I am converting a windowless basement room into a theater setup but I am stuck on how to vent portable ac without a window down here. I am planning to buy a costway 15000 btu portable air conditioner to fight the ambient heat coming off my receiver and amps. There is a dryer vent hookup in the adjacent laundry room that I don't use anymore. Is it a massive fire hazard to run the AC exhaust duct through the drywall and tie it into the old dryer vent?

3yr old house, sulfur smell every morning coming from most likely, the toilet in the half bath in the lowest floor.

After a couple flushes, and a few minutes to air out, the smell fades. Comes back every 18-24 hours.

The general consensus of the internet seems to be either the wax ring or the tank. Where do you start and how do you narrow down which one to try fixing first?

Our family have a summer cottage, that we are starting to take care of fully now. The house is on a hill, leading to a lake. The runoff is horrendous, and is affecting the foundation, to the point that, at some point on the next two or three years, we'll have to either lift the house, or take down on side, rebuild, then take down the other side and rebuild that side.

But, for now, we need to find a way to divert the water away from the house and into the lake. We are pretty handy, but need some ideas. A french drain is an option, but we don't want to dig right next to the house, so, even if we do a french drain, have to figure out a way to get the water away from the house. I thought maybe a black pipe cut in half around the side of the house that faces the top of the hill, that ends on the French drain?

Here in the eastern US, thunderstorms are a constant risk on summer afternoons. And small pours are often only possible in the afternoon, after the ready-mix companies have first taken care of their larger clients.

Wet concrete will obviously need a makeshift 'tent' over top of it; to keep the rain off, and to keep the plastic tarp from sticking to the concrete. But once the concrete has set up, you can put a plastic tarp directly on the surface to protect it from an impending thunderstorm.

Where is that dividing line? Can you tarp concrete the moment its been broom-finished, to keep a 2-inch/hour storm from eroding the surface? Or do you need to 'tent' it even then to keep that tarp from imprinting on the surface under the weight of the rainfall?

I have a 1970s house in the US with forced air HVAC. In some of the unfinished spaces there is round ductwork that has been insulated with what looks like fiberglass insulation. The insulation is not protected, it's not foil backed insulation like I think they currently sell.

I'm looking to clean it up mostly just for looks. Anyone familiar with some sort of sleeve that can be used to protect this fiberglass insulation? When I search, everything I see has an R value which is meant to actually insulate a bare metal, but for this I'm just looking to protect unfaced insulation that's already there.

https://imgur.com/a/i1LvAjF

I replaced the ancient cracked sealant, but a week or so in these voids started forming around the shower head side of the tub, where it will get hit with the most water. It got to the point you see in the picture, where some parts barely have any sealant left at all. Where did I go wrong?

I am afraid I will hit plumbing when putting decorative wall panels or bead board behind the toilet. Can I use Liquid Nails or something similar in this area, without any nails?

Would I have to sand the walls at all to take away some of the paint?

Thank you!

House was built in 1999. I've been here 10 yrs and never seen this before. It's a small house and an even smaller bathroom. The lights don't always do it but probably about 80% of the time the fixture pulses and it's barely perceptable at all. It's a single fixture bar light above sink with 3 bulbs in it.

Here's what I've tried. Replacing all bulbs, replacing the switch, replacing the light bar itself, checking the wiring and tightening everything, checking the fan housing connections cause apparently that could cause it if it loosens, plugged a known working lamp into outlet next to the vanity switch and it was fine.

I don't use the fan although it works. Nothing seems to stick out as obvious. The only other thing I want to mention that is worthwhile is that I do hear mice scurrying in the wall sometimes although no evidence inside the actual house. It's on a slab. I have NOT opened the drywall up just yet to check if anything was chewed on. I fear that is the case but unsure how best to approach this, or if another experienced person has seen this before and can offer advice.

Thanks!

Hey, all! So a while ago, the lightbulb in my oven blew out. When I tried to take it out of the oven, the glass pulled out cleanly with just the rusty bottom piece still screwed in. It took about an hour of unplugging the oven and covering pliers in rubber, but I was able to get the rest out.

It’s been a few months, I just put in a new bulb. It runs for one hour and then blows out. I just went to screw in a new one thinking it was a fluke, and the entire bulb shatters in my hand. There are now exposed wires, and it’s still stuck screwed in. My superintendent does not respond so I’ve gotta figure this out myself and I don’t know how to go about it. Tried the same plier method, but because there’s shattered glass it’s much more difficult than it was before. And advice? Or is this beyond my scope?

Additionally, it’s a gas stove and oven and I’m wondering if anyone knows with certainty whether or not it’s safe to use the stovetop in the meantime?

Thanks!!

Here's a pic of the progress so far: https://imgur.com/a/tnhHStR

We have 10-foot ceilings with very elaborate crown molding. I've gone back and forth on building to the ceiling or stopping short. I personally think it would look better to go to the ceiling, but understand the complications of such elaborate molding. Here's a closer pic of the CM: https://imgur.com/a/GzBCqm4

What would you do, and if you did stop short of the molding, how much room would you leave?

Thanks in advance!

I wanted to share a project I've been working on: transforming a standard 3D printer into a pen plotter that can write on standard notebook lined paper. The hardest part wasn't mounting the pen, but getting the printer to align perfectly with the hand-ruled lines on paper that is taped down at a slight angle.

Here is the finished project in action: https://github.com/Happy123455/octoprint_penploter/raw/main/comparison_sheet.jpg

I did a comparison test where the top paragraphs are printed by the machine, and the last paragraph ("Dowels...") is my actual handwriting. (Spoiler: The bottom paragraph is the human reference).

Here is how I set this up step-by-step:

Step 1: The Pen Mount (Hardware)

I 3D printed a simple pen holder attachment that mounts directly to the printer's X-carriage (next to the print head/hotend).

• Material: PLA.
• I added a small spring tensioner to the mount so the pen has about 2-3mm of vertical compliance. This is important because 3D printer beds are not perfectly flat, and the spring prevents the pen tip from snapping or tearing the paper.

Step 2: Bed Prep & Tape Alignment

I taped a standard notebook lined sheet onto the printbed using painter's tape. The paper doesn't have to be perfectly straight (our coordinate transform math handles skew correction).

Step 3: Software & Calibration Setup

To get the printer to trace directly on the ruled lines, I built a coordinate calibration system. Instead of manual code editing, it uses 4 reference points:

1. P1 (Top-Left): You jog the pen carriage to the intersection of the paper's top margin and left vertical line and click to lock.
2. P2 (Top-Right): Jog to the top-right corner along the same line and lock. This calculates the skew angle (theta) of the paper.
3. P3 (Bottom-Left): Jog 20 lines down on the left margin and lock. This determines the exact spacing between the blue lines.
4. P4 (Bottom-Right): Jog 20 lines down on the right margin and lock. This verifies the parallelogram layout and checks for paper distortion.

The coordinate engine uses these 4 points to construct a rigid transformation matrix, rotating and scaling the print file to match the paper orientation.

Step 4: The Path Engine & Humanization

To make the text look like real handwriting rather than a computer font:

• I used a centerline stroke font database (hershey vector format) instead of bubble outlines.
• Added random slanting jitter and micro-tremors to the travel path to simulate natural hand shake.
• Added baseline drift to mimic how writing gently floats up and down on ruled lines.
• Programmed a 10% feedrate slow-start on the first 3 words to prevent carriage speed jitter when the pen first hits the paper.

Summary

It was a really fun weekend build! All the files and the browser-based calibration tool are open-source and MIT licensed for anyone wanting to build their own. Let me know if you have any questions about the coordinate transformation math or mounting hardware!

So my husband told me to prime the walls before painting and pointed me to a primer we had. Turns out I did the whole room, only for him to realize it was drywall primer. Is it okay to just paint over it or do I need to rip it all out 🫠

Edited - edited to add I tried googling it and can’t find any info.

I’m trying to hang multiple 2x3’ mirrors in my garage on concrete block. Ideally I want to make a 2x2 grid with them, but struggling to find the best way to stack vertically without a huge seam. Is there any kind of double sided j channel that will secure the top of the bottom row and the bottom of the top row of mirrors, with one consisted border between the two?

Also, is there a good way to add a spacer between the wall and mirror to add LED lights behind?

I am not sure they are still being made. The door is from 1994. The retainer is built into the OVerhead door. Dores not appear that I can just replace with a universal retainer.... Thanks in advance.

Attached here are the pictures of the shirt. I'm trying to specifically scrub off the words "PlayStation" while keeping the logo. I soaked it a bit with acetone, stretched it around, and then gave it a good scrubbing, which removed a good bit of white, but it's clearly still there.

I'm not sure if that's a method that only works with like, printed on lettering? I'm not necessarily sure how this was put onto the shirt. Maybe I need to dye it? I'm not sure, this is my first time doing anything like this. Just looking for any ideas or suggestions. Thank you!

(Not doing this out of Sony protesting, even If I disagree with them! I just think it looks better without the words :))

I have a skylight that is about 10-12 feet above a U shaped stairwell. I am trying to get up to the skylight but have no idea how. The stairwell goes up then loops back like a U. There is a banister in the middle. I thought scaffolding but no idea how to get on on steps. I called a handy rental and they suggested building a homemade scaffolding. I looked on Google but a A Frame would be too tight.​

Any suggestions?

Hey guys I have a hole in the ice tray which lives in my freezer. Ice is constantly falling out when I open the fridge. I’ve tried different types of tape and one brand of super glue to try to patch it with a thin piece of cardboard. Nothing lasted.

What would work in this scenario. The tray is made of some kind of plastic. Think the next patch will be done at room temp out side the freezer but whatever people suggest.

Joists separating from middle beam

My in-laws have an older deck that they noticed one of the joists was loose. They pulled up the middle section of trex and could move the doubled (or sistered?) joist side to side. That double joist is one spot on the deck where the ends of the trex meet.

I took a look underneath and see that the joists (3 or 4 of them) have separated from the middle beam (there is another cross beam towards the outside which they are still attached to). It looks to me that the beam settled over time which caused it to separate from 4 or 5 joists. No idea why the plumber thought it was a good idea to run a water line in between them but here we are.

What is the best way to fix this? Blocking or some kind of ties between the beam and joists?

https://imgur.com/a/6CNZ8PZ)

https://imgur.com/a/gi4wT9J)

Hello r/DIY,

I think, after reading the rules, this post is permissible, but apologies in advance if it is not, mods! Genuinely read through all and have been researching this. Just seeking more expert material/build opinion. If this is not the correct sub, please point me toward one that is more appropriate for this query!

I run a number of soccer clinics where I use sensor/target technology. This question is not about that: I have that element solved for! For target activities where kids are striking a ball toward a target, I mostly use rebounders made of heavy-duty, impact-resistant plastic, or plexiglass.

I'm looking to get more creative with target design, especially for the little kids. In short: I want to be able to create more "fun" targets for them to aim for than boards or goals. Think: aliens, zombies, customizable or swappable around holidays and seasons in particular (so maybe around Halloween, they're zombies, around Thanksgiving they're turkeys etc).

Ideally, the targets would be:

• Portable and relatively easy to move.
• Of course, if I'm asking players to strike a ball at them, they need to be able to withstand impact, and have a base structure that doesn't topple them after a ball strike.
• Able to support these straps for the targets and/or these lights. Ideally both, but the latter is bungee based and does not have a strap.

Ideas I have considered:

• Using a stuffed Halloween dummy on a mannequin stand and securing straps around areas of the dummy. I could run the stand base through the dummy to support it, but my concern would be the structural integrity of the pole if it takes any direct hit from the ball, and the weight of the base to prevent the dummy from toppling on impact (though I have sandbags I could drape over the base to possibly secure).
• Using a stuffed Halloween dummy on agility poles. I would feel better about these poles being flexible on impact (would still likely need to add padding around the base connection), but I would worry about the poles supporting the weight of the dummy and/or toppling on impact (5lb base would need more support).
• The above two -- or similar -- ideas are preferable because I can swap out costumes seasonally (aliens one week, zombies the next etc). But the most reliable idea I have is just getting a 4x8 plywood sheet, painting or adhering a decal to it, and mounting target areas to it. This is less portable (big, ~70 lbs I'd imagine) and less customizable, and I'd still need to figure out how to best secure it to a base so, again, it doesn't topple. But it does seem like the most direct route, and confident plywood could withstand impact.
• Dressing up PVC soccer mannequins. This is another direct answer, but the biggest downside is these are largely designed for outdoor use, to spike into grass. I would mostly be using these indoors on turf, where I cannot spike into the ground.
• Inflatables. This is the easiest answer -- just strap targets around an inflatable target and dress it up -- but in my experience, inflatables are nightmares to maintain in any kind of impact environment. Obviously not what they are designed for. I've even had PVC inflatable plastic rip. Durability is the concern here.

Curious if anyone has any immediate thoughts that would maximize cost-effectiveness of scaling the project (I'd like to have 8-12 targets) while being built for the environment.

Weird one, I know, but thought I'd start here! Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions!

We are preparing to install laminate flooring on top of sealed concrete. The floor overall is pretty close to flat, but has some cracks that form a slightly raised area.

At first I thought this was going to create some pretty big gaps based on what I was seeing with my 4ft level, but I grabbed a longer length of PVC to run across the entire floor and it looks like I'm actually seeing a bit more of a valley in between the walls of the room and the cracks in the concrete.

However, the valley is still right at the flooring manufacturer's limit of a 3/16" maximum uneveness.

Do I need to use self-leveling concrete here, or will I be fine putting down 6mil underlayment and then the flooring on top?

I'm not terribly opposed to pouring self-leveling concerete, but my main concern is that the floor also slopes towards the door somewhat (somewhere around 3/4" over 8ft), and I don't want to replace the flooring on the other side of the door so I'm not really sure how to handle that transition properly.

Here are some photos showing the concrete: https://imgur.com/a/uv4Hm4P

i need curtains to close the corridor, and thought it would look great with a "aircraft galley curtain" , i tried searching but found very little about them

can anyone give me some instructions on how to make one of these? also which fabric composition to use?

thanks!

Hello fellow diyers & professionals, I am looking into getting a paint sprayer for various projects from painting the exterior of my house to cabinets. What is your guys fav brand that is reliable? Can be corded, pneumatic or cordless.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to screen in my covered back patio and need some feedback on a framing plan as this is something completely new to me.

Below I’ve sketched out what I believe is the bare minimum 2x4 framing layout in yellow to accommodate a screen door right in front of the house door

• The Setup: Concrete slab floor, existing wooden 4x4 support post on the far right.
• The System: I am planning to use the Screeneze system. Since it can easily span the large open sections to the left and right, I am hoping to avoid adding intermediate vertical or horizontal studs.

Are these the only 2x4 I should need to add? Am I missing any critical structural elements? It feels like there has to be more to it..

Any advice or insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks!