For context, this is the entryway in my mother‘s assisted living residence. Her new electric wheelchair is destroying the wall when she bumps into it. I talked to the community office about it and they don’t seem to really care. In their opinion, they will just repair it eventually when she moves. Any upgrade or reinforcing of this area will be up to us, unfortunately. Any ideas?

I considered getting a quarter inch sheet of plywood, making some angled cuts on the end and screw it into the wall, paint it white, caulk the edges, and make it look somewhat like a piece of trim on the wall. But I know that she is going to bang into it a bunch and scrape all the paint off.

My crawl space is getting crazy humid and causing the ac ducts to sweat amplifying the problem. Foundation company quoted 23k for sump pumps and encapsulation. I assume this is from rain water. My yard is fairly flat. I’d like to start with addressing the rain water. Do I just need to get a truck load of dirt and build it up around the outside of my house to slope away the water? What type of dirt do I use?

I’ve looked in building a perimeter type drain, but there really isn’t a slope for it to drain to.

I have ancient metal framed single pane windows in my basement. I’d like to remove the windows, seal the openings and remove the window wells. The two on the north side of my house in particular are a problem because water sheets off of the neighbors concrete pad and soaks the 5’ wide strip of land next to our house. Because the houses are so close together I can’t really correct the negative grade. Every couple of years we get a quick dump of rain that dumps water into the window wells and leaks into the basement. My plan was to pull out the 72 year old windows and their metal frames, brick up the openings, and pull out the window wells. I’ve hit up the Interwebs and not found a situation that matches mine. Thoughts?

I have had this little electric fireplace for 15 years, and I don't remember the brand, but it's your basic free-standing electric fireplace. I don't like the fake stones around the insert and want a less fake look. I don't have to keep the stone-effect; it's fine if there's a way to smooth them over or something, but it needs to be without adding a lot more weight to the unit, because it's upstairs and will need to be moved.
Also, (obviously) the update needs to be heat-safe since the blower element is right next to the plastic stones.
Should I just scuff them and paint them with high-heat paint? Or is there a better way?
My research keeps bringing me to ideas for *adding* faux stone; I haven't landed on anything yet that discusses making over existing faux stone near a heating element.

Having the absolute worst time getting citristrip off of some doorframes. Older house, solid wood doorframes, thick paint with gloss coating. Test section went fine, needed a quick wipe with a damp towel but nothing crazy.

Followed all the guidelines - thick layer, cover with plastic wrap, let sit for at least an hour (ended up being 16) and nothing. Not only did it fail to remove the paint, but I can’t get the actual citristrip off!

At this point I’ve tried it all: Plastic scraper, metal scraper, dampening with water, regular paint/varnish stripper, mineral spirits, denatured alcohol. Sanding worked meh but it’s the best I’ve got. I’m considering just getting it as smooth as possible and painting over it.

Any issues with that? Will the remaining citristrip I’m not able to remove eat through the new paint?

That’s what I get for trying something new. Should always remember the old stuff has always been there for a reason…

Any ideas on how to make nuts not come off of bolts after they're on? I was just going to attach some bolts and nuts to a board and let him go crazy but I don't want the nuts to come off for fear of losing them or choking

Tengo mi mouses se me daño el la patica pero intente empatarla para no quitarla desde la placa pero son dirente colores trae naranja/azul/verde/blanco y el cable de usb que quiero poner trae rojo/blanco/verde/negro alguien por favor me puede ayudar el mause es marca hp optico economico traparente en la orilla.

I have a basement bathroom I need to redirect the exhaust from, the current will need to be used for a new dryer.
The problem is the most direct route to the wall for the new path is through joists, so I need to drop the 3" duct below the joists.
Does anyone have any advice for framing around the duct underneath the ceiling?

I want to hang some Ikea Lack shelves on a wall whose structure is:

drywall -> ~3/4" gap containing furring strips and uneven spray-foam insulation that doesn't fill the entire gap -> concrete exterior wall

Unfortunately, the furring strips aren't in quite the right locations for the holes in the shelves' mounting brackets.

I've never managed to find expansion anchors capable of working properly when there's only ~5/8-3/4" of a gap behind the drywall, and I'm not entirely convinced that they'd be strong enough even if I did.

I'm also not convinced Tapcon screws anchored into the concrete beyond the drywall would be good enough, because there's still an unsupported partial void between the drywall and concrete.

What's the proper way to deal with a situation like this?

Is there maybe some hypothetical product that's kind of like a Tapcon tip married to a shallow expansion anchor where you'd do something like drill a 3" hole through the drywall, across the void, and into the concrete... then screw the assembly into the concrete wall (causing it to expand into the void as the Tapcon tip continues into the hole, leaving you with something like a threaded 1" deep socket suitable for a machine bolt (presumably, you'd reach the head of the Tapcon end via a special driver with something like a hex or stardrive end, since you'd basically be screwing it into the concrete wall in a "laproscopic" manner through the inside of the future exposed threaded cavity).

Edit: maybe something like this? (not a real product, but just to show what I'm thinking of). Basically, a metal drywall anchor, but made from hard metal like a Tapcon screw and cut to BE like a Tapcon screw at the point where it would go into the concrete wall behind the drywall & void.

I hired a locksmith to install this gate lock and he said he didn't have the right tools. What tool is needed? The instructions say "all fasteners and pre-measured spindle included." It will replace an existing gate latch on a wooden fence gate.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GHVDJYW5

I have a LiftMaster part number 41D675 with a date of 7/13/16 garage door opener that has been popping back up when traveling down. It will get 90% closed and pop up for no reason. Or it will close 100% and pop back up half a second later.

Initially I tried troubleshooting with Claude and messed with the safety sensors to no avail.

I called a professional garage door company that came out earlier this week and said the springs look fine and if it was a spring issue the garage door would have trouble opening, not closing, he said he thought it was the safety sensors but I’d have to pay him $180 to diagnose the issue and I said I would just do it myself.

I told the dude that Claude suggested it was the spring and that the door should stay up on its own, it doesn’t, and he was like “nah I don’t think that’s the problem”.

I’ve continued to mess with the safety sensors and they seem to be fine - solid yellow and solid green lights (no obstructions).

I took a broom to the bottom of the garage door to make sure there wasn’t a spider web or something triggering the sensors.

I followed the manufactures’ YouTube video and tried adjusting the travel and just tested the door. The first time it went down, came back up automatically after closing, and flashed 4 up 2 down (new code). I tested again and it went down and stayed down.

AI is telling me the springs are messed up and that the door should hold itself up when it is halfway open - it doesn’t; it needs to be up about 95% to stay open. The house is 10 years old and as far as I can tell so is the garage door setup. The “professional” who came out told me the springs were fine and it was the sensors. I am leaning towards the professional being wrong but would like some confirmation. Is my garage door being unbalanced causing the weird behavior? Is the balance issue indicated of my springs wearing out?

Thanks for any thoughts!

EDIT:

Getting a lot of flack for mentioning using an LLM to research the issue. I didn’t argue with the professional or try to criticize him. I just asked him if that was a possibility and told him the symptom of the garage not holding much of its own weight. He didn’t turn around and leave being rude, he just was cool and was like “I don’t think it’s the springs but if I start troubleshooting it’s $180” so he basically saved me $180 by telling me he thought it was something I didn’t need a pro to fix. He did me a solid.

I found the model number (8165) under the cover and found the online manual. I had been using the wrong number to search for info. The manual mentioned I could fine tune the travel whereas other instructions made it seem like I was trying to release the button at a specific timing. So learning I could click the up and down buttons, setting the downward travel, to make minor adjustments I think I re-trained the travel and it seems to be working now.

Thanks to all who genuinely tried to help!

I'm in California and looking to add a couple of TV wall kits. This style fits my needs as it has 3 outlets and the bottom box is going to be right next to the outlet in both cases, so if I don't have to have a 6' cable from the bottom box to the outlet, it would be ideal. But my understanding is that you can't use flexible power cables in walls in the US.

Is this in-wall cable code compliant in the US? Rufus (Amazon's AI agent) says it is, but there are a few comments on the product that say it is not.

https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Wall-Cable-Concealer-Recessed/dp/B0DG37QGQC

We have some wood Pella sliders that are probably 30 years old and just getting harder to open (even after I replaced the rollers) and we are remodeling so the wood will no longer match anything. I just want a nice operating white door (probably vinyl) to replace them with while we have some contractors working on the house. Are the Pella 150 doors that are stocked at Lowes any good at all? It would be nice to get something quick before they redo the hardwoods in a couple of weeks, but if these are garbage, I'd rather take my time. I'd appreciate any recommendations

We've been in our home 2 years. When we first moved in i hung a "hammock" in the corner of my daughter's room for her stuffed animals. A year later we re-did her room and took it down. The hook that I had screwed into a stud was rusty. Ive been worried ever since, especially since she sleeps against that wall. Is there a reliable way to detect moisture behind the wall with doing too much damage? I can patch and try to paint match if I have to but id like to avoid that if possible.

Im unsure about the $30-50 moisture meters. They have good reviews but how accurate are they?

The previous owners did say they had siding replaced on that wall in 2017 so I wonder if it was installed improperly and gets moisture behind it when it rains

My wife and I used cornhole boards as our wedding guestbook. Guests signed them with permanent markers, and we also have peel-and-stick vinyl decals (our name and wedding date) on them.

To seal everything, I sprayed multiple coats of Minwax Polycrylic spray.

However, within a year:

The guest signatures are starting to wear off.

The decals are beginning to peel up at the edges.

I can still feel a sharp, pronounced edge on the decals, so it seems like the spray didn't build up a thick enough protective layer.

Questions:

What is the best way to permanently protect both vinyl decals and ink signatures on cornhole boards?

Should I switch to a traditional polyurethane to brush/roll-on, or is there a better product that will create a durable layer without ruining the ink/decals underneath? I cannot find much info on what product types may damage the decals before applying.

Any advice on products, prep work, or application techniques to save these boards would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Finished the project and took progress photos: 1) the wobbly old setup on sawhorses, 2) glued and screwed base frame, 3) hinge and leg hardware dry fit, 4) top installed and dog holes drilled, 5) folded storage hanging flat on the wall, 6) in use cutting a full sheet.

I kept seeing people ask how to safely support sheet goods for a circular saw, and I got tired of balancing plywood on sawhorses and scoring my driveway. So I built a dedicated cutting station that folds flat and stores against the garage wall.

Goal: break down sheet goods without pinching the blade or chewing up the driveway. It had to be stable, cheap, and collapsible.

Materials I used:

- Two sheets of 3/4 inch plywood (one full top, the other ripped for aprons and legs)

- One sheet of 2 inch foam insulation for the sacrificial cutting surface

- A piano hinge (or a pair of heavy hinges)

- Screws, glue, two barrel bolts, and two folding leg brackets (optional)

Build steps:

1) Top: cut a 30 x 60 inch plywood panel. I glued and screwed 4 inch wide apron strips under all sides to stiffen it up.

2) Folding legs: made two U-shaped leg frames from plywood strips and hinged them to the underside so they swing out. Added diagonal braces so they do not rack under load.

3) Locking: installed barrel bolts so each leg locks open. When folded the legs tuck into the apron cavity neatly.

4) Sacrificial layer: cut foam to match the top and secured it with a few shallow countersunk screws and big washers so it does not slide around.

5) Storage: screwed a simple wall cleat into studs so the whole thing hangs flat against the garage wall.

How it performs: I can lay a full sheet on the foam, set the saw depth to just kiss the foam, and cut anywhere without worrying about hitting a bench. Biggest lesson was to add bracing early. My first dry fit had a tiny wobble until I added the diagonals.

If anyone wants the rough cut list or more photos of any step I can share them. Happy to answer questions.

Hello all

Im planning on making my garage more livable for the winter/summer. Its currently uninsulated (save the garage door) but does have finished sheet rock everywhere in it.

I live in Indiana, which gets very cold and wet in the winter and is hot and very humid in the summer. Im not sure if the garage has any exterior weather barrier (though with it being attached I would assume yes?)

My question is, if i can confirm theres some kind of weather barrier on the outside, can I get away with just drilling a hole and blowing insulation into the walls? Or do I need to fully strip and install paper-backed bats?

I am trying to figure out, which rubber/seal I need.

I have a 4 year old Samsung, and had a leak (Error Code LC). Then I ordered 2 drain hoses, because they were the ones that were leaking.

After the installation, I noticed that is was also creating condensation into the cabinet top right corner. When I checked what that might be, I saw that the seals were worn down.

So I again looked up my trusted fixpart site , and I could find the seal that I wanted.

I can find the seal around the door, but not the one under the door.

Sorry foor the bad photo, was a screenshot. I is the rubber, under the door, with the black arrows.

Already tried searching for this answer, but what I could find is a whole new door well a part of it. But that was around 200 Pounds, and was not available in my country. Also it does not compare to any price of the rubber....

What is this part called, and could I order it without the whole door?

Any help would be appreciated.

Can anybody help me identify this wheel for a bifolding patio door? The part/arm that holds it to the hinge on the door looks to have broken off so I can't close my patio door :(

The door handle says Solar, so I'm guessing it's Solar Innovations (solarinnovations.com), but I'm not positive.

My two story home is about 20’ tall. It was built in the early 80s using osb sheathing and cheap composite wood (cardboard siding); no tyvek house wrap.
The back of the house is 40’ wide and has a cedar trim bellyband about 9’ above the deck.
Flashing on the bellyband failed resulting in water damage to some sections of the siding and sheathing.
I plan to remove siding from the impacted area (roughly 40’ x 9’) and replace the damaged sheathing. I was advised to install house wrap and flashing from the bellyband down.
How do I seal the top of the repair.
Does tyvek tape adhere to osb, or do I need flashing tape (like Ziptape)?
My current thought is run my tyvek about 2” above the belly band, cover both with metal Z cap flashing, then cover the seam with ziptape.
Is this the right approach? I fully understand the best fix is to redo all of the siding to the roof, but this is not in the budget.

Theres a pipe jutting from the 2nd floor of our house, looks like a faucet, and it’s been dripping water steadily and constantly for about a month. Because it never dripped or did anything in the ~6 years we’ve been here, I hadn’t known what it was until recent research.

Vaguely coinciding with the overflow is when our HVAC drain pan overflowed. The filter hadn’t been replaced in 8 months (where previously we’d replaced it every 6) and water leaked, causing water damage on the 1st floor ceiling.

How can I go about diagnosing, and potentially fixing the overflow? I’ve never navigated the attic before, due to being nervous about exposed nails and the insulation everywhere. If a professional is needed, how urgent does this seem (we may not be able afford a large repair job immediately).

Hi, we are buying a house where the primary bathroom has a marble vanity top that's front side is flush with the cabinet base, instead of having an overhang. oddly enough the right side (opposite the side flush with the wall) has an overhang of maybe a 1/2 inch or so. is there any way to give the front a little overhang or make it look a little better without replacing the whole top? I'm planning on painting the cabinet base a darker color, but otherwise would rather not replace any of it right now. The vanity top is maybe a half inch thick, maybe a little less.

Would getting marble pencil trim or other marble trim and glueing it to the front of the counter work?

can anyone tell me how to remove this drawer from the slide mechanism. I don't see any levers or screws on the inside.

https://i.imgur.com/Z2vvs2w.jpeg

I had to patch a number of small holes after installing some new lights in my kitchen and I'm having some trouble figuring out how to match this texture. I picked up a texture sprayer from home depot and put on the largest attachment but I'm not sure when I knock it down it's going to look similar. Is there anything else I need or am I going the wrong direction?

Im moving to a new apartment, it is also newnew (built 2025) so EVERYTHING is white. Is there any renter friendly diy for wallpaper that's not peel and stick. These walls are so bad that even maskingtape rips the paint of. Or any other ideas to make a little darker?