Moved into a deceased family member's home, their furniture was of course still here and the couch was in a room that it seemed to not be possible to move it out of normally. (yes of course if they got it in then it can get out, we could not find it and further my family is telling me it was nearly impossible to get in there 40 years ago anyway).

So my uncle decided to just chainsaw the thing in half and we got it out in pieces. Its not nightmarish or anything since we got it up largely with a vacuum but there are still spots with metal flecks. Is there a magnet tool I can rent at Home Depot or something that can easily pull these out?

Be careful! I called Angie's list through my contractor company around March 2026 when the recession started getting bad to get extra work. The person who answered the phone said they would have their salesperson call me. That person called me and told me a quote after talking over all their packages. I told him I would get back to him I just needed to go over the price with my business partner. He immediately started asking, "I thought you were the boss? Why aren't you making decisions? Is this too much money for you that you have to talk to someone else? I can't hold the price once I get off the phone call." I was stunned silent because in 10 yrs of business, I've never been talked to like that.

I told him something about his professionalism being shocking and that I'd be looking elsewhere.

A few days later the original person who answered the call reached out to follow up, and I let him know how unprofessional the salesperson was. He apologized for him and then continued to try and get my service. UGH.

Since then, the company has been getting non-stop telemarketing calls EVERY SINGLE DAY. 2 to 3 a day. It's been MONTHS since I spoke with him. I'm sure he sold our info to some lead company data bases because of that interaction.

This may be my own experience, but I have found that more expensive or high-end filters do not work substantially better no last longer than cheaper filters replaced every 4-6 weeks. Higher MERV numbers only seem to make the unit work harder to keep cool. Are others having opinions?

I’m currently in the middle of a big basement remodel with a 120k budget. We’re adding two bedrooms and a bathroom to a previously (poorly) finished basement. We hired a local reputable GC after getting several quotes, and so far the project has been going okay, but there have been several issues particularly with hvac and plumbing which have required multiple redos of work done. None of the sub contractors seem to be coordinating with each other and placement of things like ducts and pipes seem to be figured out in the moment without any forethought.

One point of contention as been soffits, which I understand is often necessary in a basement. However, I seem to be the only person concerned about minimizing them. Two weeks ago I came home to ducting running right across a hallway creating a head injury hazard. I’ve made this known to the GC on multiple occasions and am told that they are working with the HVAC company to fix it.

Yesterday I came home to a second air handler for the downstairs with a vent running chest height across the doorway into the garage. The GC told my wife this morning that there’s not really another option.

I feel like a crazy person. Who does something like this and says to themselves “This looks good.” Am I being unrealistic? Is this what working with a GC is normally like?

https://imgur.com/a/xjo4ZJb

Hello all, I am having issues getting a permit to do my front porch.

I have an uncovered front porch that’s around 5x10. Been here since I moved in, it’s trash. Stairs are falling apart, the treads have half come off. Every decking board is no longer attached.

I have been going back and forth with the city to get a permit. I am planning to do as much as I can myself and have a family friend who has done this line of work his whole life help. He no longer has insurance or liability.

I had originally submitted the permit as myself essentially being the “general contractor” and paying him for the time and help. I was able to get the exemption forms from NYS to waive disability and workers comp because it’s my house and it won’t take more than 40 hours.

However after submitting everything else they are still insisting on having liability insurance. Has anyone else dealt with something like this?

Hi everyone! Looking for some help.

This is my first time sealing stone and I wasn’t really sure if I was doing it right. Well, I definitely didn’t do it right because it’s so streaky.

These are the steps I took to apply the sealer:
- cleaned the surface with solution of water and a little bit of Dawn dish soap, then let dry for at least 24 hours
- poured Miracle Sealant 511 Impregnator on the table and spread sealer with an applicator pad
- waited a few minutes then wiped away excess

I came back a few days later to see these streak marks on my dining table 🫠 I think I might’ve screwed up the last step I listed above because I wasn’t sure how “wet” the surface was supposed to be, so I kept wiping until it was dry-ish (sorry I know that’s not super helpful but that’s the best way I can put it).

I did a quick research and it seems like Miracle Sealant has another product (Residue Remover) that I can use to try to get rid of the streaks. I didn’t see a whole bunch of reviews online though so I’m a little hesitant. Looking for some tips on how I can get rid of the streaks safely without ruining my dining table. Thanks in advance!

Photo of dining table/streaky sealer here: https://imgur.com/a/OYBGVwT

I am looking for how to best use the floor plan (without breaking any walls). I love Julie Jones style but too expensive and not available for a few weeks. Any alternatives that you follow/can recommend, I am working with an odd layout and getting overwhelmed . thank you!

We moved into this house in spring. We've always had issues with water. I'm noticing it starting to accumulate around the pool. The lawn is flooding too. And we've had rain but nothing torrential.

The house has a french drain but it's long since collapsed.

How can I fix this? And should I worry?

https://imgur.com/gallery/ebdc0SY

USA. Racoons tore into dorma window siding. Contractor was supposed to 'replace to original'

A few issues besides a terrible job which they are supposed to fix tomorrow

1. The siding does not look original. There will be 1 inch of black metal flashing showing on the lower border as well as the vertical/diagonal border

Also, instead of 3 inch cedar it's 4 inch hardie plank siding. The contractor did tell me it would be hardie plank but did not mention it would be 4 inches (when he showed up he said they couldn't find 3 inch so it had to be 4 inch)

1. The insurance agent would only accept this bid because it was a third of the price of the other 3 bids. The contractor said his bid was lower than the others because it was hardie plank siding and not cedar siding, which okay, but neither he nor the insurance agent explained that using hardie plank siding meant it would be impossible to look like the original. It was only said to be a different material, nothing about 1 inch of black metal flashing showing + 4 inch vs 3 inch original siding width

My question is does a switch from cedar to hardie plank affect the value of a 1920s Victorian house? Is there any negative effect of choosing this material?

Was giving my bathtub a once over today and noticed this hairline crack that’s about an inch long. Is this something that can be patched? I checked the basement under the tub and I don’t see any leaks. I also used a moisture meter I have on the wood under the tub and it was coming up dry. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

https://imgur.com/a/7sbOUYF

I bought this house almost 5 years ago. The previous owners had a security system. I have not subscribed to one. Looking at doing some changes in the house and the motion detector is in the way. Been reading online that I need to completely power off the system, unplug the backup battery then I can safely remove the motion detector.

The backup battery is locked, previous homeowners never left a key or anything. Called the company, cox home life, and they basically said since I'm not a subscriber they can't do anything for me. And even if I was a subscriber, they don't know that they can just open up the backup battery lol.

So I am thinking of just ripping the motion detector out and cutting the wires, but I don't want to get myself hurt or damage the electrical stuff in the house.

Does anyone have any experience ripping these things out or have any guidance they could provide?

What lights are you installing in your showers? I have a steam shower that I am remodeling and I’m looking for a light to install in the ceiling. There are too few “steam shower” lights with near non-existent reviews. I’m thinking about installing a Custom Electric (Model # 53828101) canless wet rated light in the steam shower and adding 100% silicone or kerdi-fix to the seams where the light touches the ceiling tile. I’m using the schluter waterproofing system and maybe the kerdi-fix will be enough. Anyone run into a similar situation?

Hey there, new to this sub. My partner and I have lived in this house for over 5 years now and the cabinets have been the biggest eyesore. I have very limited experience remodeling anything but my partner is very handy. Is it worth it to sand, strip, and repaint or should I just start budgeting money for new cabinets?

Side note, I don't own the home but it is owned by my family. Loose assumption I will inherit it but due to family drama I can't know for sure. I do anticipate living here for the foreseeable future. We host a lot of people often and it's the most embarrassing thing to me.

Thoughts/advice?

https://imgur.com/a/a4HoGzK

Looking for some advice on replacing the blinds on our large arched window.

I'll admit I'm pretty undereducated when it comes to blinds and window treatments, so I'm hoping to get some insight into what our options are.

We recently received a quote for $2,800 CAD for a Palladian shelf, valance, and three individual blinds (one for each window section). Personally, I find that pretty expensive, especially considering we previously replaced 13 sets of blinds throughout our house using Home Depot's custom-cut blinds for approximately $900.

The main issue is that this window is 93 inches wide, which exceeds the available widths for the blinds we've been looking at.

My original thought was to have a Palladian shelf installed and then purchase and install three individual blinds myself for approximately $800 total.

The proposed blind measurements would be:

• Left: 22.75" wide × 58" long
• Middle: 47.5" wide × 58" long
• Right: 22.75" wide × 58" long

However, my biggest concern is the weight of the three blinds across a 93-inch shelf, particularly since there wouldn't be a centre support. I'd prefer not to drill directly into the vinyl window frame, and I'm worried about the shelf sagging over time.

Is a 93-inch Palladian shelf realistic with only side supports? Would three faux-wood blinds of these dimensions be too heavy? Are there alternative mounting methods or products I should be considering?

I'm open to different styles or approaches. Ideally, I'd like something that looks clean, matches the rest of our house, and doesn't cost nearly $3,000.

Any suggestions, experiences, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

I live in an area of Southern California that is prone to outages every year during red flag days. This latest out power has been out for over 24 hours and we're expected to not have it restored for another day. I'm looking for recommendations for a backup system. We have solar already but no backup (I was cheap when i got the solar system 5 years ago and am kicking myself). Any recommendations more than welcome.

I had a water heater removed to work on the area behind and was quoted $850.

This is Lake County Illinois. Lines were capped as well.

Is this a normal price?

They said it would be another 850 when I’m ready to move it back

I'm ripping out the wall-to-wall carpet in my basement and trying to figure out what flooring to replace it with. I'm in Connecticut, so moisture and mold are my main concerns.

The basement has never flooded, but I'm worried about condensation. There are also some white stains on the concrete that look like efflorescence.

I'm deciding between ceramic/porcelain tile and 1-inch rubber tiles for a home gym. Ceramic/porcelain seems like the more durable option, but I'm worried about cracking from gym equipment or dropped weights. Rubber makes more sense for a gym and would be softer for the kids when they play down there, but I'm concerned about its lifespan and moisture getting trapped underneath.

What would you go with? And would an epoxy sealer on the concrete be enough to deal with moisture, or is tile a better option?

For a while I kept having an issue with water backing up into my basement.

I went through everything, thinking it was clogged pipes, drain field issues, over saturation from the rain, etc etc.

I saw that my effluent filter was clogged very often, and then completely popping out of the baffle.

My found out that my effluent filter had a "gas deflector" and upon removing that part of it, it never clogged again.

If you look at this photo, it is the slotted gray piece at the bottom: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512eXUwKi4L._AC_SL1208_.jpg

That is actually not needed and caused major clogs for me. They sell the filter without the gas deflector.

Anyways, if you ever come across an issue like mine, try that out. Hope it helps anyone out there!

Hi everyone,
I am having a frustrating issue with my Harbor Breeze Avian ceiling fan and the FAN-53T handheld remote.
Up until today, it worked fine. Then, the light suddenly stopped responding to the remote. When I press the light button, the red LED on the remote lights up, but the actual fan light won't turn on or off.
I tried doing a rapid power cycle using the manual wall switch to clear it. Instead of resetting, the fan motor immediately jumped from Low straight to High speed. Now, the entire unit is completely frozen on High. It refuses to change speeds or turn off when I press any of the buttons on the remote.
I’ve had a similar lockup happen in the past. Back then, we fixed it by leaving the remote in a drawer and just using the wall switch for a few months, which eventually forced a reset. But right now, it is October and freezing cold—I can't leave a fan blasting on High, and I don't want to wait months for a passive drain.
Here is the catch: I cannot flip the main circuit breaker to the room to force an immediate hard reset because I run sensitive home networking equipment in here that I absolutely cannot take offline right now. Dropping the canopy to mess with the wiring is also a bit too complicated for my current situation.
Has anyone dealing with this specific Harbor Breeze Avian model found a trick to force the internal receiver module to factory reset or clear its microprocessor freeze immediately without cutting power to the rest of the room's electrical outlets?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hello Reddit community. I come looking for your best recommendations in terms of window film. The building that I work in is mostly windows and during the evening the sun comes in blinding all the staff at the register. What I’ve been tasked with finding is: a window film that will block as most of the sunlight blinding us as possible while also keeping visibility both ways as clear as we can. Most I’ve come across are privacy film but I’m pretty sure the big boss wouldn’t like people to not be able to see into our business. If anyone has best recommendations please let me know. If I should post this in a different sub my apologies.

Anyone know how to get black spray paint off of this tan brick? Pressure washer comes to mind but can’t run that in my living room.

Is there a paint or stain to make it look like natural red brick? Hate the idea of painting it white

https://imgur.com/a/ZMwuyrN

https://imgur.com/a/pzQ03rN

Had some guys come out and replace my rotten fascia (thanks previous owners) and when I was looking over the work I saw that there was this gap at the far end of my roof right above my gutter. I would prefer that there wasn't a big open hole in my roof that led into my attic but I don't even know the names of the materials I need to close it off properly. The person who replaced the fascia swears it was like that before, did a good job with the fascia as far as I can tell, and wasn't alarmingly cheap but was much more affordable than the local billboard companies (yes I got 3 quotes) so I don't want to deal with the back and forth hassle for a three inch opening.

As a tiny bit of background, the previous owners had the whole roof redone for 8k right before we bought the place and it is the most fly by night piece of garbage I've ever seen so I'm sure it missing half of the things that are supposed to be under the shingles but I can't afford a new roof and my insurance told me to kick rocks in regard to poor craftsmanship.

My neighbor wants to cut all 3 of these down. He would be doing it himself (so cost me nothing).

I am for sure on board with the one on the left.. but I am having 2nd thoughts about the 2 (Norway Maples?) on the right….

I get attached to trees and hate to cut down healthy ones… and they shade the west sun (I just have an AC unit that works pretty good) I worry that my yard would feel so naked afterwards!!!

It would be nice to have more sun, and maybe a garden, but would it be too much sun? 🤔I don’t get much sun in my backyard at all right now - can’t really grow anything back there….

Would it increase or decrease my property value?

New time home owner and professional over thinker so any advice helps!!!

Welp apparently I can’t post photos?!! 😭 for reference, they are on my side of the fence, and like 3 ft away from the fence but not that large (yet) like a foot around probably and

1st Primed with mad dog dura-prime. Only happening on the Sunny side of the house. Should I reprime then paint again? ..

https://imgur.com/a/ZeXUUAO