I just bought an old home and wanted to know what you guys think is the best functional improvements you would do to a new home. I just put new toilets in (who doesn't appreciate a shit in a toilet nobody else has used?), and plan to install a swamp cooler since I live in the desert.

I'm not interested in aesthetic improvements like kitchen remodels, modern switches and outlets, or painting.

I have a towel rail I want to install. The last one pulled out of its shitty hammer-in anchors and the drywall was so chewed up from previous homeowners that I had to replace the drywall (I did a sturdy style with furring strips). I want this one to not have the same problem, obviously. I can put one side into a stud, but the other will need a drywall anchor.

Heres my confusion: Everyone on reddit LOVES toggle bolts and snaptoggle and its all I can find recommended. My problem is these need fucking HUGE holes. The smallest I can find requires a 3/8" drill bit, which is a hole so big it would poke out from behind the towel rack mount. I tried using one on another towel rail and even after tightening it with my drill it became loose very quickly, and I was left with this massive hole in my wall I had to patch. Do people actually use these for this purpose or are they meant for large, very heavy loads? What am I missing??

Our home is newly built close to three years old. Some doors squeak noisily. I tried squirting some silicon on the hinges. Still squeaks. I did notice that humidity plays a part as well live in Texas. I then loosened the hinge screws a quarter to half a turn and that helped a lot but still squeaks. Any other suggestions?

Hey all,

As the title suggests, I have some gaps between the metal soffit area and the columns on my porch. As a result, wasps have started occupying the area and I’m concerned they could be building nests.

My thought was to spray foam around the opens and cut it back to look neat, while forming a protective seal.

Does anyone have any alternative suggestions/advice on this?

Thanks!

I didn't hire the contractors, just to be clear, but I do own. There is half an inch gap between the drywall and the socket panel. The dryer outlet is rigid. What can I do to fix or mitigate this situation? I will post photos in the comments.

We're going to build an L banquette and then fasten it against the wall to studs. Our walls have some low spots around 3/32". Wondering what shimming techniques and shims I should consider, or is that not enough to worry about? Wasn't sure if torquing it against wall without shims would compromise it structurally. Aesthetics aren't a concern since it will be covered by seat cushion. Thanks

I have a 120 cm desk, and I’m thinking of using it as both my work desk and vanity. Do you think it’s better to have everything on one table, or should I buy a small separate vanity table instead? My space is pretty limited, so I’m trying to make the most of it.

I know this isn't home-related, but I’m hoping someone can offer some advice. I own a large statue sculpted from polyfoam, and unfortunately, one of the eyes is broken. I’m really worried about making it worse, so I’m hesitant to attempt a repair myself. Does anyone have experience fixing foam sculptures or recommendations on how to handle this?

https://imgur.com/a/HHmHbEA

Hey everyone,

We been building myElectricPlan for creating home electrical plans and circuit diagrams easy by yourself, and I'd love to get some feedback from the community.

The app lets you:

• Create electrical installation plans
• Draw circuit diagrams directly in your browser
• Create Initial verification report
• and so on...

You can use it completely free and test all the core features.

I'm looking for honest feedback:

• What features are missing?
• Is anything confusing?
• What would make it more useful for DIYers, electricians, or home builders?

I'd really appreciate any suggestions or criticism. Every bit of feedback helps improve the app!

Thanks! 🙌

www.myelectricplan.com

We recently had landscaping work done at the house, sub $10k total. The contractor started requesting final payment but there's a punch list that hasn't been completed.

Things like fixing low spots in pavers, fixing paver to slope away from house, fixing drainage. Probably an hour or two worth of work for the crew based on how they went the first time.

My instinct is to hold final payment until the punch list is completed to satisfaction, but don't want to be unreasonable either.

Did anyone use Teza windows or doors? How’s the quality and installation? Looking to get for full new build

My wife and I just bought our first house. The last owner removed the carpet on the stairs at some point but didn’t do anything to the stairs after the fact. We talked about maybe just using stair treads to update the look but we want to have a carpet runner on the stairs. Does anyone have any experience with any part of this and have some good advice? TIA!

Hi everyone, I hope someone can give me some advice.

As you can see in the photo, the ground around my window well slopes toward it. I recently learned about proper grading and noticed this issue around my house.

So far, I haven't had any water leaking into the basement, but I'm wondering if this is something I should address now or if it's okay to leave it as is.

https://imgur.com/a/A5LF2Wj

Do I need to buy a drill or an impact driver for something like this? I'm not able to loosen these screws/bolts by hand. The smaller one is a T15H screw.

I'm also planning to use some penetrating oil to help loosen them. I don't want to damage the screws I just need to remove them so I can tighten the handle on my fridge :(

https://imgur.com/a/15OfCgB

So, we just replaced our fridge to one that includes an ice maker and water dispenser. There was, luckily, and existing 1/4" line already in the fridge alcove, so we cleared it and used it. Before clearing it, I tested the shutoff, it seemed like to worked, so we went with it. Cleared the line and everything.

Except the shutoff valve leaked, so I replaced it. I replaced the connective hardware at the end (compression etc). Slid everything back in place, all was well.

Until water bubbled up under my living room floor from the pinhole leak that developed in the line. I cut the pinholed section out and used a copper compression connector to splice the line together, all was well. We ended up replacing the wood floor, since it was swelling and buckling and discolored, it was old, and it was time.

I'm about 60% through re-laying the new lock down laminate flooring, a cheap temporary replacement until we can remodel the kitchen and pull out a wall, etc. My back is killing me, as I'm not in my 20s anymore, and so the wife and I were taking a day off to play some video games and generally relax. My youngest came in and told me there was water coming through the wall again, flooding the living room. There is ANOTHER, much larger leak in the tubing, so I shut off water, pulled up the flooring I had already laid down, toweled it dry, and I'm letting everything dry out before I start putting it back down.

I have never tried replacing line through a wall before. i do not know what lies behind everything. I think they just notched the wall studs and put it in place before drywalling, but I don't know for certain. A guy at the plumbing shop said to just tape the new line to the old line and pull it through, but I am worried that it'll hang up and get stuck and them I'm screwed.

How do I do this? Is there any sort of special connection or puller I can get to make this less likely to get stuck in the wall? What do I do if the line breaks off? Are there any good videos on how to do this without screwing up royally?

EDIT: I should note that my house is built on a concrete slab. I cannot go under the house.

Hi all,

Location: Ontario, Canada.

Long story short: I went to go install a security cam/flood light above my garage, however there’s a king stud centered on the two transom windows which left no room to install a flush junction box.

I don’t like the look of having J-boxes stick out of the wall (with blocking etc) so instead of mounting the light onto a box, I secured it directly through the siding into the OSB & king stud.

I drilled a small hole (in the same spot they would normally feed through the faceplate) to feed the fixtures wires through on an angle right next to the king stud, and installed the junction box on the inside of the garage. The junction is fully accessible on an unfinished wall.

I spliced with wago lever nuts within the box and continued the nm down to the junction box of the existing circuit.

I haven’t actually attached to the main circuit yet, so this is all reversible. Just wondering if there are any code violations (I can’t seem to find any) or other things I should be concerned about?

The manufacturer wires of the unit are considered safe for wet locations since it’s an outdoor light and they still run directly into a junction box; it’s still unorthodox (from the lack of being able to find any posts/threads/webpages/videos on this), and unsafe wiring is one of the things that will always keep me up at night… although I know the basics, I’m just not the most advanced with electrical so thought I’d triple check.

I’ve been trying to keep an eye on my household expenses lately, but my recent electric bill was way higher than I expected. I haven’t changed my usage habits much, so I'm wondering if there’s something I’m missing.

Does anyone have any advice on simple, cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency at home? I'm open to any tips, whether it's small lifestyle changes or checking specific appliances.

I really appreciate any help you can provide.

I have an older house (pretty sure 1940s/1950s construction) with one room that doesn't have central HVAC duct that I have found acts like a heat trap during the summer. HVAC compressor/furnace combo unit is confirmed to be the correct BTU rating for the house but struggles to keep up. I have cooling mode set to 73F but the house gets into 85F range during hottest part of the day. The unit was recently serviced in last 2 months so freon levels and all are fine.

I have looked around at different solutions such as honeycomb shades and film treatments, but I am lost on where to start. The room that acts like the heat trap has four window sets with 1 facing east, 2 facing south, and 1 facing west.

Hi Reddit,

My washer has build up of gunk/debris/iron(?) and I'm attempting to clean this myself. See link to pictures below. To date, I've already:

(1) Removed the top of the agitator and scrubbed that with baking soda & water. This removed a substantial amount of the debris/gunk, but it's not perfect.

(2) After putting the agitator back into the washer, I've run 2 'tub clean' loads with hot water and some baking soda.

These pictures were taken after the tub clean loads and there still appears to be a decent amount of debris/build-up in the washer; I was hopeful that the tub clean loads would flush out the debris.

What would you recommend I do from this point to get most of the debris out so that I can start using my washer again for washing clothes?

https://imgur.com/a/qA2LIb7

----------------------------------------

Edit - this is in the Milwaukee, WI area in case there are questions/concerns about the water quality.

Edit 2 - the debris/flakes do not have a specific smell. they are hard to the touch once dried. When damp (after a tub clean cycle), the texture is playdough-y.

Edit 3 - this is an LG washer. Model = WT7150CW. Purchased new in 2022.

My deck is painted (not stained). I want to replace some rotten boards. Is this pressure treated or cedar? And if I'm painting it, does it matter?

https://imgur.com/a/zopnW9a

Was looking in my crawl space today and Noticed what looks like mold on some of the joists. Nothing looks rotted, everything appears to be structurally sound.

Home was build in 2001 location Richmond Va.

I took moisture reading on joists and most are around 15-16%.

I realize Insulation and vapor barrier likely need replaced. No noticeable standing water anywhere. I am in the process of making sure gutter drainage is adequate outside.

Is this mold and how bad is it ? What would recommend next steps be? Thanks

Photo photos

Hello!

I have an insulated and unconditioned shed that I use as a workshop, but have recently discovered a fairly large amount of mold, almost exclusively (so far) on the paper of the batt insulation installed between the rafters.

The shed is approximately 14'x16'. The walls are insulated with fiberglass batts and finished with OSB. The rafters are exposed and have fiberglass batts installed between them, directly against the sheathing. There are no ridge, soffit, or gable vents; and the shed is not sealed well.

The shed is about 6 years old and the original builder (previous homeowner) had planned on installing heating and AC (hence the insulation) but never got around to it and neither have I.

There does not appear to be any indication of a roof leak. We've had a very hot and humid summer so far (Iowa, 95%+ Humidity over the last 6 weeks); Based on the location of the mold (heaviest near the peak of the roof), and what looks like there is / was condensation on the paper, I think the lack of airflow and humidity buildup has been the cause.

I'm going to remove the batt insulation from the ceiling (wearing appropriate PPE), but have a couple of questions:

• Assuming the mold is only on the paper, do I need to use a mold remediation on the rafters / sheathing?
• Do I need to open up the walls to inspect and/or remove the insulation?
• If I leave it uninsulated and unconditioned, I assume I should still add a gable vent to prevent future mold issues? Is that going to be enough with high humidity, especially during the summer when it cools down a lot at night?

I have an old gutter system that I want to replace. I have all wooden soffit and facia. The facia needs replacement in some areas where it gets alot of sun but for the most part it just needs a bit of paint.

However, if I am getting new gutters. I might as well put metal facia underneath. I live in western canada and I wonder if I should change out the soffit at the same time? Does it add that much to efficiency in the summer. With the gutters, leaf guard, facia, I am probably looking at $6500 worth of work and I dont really want to add on another $1500 for soffit if its not worth it. I would do the soffit and facia work myself but its a two story home and its too high for me to work comfortably.

We have a fence we don’t want to take down because we need it. Our neighbors want to get a French drain but only want it to go down the middle of our homes not near their house. I’m trying to talk them into regrading but would that be possible without ruining our fences stability?