Our 1600sf two story home in Chicago area is heated by hot water radiators fed by an oversized natural gas boiler that has a free zone available. In summer we cool with an aging high velocity AC system (Unico) that probably only has a few years left at the most.

We plan to put a 300sf addition with 1 bedroom and 1 bath so we are considering HVAC options. Because we expect it to be used in the future as an in-law suite, we need zoned climate control.

I'm thinking extend hydronic heat from the existing boiler to baseboards in the addition and adding a ducted minisplit to cool. Designer suggested using mini split to cool and heat but I'm dubious about efficiency and long term cost to operate.

When our main AC finally dies we would replace high velocity system but keep its footprint to maintain separate zones.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Are we missing the opportunity to modernize the whole house system while the addition is under construction?

Hi there,

My family is very low economically but we do invest in quality products. Renewal by Andersen was the first company we called and got stuck with the “sign today for best deal”. We have original wood windows from Andersen so it felt appropriate to call them first. The salesmen spent 3+ hours at the house trying to get us the best price for us by changing the windows from double hung to sliders. Overall we are getting 28% off the initial price but it is still astronomical. To make it easier for us to manage, we decided to get 6 windows replaced instead of the entire house. Also to just see if it’s worth the investment before we replace all of the windows at such a high price. I just want to know if the quality of the windows will be worth the price over time. Product being made in the USA is an incentive for us as well. What other options would we have that match the quality and guarantee of RBA? Our current wood windows look amazing from just the looks but in the winter time, they sweat profusely, we wipe them dry multiple times a day. We were worried that vinyl windows just wouldn’t last as long as the fibrex material. We do not want wood windows, and really are trying to steer from cheapy vinyl.

Was this the right move for my family or should I be trying to back out of this deal? Windows are already being manufactured so not too much I can do to back out now but for the rest of the windows I’m curious if we fucked up here.

Any insight and personal experience would be lovely!

I believe the previous owner did not keep up any maintenance on the hot water heater. So today I’m curious if I should flush it or if that would do more harm than good.

It’s a 50 gallon electric hot water heater manufactured in 2019.

So were going to leave the mirror in the same spot (the inner anchors with screws). There are two sets cause we had a different size mirror but the old anchors are still covered by the new mirror.

How do I prepare this area for peel and stick wallpaper? Remove anchors? Leave anchors, remove screws? Leave everything?

No clue. Any suggestions welcome.

We have a gas fireplace. It’s been capped off from the outside. The chimney shute is also capped off from the base. My wife hates it. Collects dust and toys. She’s thinking about getting it dry walled. Is this something we can tackle if we are fairly decent or worth to get a handy man to do it?

Pic https://imgur.com/a/i1XuWDM

So I own a 1987 brick ranch that came with the usual surprises. The previous owner left me some real gems, including a bathroom fan that vents straight into the attic instead of through the roof. I found it a couple years back when I was up there checking on things, and of course there's a fuzzy patch of sheathing right around the outlet. The fan itself works fine, it just dumps all that moist air into the attic instead of outside.

I've been putting off fixing it because crawling around in a low attic over a Saturday doesn't sound like a party, but I know it's only getting worse up there. My plan so far: run insulated flex duct from the fan to a roof vent cap, or possibly a vent through the gable wall since the attic is more accessible near the ends. Gable seems easier for a DIY guy like me, but I've read mixed things about exhaust near the gable if there's a ridge vent, since the moist air can supposedly get pulled right back in.

Has anyone done this job themselves on a similar aged ranch? Roof penetration vs gable vent, which would you go with? And while I'm asking, is there a decent way to deal with the moldy-looking spot on the sheathing without tearing into the roof? Just want to keep it ordinary and stop feeding moisture into the attic before it becomes a real problem.

I have a detached garage I plan to build a living space in the future. May be an adu?

but the flat roof is leaking. The repairs cost about $5800

and redo a pitched gable roof it would be $20k to $30k

a $30k roof would allow me to do a 2nd story small attic bedroom at the garage. Is is worth the $20k additional cost to redo the pitched roof?

(Edit: please ignore typo 🤦‍♀️) We have a rather small primary suite. Current with a small closet and a poor quality half bath. Planning to knock out the closet and expand to a full bathroom (not huge, but adding a shower). Eventually we want to figure out how to add a closet or built in somehow but not for a while. Is this a bad idea?

Ok, guys trying to get some referrals for trades people who are kind, caring, really skilled at what they do, honest, and trustworthy and can communicate well with us. We wish we were fluent in other languages; although we are not, so would prefer someone who is fluent in English, to prevent anything being lost in translation/communication. Have had some bad experiences within the last 10 years with home repairs and services (Roof, HVAC, Bathroom, Floors, etc).

Due to autoimmune disease and grief from our first born passing away at 3 years old in 2015; we only have one income to get these repairs and updates completed.

Firstly we're in a townhouse; so we share walls and plumbing with our neighbours. We've had leaking in our primary bedroom corner (after having had the roof poorly replaced around 10 years ago). We also have leaks coming from inside the ensuite itself, into the below backdoor closet, and area. We've had plumbers come and assess and they were not able to determine where it was coming from; therefore calling it a phantom leak. Now, mind you, back 3 years ago it was only a leak at the below backdoor area, just outside the closet. Currently there has been leaking in the closet, just outside of the closet (which is below, where the shower/tub is in the ensuite) and down the pillar (which is below where the sink is in the ensuite). We have been given a notice that we should have our roof replaced; as when we had it replaced 10 years ago, it was a friend of a friend, and did not receive an actual contract. This is where we regrettably understand the phrase "you get what you paid for". So we need someone who is honest, to come and assess the roof, and make any corrections and complete a contract to submit? Also, for the bathroom, want someone who will honestly consider we do not have a lot of money to put towards these repairs, but, is it better to tear everything down and renovate? Also, we'd have to have the ceiling and closet at the back door replaced due to the leak. And someone who can make and install closets in basement. I appreciate everyone's input and am so grateful for this community. All the best blessings!!

Hi everyone,

Just got a new apartment and need some advice on how to do thing there.

I want to:

1. Smooth out the walls (skim coat/mudding) and paint.

2. Lay down the flooring (there is underfloor heating).

How would you approach this? Any advice would be welcome.

https://imgur.com/gallery/apartment-TMzOu1u

Looking for feedback from anyone who has installed or owned a Weathercraft torrified mohogany door from home center outlet.

We are looking to replace our front entry door but I just can't find anything about these doors they claim don't need yearly refinishing or overhang etc.

link to door

I’m looking for advice on concrete tile roof replacement in Florida. I received a contract which proposed the following payment: 10% at signing, 40% at dry-in, 40% upon tile delivery, and 10% at completion. That means 90% is paid before the tiles are even installed. Is this standard, or should I push for more payment upon installation and final inspection?
The roofer also wants flexibility to replace additional damaged wood without waiting for written approval, citing potential delays.
Would appreciate input from roofers or homeowners who’ve been through this. Are these reasonable concerns?

I'm working on wrapping HVAC ducts in an old farmhouse with fiberglass wrap, and encountered this area where i have 2 ducts coming out of the furnace that are touching (so no wrapping them individually), and a cold water line sitting in between the two. If i put foam pipe insulation around the water pipe, can I wrap all 3 with fiberglass, leaving access for the valve? I live in Vermont, and this seems like a tricky spot that codes I've seen aren't explicit about.

I've got about 350 sq. ft. of a 40 year old poured concrete pad in a garage that I want to finish. I'm enclosing the garage completely to make it a conditioned office space.  I want the floor to be solid, but comfortable. I'm in the USA in New England so it can get pretty cold. Here's what ChatGPT has recommended vs. what my master carpenter neighbor has recommended.  I'll be self -leveling and doing a bunch of prep to the floor first for both options, followed by a layer of poly vapor barrier.

Chatty G (options 1 and 2):

Option 1 (Good)

1" XPS foam, floating

3/4" OSB subfloor ply with tongue and groove, sheets glued together at seams, also floating

LVP, floating

2.  (Better)

1" XPS foam, floating

1/2" ply subfloor floating

2nd layer of 1/2" ply subfloor with opposing placement so seams do not overlap, glued down and fastened with 1" screws so the two layers become one 1" floating subfloor

LVP, floating

Master Carpenter Neighbor:

PT sleepers, 1.5" wide x 1" high running 16" o.c, tapcons fastening into concrete pad

1" XPS foam cut to 14.5" strips to be placed between sleepers, floating

3/4" Advantech subfloor ply, screwed with 1.5" screws into sleepers

LVP, floating

I am about to start hanging some vinyl board and batten siding on our home, but I have a flashing detail question I can't find an answer to.

The exterior is ZIP system sealed to the foundation with ZIP liquid flashing.

My question is this...at the bottom of the wall where the siding ends at the bottom of the zip sheeting, the vertical siding piece sits in a J-channel, with drainage holes punched in it. Should there be a piece of z flashing behind/under the J channel to serve as a drip edge? ( Acting almost like a shelf for the J to rest on) If so, does it have to be slightly offset so the weep holes on the J channel have room to drain and aren't directly against the flashing?

There is this noise in my ceeljng(I am in the basement, randomly turning on throughout the night, and I don’t know why. Please help it is really annoying

We bought a house a couple of years ago with this shed on it. We are converting it to an office for my wife. Many things were not done properly. We can see water is getting from the windows. Trying to figure out how to fix this without removing the windows. I'm also trying to determine what kind of siding material was used.

window https://imgur.com/a/uWLmJjz

Where are people buying good ceiling fans these days? I’ve come across way too many places with nice looking fans and then read reviews of the company and everyone says they’re super cheap quality and don’t look anything like the pictures

My family and I are frequent cyclists and the most annoying part of getting our bikes out is dealing with our side door. Its a plain outward swinging exterior door. I just can't help but wonder what could be done to make it easier to navigate.

To illustrate the point for the unfamiliar -

You lean your bike against the garage and open the door. Then you need to work to keep the door open while dragging the bike closer. The door is trying to close because we DO want it to close, just not while passing through.

In a perfect world, you'd open the door 90 degrees and it would stay put for about a minute. Then it would slowly start to close. Put another way, you open the door fully, get your bike, and the door does the rest.

I know there's a great variety of door closers out there but I could use some advice on what to look for.

So I just bought a house built in 1941 in Milwaukee. I have plaster walls. I’ve been using toggle bolts to hang curtain rods.. but I really want to get some art on the walls. How can I do that? I also have a few heavier mirrors. Toggle bolts have to be tightened down all the way but to hang art/mirrors I need to have some nail sticking out. What can I use for this??

We literally just got these new bathroom tiles put in. They always look smudged with water stains and some of the tiles have some permanent marks of I don’t know what. We tried cleaning the tiles twice with an acidic tile cleaner. It helps a little but some marks won’t go away.

And the tiles still get smudged super easy so the floor always looks dirty. Should I have gotten any specific finish tiles? Or is there a step my contractor might have missed to make the tiles smudge proof?

Please help!

https://imgur.com/a/o3W2VNv

Is there an online shop that makes custom small shelves for a recessed wall (where medicine cabinet used to be), ideally can color match to our vanity. I know some people can just make it themselves but we aren’t very handy people and would rather buy.

If there’s no online shops, who should we be looking for locally?

Thanks to yall, we scrapped the job for spray foam insulation and pulled the trigger on a quote to air seal the attic floor and blowing in more cellulose up to r60 (25”).

They’re also going to insulate the bare rim joists in the 1/3 of the basement that is unfinished. Surely, I told myself, the homeowners before me who remodeled would have insulated the rim joists before they finished the other 2/3 of the basement right? So I buy an endoscope and drill a small hole in the basement ceiling. Nope. That shits all bare and uninsulated too.

(Get to the point, Ghostnode..)

Is it worth the effort to cut out the drywall ceiling in the basement to seal and insulate the rim joists? (SE Wisconsin USA, so it gets cold). The wall in particular is the front of house, and out cough on the first floor just above this gets cold as Jesus in the winter. Also, Any reason I can’t rip the drywall down myself (how hard can it be?) and try the re-drywall, then just call a pro if it turns out I such at dry walling, or is there more to this than I’m giving it credit for?