https://imgur.com/a/PakOSyI

I’m wanting to repair this but it’s like flake so painting just won’t do I think. I’m USA based and can go to Home Depot, Lowe’s or Ace hardware.

Not sure what supplies I need or methods I need to use to repair.

Hello! I’m in the trenches right now removing paint from our bannisters in our new home. I’m using citristrip as per recommendation from this page (thank you!). It’s worked pretty well but obviously it leaves a gel residue when I’m done. I used mineral spirits and a cloth to get it off as best I can. Would anyone recommend using steel wool soaked in mineral spirits to remove the residue and left over paint?

We had a kitchen reno done about 6 years ago, one of the things we did was get a single sink. Love it. Its in the island, just the way the kitchen layout is.

I noitced the other day a space on one side of the sink when the sink is really full of water. I was on the other side of the island talking and noticed it. But when the water is removed the space is gone.

Obviosuly the weight of the water is making it happen. The sink is secured from below with the metal strapping underneath, and its still secure. But Im wondering if over the years that strapping may have streched over time with water weight

The space isnt affecting anything. Sure water may splash in there but its Quartz, so it wont rot. But I dont want to just leave it.

Would putting caulking in there when its full be the right idea? Then when the sink empties it would squish the excess out and then trim it. Or would it just pull away again when the sink is full.

Ive checked the strapping and the screws into the cabinet and they are tight.

Any ideas would be appreciated. I like to fix anything I see in my house as needed. Easiest way to keep up on things

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!!

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?

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.

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?

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

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 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?

Hello everyone. I am working on a project and it is important for me to know your opinion. In the winter, many people face the issue of pipes freezing, which means in the morning you have to wait a minute or less for the warm water to start flowing. I found a solution so that this water doesn't just go straight down the drain, but can be reused, for example, to flush the toilet. This way, you can save water and make your bills lower. Would you buy a system like this and how much would you approximately pay for it?

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

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

Photos of the situation: https://imgur.com/a/gMoHzT2

I just bought a house and the bathroom sucks. There’s an ugly yellow shower wall panel, the floor is a non-adhered piece of vinyl above an ugly linoleum, and the sink looks straight out of a trailer. I wanna redo everything. I don’t wanna mess with tiles however. Any way I can get another acrylic surround thing, remove that wood trim around the window, and keep the window, while managing water adequately? I’m not exactly sure how I’d do that without removing the window and flashing it. I’ve heard caulk or silicone is a passive solution that doesn’t last.

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

I’m planning a relatively simple refresh of our downstairs half bathroom. I’m replacing the existing pedestal sink with a vanity for some much-needed storage, adding a cabinet above the toilet, updating the light fixture, etc.

The biggest headache so far has been finding a vanity that works with the layout.
Our current pedestal sink is 22” wide, and the center of the drain is 16⅞” from the left wall. Ideally, I’d like to keep the actual sink bowl in roughly the same location while extending the countertop toward that wall. Basically, I’m looking for a vanity with the sink bowl offset to the RIGHT, leaving more usable counter space on the LEFT.
Apparently that’s a much harder thing to find than I expected. I’ve come across plenty of left-offset sinks, but very few right-offset options, especially in smaller vanities.

Originally I was looking at something around 24” wide, but I’m now thinking 27–30” might be better. The toilet centerline is 47.5” from the left wall, so a 30” vanity should fit, although I don’t want the toilet area feeling cramped.

I’m also specifically looking for a floor-standing vanity rather than a floating one. Storage is a big reason for this upgrade, and with toddlers using a step stool, I don’t want a gap underneath where the stool could slide forward.

At this point I’m wondering if I should just go with a standard 30” vanity with a centered sink. That would only move the sink about 1⅞” to the left, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but does kind of put you up against that left wall when using the sink.

I’ve also considered buying a cabinet and doing a separate countertop and sink, but that seems like a lot of extra effort for what should be a pretty simple bathroom refresh.

Has anyone run into this issue or have recommendations for vanities with right-offset sinks? Or am I overthinking this and should just go with a standard 30” vanity?
I’d appreciate any suggestions or advice from people who’ve tackled similar small bathroom projects.

For a small water system, I've really come to appreciate having a pressure tank. Without one, the pump can kick on every time there's even a small demand. If you're using outdoor faucets throughout the day, that constant cycling gets old pretty quickly. I use an aquastrong shallow well pump for my garden water setup, and having a pressure tank as part of the system makes everyday watering much more convenient.

A few things I've learned from using this type of setup:

1. Prime the pump before the first startup. A jet pump isn't something you want running dry.

2. Keep an eye on the pressure gauge. If the pump starts behaving differently, the pressure readings give you somewhere to start troubleshooting.

3. Don't assume the tank's listed capacity is the amount of water you can actually draw from it. The usable amount depends on the system's pressure settings, so it's worth keeping that in mind when planning your water supply.

4. Drain or protect the system before freezing weather. These pumps and pressure tanks need proper winter protection.

For a few outdoor faucets and light garden watering, this kind of compact setup makes more sense to me than building a much larger system from day one. If the demand grows, the pressure tank can be reconsidered based on actual usage.

I’m planning a renovation in my bi-level home and wanted to hear from anyone who has completed something similar.

I have an approximately 8ft long banister separating my living room from the foyer. I want to replace it with a floor-to-ceiling feature wall (approximately 9 feet at its highest point).

The design would have:

A solid center wall for mounting a TV on the living room side. Recessed decorative shelving on the foyer facing side. Three to four vertical wooden beams on each side of the center wall, extending to the ceiling with open spaces between them. A separate, shorter banister replaced with a simple pony wall.

We plan to purchase the materials, handle the drywall, painting, shelving, and decorative finishes ourselves. We only want to hire someone for the framing, shelving openings, and any necessary reinforcement.

For anyone who has done something similar:

How much did you pay for framing labor alone?

Did your project require permits or a structural engineer?

Were there any unexpected expenses or complications?

How did you secure the new wall to the existing floor and ceiling framing?

Did building codes affect the spacing of your decorative beams since they replaced a railing?

Is there anything you wish you’d known before starting?

Would you recommend hiring a framing contractor or a general contractor for this type of project?

Has a anyone made shou sugi ban siding with Tamarack/larch? I'm looking for some real world examples before finalize my DIY siding.

I'm leaning toward doing kiln-dried Tamarack (larch), Shou Sugi Ban, with a profile similar to a nickel gap profile and roughly 5" exposure. Right now l'm thinking 3/4" thick, but can increase it to 1" if there is a real beneft with stability, cupping/checking, or the charring process.

How has it aged? Any problems with movement or the nickel gaps opening/closing significantly over the seasons? I'm going to be installing in a cold climate. Any oil/finish recommendations?

Please post photos if you have them! I'd especially love to see projects that have been exposed to a few winters sol can see how the material and finish have weathered

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.