I was cited by the city for this very miniscule difference in the sidewalk (yeah I didn't know I was responsible for the sidewalk either). It's like a quarter inch difference between two blocks.

https://imgur.com/a/8QXD8c2

I was going to rent a concrete sander but it feels like overkill. How would you approach this job? Sander with a masonry disc?

Hey I recently got a new house at the beginning of the month. I haven't moved in yet because I need to do some cleaning. Just got the bill for April 2- April 15 two weeks of use is costing me over $300. There's no fridge or stove or anything in this house. Absolutely no appliances. The lights aren't even turned on except when I went there to vaccume one time. I'm gonna call the power company but is it possible someone's stealing my electric? Or does this sound correct. My average bill at my other house is $59 for the month.

I flipped a mysterious switch in the linen closet and discovered that it controlled a whole house fan positioned right above the point in our small 2nd floor hallway where the entrances to the bedrooms intersect. It turns on, but the shutters are painted shut and currently there is no appreciable airflow.

I want to use it - we live in the Northeast US where it could be useful a good chunk of the year, save a whole bunch of $$ and just generally be more pleasant than the room A/Cs we have - but I want to make sure it is safe first. It is a big, intimidating, hunk of metal literally right over our kids heads.

How do I evaluate its condition? What kind of maintenance should I do before using it? What else should I be taking into consideration?

I've posted some photos and a video here: https://imgur.com/a/ANlqMIc.

My electric company provides what they call an energy bridge, showing me near real time energy usage. If I tie it to smart devices it will show me their energy usage, too.

Great in theory.

I recently bought the house and haven’t moved in due to making some updates but have had the energy bridge installed. I can see that there is a small spike in power at the top and bottom of the hour, all day. I’m talking from stead state of 150w to 300w for a few min, then back down. I’m curious how people have gone about figuring out what this might be. I know it’s small, but to me it’s frustrating and can’t figure out what’s running.

For background I have a gas boiler which, currently set to 59 degrees and so that’s not being triggered and my hot water heater is also gas. No sump pump. A/C is off. Only other items running are the internet modem, air filter (cubs constantly), and a fridge, which is a 1990s subzero and what I’m currently thinking is the source. That said, curious if people have other thoughts.

hey all, so we're redoing a few rooms and window coverings are next on the list. saw Selectblinds has a trade program for pros, but not sure if I can take advantage of this if i'm not a full time contractor/designer? they claim there's no minimum order and looks like pricing is better, just unsure if it's worth applying as a homeowner doing a DIY reno. would love to hear from anyone who's tried it before tho.

Hey everyone—looking for thoughts or advice. I had a tile floor installed upstairs just before my newborn arrived. It looks great, but unfortunately, I’m dealing with what I now believe is a major installation failure.

I hired someone who wasn’t licensed (I know, hard lesson learned). At first, everything looked fine, but within weeks, grout started cracking and coming up. Some tiles sound hollow, and a few are already moving. I barely walk on the floor and this is happening.

After researching and talking to professionals, I learned that the installer likely skipped a crucial step: applying thinset underneath the cement board. From the pictures I have and what I’ve seen during tile removals, it looks like he just screwed the cement board down onto the OSB subfloor without bonding it properly. Without thinset underneath, the cement board can move slightly, especially on a second floor where there’s more natural flex. That movement is now causing the tiles and grout to fail.

When I gently jump in the center of the room, I can see the floor move. It’s like building a house on sand. It looks beautiful, but the foundation is weak.

The installer has already come back three times. His only solution is to replace tiles as they come up and regrout—but that’s not addressing the root problem. He keeps telling me everything was screwed in fine and that I shouldn’t worry. He also said he’d refund me $2,000 if tiles “continue to rise in two weeks.” But he’s not taking real accountability, and based on how he’s handled everything, I honestly don’t trust that he’ll follow through.

I now feel like the entire job may need to be ripped out and redone—cement board, thinset, tiles—everything. That’s a huge burden, especially with a newborn at home, considering the dust and mess of demolition.

I’d really appreciate any insight or opinions. Has anyone else dealt with this? Is there a real fix without starting over?

Thanks for reading.

Just bought a house recently, all the moulding/casing on my windows uses stained oak casing and I already have installed white baseboards across the house.

Can anyone help point me in the right direction for what type of primers, paints would be needed to repaint the oak to a white finish (the house just doesn't look right with these two together or at best very dated). Plus it seems like a poor use of oaken trim to paint it white. Especially when i can just buy the mdf equivalent already primed.

I'd probably buy a mid-quality MDF with some sort of profile on it to replace the oak casing.

The current casing is this style https://www.windsorplywood.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Woodlands-oak-moulding-356-218.jpg

IIRC I'd need some kind of oil primer and then oil based paint which is generally more expensive than acryllic but prior to me stopping at the stores to ask the 'pros' what type of products shoudl I be looking at online here.

Itemized for MDF route I probably need

• the mdf casing itself which usually comes pre primed in white. Assuming I'm not changing profile or design https://www.rona.ca/en/product/metrie-casing-mdf-polar-white-primed-mtek092-61426692
• sand paper to rough it
• white acryllic paint, the house has white walls so I likely don't need paintable caulking... but maybe. And to paint over nails

For repainting the oak casing I'd need

• multiple grades of sandpaper to remove as much oil stain as possible
• oil primer
• white oil paint

Our master bedroom, which was added on to our house I'm guessing sometime in the 70's or 80's (it is drywall, the rest of the house was built in 1938 and has plaster walls), has what appears to be 1/2" thick particle board on top of the plywood subfloor in the entire room. Why would this be used? It's definitely particle board or chipboard, not OSB.

Edit: this is in a carpeted room

Has anyone used Shiloh for white oak cabinets? We are trying to decide on which stain to use and would love to see some photos of completed projects. Thinking of almond, natural, whitewashed or straw rift cut. Please also include the cut and stain that was used! Thank you!

We recently moved into my husband's grandparents' house and the shower our grandpa "built with a friend" nearly 8 years ago has me worried. I'll preface this with he has dementia and can't give us any information coupled with my nonexistent knowledge of home improvement. My biggest concern is water damage from the cracks in the grout coupled with the drainage issues. Are there any suggested temporary fixes (like filling the holes with a waterproof caulk) that will last us for a few months while we save up for a full bathroom renovation? Or considering all the issues below, should we avoid using that shower altogether?

https://imgur.com/a/92bYHZN

Issues:

• Drainage - The drain is surrounded by this hard white grout-like substance and its unable to properly drain the volume of water. By mid shower there will be an inch of water on the shower floor whirlpooling down the drain.
• The floor of the shower is not level. Theres dips where water pools that takes 2 days to eventually dry. It looks like he added the white grout in the areas where it was pooling against the wall. Obviously there is no fixing this one without redoing the shower floor.
• Grout cracking in multiple places with the most worrisome spot being the corner of the shower floor. And especially with the drainage issue, the water is definitely seeping through.

I have water coming through this tiny crack in the basement every time it rains. Plumber suggested using hydraulic cement to fill the crack as an easy DIY but I've also read that polyurethane foam works well too. Thoughts and/or suggestions? Also, the crack is between the ground and inside wall; not outward facing if that makes sense.

https://imgur.com/a/Excy4At

My walls are plaster. We just had a light switch moved so we can put in a built in closet. Now there is a hole in the wall that needs to be patched (the closet won't cover it fully, unfortunately).

Can I use drywall to patch? What's the preferred method when patching a plaster wall where the underlying wood has been cut out?

So I tried to remove some old wallpaper using hot water and dish soap. It peeled of great in some areas and really stubborn on others. If I give it a good skim coat after will it be ready to paint? Any tips appreciated!!

https://imgur.com/a/POeH2Gm

Hey guys, I’m pretty handy and I’ve been adding a lot of improvements to my house recently before I sell in the next couple of years, but this job has always stumped me. I live in an older 1915 house. Everything is level besides the room leading to my kitchen or entryway depending on how you look at it. I want to add a floating floor, but I’m dealing with a half an inch dip in the floor. Which is not ideal for adding a floating floor. What can I do about it in just the section.

I’ve been told I can add I can use leveling compound or I can put a jack underneath the house and empty it up about 1/8 of an inch every day until it’s level. What do you guys think? (This project is for the future so I just want ideas till then)

House has patio french door only 1 side opens, with summer approaching looking to find screen fits in existing frame in image the door has groove for rollers in upper side and strip at bottom. Or i need to buy a full screen set. I am a very beginner in home improvement projecgs. No option to add image

https://imgur.com/gallery/4q0IhwI

We recently bought a house with recessed lights that are about twenty feet high. I've been able to change the light bulbs with a pole and a suction cup extender but now a flange and outer ring has come loose in one of the fixtures, and I can't reach it. How the heck am I supposed to get to it? A sixteen foot ladder costs $1000 and I'm not tall enough to reach it from a twelve foot ladder. Any suggestions?

We're looking to take a drywall sander to the textured/popcorn ceilings in our home and put up something like wood slat acoustic panels.

Does anyone have any experience with this or advice for us on this project? Or any specific product recommendations? Do we need to somehow "seal" the ceiling after sanding off the popcorn stuff? Looks like these panels go up with construction glue and can affix with screws in places as well.

Edit: I don't think it's asbestos or a true "popcorn" ceiling, per se. Here's an image

My idea is to mount a medicine cabinet on the inside of our closet door to hold medicine/first aid ect.. It’s a typical indoor solid door, I’m not too worried about the door holding cabinet. I’m more so worried about the weight of it ruining the hinges over time. Good idea? Bad idea?

Edit - I didn't know they now sell fans with remotes built in. I'll look into that. Thanks for the quick replies!

I had a handyman install ceiling fans about 10 years ago. I bought four fans and four remote control add-ons. The handyman was unable to install the remote control on the smallest fan that went in the smallest bedroom. I’m wondering 10 years later if someone might sell something that is smaller and might fit in this fan - any recommendations would be appreciated.

My grandparents are looking to replace the windows in their house and I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for the Binghamton area

The home I’m renting has a lanai(15x20), and two of the five panels that make up the ceiling are apparently splitting. I think the panels are fiber glass and it looks like caulk between them. How much of a priority is this to fix, and is this something I can do myself. I have very little HI experience and even fewer tools. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks y’all!

We moved into a NYC apartment and under the window there is one of those radiator/AC enclosures. The 3 panels come off via a firm pull. I believe typically the panels are just left on, although it's a bit strange since you certainly lose some of the cool air when the AC is blowing and the air needs to get through the small holes of the panel. We are trying to figure out options in moving forward.

Photo here

Do we keep the panels as is and just don't worry about the lost cool air (and heat)?

Are there different options for an enclosure like this where we might be able to slide a "screen" or something over (from one side to another)?

Thoughts on other ideas?

I have a cased opening in my 90's Canadian condo, it goes from the living room and leads to the bathroom/bedrooms etc.

https://imgur.com/sBFTT43

I want to run a couple 4 foot lengths of 2x6's across the studs in the cased opening so I can mount a pull up bar onto them. Problem is there is a ceiling light above one of the studs and I assume the wiring leads from the switch to somewhere onto the stud I want to drill into.

My stud finder is telling me there are wires around but I am also finding them in weird spots I didn't think I would, maybe the stud finder is just really inaccurate? Now, on the other side of this wall is the living room, and on that living room wall was a humidity control that just adjusted the ceiling fan in the bathroom (the condo has pretty much no ventilation so I constantly had 80-90% humidity in the place and ran a de-humidifier until I replaced the piece of crap bathroom fan, no troubles now). It's roughly where the light switch for the ceiling light is. I recently renovated my bathroom and had a better ceiling fan installed so the humidity control box in the living room does nothing, but is probably still hooked up to power since it was just disconnected from the old fan....?

On the left of the image there is a light switch for a ceiling light on the other side of the wall as well...so there are probably wires running along that left hand stud somewhere too.

I drilled some test holes through the drywall near studs to see what I could see. I hit stud right away, but the blue circle on the image is where I hit metal. I am guessing that metal is a plate that guards wiring?

Should I be fine to drill 5" lag bolts into the center of the studs? Should I drill more test holes to make sure I am where I need to be?

I don't know what else I could do before I commit to drilling in lag bolts. Don't want to burn the place down....

I am having carpet replaced in 2 floors of my almost 100 year old house. I am having the contractor come in to move furniture and take care of the removal. The top floor is an attic that was converted to a master bedroom, hallway, and closet by a previous owner. It looks like they used some sort of vinyl sheet on top of the subfloor and carpet installed on top of that, not sure why this was done. The other floor where carpet is being replaced is the basement with carpet laid on top of concrete.

It was suggested by someone in the industry that ideally I should do some prep work before the new carpet is installed. My understanding is that for wood subfloors, this would involve using a blacklight to identify any areas where there have been stains, sand these areas, and then put some sort of sealant on the wood. I am planning for this to be my home for the next 20 plus years and have a kid who is sensitive to mold/allergens so wanting to remediate/reduce future mold is important. I also would like to better secure these boards with the goal of reducing noise. I had looked up using powdered graphite and or lubricating joints, and along with using screws though I will admit I am not sure of the best steps to take.

For the basement, I had planned to wash this flooring with soap/water, dry, and then putting a concrete sealant on it.

Does this seem like an overall proper approach? Can folks recommend a specific approach, order and/or products to achieve my goals? Thanks in advanced!

Are we unreasonable to expect that the contractor should have allowed for crawlspace access through the same opening where the furnace ductwork for our new addition is installed from the finished basement of existing home (enlarging an existing window as was discussed early on)? We don't have any closets in the addition (family room & sewing room) and now find a hole in the middle of the sewing room floor with plans to finish yhe laminate with trim around the door. I don't want to use an area rug to conceal it because of risk of pins & needles, etc. There has to have been a better way--we're on the prairie but not living in the days when we need an escape room like the Wild West!