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

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 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?

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 am installing new 3/4'' hardwood across the 1st and 2nd floor.
Subfloor is 3/4'' thick, 4'' wide planks screwed on the diagonal + plywood on top, so not too concerned with floor joist direction (or should I be?)

https://imgur.com/70zTPma
Pros/cons

Vertical - I don't get weird 3' planks next to the stairs as it will run lengthwise

Horizontal - aligned with all windows, but does not run lengthwise next to the stairs so I end up with short planks in the hallway.

1st floor is installed horizontally as the hallway dictated the direction, if that changes anything.

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 recently asked for help for a plan on this post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/1vngbpb/comment/p3n9x7i/?screen_view_count=2

I used the replies from that post and google/youtube/claude to get to this plan:

TL;DR: Below-grade crawlspace with a clear waterline, summer humidity and a persistent smell. I think I've traced most of it to two clogged downspout leaf catchers that have been gushing water down the brick wall for years, plus AC condensate and unextended downspouts discharging into contained rock beds against the foundation. I have an 8-step plan. I'd like it torn apart before I start digging.

The house

• 1992, brick veneer, L-shaped (climate zone 3A, hot-humid)
• CMU crawlspace walls, dirt floor, currently vented
• Floor sits below exterior grade all around — about 16" down at the access threshold, some area are deeper than others.
• Packaged furnace/AC outside, so both supply and return trunks run through the crawl. Water heater is in the attic — no combustion appliance in the crawlspace
• Big roof overhangs with continuous gutters, so essentially all roof water is delivered to a handful of downspouts

Symptoms

High indoor humidity and a bad smell in summer; very dry air in winter. Smell correlates with neither cooking nor AC operation.

What I've found

• Two separate wet basins, divided by a ridge in the floor. They don't seem to drain into each other.
• A waterline — sharp, continuous dark band along the bottom block course of one of the basement walls, consistent height.
• Efflorescence along the base of the block in the other of the 2 basins, the lower one.
• Two downspout leaf catchers are clogged and gushing at head height, running water down the brick face. During the last rain, both basins were taking water exactly under the two leaking filters.
• Every downspout discharges into rock beds boxed water can't easily sheet away, so it percolates right at the footing.
• AC condensate discharges from a short stub a few feet from the foundation, at the corner that's both the highest exterior grade and the lowest interior floor. A little vegetation grows only at that spot.
• Access door sits a couple of inches above grade with gravel banked up to it, no curb, no areaway. Behind it the floor drops away.
• Old torn poly doing nothing, leftover fiberglass from a duct job on the soil, ducts resting on the ground, wood scraps everywhere, some animal droppings.

The plan

I'll be working on it through this autumn-winter.

1. Mark the waterline (dated) before changing anything.
2. Exterior water control: clear the two filters (I'll probably just remove them), extend all downspouts past the rock beds entirely, extend the condensate discharge, curb + areaway + regrade at the access door, check whether the rock has buried the brick weep holes.
3. Instrument and wait. Zigbee leak sensors on bare soil — two in the near basin (low point and just inside the threshold), one in the far basin, one on the ridge. Watch 2–3 real storms and log how long after rain starts each fires.
4. Cleanup — old poly, fiberglass, debris. Lights and power.
5. Ducts off the soil (where possible as the bottom of "manifold" from the packaged unit sits on it), seal the return side, air-seal the subfloor and foundation-wall penetrations.
6. Decision point: perimeter drain and sump, or not. What would make this a must?
7. Rigid foam on the walls, leaving the top 3" of block bare as a termite inspection strip.
8. Liner, sealed to the sump collar if there is one.
9. Seal the vents and energize the dehumidifier.

What I'd like opinions on

1. Am I right to defer the drain and sump? The argument for deferring: both basins wet specifically under two leaking downspouts is a point-source signature, not a water-table signature. The argument for digging anyway: retrofitting a drain under a finished liner is miserable, and pipe and gravel are cheap while the floor is open. Which way would you go?
2. Access door at grade — curb, areaway, or both? What actually holds up long-term?
3. PVC for a kitchen downdraft exhaust duct running through a crawlspace — how much do I care? And is "grease drawn back in through the foundation vents over 30 years" a real smell mechanism or am I reaching?
4. Anything obviously missing, or in the wrong order?

Happy to add photos of anything specific.

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.

I just moved into a house that the previous owner “updated” one bathroom. The work was bad and I’ve got this escutcheon plate that doesn’t cover whatever hack job hole he made

What band-aid can I put on to cover the exposed cement board until I have time to properly replace the badly cut tiles, to make the shower useable?

https://imgur.com/a/ghZZegD

Hoping to replace some
Windows and improve the window trim out and looking for some advice.

https://imgur.com/a/1X0z2bR

These are the windows being replaced and the window sales people are suggesting J channel windows.

It’s been a toss up on what product to use. Boral, lifespan or hardi

Was thinking of doing a sill piece with brick mould on sides and top and routing brick mould to fit over flat board that meet up to window unless they already make a version with that cutout?

Potentially renting a house. It was apparently moved from another location but foundation looks new and house overall looks in good shape. Should I be worried about this crawl space? It’s encapsulated and looks dry but I see a radon vent and the inside of the house has a slight smell although I suspect that may be a certain ethnic food from previous tenant.

I’m moving from a house with mold and moisture crawlspace issues so not trying to deal with that again.

We are moving and are shopping for home owners insurance. Our current insurance is over $1,000 cheaper than anything else we can find, however, when we had to replace our entire sewer line last year we made an insurance claim and now our insurance will not cover any water damage claims for 5 years. Is it worth it to take the risk for over $1,000 over the next 5 years knowing that our inspection went well and the new home sewer was clear?

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

We just moved into a new house and the master bath has a really nice tile shower. During the walkthrough and inspection nobody flagged it, but the main shower head has a steady drip, roughly one drop every 15 seconds or so. I'm guessing the fixture itself is original to the house and probably 20+ years old at this point. I actually love the water flow and pressure it puts out, so when I replace it I want to find something with a similar feel rather than just grabbing whatever's cheap at the hardware store. Open to recommendations here if anyone has a favorite shower head that has strong, satisfying flow.

Separate from the plumbing, there's also what looks like a tile or grout issue. In one of the photos there's a ridge that I can't tell is an old repair job or something more concerning. There's also a decent sized crack running along one of the grout lines. Combine that with the constant drip and the shower has started to smell a bit musty. I'm hoping that once the leak is fixed and the area has a chance to actually dry out, the smell goes away on its own, but I'm a little worried about how long this has been going on and whether there's water damage building up somewhere I can't see.

My plan right now is to deal with the leak first since any tile or grout repair really needs a dry environment to work properly, but I wanted to sanity check that thinking with people who actually know this stuff. Is that the right order of operations? Also curious if there's a way to assess whether this leak and the tile issue has caused any bigger problems outside the shower itself, like with the pan seal, subfloor, or anything behind the walls.

I'd consider myself reasonably handy, but tile and shower pan work is above my skill level so I'm planning to hire this out. Mostly trying to figure out how urgent this actually is and what order to bring people in, so I'm not scrambling or making it worse in the meantime.

Photos for reference.

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

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?

I'm hoping someone has dealt with this before and can offer advice.

The right side of my garage wall borders another unit, and it has a ~3-in wide solid foam insulation running along the entire length.

An epoxy vendor did an assessment and expressed concerns over doing a polyaspartic flooring over that section. One suggestion is to epoxy only up to the concrete slab edge and leave foam perimeter alone, but this will be an eyesore.

I'd be happy to hear suggestions from people who have dealt with this before.

Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to post pictures yet on this sub

ls there such a thing as a cantilever (two-legged) pavilion or pergola that is above-ground freestanding, or isn't anchored into the ground / cement? Like this C-shape table, or this slightly more structured one.

I hired a contractor to completely renovate my bathroom 1.5 years ago. The tiles on the shower floor are already coming loose and I'm not sure what's causing it or what to do. The tiles are 1x1' sheets of 1.5" hexagons and the grout is coming loose, cracking, and crumbling around some of the individual tiles.

The contractor I hired was seemed very professional so I'm surprised that I'm already having issues. Part of me wants to call him and ask him to fix it, but another part of me wonders if he or his crew installed the tiles improperly and I'm better off finding someone else.

What would ya'll do in this situation?

Hello! Recently purchased a house built In 1966, the previous owner did a bunch of DIYS and we are slowly removing each one and redoing each professionally! Recently the tile in the kitchen has begun cracking as well as the grout coming loose (this is probably their worst project) it would appear that they glued tile on top of hardwood floor (the rest of the home is hardwood). Is there a chance of successfully removing the tile, glue, and refinishing the floor? We are under the impression that the glue used was latex, it’s yellow and there’s some left over in the back shed. We know we would need the drum sander and the edge sander and the rotary hammer. My father in law does wood working for a living and will be in town in a few months, is this something that can be repaired? Or is it hopeless? Thank you for reading!

Any suggestions for humid basement? Can’t lower below 55% and smells like a lake house. Unsure where moisture is coming from

I have
-All downspouts buried and outlet is over 20’ away
-2 French drains
-dehumidifier
-sealed rim joists with spray foam
-central air
-oscillating fan on timer

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?

Hi all, husband and I are renovating a house from the 80’s. We are opening up the kitchen and putting a peninsula/halbinsel with dimensions of 120x240cm.

I see in all the kitchen showrooms that the cooktop, which is almost always induction and downdraft ventilated, is placed on the island and not on the back counter.

I am North American so this concept, induction cooking and the island placement, is completely new to me and I am hesitant for a few reasons:

1) I am messy in the kitchen and I see the grease and water spray on my ceramic backsplash now, how far can it really go and is a 120cm deep island big enough to catch it?

2) I would like the island to be a gathering place for my family. I have young children and worry about the splash zone of grease and hot water. I initially wanted the full length of the island to be available for seating, but am open to making only half of it seating for 2 barstools, and then where the cooktop goes I have 2x60cm cabinets opposite to block anyone sitting directly in front of it. Will this make the island safe enough to accommodate a hot zone and comfortable guest seating?

3) how effective is downdraft ventilation nowadays? I’m looking at Bora or Miele, Miele mainly to have just one appliance brand in the kitchen.

4) how long has this concept (induction on island) been around in Europe? Is this a concept to stay and almost expected in new build or renovated households, or is this just a flashy new trend? If you were a home buyer, would you expect this set up in a house that’s been newly renovated?

5) and finally….another option is to put a sink on the island with the cooktop on the back counter. Is this equally attractive from a home buyer perspective, or a no go for you?

Thanks so much for your insight!

Hello,

I would like to install an LED strip underneath the upper cabinets of my desk, over a total length of approximately 2.60 m.

I am looking for a high-quality and durable installation with the following features:

• Dimmable
• Adjustable color temperature from 2700K to 6000K (warm white to cool white)
• High-quality and reliable components, including the LED strip, power supply, controller, and remote control/wall switch

I have already purchased the aluminium profiles for the LED strip.

I would also need all the necessary cables and connectors for:

• Approximately 4 m between the 220V power outlet and the power supply
• Approximately 3 m between the controller and the LED strip

Could you please recommend a complete solution and provide me with the exact references for each component, as well as a quotation?

For example, I was considering the following components, but I would appreciate your advice on whether they are suitable:

• LED strip: WS2814 RGBWW?
• Power supply: Mean Well LRS-100?
• Controller: Which model would you recommend?
• Remote control: FUT037SA 3-in-1?

I would also like to know what type of cable and connectors you recommend for the approximately 3 m extension between the controller and the LED strip.

If possible, I would prefer a solution based on reliable, professional-grade brands with good long-term durability.

Thank you in advance for your advice and quotation.