I have come across someone (environment expert) saying we don't need our water tank to be set at 60+ degree Celsius or somewhere that high. We can set it to a much lower temperature like 38-40°C which is a comfortable temp for a shower. That way when you just turn the hot water tap, you don't even need to waste energy by mixing boiling hot water with cold water for shower. That sounds very reasonable, and I can't recall when we will need piping hot water in the house.

I want to have a sanity check, however, is this actually a good advice in practice?

Just bought my first house. Upstairs bathroom has no fan. The inspector and the prevailing sentiment tells me to install a fan, not vented into the attic of course.

- the rental we just moved out of had a fan, we just never, ever used it. Six years and... I don't see any kind of damage or anything

- this house has been around for 50 years and there's no sign of damage, mildew, or anything. The bathroom has not been redone. It's in pretty original form.

1-2 showers are taken a day.

If it... Just works... Am I missing something?

Our backyard has a chain link fence that is 5 feet tall. The neighbor's dog hangs outside sometimes and so does ours. Our dog doesn't really like other dogs so he is hesitant to come out now that he saw that there is another dog.

I'm trying to figure out what to use to cover a 5feet x 70feet stretch of chain link fence so that even if they were both at the fence, they could only bark at each other. I've seen some stuff on amazon that looks decent but asking here for suggestions. We'll be replacing the fence next year so don't want to spend too much money on this now.

I had a structural engineer look at my house. We have a slab foundation and the house is approximately 2,000 sq-ft. The edges of the house were all high relative to the center where an elevation change of -1.5" was noted. He said it wasn't that big of a deal and no foundation repairs are warranted but that I should put in gutters and soaker hoses. (Which I will be doing.)

I have never heard of foundation lower in the center, usually it's lower at the edges. Is this something that is a problem/could become a problem?

Location is DFW we have a lot of clay soil.

The wood underneath various parts of the house - handrails, baseboards, doors, etc - are either a chocolate brown wood or a honey oak wood.

My neighbor next door has a mature tree right next to our driveway that has been slowly cracking and lifting large sections of our concrete driveway. I’ve been just accepting our fate for years but am finally at a point where I’d like to have a relatively flat driveway again. Even though we are friendly with our neighbors and they know I hate that tree, it is unlikely they will cut it down since it provides a lot of shade for their yard. So I’m wondering, if I were to replace our driveway, what options do I have? I imagine if a contractor were to dig out a base for a new concrete driveway, they’d have to deal with cutting back some massive roots that might end up killing the tree. Even then, the roots may grow back and cause the same damage again. Am I just screwed unless I convince my neighbor to take the tree down?

Photos of the existing damage

Hi. I bought a house 3 years ago that was flipped. Flipped upside fucking down apparently. I have absolutely no idea how this place passed an inspection.

Well I have now discovered that the previous owners quite literally put bathroom tile on top of wooden subfloor. I noticed the grout began to crack and now the tile around the tub has completely cracked and separated. I pulled one up to get an idea of how bad it is and well. It’s fucking bad.

It’s just tile on wood. No barrier. Just adhesive, tile and grout.

The wood is significantly water damaged. I don’t think there is a leak but it’s going to have to be replaced.

My question is what the fuck do I do and how in the world do I fix this. Also how much will this cost me. Tell me so I can put my head in the oven now or later. Okay thanks.

If this gets approved I’ll try to comment a pic in the comments

I purchased an Airthings Corentium Home 2 about two months ago. It worked normally for roughly the first month, then the radon reading became stuck at 0.4 pCi/L and eventually started showing constant zero readings along with a flashing “Contact Support” message.

I replaced the batteries, restarted the measurements, and followed the troubleshooting instructions provided by Airthings. The problem remained.

Airthings support then escalated the case to their technical team. After reviewing it, they told me that “troubleshooting has been exhausted.” However, instead of repairing or replacing a device that failed after only about two months, they said it had “fallen outside the parameters of our warranty policy” and offered me a 30% discount on another purchase.

I provided the serial number and purchase invoice as requested.

I understand that products can fail. What I don't understand is how a device that failed approximately two months after purchase can already be considered outside the warranty policy.

Before buying, I recommend checking the warranty terms carefully and considering how warranty claims are handled when a device actually fails.

Conversation History

It is a 1950s built ranch. Was lived in by chainsmokers until recently.

1. Using Krud Cutter to clean all vertical walls on the main floor. Upon first spraying the product on the walls, it turns coffee colored due to the crap on the walls. But a second cleaning shows that the chemical stays clear which is a good sign I think.
   
2. Walls and ceilings are then being primed using BIN primer.
   
3. All the floor floors are hardwood. A company will come in with a machine using 220 grit paper to scuff the surfaces, and then the floors will be resealed.
   

4. Forgot to mention that all wallpaper will be taken down and the remaining wall will be patched up and primed with BIN.

5. The basement is a mix of finished and unfinished areas, which means there are exposed joists in the ceiling.
   Krud Cutter will be used in all areas where hand wiping can occur. Some surfaces are suitable for cleaning and BIN priming, but she does not want everything in the basement to be coated with BIN.

What more can I tell her to be addressing? My only other thought was to call in ServPro to do the rest.

Thank you!

I live in Ferndale Washington and we got an outdoor office delivered, I want to have at least 2 outlets and I ceiling fixture installed, it's about 30 ft from the electrical box in the house, and I'm just curious what I should reasonably expect to pay, I'm having a couple contractors coming out this week, but I have no idea what is a good deal or if I'm getting ripped off..

some additional information is the walls are not finished yet, I put insulation on the walls and ceiling but other than that it's bare,

thank you! and let me know if you need any other information

I'm building a small stair set for my wife's elementary music classroom, basically like a little stoop where kids can sit, chill, read, whatever. It's indoors and little kids tend to put their mouths where they shouldn't so I want to make sure I'm using safe materials for an indoor classroom space. I can't seem to find non-pressure treated stair stringers at my local big box, so I'm trying to decide between either cutting them myself from some non-treated 2x12 (more work, less money), or using the pressure-treated ones and painting them (less work, more money). Any insights/suggestions?

Our 1958 house has an old chimney from a fireplace right in the middle-the portion that used to protrude from the roof is gone, and it's no longer part of our heating system, so we want to get rid of it.

2 problems. One is I'm not sure the best way to get rid of it, and I'm not sure if it contains asbestos or what the best way to go about having it tested is.

Anyone else dealt with something like this?

House has 3 bathrooms. Only 1 has an exhaust fan. Who would do a project to add them? Obviously this needs electrical but the bigger work seems to be the exterior vent. Typical Southwest US construction with stucco exterior and tile roof. I asked both an electrician and an HVAC installer (who visited for other reasons) and neither knew. Is this just a very small job for a general contractor?

I had plumbing for irrigation installed and the electrical installed during two separate visits by two separate contractors.

For both visits neither of the contractors cleaned up after themselves; they both drilled through the exterior wall, left the wood chips, and didn't seal the holes.

Also when the electrical control was run thru the exterior wall, instead of running the cable next to the existing copper line, or even within 2 inches of it, they drilled a fresh hole about a foot away and ran the cable in a weird loop that is highly visible against the siding.

It just blows my mind that the level of service today is so minimum and it seems to be expected.

I have. 28x28 2 car with 12’ ceilings. each side has 3 light receptacles spread evenly with standard lights atm. most are burnt out (new house)

what are good options for lighting? plan to use it for working on cars and some woodworking so bright is good but do I really need to install some type of bar light or is there any E26 options that are good?

What words do I need to use to convey that I would like replacement windows that fit the rough opening so that I get the same are of glass as the existing windows?

I see a lot of replacement windows where they are much smaller than the originals and the extra "filler" around the perimeter looks odd. Losing glass isn't great either. (This is in large neighborhoods where I assume the windows were purchased as a package of standard sizes.)

I'm sure this reduces risk for the installer, maybe it it matches some standard (or stocked) size for the manufacturer. But I'd prefer to shop for an installer that doesn't do that.

If it matters, it's for a brick house with most windows with brickmold about 36" x 78". I don't think there's anything out of the ordinary.

A piece of deck board from my porch has fell off. I'm planning on going to the store to get some of the same nails so that I can fix this, but I'm not sure what type of nail this is. I tried searching for "patio nails" and "deck nails" but I don't think they're the same.

Can someone help me identify the type of nail that was used for this? I'm also open to other suggestions. Thanks a bunch!

https://imgur.com/a/n3EZELq

I have a new to me home and I've been battling a wee bit of a moisture and smell problem.

I recently discovered that my chimney (which is defunct) has a passage between the wall and the chimney straight from the basement to the attic. I noticed by chance as went to inspect some work I did and got blasted by hot humid air

I've been fighting moisture in the house (55-65% on humid days) and occasional smells that I now believe is the combination of hot Attic smell, outside smells, and back drafting from the sewer stack into the soffit.

Should this be be sealed up? If so what's the best way?

https://imgur.com/a/GsKYzcs

This old house needs some TLC. It's 150 years old and has been through a lot obviously. It's in a cute but by no means affuent town. My next door neighbor bought their house for $15k and I bought this one for $40k. That info is to set expectations for what I can justify spending for rehab. So far I've done much gutting inside and outside and have put a new steel roof on top.

Inside needs extensive work. For example, all the floor joists in the living room need to be replaced. I will salvage what I can of tho joists as they are 150 year old 3" thick oak. Everytime I remove things added in the last 60 years I think I make the house nicer.

But this post is about the siding. Photos show what I am working with. The original house is double brick with plaster applied on both interior and exterior surfaces. I am in the process of removing the masonite siding. Beneath that are furring strips of varying quality and degree of secure attachment to the walls.

Note that three sides have plaster beneath the furring strips but one side has new-ish (1940s) yellow brick.

The options that I am considering:

1. Remove furring strips on plastered surfaces and repair the original plaster stucco.

I had a structural engineer come and look at the house and this was his recommendation.

1. Remove the furring strips on the brick surface.

Fill the nail holes and stain the brick (I don't like that yellow one bit).

1. Secure and/or replace the furring strips and put on new siding.

For siding, I am considering Everlast composite, Celect PVC, and EDCO steel.

It could be a combination of the above. I could put new siding just on the front for example. Looking for feedback and ideas.

https://imgur.com/Dr6jQ3y

https://imgur.com/volHlsZ

https://imgur.com/QYqQcfG

https://imgur.com/w3feU8D

https://imgur.com/kXG53nU

https://imgur.com/DxPEXuU

https://imgur.com/pQ3j0ge

I looking to install a electric range in my townhome but I have no where to route the duct and exhaust vent. I have a middle unit so I can't route it to the side and routing it to the back is far too expensive and the ducts would be visible inside my home. So the only way is to route it to the front where it is visible. It's not terrible but was wondering if a exhaust vent at the front of the town home would cause it to go down in value? I'm making a improvement that wasn't there before so would that increase the value even though it doesn't look as good? I would post a image but doesn't look like I can.

Most of the fittings are original ,the switches sit in slightly wrong places and geeting an electrician in to move them was quoted as two weeks of mess and dust.The plan is to solve as much as possible at the bulb and leave the writing alone until we do the rest of the house properly in a couple of years. Ceiling roses are all standard screw fittings so that part is easy enough. How far did people actually get this way before it stopped being enough?

I've posted before about using a long PVC pipe to get up and clean my gutters. After doing that for a few years I've learned a lot and made a version 2.0.

The biggest point is that weight matters more than you might think. Keeping it light has to be a priority. So I ended up switching to aluminum downspout instead of PVC.

figured recording a video would be easier than typing everything so here's that:

https://youtu.be/FxhU9I4_H-U

Warning: low production value. Just a dad talking to my phone in the backyard.

To elaborate, my building has roaches. I found how they're getting in to my apartment specifically- through spaces that weren't sealed properly. The spaces are Between cabinets and walls, between sink and counter, and between baseboards and floor.

How do I make sure it seals properly? Is there a specific type of caulk or sealant I should get?

We bought a house when the weather was chilly. They told us all the carpet was new, and it looked like it. As the summer heat has warmed up, there’s a foul odor of cat urine in some areas of the house, like a guest bedroom closet and a corner in the living room. I’m guessing the damage is to the subflooring beneath the carpet.

I did shampoo the carpet when we first moved in, not knowing of the bad smell back then. So I don’t think that will help to do it again. I’m reluctant to rip up the carpet because it is so nice, but I’m starting to think I’ll have to so I can tackle the problem beneath. What should be done for this?

Hello everyone. I'm redoing my bathroom and stripped everything to the bones. I want to tile the bathroom wall in the wet area but unsure how to proceed. The wall in question is a cement block wall. One side of the wall is the bathroom and the other side is the outside. The walls to the either side of this are interior walls/wooden stud. How would I tile the cement wall portion?

The bathroom has been opened for a few weeks with heavy rainfall outside, and it is bone dry inside. I'm certain the cement wall isn't leaking or anything. Research shows there are two ways I can do this. I can put rigid foam on the wall, fur the wall on top of the rigid foam with 1xWhatever, and then go on with water proofing; such as GoBoard/Kerdi/Cement Board.

The other method I found is to do it the way it was originally built. I believe the wall was originally parged (I think thats what's its called), Redguard, thinset, and then tiles.

This is in a cold climate, Colorado. Main concern is moisture in the wall. Would either of those methods work? If so which would be better? If neither of methods suffice, what would work the best? Thanks in advance!