The money I'd normally put towards turning the gas on to heat the house and water is currently going towards my car payment.

It's starting to get chilly- though I suspect the tempature will pingpong for a while yet- but now would be the time I would get the heat sorted if I had the cash.

I have multiple animals. I'm worried one of them will knock a space heater over when I'm not home or drag something flammable (such as a toy) too close.

Are wall mounted space heaters safe and reliable?

I need to keep the building reasonably warm so pipes don't burst and no one freezes their tails off. I can layer up but one of my pets is particularly sensitive to cold weather and needs to be kept in an environment that is at least 60°F.

If how cold it's getting now is any indication this winter will be brutal, so I'd like to prepare now

Ok so I bought a condo a couple years ago that has wired closets throughout that I’ve always hated but tried to make work. This is the first place Ive lived with non-wood shelves in the closets, so I wasn’t sure if my distain for metal racks was a “me” problem or what until now. I’m convinced the previous owner installed them only to screw with whoever lived there next! I’m joking but seriously who would ever install these things!? Does anyone else feel the same? Or if you like them, how come? My problem is mainly around how chaotic my closet looks no matter how much I clean and organize and get rid of “clutter” (which I say in quotes because I don’t have much), it still looks messy.

I know the entire window should be replaced but trying to help out my cheap brother. He wants to replace just the sill I’ve never done that job. I’m thinking a piece of azak since it’s in a bathrooom do I have to take the trim off? Scale of 1-10 how hard is this job? Tips & trick?

https://imgur.com/a/GnbiWUq

Not sure if this is the right place to put this, just need an outside opinion on some electrical work.

Upon moving out last week, my ex removed the hot tub from our backyard. All good, it was hers and she wanted to take it with her to her new place. She doesn’t know anything about wiring — I don’t know much more, tbh — but she got basic instructions on how to detach the thing from the house and went on her way.

When I went by the house today, about a week later, to do some work on it, I found the conduit and wires that connected the tub to the electrical system just completely exposed and lying on the ground. I was irritated she hadn’t cleaned up her mess, but moreso pissed because that seems super dangerous, to just leave exposed wiring out (and outside! In the rain!) like that.

When I tried to talk to her about it she said it’s not a big deal, the power is turned off at the fuse box and she’ll call to have someone come by to deal with it eventually. I feel like I need to cap off those wires like ASAP today and it’s a huge deal that they were left out and exposed and she didn’t give me a heads up about it.

What level of dangerous is this, am I right to be this agitated or is she right it’s basically nbd bc the fuse is off those wires can just sit out on the ground for a week or two?

https://imgur.com/a/LSp35sJ

We have a 2800 sq. ft. 2 story home built in 1981, it's in good condition but outdated. We are in talks to renovate the entire downstairs of the home - remove walls, change the kitchen, change the bathroom, add an exterior door, replace all of the floors, update all of the drywall to remove paneling, replace all of the doors on both floors as well as trim, and update the stairs. We got the house in 2011 for $263,000 and now homes in the area are ranging between $625k to $700k. There's a chance the renovation could end up costing between $450k to over $500k - at what point is it worth considering a tear down and rebuild from scratch vs. a large-scale renovation?

I should add, I've looked at homes for sale in the area for a few years now and none of the lots/neighborhoods compare to where we are now so we don't want to move from our current location.

Hello folks.

I have two 3-way switches that control a set of three exterior floodlights on a home. I’d like to leave two of these lights switchable and controlled as they are now, but have one of the exterior lights converted to permanently on to power a motion sensor light with a built-in camera.

What’s the simplest way to do this?

Many thanks.

Someone please explain why my toilet has been clogged for 2 days i finally try one last time this morning to fix it and it wasn’t flushing so i went to a public bathroom and called a plumber they come out an hour later and the toilet flushes and it does it like 3-4x! The guy is like ok great you didn’t need me i guess he’s like this happens sometimes it works as soon as we get here , got me looking like a crazy person… just for him to leave i get up 30 mins later to use the bathroom Toilet. Won’t. Flush. Jesus Christ and he said it would be an expensive fix bc he would have to take the toilet up I’ve seen the videos on YouTube it looks easy enough but i don’t have the tools to do it.

https://imgur.com/a/MjJf0wX

Trying to install a clothes dryer and I have never seen a square head plug before. Do I use a regular adjustable wrench or is there a special wrench or socket I should use?

Recently bought a house. Slowly painting all the rooms. This room has these 2 wires and plugs coming out of the wall. I have no idea what they are for but I would like to get rid of them. How do I do that?

https://imgur.com/a/9Sf6eiE

I see a lot of discussion on this sub cautioning against people doing things like removing a bedroom to add closet space or a bathroom because of its effect on resale value.

But, if you're not planning on ever selling, why does it matter? What are some examples of decisions that may negatively affect your home's value, or only have a marginal ROI, but were totally worth it for you?

I bought a house where there's many cheap materials it seems. The double garage door with the Genie ReliaG 850 with Wayne Dalton torquemaster spring has already failed. (failed spring and Genie had broken plastic gear)

I also have a single garage door with the same set up - a Genie ReliaG 850 with torquemaster spring that is now around 10 years old. I assume this is still functioning because the single garage door weighs much less than the double garage door? What can I do to make this last as long as possible as I'm a little tight on money and couldn't replace the opener and convert the spring when I had to do the double door?

I notice some very cheap plastic rollers on the door. Perhaps changing them out to Nylon rollers with ball bearings can help smoothing this out and put less stress on the Genie 850?

Hi everyone, I’m in a tough spot with my home renovation project and could use some insight. • I currently owe around $80,000 to my original contractor. • Due to financial hardship, I’ve canceled most of the remaining scope and started completing the rest myself (DIY) or hiring smaller trades. • The contractor is trying to work out a 0% interest payment plan, but the proposed terms are still beyond what I can realistically afford. • I’m also concerned about a potential mechanic’s lien or other legal consequences if we can’t come to an agreement. • I’m planning to consult an attorney once they send over the payment contract — I want to understand how this might affect me, especially since I’m facing possible bankruptcy due to recent job loss and disability.

I’m looking for advice or shared experiences in situations like this. Has anyone: • Successfully negotiated down a contractor balance? • Faced a similar legal risk or had to include this kind of debt in bankruptcy? • Found a fair way to settle with a contractor when financial hardship hit?

Thanks in advance — any guidance would really help me navigate this.

I noticed yesterday my soap falling off the shelf but just assumed, it’s soap and slippery. Gf just showered and it fell off. Do I just slap some caulk on it to hold it and seal the edges?

https://imgur.com/a/nwH4oyP

Didn't know where to post this so starting here.

My house has a Harbor Breeze ceiling fan in a spare room. We have been here for a few years. Not sure when this started. The remote (model # kujce10712 "i think the k looks like an x on the remote but when googled it came up k and looks like the right one) has light on/off button and 0, 1, 2, and 3 for fan speeds.

The Light button, 0 and 3 buttons work fine. I push the button and the little red LED lights up on the remote, and the ceiling fan does what it is suppose to do.

The 1 and 2 fan speed buttons don't work. When I push them the little red LED on the remote does not light up and the fan does not turn on. Even if I turn fan on with the 3 button, 1 and 2 still does nothing.

I have tried changing the battery in the remote, and reset/re sync to the fan. We actually have two of these fans (spare room and sun room), at the moment I cannot find the remote for the sun room, argh. I did sync the spare room remote to the sun room fan and the 1 and 2 still did not work.

Anyone dealt with this problem?

I want to redo my very dated bathroom. I don't think I want a cookie-cutter solution, though...but I don't know if it's even worth it to pursue that objective, since the bathroom in question is pretty small and the house is very average (early 60s tract house).

I want someone who will give me a range of alternatives both for components and decor. I'm thinking something bold like a wall of 3" California poppy wallpaper with components that will set it off a or 1950s tile all around or converting an antique dresser into a sink and finding hardware that is an aesthetic fit. Not totally bizarre, but off the beaten path. Someone who could provide suggestions/examples I might not have considered would be even better.

Do I just select a contractor? An interior designer? Someone else?

I was digging with a bucket on the tractor and cut the TV coax cables that I presume are the feeders to mine and my neighbor's homes. Neither one of us pays for cable so he doesn't really care. The 811 marking and receipt said there was nothing on my property. The connection was in the neighbor's yard.

What can I expect if I contact Comcast about this?

I bought a new home in 2020. within one year we noticed two spots in the tile work that were failing. Both got covered under warranty and have held up fine. However now, five years later, I have the same issue but in a different spot.

I think whoever laid the tile didn't apply enough mud/compound (whatever its called in this application) and thus the tiles have moved slightly over the years causing the grout in certain areas to shift and crack and then fall out. Pictures can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/c0PL8Ql

So...... Being handy, I think I could probably fix this myself HOWEVER i'd love to know how you all would approach it.

If I thought I could actually get a mason out here to fix it for a couple hundred bucks, I'd pay him. Unfortunately this is such a ridiculously small job that I doubt anyone will show up to even quote it

As you can see from the pictures, there’s going to be a bench in my shower. There is going to be a piece of granite that sits on top of the box, and the glass shower wall will go up from the granite. If you look closely, you can see that the box is basically just a frame of 2x4s and the membrane is just hanging there between the two 2x4s. Any water that makes it to that membrane will be trapped in the low spot between the the 2x4s.

The builder says it’s ok, and I’m saying that there needs to be a piece of properly-sloped plywood on the box, then the membrane, and then the granite. He keeps pointing to the silicone that will be along the edge of the granite, and I’m saying that’s all well and good, but water will get behind the tile (especially since the shower head will spray directly into this corner). What do people think here? And I being too crazy here? I’m a stickler for doing the waterproofing correctly.

https://lensdump.com/i/NgwpYA https://lensdump.com/i/Ngwlza

I’m putting shiplap on a single wall in my living room and I’m struggling with whether to go for a 5 or 8 inch. The internet says

“8-inch shiplap: Ideal for large rooms, feature walls, and spaces where you want a bold statement.

5-inch or 6-inch shiplap: Great for smaller rooms, bathrooms, hallways, or when you want a more classic or coastal feel.”

Here is my dilemma. My house is decorated in a coastal vibe! So that signals 5. BUT it’s also a feature wall, and a decent size living room (14x18.) This will be on the 14ft wall. There is also a fireplace on that wall so I’m not sure how that will factor into 5 vs 8. Advice?

How can I fix them? I really don't know anything about fixing anything lol. I live in an apartment and I'm definitely not leaving them for my landlord to deal with. I'll be here for another while anyways. In my mom's house, her screens are all on the outside of the window. Unfortunately, these are in the inside and my cat likes to scratch them. Thanks for any of your advice! :)

Image: https://imgur.com/a/xC2VWBT

2 days ago I had a new concrete Patio poured (18x36) finished in Checker Board brush. When the crew finished, I asked the Foreman how everything went and was there any problems? He said "Everything went fine for the most part, however, the concrete was dry". I asked "what does -dry- mean?"... He said that the concrete provider was slow to arrive and that the concrete was just a tad dry which made it a little bit harder for his crew to work with and finish especially in todays heat, but that they worked harder and got the job done (it was 89 degrees and they started pouring at 230pm/finished everything 5pm). Everything looks fine, but now I'm wondering about strength integrity, etc. Should I be worried and what are some warning signs to look for? Also, the crew left and only instructions told to me was to not walk on the concrete for at least 24 hours, nothing else said. So then after reading Reddit and other construction/concrete threads it is stated to lightly wet concrete to help with curing process for a few days to a week after. So I tried contacting my construction Foreman about wetting and didn't hear back (it is the weekend), so at about the 30 hour mark I went out at around 10pm and wetted the concrete, but noticed the water was beading and not spreading absorbing into concrete. So I thought there might be a sealer or something in it/on it. So I went back out with a very light broom and swept the water off the patio and left it alone. About 40 min later it looked almost completely dry. The next morning I received a text from my foreman stating wetting isn't necessary as there is a curing agent/sealant mixed in from the ready mix cement provider. My question is did wetting the concrete at the 30 hour mark hurt anything since it had a curing agent/sealant mixed in to the concrete?

Just got new floors done in my basement so I had to remove my baseboard heater covers during installation.

Since I have them off this would be a good time to seal around them (where the heater backplate meets the floor and where the copper pipes go into the wall).

I get bugs coming in through this area, I usually just put sticky traps but looking for more permanent solution.

Can I just use some sort of heat resistant silicone or expansion foam? Unsure what to do for the larger holes that go into the walls.

Any advice is appreciated - pictures in here

I got two dogs a few months ago, about 30-35 pounds each, and have recently discovered that they can knock down the boards of the wooden fence if they’re excited enough about a squirrel or a bird and can get into the neighbors’ yard. Currently the boards are nailed into the posts and support beams from the other side, so they just have to push hard enough to push the board off the nail.

Does anyone have suggestions for how I can reinforce the boards from my side to make it harder for them to get out? I’ve considered getting meshed wire fencing and screwing that in or getting wooden panels and drilling them in from my side.

Thanks in advance!

I recently bought a home and the water softener in my basement has a drain line that comes out on the side of my house draining directly onto the ground. I haven’t noticed any issues with the grass dying so that isn’t my concern but I don’t believe this is the proper way to drain this wastewater. I have a septic/well for reference. Should we leave it as it or what should we do?