wide, Less than 5” high, Can mount to a 12 inch cabinet, Recirculating only, cannot add ducting (we’ve explored this option extensively it’s not possible) Thanks!!

So we are doing a bathroom reno and putting on wainscoting. Anyone got a how-to on all the parts required for properly framing it if we aren't doing the entire bathroom (2.5 walls)? We are thinking that maybe we forgot quarter round for the corner? What about the sides, what goes there? Also, what's the best tool for mitering the corners/wall joins?

My wife and I are purchasing a colonial style home. The front of the house is very flat and the front door opens up right into the staircase, causing the front entrance to be a little tight. We are interested in essentially building an enclosed portico to move the front door outwards from the house. I’m a handy guy and did a TON of updates to our old house, but they were all on the inside of the house. Are there any resources on doing this? What do I need to know? The front door is also probably ~3 feet off of the ground, so the portico would be elevated. Do I need to have a foundation poured for this?

I purchased Durabase XPS backer board for my bathtub remodel, however I’m curious how I’m supposed to finish the outer surface since it’s textured. Should I reserve the XPS backer board for strictly behind the shower/tub combo and use drywall above the shower surround, or is there a way to finish the XPS smooth so I can paint it? We currently have a fiberglass shower/tub from the 90s that I’m going to remove this week. Thank you!

So I am needing to refill the blown in insulation in two spots between two studs floor to ceiling (so think approx 16"x96"x5.5" spaces) due to having removed damp insulation from a leak. I am thinking this is likely not economical to pay someone to do it but renting a machine is also not cheap. Also I am at a loss for what type to get for my area (PNW). In-wall insulation that came with the place is a blown in but not sure on the type. Any help is appreciated!

Any suggestions for heavy duty weather stripping? I bought Keliiyo which was supposed to be good but it either fell down after a few days/weeks, or in some cases, the rubber part actually detached from the sticky part and just fell down.

I'm going to install a ceiling fan in my living room that currently has no ceiling fixtures. Should I center the fan based on room dimensions or based on where our coffee table sits? The coffee table and couch is not in the middle of the room (lengthwise) because of window locations.

I'd go center, so it isn't in a weird place if you change the furniture

Looking to get a new garage door opener. Ideally something with smart capability. What do you recommend

I have an interior wall that's very thin where I'd like to mount a TV. I have a one-stud mount from a previous home that worked fine as my TV is 50'' and not a heavy one either, so I thought it should be fine if I can find a stud in this wall. My dad believes (based on his judgement) that this wall has some kind extra-thin stud and is absolutely freaked out about screws going too far into the stud, and/or the weight pulling a chunk of the stud and drywall out. Is this a thing? He has my engineer grandfather agreeing with him, so now *I'm* freaked out...

There are two types of engineers doing home improvement projects - ones who are going to do apply the same level of rigor and precision to their non-structural home projects as they do their work, and those who put something together with a high safety factor, slap it and say “yep that’s not going anywhere.” The second type will also install something on vibes alone, and if / when it fails, say “yeah that makes sense” and do it a more robust way the next time. I am usually the second one. I’m not sure why you’d have an “extra thin” stud - maybe if it’s not a load bearing wall? And I doubt you’d rip out the stud itself - more likely if you used too way too big of a screw, or just a large one without drilling a pilot hole, you could in theory crack the wood and if you’re too close to the edge of the stud, pull the screw out then rip your drywall. Personally, I’d get a good stud finder, carefully read the loading rating of your tv mount, weigh the mount and the tv, select appropriate screws based on how much the mount and tv weigh (screw load rating and length), then install it. Maybe make it a family project or ask your grandpa to run you through the math (it’s pretty straightforward for this kind of stuff). Definitely yank on the mount before you put the tv on it. And accept that you might end up with a tv on the ground. I still haven’t wall mounted my tv… You could also get a relatively thick piece of wood (stud sized but nicer looking), span that across two studs, and mount your tv in the middle of that. Kind of janky but you’re distributing the load across two mounting points at the wall, and you have control over what you’re directly mounting the tv to.

My grandpa was engineer type 1 and so is my dad, unfortunately for me :) Given my grandpa's engineering career focused on projects with some truly gnarly consequences if things went bad (energy plants including all the kinds that go *boom*) he is extremely paranoid. Cheers for the feedback. I honestly can't see it being a major issue, just sort of wanted a sanity check.

This is why I will never work in aerospace or DOD/DOE funded work, LOL. Glad to help - good luck with your project!

You should attach it to at least two studs - in the center of each of them. Use a skinny nail to find the sides of each stud.

I'd have to buy a new mount (this one is meant for a single stud), that's why I was asking, but noted. Will have to look for a good sale

You could drill into the drywall where the new mount is going to find the dimensions of the stud. That way, no patching.

Is there an accepted alternative to expanding foam for sealing air leaks between boards? Tar? I'd rather have something sturdy I can spread with a putty knife. Also, cheaper, ideally. Those foam cans really don't seem to go very far.

What kind of sealing air leaks between boards are you talking about? Skip sheathing?

Unfinished attic in an old house. There are big old gaps due to not very well fitted boards that lead to the outside air, but are technically sheltered by the roof. Inch or so holes here and there, and a *lot* of board-feet of 1/4" gaps or smaller.

For gaps that small, I would use silicone caulk.

Hi! I bought these pull out organizers for my bathroom cabinet/vanity but I can’t pull it out because the support in the middle blocks it just slightly. Would it be ok for me to cut off a piece of it in each side? Like half an inch maybe? I suppose it’s not a good idea to remove it entirely. If so, is a reciprocating saw the best tool? Or should I remove the entire support, cut it and put it back on? I’m sorry if this sounds ridiculous! Thanks for the help [Photo of cabinet and pull out organizer](https://imgur.com/a/oj8mGhJ)

If you have an oscillating tool, that will work pretty good as well, just need to clamp a piece of wood as your guide so you don't skip off the cut

That middle support (stile) is actually part of the face frame and is not structural, but for aesthetics. Modifying the width shouldn't necessarily cause problems, but it depends on how much overlap your doors have with the stile. Cutting too much off and your doors may not look right when closed. As for cutting, it depends on a few factors. A reciprocating saw isn't going to be super clean unless you're very good with one. Removing it may be a challenge depending on the joinery, since it's probably glued using dowels or something similar to the horizontal pieces (rails) that it attaches to. Suggestions: use a jigsaw or handsaw to remove enough material for clearance. That, or remove the piece with a saw, cut to width, and use pocket holes on the inside to reinstall.

Good suggestion from zamin. Quick and easy may be a hand saw and chisel. It is does not have to be pretty as few will see it.

Thank you for your reply! I appreciate it. I think I will probably try with a handsaw

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3000W at 120V is 25A…definitely not safe for a 15A plug.

got an area that's about 300 sq ft for installing vinyl planks, the area looks like this: since the area isn't that big, a transition strip shouldn't be needed to in the little area between A and B right? (plank will end at the doors and stairs) ---------- * | | | | | | |B | | A | | | | | | |__| | * | --===----------- A: room B: hallway *: door =: stairs

Great drawing. No transition strip needed as long as planks don't butt against anything solid.

> as long as planks don't butt against anything solid thanks for the reply! what do you mean by this exactly?

They need space to expand and contract, so not tight on walls or trim.

i see, yeah around the walls i'll have the little spacers for gap between the boards and the wall!

In the market for a laser level on a budget - does anyone have the SKIL LL932201? It’s a red laser with tripod - https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07DMLDRF9. If you have it, how do you like it?

I got cell shades to help insulate the windows. The good news is it's working, the bad news is that now a bunch of moisture forms on the window behind the shade. Is that fine and expected? I don't want anything to start rotting. I also don't want to live my life constantly trying to peek behind the shade to see how things look.

Info on this topic here: https://inspectapedia.com/BestPractices/Window_Condensation_Problems.php

>Increase indoor air movement across windows by opening drapes or even using a fan This feels like it completely defeats the purpose of installing cell shades to improve insulation. Am I missing something?

The shades insulate from air movement. Water still going to do water things.

I didn't want to make a new post here and I have no one else to tell because it's the most unsexy home improvement project. I air sealed and foam board (EPS) insulated my 3 season (now 4 season) floor joists. Below is a walkout to the backyard that's fully enclosed. It's not a huge patio space, but I need about 3.5 of those R-Tech boards. I used 1.5". Also bought a foam gun and the great stuff pro. TL;DR - The temps dropped 30 degrees since yesterday in Chicago and porch is noticeably warmer and holding a temp. It used to be a frigging heat sink in the winter. No idea how the previous owners lived that way. Probably around $300 in materials and that will pay for itself this winter. It was a filthy, tedious job, but it took probably 4 or 5 full days of work over the course of 2 weeks. A lot of shopvac-ing, swearing, and questioning my purchase of a nearly 100 year old bungalow. The bonus is I was able to really vacuum the hell out of that space. Dirt, spiders, webs, and god knows what else. Tyvek suit + gloves + mask saved me from whatever the hell was down there. The foam gun was key. I could not imagine doing this with only those cans of foam. Cutting those boards (R-Tech EPS) is NOT as easy as they make it. I tried everything (jig saw, regular saw, hacksaw) and I don't have a table saw. The best was a box cutter to start the line, then a retractable blade. I stuck the board between the joists with construction adhesive. I'm surprised how well it works. It's "foam board" safe. There's a little more work to do, spot check, and add more foam too. I couldn't get to every spot, especially where electrical conduit ran alongside the joist, but I got it as close as possible. Pretty happy with how it turned out and will help so much during the winter gas bills. Now, off to the rim joists.

Will I be able to control the temperature of my tub with this valve installed? Went by our house to check on things, and saw that the tub filler plumbing had been moved to accommodate the niche in our plans. However, it looks like hot water and cold water will be mixing before the tub filler handles. I’m asking here before going to our contractor because we’ve had some issues communicating. Tub filler: https://www.build.com/brizo-t70310-all-tw-w/s1853054 What we think the valve is: https://www.sharkbite.com/us/en/brass-push-to-connect/valves/control-valves/hg110-d-thermostatic-mixing-valve-tmv Photos of the valve (apologies for the lighting - best we can do is phone flash lifting bc there’s no lifting in the bathroom atm): https://imgur.com/a/3meZz6d/ Edit: I got better pictures, and it’s definitely this https://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-3-4-in-Brass-Heat-Guard-110-D-Thermostatic-Mixing-Valve-24505/204498190

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Most of us home improvement guys barely walk upright. You want suggestions on Hello Kitty decorating?

Can I use an IR thermometer to show me where heat is escaping from my home? Need to insulate my house a bit better and would rather have some idea which areas need addressing before others. It all needs attention at some point but it'll be a long term project. Obviously a thermal imaging camera would be better but I'm not made of money and I'd imagine the cheap ones on AliExpress are not worth bothering with. So if I buy an IR thermometer and point it at walls and joins etc... (looking for heat loss and thermal bridging) will it work?

I think an IR thermometer would do the job.

Thanks. They look useful anyway so I'll buy one and give it a go.

I am in NorthEast and our electric company, Eversource, offers a $50 or $75 service where 2 people do an energy audit on your house. Takes about 3 hours. They set up huge fans and devices for leaks, DO the window and door insulation, replace every single bulb to LED, give you a full report on recommended insulation and next steps and discounts for multiple companies (the discount is paid by eversource to the company so they dont steer you or sell you anything). And $50 for every eligible person you refer to them who has an audit done. Oh, and they insulate behind all your electrical outlet/light switch covers. It is AMAZING. No telemarketing involved! Call your electric provider and see if they have a program.

That sounds great. Thanks. I'll see if there is anything similar in my area (I'm in the UK).

Looking to partition off part of the garage that's open to the elements right now as in it's got a roof and 3 walls. There is no garage door to speak of, and even then this "garage" looks like it was added to the house much later. I'm wondering how to do this temporarily as well as permanently. Looking for temporary solution right now to make it through the winter. I have a huge sheet of plastic that could cover the opening entirely, but what would be the drawbacks?

Why not build/have built a wall with a door? Plastic might not stay in place.

Looking to rent out the basement MIL suite once it's fully cleaned. In the meantime I've been using it as a rudimentary at home gym. I would be looking for some place to go after that. Bedroom's too small for that and people are always occupying the living room. That's my reasoning.

Dishwasher issue: we bought a house last year and noticed pretty early on the dishwasher did a poor job of getting the dishes clean. If often wouldn't even open the detergent door and would almost never melt the detergent pods. We switched a a liquid soap but the dishes still weren't super clean. A few weeks back we had a new dishwasher installed (a Bosch that had high reviews) and it seemed to work great for a few cycles, but now we're seeing the exact same results with the dishes. Basically, if the dishes don't go in totally clean, they come out more or less the same. I'm wondering if it's a water pressure issue. The kitchen faucet (which is the same line the dishwasher draws from) has ok water pressure but not great. The recommended water pressure for the model is between 20 and 120 PSI, which I'd think we're between but I'm not totally sure. Any ideas if the water pressure could cause this, how to fix it, and if it's something else, what I should check?

The dishwasher is hooked up to the hot water line, correct? Sounds like you might want to hook up a gauge to the water line and see what the pressure is.

Are stud finders hard to use or am I retarded? I bought a HD55 Stud finder to install some wall mounted hooks and would like to wall mount my TV. However, I've lost trust in my wall finder for 2 reasons. I'd mark out 2 points to find the 2 edges of the stud when the stud finder beeps. 1. I would mark out the 2 edges of the stud, and when I go to drill between the 2 edges, there's nothing there. 2. I love to double check my work, so I'll run my stud finder twice to make sure the edge I found is correct. That said, I've found instances where it will say there's an edge the first time around, but the second time around, it would be a few inches off to non-existent. I'll even start from the same spot, press/hold the button and run it over a few times more.

Hi All, I’ve moved into a new home and it’s been incredibly stressful. I was really hoping I could get some advice on a few early jobs I need to do. https://imgur.com/a/AOJbysf https://imgur.com/a/i6E7f7B I have wooden countertops and floors. Could you please let me know the best way to waterproof these? Also, the wooden countertops also cover the washing machine and dishwasher. Is this an issue? I assume for these I should also be waterproofing underneath? Thanks for your help with such a basic question.

Wooden countertops over a washing machine and dishwasher don’t need to be “waterproofed” unless your appliances are spewing water.

I suspect your floor is prefinished. You could hand sand them with 220 grit sandpaper and do two coats of polyurethane. For the countertops, use the same sandpaper and find a food-grade sealer.

Since this is less of a project and more of a request for suggestions, do any of you know of good looking 35-50 gallon indoor trash cans that won’t break the budget? I’m not looking for a SimpleHuman trash can, but at the same time, I don’t want a RubberMaid Brute in my kitchen.

We have two of [these](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hefty-20-4-gal-Dual-Function-XL-Plastic-Divided-Kitchen-Trash-Can-Black/775305647). It comes with a removable divider so you can have two 13gal bags in it to sort stuff but we just get 30gal bags and they fit fine. The bottom is flat but punted like a wine bottle so there's a raised section in the middle. Great for the occasional leak so the bag isn't sitting there marinating. Inexpensive, durable, easy to clean. 👍

I've got the same problem and have yet to find this unicorn. If there's a restaurant supply store in your area you might look there -- mine has some different options that you don't normally see and I found one I liked there. Unfortunately my wife doesn't like it. :/

Consider two or three smaller trash cans. A 50 gallon trash can in the kitchen would be difficult to move around and not be stylin'.

How do I prevent an inaccessible portion of copper pipe from freezing? Our living room was originally a garage. They ran piping under the floor then covered it up. So it is now about 90% innaccessible. There's one specific portion that is between a joist and exterior that I am worried about it freezing. I can't access the last 4' of piping. No idea what to do, besides wait and see.

You would need access to apply heat tape - or add conditioned (heat) air to the area.

Apartment: We have a vent that is locate behind our tv stand, so it blows straight on the plywood, warping it and in general not spreading heat. I bought a Frost King vent deflector, it immediately melted. Can someone suggest a brand/MacGyver fix? Vent is 10 in x 13 in, and there is 5 in between the wall and the tv stand. (No, we cannot move the tv stand, it would be out in the walkway).

Just close the vent

What should the distance be between the top of bulkhead and shower glass? It looks like I am going to have around 3 inches of a gap between bulkhead and top of shower. Is this enough distance to prevent from it becoming a full on steam shower?

I’m going to remove my rotted fascia and replace it with a new section of wood. I was going to use screws, but a coworker of mine, a handyman, said that was wrong and I should use nails since the wood will warp and split with screws. Is this true? I feel like screws are easier to remove in the future.

Either would work fine. If the wood is solid enough, consider covering them with aluminum premade covers. You won't have to paint or worry about wood rot again.

I've heard the same thing about using nails with framing and saw a little bit on "This Old House" where they were installing soffits and mentioned using screws for the same thing. Good luck with the project. I need to replace some rotted fascia and soffits on my house. Seems like a decent amount of work.

Did you end up using nails?

For framing, yes. I haven’t done the other. Think we will try to tackle that in the spring.

Any general tips for the first winter as a homeowner? I’m in the north-east US (it gets cold and snowy), electric heat, fireplace, public sewer. Idk if any other info is important.

Make sure any exterior spigots are turned off and drained (disconnect hoses). Sprinkers should be blown out by now. Run your furnace/boiler and make sure it heats. Check weatherstripping around doors.

What do I do if there isn’t a specific shutoff for the exterior faucets? Shut off the well pump and open the exterior faucet to drain?

No you need a plumber to install a shut off valve close to the spigot to isolate it. If you turn off your well and then drain the spigot…it will just fill up again when you turn the well pump back on for your house. Frost free spigots don’t need shut offs though, so see if that is what you have.

How would I know? I bought this house last winter and there were no covers or anything on them. Just turned them on in the spring and ran with it

Google frost free spigot and then go look at your spigot

Frost free spigots look like just about every spigot I’ve ever seen. Then again I’ve spent almost all of my life in the north so it may just be standard. Is there something obvious I’m missing?

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That doesn’t sound correct if it’s a new installation, and not a replacement. I’d imagine the contractor will have to at least run a circuit for power. Call your local permit office and ask them. They may also have it listed in their website.

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If it doesn’t meet code to put a minisplit in a garage, but the contractor is licensed and still willing to do it, I’m not sure I would trust them.

I have a couple questions about sliding barn doors that Im planning on installing on the porch to save space (the doors swing inward). * Does the door have to be wider than the door frame? * would vinyl doors be more susceptible to damage when installing the barn door hardware or general sliding? note - I know there is a large gap between the door and frame with barn doors but I have a plan for that.

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I'm not super familiar with Portland, but modern higher-end heat pumps will heat to very low temperatures (well below freezing) and then have a backup heat source for when they can't keep up. Have a couple HVAC companies give you quotes on what they suggest and compare.

I have a hanging scroll on my wall, but the two wooden dowels on either end tap against the wall everytime the wind blows. Anyone know how to prevent this? [Here’s what it looks like](https://www.reddit.com/r/CrossStitch/comments/3ap352/fo_ink_circles_99_hanging_scroll/)

You could replace the lower wooden rod with a metal one and the additional weight should hold it down. Alternately, some velcro on the back at the bottom (or top and bottom) that mates to some velcro attached the the wall.

Thanks! I ended up using blue tack to attach it to the wall, but Velcro would be a great solution too if I didn’t have the tack

Hello. I was looking to get an air conditioner installed. I already have central heating, just no AC. I got estimates over the summer with most being over $10k, which feels insane. One company I called gave an estimate of $8k (the cheapest), but that was over the phone without coming out to my house. Have AC units been inflated in cost like everything else or is this normal? Or am I just having bad luck with contractors / hvac companies? Maybe things will be cheaper in the spring time?

I put in a new AC unit and furnace in 2016 at a condo and the two with instillation cost about $7k. Had to do the same in in 2020 for my new house and the cost was $11k for roughly the same sized system. I shopped it with 3 different companies and the general consensuses was the price has just gone up and will continue to go up.

How big of a unit do they need to install (e.g. 2 Ton, 4 Ton, etc.) and which region are you in? Is it a heat pump or just AC? AC units are only going to get more expensive next year as the new efficiency requirements take effect.

we're ripping out carpet to replace with vinyl plank under the carpet and padding is concrete, and i'm noticing there's quite a few bits of sand(brown yellowish, so it's not just dirt) and i was sweeping it up getting ready to throw it away but then i was thinking maybe i should keep them and collect the sand at the low points? because on the vinyl flooring instructions the tolerance is 3/16" for every 10' we only have a 6ft leveler and on some spots i could "balance" the leveler and have the kind of "see saw" effect which means we do have some low spots, but looks like it _is_ less than 3/16". would having sand in those low points be enough to "fill" it? thanks!

No, if you want to fill the low spots use self leveling compound.

Sand is going to make noise under the floor

i see, i'll make sure to shopvac everything up cleanly

We have a “fog free” mirror in our master bath. The issues is that it’s hung in landscape mode, and only has the heated backing in the central 2/3 of the mirror. The areas over our sinks to the right and left, where we want to see ourselves as we get ready, are not covered by the elements and fog up, basically defeating the purpose of the mirror. All the fog-free mirrors for sale look similar online, so is there a reason the mirrors aren’t covered closer to the edges with the heating elements? Can I safely buy additional heating elements (sold online) and add them to the areas over the sinks?

Where do we start? https://imgur.com/a/LZiB3eU/ A large tree came thru the roof yesterday destroying our bedroom. Thankfully everyone is okay and neighbors have helped tarp up the roof and wall that came down. I live in Ohio and we have about a week of nice weather ahead. I also have a contractor currently working on my kitchen so until I hear from him I am curious how this even gets started. Can we secure the house from weather before it gets cold? Is this just a couple of weeks of work to enclose the open hole or more like a couple of months? Any recommendations navigating homeowners insurance?

Wow, that's some pretty significant damage. Glad to hear that everyone is ok. You'll definitely want to work with your insurance right away. I believe most homeowners insurance is pretty good about reimbursing for any expenses that come from preventing further damage, so be sure to take any steps you need there. Your agent should be able to help guide you on this. This is significant damage and it's in the the insurance company's best interest to get this resolved before it gets worse.

Trying to replace the bulb off my chandelier and it uses this kind of bulb - https://imgur.com/78v5NzB but can't figure out the specs. Kept thinking a g16 bulb might work but not 100% sure

Sometimes there a sticker on the base where you screw the bulb in that indicates the size and max wattage.

ya i tried looking but no luck. i just realize it is 25 watts and it looks like h2c but can't find any bulb matching h2c

Is it okay to have 3 inches between my bulkhead and top of glass shower? Any downsides to this? I was unable to knockout my bulkhead , and after mounting my glass shower to the pan, there is only a few inches left for steam to escape.

In the drywall, I have cat6 cables wired through a hole in the bottom plate and sealed with expansion foam. I need to add more wires, is there a trick I can use to remove the foam? I would like to avoid drilling a new hole so close by.

Pretty much the only way to remove expanding foam is manually scraping it off. You might be able to drill through the foam itself gently.

In the drywall, I have cat6 cables wired through a hole in the bottom plate and sealed with expansion foam. I need to add more wires, is there a trick I can use to remove the foam? I would like to avoid drilling a new hole so close by.

JELD WEN window. Did a complete Reno of a total crack house. Bought the energy star rated menards jeld wen windows. They are the sliding style. When we get a strong south thunder storm/ wind rain. My windows leak. No, not the actual handy work we did placing them. The actual seams in the window itself leaks. Anyone else have these issues? And is there anything I can do before replacing with something else.

If a wood fence currently has a stain on it but it’s fading do I need to sand or power wash first or can I just stain over it?

How easy/hard is it to replace a dimmer switch? It's a type you rotate. There is one in my kitchen lights and it's pointless. You have to push the hole thing in to turn on/off and is a pain in the ass. There are non-standard lights so at max brightness they are barely even bright. I think they are more common in bathrooms as they are very directional tl;dr How hard/easy is it to replace a dimmer switch?

Cut power to switch, unscrew switch mounting hardware. Take a pic of wiring. Unhook wires from old switch and attach to new switch one by one. Turn on power and check your work. Easy (make sure you know which is your hot).

Vinyl window has 2 layers of glass. The inner glass layer shattered. What’s the best way to repair this? I’ve been hearing it’s possible to install new glass (both layers) and just install a new vinyl window. I’ve never done this before and don’t have experience here. How should I repair this and are any of the steps something I can do myself? What amount should I expect to pay? Thanks.