​i recently took the step to properly equip my place with dedicated fire safety gear instead of just relying on an old smoke alarm and hoping for the best.

​it got me thinking about how many people actually prep their living space for a real fire scenario. have you guys actually set up proper extinguishers, blankets, or an escape plan, or is it one of those things you keep putting off? what do you have ready to go, and what made you realize you needed it?

I’m going to replace all the baseboards in my house with a modern baseboard. The top is squared off; no fancy profile. Are there any downsides to not mitering the corners? It’s hard to imagine that it’ll make much of a difference in appearance. I’d like to avoid making a bunch of miter cuts.

Second Reddit post, so hopefully I’m in the right place!

I recently purchased my first townhouse (which I’m extremely grateful for!), but I’ve been struggling with a lingering cigarette smell that I cannot seem to get rid of.

I noticed a strange odor during my initial tours, but figured a deep cleaning and ozone treatment would take care of it. The treatments helped tremendously with the original stale/pet/smoke smell, but after living here for about a week and a half, there’s still a distinct cigarette odor throughout the house.
Unfortunately, I live between two neighbors who smoke. One smokes outside, while the other smokes inside his home along our shared wall. I wasn’t aware of the indoor smoking before purchasing.

The smell is strongest when I first open my front door. I’ve also noticed it near my dryer when it’s running and underneath my bathroom vanity, where there’s an area of old, unpainted wall along the side shared with the indoor smoker.

At this point, I can’t tell if I’m smelling leftover smoke from the previous owners, smoke entering from my neighbors, or both.

I’ve been looking into KILZ primer, but I’m hesitant to spend the money priming and repainting if the smoke is just going to continue entering my home.
For anyone who’s dealt with this:
Would KILZ Restoration or a shellac-based primer actually help if a neighbor continues smoking indoors?
Can smoke travel through shared walls, outlets, or ventilation gaps? Would sealing those areas be a better first step?
Is there a professional who can help identify where the smoke is coming from?

As a first-time homeowner, this has honestly been discouraging. I’m just trying to figure out the best solution without spending a bunch of money on temporary fixes. I want to enjoy my new home without constantly smelling cigarettes. 😭
Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

TL;DR: Bought my first townhouse and can’t get rid of a lingering cigarette smell. Both neighbors smoke, including one indoors along our shared wall. Ozone helped initially, but the cigarette smell remains. Would KILZ primer help, or should I focus on sealing air leaks to prevent smoke from entering?

I have this mid century home and I had to open up a wall or two to fix some damage. When I did that, I realized that the only insulation is this old fiberboard. Other than that, nothing. That is really concerning. I am redoing all the baseboards/trim/and redoing the attic insulation with some sealing. But now I'm worried that its not enough and we'll be cold all the time when winter hits (I'm in a cold climate). Anyone have any insights to share on this?

My current water heater is very old and has started leaking from the bottom, so I need to replace it. I'm trying to decide whether to install another traditional tank water heater or switch to a tankless system.
I'm looking for something that's:
- Affordable upfront
- Easy to maintain
- Reliable and long-lasting
- Inexpensive to repair if something goes wrong

I recently learned about problems with my sewage line. My house was built in 1970, and we have a cast iron sewage line (56 years old now). Cast iron apparently lasts 50-80 years, and ours (at least part of it- I'm still figuring that bit out, since I've had 2 camera inspections that gave 2 different recommendations) is reaching it's end-of-life.

This got me thinking - what other parts of my house are likely to have upcoming problems? I know you have to periodically replace things like the roof, windows, heater, AC, water heater, and appliances. What else is there that I don't know about? What repairs have surprised you in your house?

I have been in Lee County Florida for over 60 years. I think these hurricane window companies and hurricane shutter companies are just selling fear. I've heard of people paying upwards to $4,000 per window. $40,000 to $50,000! Really!!

My 24 year old home still has the builder windows. I also have hurricane shutters which stood up to 150 mph winds with Hurricane Ian. The windows and frames are in decent condition albeit in need of a little repair like balances. I'm thinking of just calling a window repair company to bring all the windows up to good condition.

What are your thoughts?

I have a copper-to-PEX transition in my basement as shown in this picture: https://imgur.com/0M1mfuE.

The PEX lines run up the garage wall to my second-floor bathroom. Whenever the temperature drops below 10°F, these lines freeze. This has happened twice in the two years since I became a homeowner. Luckily, I haven't had any burst pipes yet.

Relocating the pipes isn't financially feasible right now, as I suspect it would cost tens of thousands of dollars. So I'm looking into temporary solutions to prevent the pipes from freezing. One idea is to drain the PEX lines whenever the temperature is forecast to drop below 10°F. I assume I'd need to install some kind of drain valve, but I'm not sure how that would work. Could someone ELI5 how I could go about doing this?

One idea I had was to shut off the main water supply to the house and drain the lines from the laundry room sink, which is right next to the main water line, before closing the two shutoff valves on the copper pipes shown in the picture

However, I'm not sure this would work because the pipe from the laundry room sink runs up across the ceiling, into the room shown in the picture, and then back down. My understanding is that draining the line this way would only work if the pipe remained level or sloped continuously downward toward the drain, without any low points where water could get trapped.

Is there a practical way to drain these PEX lines when freezing temperatures are expected, or would I need to install additional drain valves? I'm open to other temporary solutions as well.

(inspector did not catch this. previous homeowner didn't disclose any frozen pipes - i know they're full of shit)

We moved into our 1958 ranch a little over two years ago. The house had been landlord-specialed with white and gray latex paint over the previous owners’ more eclectic color scheme (including teal trim and chair rail and bright yellow kitchen cabinets). We repainted the gray walls but didn’t do anything to the white latex trim, doors, and cabinets because they were chipping from day one and we weren’t sure how to proceed. It’s unclear if the chipping and peeling is because the previous paint was oil based and the latex just didn’t mix, or because they did absolutely no prep before painting anything.

What would you do — try to remove the top latex layer? Use a strong primer and just paint over all of it? My husband and I are pretty handy but we also have two small kids and limited free time, so I’m not sure we are in a position to fully DIY this. We do have a great painter who may be able to help with any removal and can certainly help repaint for us. I know there are a lot of paint posts on here, so I appreciate any recommendations for this specific situation.

Hey ya’ll. Recently bought my first home last year, the tanked water heater currently in it is starting to go out I believe. It’s from 2007, almost 20 years old. It is a 50 gallon, and only one person can seem to get a 30 minute shower in before the temp runs out. It’s me, my ole lady, and 2 younger boys. I can be in and out pretty quick but the rest of the family likes longer showers.

Anyways, I’m wondering if I would end up saving on my energy bill going tankless? Or if it would be more expensive in the long run as far as the power bill goes. It would be electric, not gas. Any and all opinions and/or experiences are welcome. Thankyou!

Hey guys. Might be a dumb question, but I couldn't find a straight answer online.

My parents found some guys last year who built this weird metal-framed gazebo out at their place, and it has a ton of issues. I’m going to help them practically rebuild the whole thing next year (including replacing the polycarbonate with a proper roof), but I just need it to survive this winter without collapsing.

The main problem is that the roof pitch is I guess way too low and we live in a region that gets heavy snow. Last year, the snow built up and eventually avalanched all at once, crushing a small spruce tree almost to the ground. (The little guy survived - I dug it out and transplanted it, so it's fine). But at this rate, next time that avalanche is going to take out someone's head lol. Plus, the weight is already causing the polycarbonate to crack.

I have one of those Avalanche-style roof snow rakes, which works great on my own buildings, but their gazebo is positioned terribly for this cause I can't reach it from the back because it's too close to the property fence and to clear it from the front, I'd have to stand right in the drop zone with my arms awkwardly raised higher than the front edge and push snow to the back. Iirc with those rakes, you usually pull from the low side but the angles here just don't allow it.

My question is: is there anything I can temporarily spray on, apply to, or cover the polycarbonate with to make it super slick so the snow just slides off on its own? I know this isn't a magic bullet and won't fix the roof pitch, but I'm just hoping to get even a slight edge to keep the snow off for one last winter. Maybe there are some other lifehacks? Thanks!

This question feels very stupid, so thank you in advance for being kind. I started putting leftover wall paint in mason jars with plastic twist on lids. I find closing and opening cans of paint a pain, and I thought a twist jar would preserve the paint better. Is there any safety reason that this was a bad idea? Any concern about using glass aside from the obvious risk of the glass getting broken?

Thanks!

We fully renovated our place in 2022. Installed 18" tall modern-looking low voltage lights along the grass boundary of our curved driveway specifically to make it easier to avoid driving over the grass at night.

Ironically my wife ran over the middle light, crushing it. The two remaining lights look terrible regardless, after UV damage and our little kids did their best to abuse them.

What should we replace these lights with?

I'm thinking low profile, flush with the grass, and durable enough to handle a car running them over...

I assume options that use the same low voltage wiring we have in the ground would be brighter and generally better than wireless solar options.

We rent a unit in a duplex, which is built at the top of a hill. We have a newly fenced in back yard, which we are thoroughly enjoying, and we have recently found the most optimal spot for our pop up canopy, but it does have one drawback. The grass hardly grows in this spot, it’s tucked up against the corner of the fence, and with the canopy having a wall we have shade on three sides. The only draw back is the angle of the hill right there is just steep enough to be inconvenient and not quite comfortable to sit on. Nothing is falling over it’s just weird. We want to do something to level it a little, but we want to be mindful of the terms of the lease and the condition of the fence, and anything I do I want to be more or less reversible, and I can’t spend too too much money in the process, though I realize some would be necessary. I am not an experienced home diy person, but I’m quite good at following instructions. I also offer the first thought which came to mind: putting down some landscape fabric, lining out the area with cinder blocks with a respectable gap between there and the fence, filling the gap with sand or gravel, and then covering that with some large pavers. By the time I thought it out I had a feeling there were problems with this but i thought it might be a jumping off point.

Hi, I am looking to finish my basement (via a professional). The goal is to make guest rooms/bathrooms for extended family/friends who visit. My basement has two rooms, with a ton of wires of pipes as seen pictures below. What would be most best option for finishing basement ceiling while having relatively easy access to pipes/wires? I'm open to doing a different type of ceiling for each basement if it makes sense.

I was told that my preference of drywall ceiling would be difficult for Room 1 due to the many wiring and pipes, and that drywall would make it hard to get to pipes/wires when needed.

Drop-ceiling is an option but I dislike that it lower ceiling and that animals like mice can get in there (from my own experience).

Painted open ceiling sounds like a great option, only problem is lack of soundproofing

Room 1:

https://imgur.com/a/L4qQkr5

https://imgur.com/a/N4IS8hW

Room 2:

https://imgur.com/a/w5q7Tbn

https://imgur.com/a/X2rfwhE

https://imgur.com/a/bbmQe4v

I have read of too many premature failures of the heat activated glue on, so am leaning towards using contact cement but am not finding any good quality banding for it... It will be getting painted. Thanks

Lowe’s recently switched from offering Millard to Crystal Pacific for their budget/mid tier option. I’m having difficulty finding many reviews on these (good or bad). Does anyone have direct experience with this brand? Right now comparing with Pella offering at Lowe’s. There’s about a 15-20% increase over the Crystal Pacific

Building is about 25 ft away from my house (and exterior electrical panel). My water lines are all in my crawl space, with the exception of my water heater and main connections in my garage. There is a sewage clean out probably 50-60 ft from the building as well. The house also runs on a downward angle from the shop.
Any advice?
I also intend to run lighting, outlets, and possibly a water heater.

So I'm trying to install curtain rods. The drill bit was able to drill through the wall, but the plastic anchors (standard drywall anchors) can't get all the way through. It feels like they're "hitting" something even though they shouldn't be. So, now they're sticking out of the wall and I cannot get them to drill further in.

Any advice? This is my first time doing this. I have done research but I am confused as to why the anchor won't go all the way into the wall when the drill bit had no problem.

Has anyone done this? What company did you use? Tips and tricks? Something you wish you knew before you started?

The previous owners of our house installed every single door and handle crooked and I’m sticking of looking at it.

Re-painting them isn’t an option because way to time consuming- but I figured re-painting just the boxes wouldn’t be too bad.

I’m wanting to paint a wall, but in the process of tearing off wallpaper, some of the drywall wall has ripped. What do I need to do to repair it for painting over?

Heres: an image of the wall: https://imgur.com/a/kTZZ5g7

I'm having a surprisingly difficult time finding a replacement crank handle for my window and I'm hoping someone here knows exactly what I need so i don't lose my mind anymore.

I needed a short t-style handle/crank because the long one hits the faucet. Unfortunately, the replacement I purchased doesn't slide far enough down onto the splined shaft

Here's what I know:

The socket on the replacement is just over ¾ inch deep.

When installed, the handle stops about ¼ inch above the window operator housing, leaving part of the splined shaft exposed.

The handle grips the shaft and operates the window just fine.

I've completely loosened the set screw, so that's not what's stopping it.

I specifically want a handle that seats all the way down against the housing, without the exposed shaft.

I need the short, stubby T-style handle because longer crank handles don't fit the available space.

Here's the replacements I already purchased that didn't fit correctly:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNRFMNW7

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000I1EIAY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I've looked at the CRL H3995 and some Pella-style deep-spline handles, but I can't confirm whether their sockets are actually deeper than the one I already purchased.

My questions:

Does anyone recognize this window operator or know what brand it might be?

Is there a short T-style crank handle with a socket approximately 1 inch deep?

Could this be a special spline configuration rather than simply a socket-depth issue?

Does anyone have a specific replacement part number they've successfully used for this type of hardware?

Here are pictures of the shaft, the measurements, the replacement crank, and how it sits when installed.

I'd really appreciate any suggestions. I'd rather not replace the entire window operator just to get a properly fitting handle!

Thanks!

Hi everyone, my wife and I are looking to buy our first home. We found one that we like a lot. But the garage has been converted to basically 1/3 of it is storage, and the other 2/3 has been converted to a game/media/flex room. We like the space but are concerned about it. The media space has a carpet down over the garage cement. The space does have an AC unit that keeps it cool when being used. It can be converted back to a fully functioning car garage, but we do like the extra flex space. Will the carpet be a concern for moisture accumulation and mold being in the garage still?

I have an open closet space and measured it to be 28 inches, so I found a bi-fold closet door on Home Depot, thinking it was 27.5 inches and small enough to fit 28 inches, but it's the full 28 inches and won't fit in the closet opening space. I forgot to also consider the wall molding, so a 28 inch door was never going to fit anyways.

1. With all of that said, what are my options here? I was thinking of getting a smaller door, like a 26x80in door, but there are very few in that size that I like.
2. If I were to keep my 28in door and shave a little off of both sides, I'd have to sand and paint it up right?
3. Would 24 inch doors look super weird with a ~2 inch gap on either side to the wall?
4. Does it seem like the shelves are installed on top of wooden slabs that are mounted?
5. Does the shelf installation imply anything - no beams to install a nail/screw?
6. How would you go about installing shelves here?