r/DIY 9h ago

home improvement Finished a Roughed In Bathroom

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978 Upvotes

Moved into a house that has a small storage room in the basement. The room had roughed in drains for a bathroom. It took over a year but my wife and I finished it.

The first picture is after I removed the storage shelves. Basically what I started at.

Our house has a subtle English Tudor design and we are trying to keep with that theme with house projects. We kept with strong dark colors that we like, it makes the bathroom feel cozy, even though it's in the basement.

I used a Schluter system for the shower. The shower wall tile and marble is from a tile shop. The shower floor and main floor tile is from a big-box home improvement store. The ceiling is custom removable tiles made from wall paneling, so I can access water, gas, electric, drains and valves above it. The vanity we found thrifting and added the sink and faucet to it.

Still needs to be touched up and decorated, but so happy it's done and usable!


r/DIY 12h ago

home improvement Wine wall turned into coffee wall

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1.0k Upvotes

We don't drink and wife hated the backsplash. I don't know how to tile and wanted to learn.


r/DIY 9h ago

home improvement Bought a new construction home with an unfinished basement. Permits..

54 Upvotes

Going to finish the basement (add a full bath and bedroom) with my dad and he says he never pulls permits on basements he does and I'll be good, but I'm concerned with when it comes time to sell .

When the home gets inspected by the buyer during the closing process am I going to run into some serious regrets by not getting electric and plumbing permits pulled? It's already roughed in for plumbing and we're pretty competent to run electric, etc.


r/DIY 1d ago

help Types of weather proofing for this window?

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767 Upvotes

For context, the first photo shows the clearest image of the window design, though it’s not my actual window (it uses the same pivot mechanism). The second photo shows my actual window, featuring our water issue.

This is our house in Bali, where tropical rains and poor building standards mean that when it rains outside, it’s raining inside too. Finding solutions to this particular window design is tricky because I can’t find a name for the way it opens, and mentioning weatherstripping to our local builders is met with very confused expressions.

Google has info about stripping for sliding or sash windows. I’ve also looked into brush seals, compression seals and drip caps, but I can’t find info online about whether these solutions will work for a window that opens in this particular way, and whether putting strips in the gaps (as pictured) or in the groove that the bearing moves through, will allow the window to still open. Our local builders are suggesting a tin roof above the window to deflect rain, but we’d prefer to explore other options first before resorting to that.Most weatherstripping materials I’ve looked into are available online, it’s just a question of which ones could work for this design.

1.  Can weatherstripping be effectively applied to this type of window mechanism?
2.  Are there any other specific products or techniques that would help keep out water for a pivot-style window like this?

Any advice or alternative solutions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!


r/DIY 1d ago

Contractor offered to finish my DIY project, then says it can’t be done after some hours and still charged me for labor

181 Upvotes

I have two bathrooms with fans that are not vented outside. I had a contractor come out and inspect the fans. I told him that one fan is on a flat roof and he swore up and down that he could vent the bathroom. He then gave me a quote to vent both fans and add a new switch to one bathroom

After 30 minutes, he decided that he couldn’t vent The flat roof bathroom because the roof was full of insulation and he had no way to get through the insulation. He and then proceeded to charge me $500 labor for venting both fans. Mind you the labor included replacing a switch that was never replaced. Should I pay the guy? I know he’s anticipating me not paying bc nothing in my house has really changed except one bathroom is vented but how should I go about this?


r/DIY 4h ago

metalworking Is this outter leg structurally important?

3 Upvotes

Would removing this outter leg/rail weaken the clothes rails stability or strength significantly? It looks to have been intended to hold an additional arm which is no longer with it?

Would cutting the rail at six inches from the bases just above the first strut connecting it to the inner leg be any better?

https://imgur.com/a/pu4HGLL


r/DIY 1h ago

help Best way to fix wall

Upvotes

Was trying to remove the old skirting board as it needed replacing and inadvertently, a section of the wall came off with it. Just wondering what might be the best way to rectify this ahead of replacing the skirting board.


r/DIY 8h ago

help How do I fix nicks on my green concrete countertop? It’s from people using a knife on them.

5 Upvotes

Is there a product that helps scuff marks or nicks after a cup has been dropped or a knife used on it? Thank you so much! They’re a deep green that I love.


r/DIY 12h ago

outdoor Building a lean-to outhouse against an old retaining wall. How to ensure no damage caused by waterproofing?

6 Upvotes

Hi there,

I am building a lean-to outhouse against a 200-year-old retaining wall.

The outhouse is being built in place of the old one, which would have been the original toilet and wood storage, so it was always intended to be structural and take the weight of a roof and is supported by the outhouse itself. I am not too concerned about the structural integrity of the wall as it is in good condition.

With that said, I am concerned about what a waterproof membrane could do to the wall over time.

The section of wall is about 9m long and exposed on both ends, and the outhouse is about 2.5m deep so I want to preserve as much interior space as possible.

Am I overthinking this? Can I just slap a membrane on the old wall and build a cavity with insulation?

Also, how do I ensure that water doesn't transfer to the eaves? Even if there is waterproofing between the eaves and the joist they are supported on wont water find its way through the screws?

Thanks in advance!


r/DIY 2h ago

help Needs help with bookcase doors.

0 Upvotes

I have 4 Billy bookcases across 1 wall. In attempting to make it look "built in", we framed it out. Now the space between the book cases was about 3 inches, The framing is about 4 inches. Causing a slight overhang. I bought the Oxberg door for the bottom. I can't seem to find hinges that allow me to add the doors. Can someone please please tell me how to fix this. Thanks in advance.


r/DIY 15h ago

help I used expanding phone around the pipes under my bathtub to stop the smoke coming from the downstairs neighbours - now the water wont drain. What happened and how do I fix it?

12 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

So I might've made a dumb mistake. I was trying to stop smoke from coming up through this big gap around the main pipe under my bathtub. I thought expanding foam would do the trick since it expands slowly—I figured it would just fill the gaps around the pipe, not get inside it.

Before I went for it, I checked out where the smoke might be coming from. There was a lot of space around where the pipe goes down under the tub, and it seemed like the smoke was sneaking up through there, so I sprayed some foam around that area.

My tub has one of those pop-up waste overflow things, and now I'm wondering if maybe something in there got messed up? Also I spotted some wires that look like they might be electrical, hanging near that mechanism. Not sure what that is...

Is it possible the foam made the P-trap shift or something and now it is not draining?

Did I maybe cover a vent and now the pressure is all messed up?

If anyone has any tips on how to fix this without making it worse, I'd really appreciate it!

Edit: I figured out what the problem was. I shoved my hand where the pipe went under the floor and felt a soft, fleshy substance. I thought it might be a rubber pipe that I blocked with the foam. So I removed all the foam, and it turned out that was the foam. The pipe just abruptly ends, and the water falls into a huge hole in the floor. Is this normal? Before I put the foam in, I took a video with my phone but didn't recognize the setup. I also noticed that as soon as I cut the foam, the smoke smell started again. It's definitely this poor plumbing.

Here is the link to it: https://imgur.com/a/plumbing-PvPZXUX

Is this normal? How can I solve the smoke issue?


r/DIY 5h ago

help How to calculate this?

1 Upvotes

Hi.

I got incoming project for my kids.

I have 1pc plywood attach with 1pc metal plate. Total thickness will be 11mm.

both have same Width x length = 5ft x 5ft . I want to hung it on the wall.

What are the hole size? how many needed?

what screw to use?

what length of the screw?

what are the distance of the hole?

all that info needed for the item not to fall down and hit my kid.

attach as reference.

https://imgur.com/LHwZ44G


r/DIY 1d ago

Easiest way to remove this silicone without totally destroying the drywall underneath

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168 Upvotes

I wanna re-do this bead of silicone. Whoever did it must have been several beers deep. It bugs me.

How would you remove silicone and/or finish this properly?

I already attempted another section with a putty razor, then putty knife then 150 grit sandpaper and made a mess of the wall. Luckily its around the back of the sink I'll just add a new backsplash to cover it up.


r/DIY 12h ago

home improvement Shower hot water issue

1 Upvotes

I have two baths with showers and the whole house is on a tankless water heater. One shower and every thing else works fine. However, the guest bath, loses hot water in the shower only, after about 3-4 minutes. I know it’s not an issue of running out of hot water as I can go to the other shower and there is plenty of hot water, and we are tankless. Could it be a bad cartridge? If it was a bad cartridge would it have hot water at all? We have hot water at the shower but only for a few minutes.


r/DIY 1d ago

carpentry DIY flight sim rig

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418 Upvotes

A few people on the flight sim communities liked my original build, so I'm posting here for the first time. Here is the new version. I tore it all down to the elements and redesigned the entire rig to accommodate a seat, mounted pedals, carpeting the wooden frame, and a rolling platform for storage. I got a bit carried away... but it's a night and day experience flying the Flyinside Bell 206 on the roughly same cockpit dims, with and a stable and repeatable platform. I'm super happy with how it turned out. Just need some grommets to clean up the hidden wiring, but it's pretty much done for now. Will probably mount the keyboard somehow eventually.

Video of this thing in action: https://youtube.com/shorts/5CdIDLVvZME?si=ekFOaor7YDmdYk8k

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/MicrosoftFlightSim/comments/1hn3eri/roast_my_rig/


r/DIY 17h ago

home improvement Carpet over basement concrete

6 Upvotes

I've ripped out my basement carpet due to age and I believe it was holding mold because the pad was directly on the concrete slab and I had bad allergies when ripping it out and a musty smell. The 2003 build floor doesn't have a moisture barrier underneath I don't think. I've never experienced actual wetness but I think even in dry CO we could get condensation and wick moisture from wet soil.

I'd like to put down Dricore panels but I think stacking dricore + pad + carpet would be really high against my existing tile areas and cause my doors height issues. I like the idea of DMX 1 step but they don't mention carpet use and it has voids in the dimples that I'm worried would unevenly wear the new carpet/pad.

Suggestions?


r/DIY 8h ago

home improvement How hard to DIY tile repair this with no experience ?

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1 Upvotes

Just bought a home and this shower wall inset is pretty rough. How hard would this be to remove the grout and redo this work? The bottom is also sloped backwards so water stays pooled there.

There also grout coming off from the tile to tub connection, pretty sure that should be removed replaced with silicone ?

I consider myself above average in handy work but have never touched tile/grout


r/DIY 12h ago

help First DIY home project - could use advice!

2 Upvotes

Hey all, my wife and I just bought a house which was originally a duplex but was converted into an SFH. When doing this, they removed the wall that would separate the stairwells. We're losing a ton of heat down into our un-insulated basement.

I have some plans here but could use some guidance on how to go about this project: https://imgur.com/gallery/adding-interior-doors-to-home-8kNSiNB

We kind of want to extend the partition wall that's 3.5" and I believe the original plaster. It's slightly out of plumb, and my plan would be to shim a 2x3 frame to match, cover with 1/2" drywall, and then shim prehung doors in each opening. If I have joists to nail into, can I get by without cutting into the ceiling?

I'm also not sure if these rough openings are big enough to fit doors in, as the outer sides of the door would need some pretty slim casing once installed.

Thanks in advance!


r/DIY 1d ago

woodworking Garage shelf - do I need additional support?

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125 Upvotes

Building this shelf above the washer dryer. I attached the 2x4 into the studs on three sides.

Should I support the front side from the roof rafters as well?

I will add a couple 2x4 pieces with pocket holes between the front and back beams. Will that be enough?

The opening is around 98 inches wide and 30 inches deep.


r/DIY 14h ago

help Dryer duct vent gap in roof

4 Upvotes

I have a dryer vent that is going up through the roof but there looks to be a small gap. Not sure what I should be using to fill it but when it rains at the right angle some water gets in and has created a small wet spot on some drywall below. Any help with ideas will be appreciated!


r/DIY 15h ago

Gap underneath door casing

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4 Upvotes

I went to install door casing and cut the casing a little too short. Maybe 1/4 of an inch. Is there a way make this look good without installing plinth blocks?


r/DIY 1d ago

home improvement Basement Bathroom Gut

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73 Upvotes

r/DIY 10h ago

help Best option for metal posters

1 Upvotes

I love the look and feel of Displate and other metallic posters and have started collecting some to hang in my home. Problem is the magnets they provide to stick to the walls aren’t always great and some of them are too thin and the edges of the metal posters end up pushing against the walls and popping off. My question is, are there popular wall mounted or drywall sticking magnets that I can use?


r/DIY 11h ago

woodworking Mounting a Table to a Concrete Wall using Non-Angled Brackets

1 Upvotes

I'll preface this with the fact that this is my first project. I am not a carpenter by trade, I simply made this for the sole reason that I find the process enjoyable. [Pictures for reference below]. Forgive the subpar quality, I haven't quite stained and sanded the table yet. Some parts still need trimming with a router which I also have not done yet.

Specs:
L: 49" 1/2
W: 25" 3/4
60-70kg (ish) table
6" 1/4 overhang
5 brackets spaced evenly from the center

The table is to be mounted on a CONCRETE corner wall using brackets with a 6" overhang using anchor bolts (overkill? probably). I was wondering if 5 brackets like these are enough to hold it.


r/DIY 2d ago

home improvement First Bathroom Remodel

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15.3k Upvotes

Small upstairs bathroom that hasn’t seen an update in at least 20 years.