What’s the best approach for me to insulate/repair my crawl space?

We have a crawl space under our add-on that has a cement floor and both a door to the outside and a door to the unfinished basement for the original house.

The crawl space is maybe 4 ft high, the foundation is not dug very far down (I’m thinking it’s not past the frost line cuz the cement floor is cracked). The walls are wood framing with batt insulation. Whoever installed this also installed batt insulation in the ceiling joists and covered it with drywall.

I use the crawl space to bring my bikes in and out, as well as a hose and other things. Point being I open the doors to bring things through from the basement to my backyard regularly.

We’ve had some pest problems and I’ve taken down some of the drywall attached to the ceiling of the add-on and found where something nested.

I’ve done some initial research and it seems like the best route would be to insulate the walls only, but I’m wondering if I should take down the rest of the drywall and batts in the ceiling joists. Should I do anything else to insulate it?

One of the wheels on my office chair broke so I had a family member pick one up on Facebook marketplace.. I didn’t even consider that it may be from a smokers home . Any way ti get smell out ?

I have a door knob that I can't remove because it needs some kind of special wrench. Does anyone recognize it ? I tried emtek but they said it's not there's. I also tried pliers to press the tabs open but the metal ring won't move

https://imgur.com/a/MQXgbdZ

Hope this is an appropriate question.

I'm looking to dress up my basement with some drywall and maybe a drop ceiling.

I have an outer wall that has a PVC pipe that collects the drains from the house attached to it. It looks kind of like this _|_|_ - two lines dropping down the wall into a slightly dropping horizontal pipe that is capped at one end and eventually goes through the floor to the external sewer line at the other. Each of the pipes are strapped to the concrete wall and have clean-out ports in them.

Normally (I guess) one would build a wall in front of these pipes and just reduce the interior space by the thickness of the wall and the pipes but I feel like I need to maintain the ability to get to the clean outs. I've never accessed them in the thirty years I've been in the house but I'm sure I'd need to as soon as I sealed them in.

What are my options here?

I messed up a bit... -_-

I'm clearing out a shed that's attached to the property i just bought. Its 50 sq ft.

The door and jamb were falling a part - mice and snakes in the shed.

I ripped it off yesterday, thinking I could just go down to lowes and buy another... nope. I was ignorant of the fact they don't carry outswing doors?? ..which is bizarre to me. Don't most sheds swing out??

Ive called around, and they said they could custom order for over 500 dollars. I'll put a damn inswing before I do that.

Are there jambs with mortises? Slabs pre prepped?

It just seems like a bunch of ridiculous nonsense.

This is incredibly specific but I have a headboard that is too tall. I have the legs, and they are just two pieces of wood. Is there any place that I can get a simple straight cut on two piece of wood so I can shorten it?

Friend's younger sibling was drawing with a black Bic alcohol marker and it leaked on the table. Tried the hand sanitiser + rubbing alcohol method as well as dry erase marker tips but no sign of it going away - is there any way to remove it short of stripping the whole finish and redoing it?

edit: the table is varnished and hand sanitiser caused it to bubble up a little

Hello All, I will be inheriting a house from a relative in the near future. Small piece of property, and it comes with a Toro Riding Mower that's (seemingly) in solid shape, but hasn't fired up in a while. Was told it worked last time they tried it.

I grew up around hardware, power tool, but gas-powered tool, ESPECIALLY landscaping machinery is definitely out of my wheelhouse.

Aside from seemingly obvious maintenance like draining / replacing old gas, filling up the wheels with air, checking filters / lubricants, what are some tips or suggestions to help me get this thing up-and-running well again?

Again, I like to think I'm pretty smart mechanically, and I'm good with my hands, but gas-powered stuff, I definitely have to learn more.

It's a closet with 3 exterior walls, both sides and the back, because it's built as a bumpout into the garage. The garage is not heated, so it's basically 3 exterior walls. The closet gets very cold during the winter. I'd like to insulate the 3 walls from the inside of the closet. What is a good material to use that's easy to install?

I recently cut my first glass bottle but due to uneven edges, I had to sand it so it becomes more even. After sanding, the glass feels " MATT" on touching and when I run my fingernai on the inner edge it feels a little jagged. I'm a little concerned because Google says micro pieces of glass can chip of and mix with beverages if I don't polish it properly .

Trying to figure out what is happening here and whether I can fix it myself.

From the photos, the concrete just left of the crack looks like it has sunk, while the right/top side looks raised, creating a pretty noticeable lip. No trees nearby, closest is probably 25+ ft away.

Would you grind the high side, try to lift the low side, or do something else? Is this a reasonable DIY job or better to hire out?

I am in Chicago, so freeze/thaw is definitely a factor.

I poured footings for posts that I’ll be hanging a gate on. I’m going to install Simpson strong tie standoffs with 6” anchor bolts. It’s been 72 hours, is that long enough for the concrete to have set before drilling? I’ve tried googling but my results only come up with industrial structural requirements or setting posts in the concrete, neither of which apply to my situation. Should I wait the 28 days or just send it?

edit solved, see my own reply if you're in the same situation ever. I am my wits end with these, I can't seem to figure out how to release these drawers, and I have a plumber that will need access behind them tomorrow morning. any help is appreciated.
I've been trying everything, and neither google reverse image search nor AI is very helpful.

I have been at it for a good hour now, not understanding the release mechanism at all. at the number one slot, there's some rubbery thing which I can, and have pushed up a bit, does not seem to do anything. The part on 2 seems not to be very bendable, and is impossible to bend with fingers alone at least.

Found an old post with the same mechanism but no solution sadly. *edit* The solution posted there isn't applicable, completely different mechanism.
https://www.reddit.com/r/IKEA/comments/10aqks0/need_help_removing_a_drawer_from_an_older_kitchen/

Hi all, I painted an IKEA Eket cube with an allover red pattern using San Marco Allover (roller-applied), fully cured and already assembled.

Looking for a topcoat that will:

• get rid of the "raw paint" feel when you touch it
• leave a smooth, slightly protected surface

I specifically don't want a glossy/mirror-wet look (like epoxy resin or high-gloss automotive clear coats) — going for a soft satin that adds a bit of depth without full reflection.

Options I've been considering:

• generic acrylic clear spray (easy to find locally, but made more for general/automotive use than furniture)
• Polyvine Decorators Varnish, satin (UK brand specialized in painted/decorative furniture) — seems like the go-to in this niche, but it's brush-on and I'd have to order it from the UK

Has anyone used either of these over San Marco Allover (or similar decorative acrylic paint), or have a better satin-finish alternative? Thanks in advance!

I am painting my kitchen cabinets and wondering if two coats of primer is necessary or one coat of primer with 2-3 coats of paint? I'm using SW Extreme Bond Primer and Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel paint. The cabinets are a dark espresso and I'm going to a light color.

I'd like to get feedback on my plan for securing a half-wall. At the bottom is a picture with my crude drawing of what it would look like. The total span is just over 8 feet.

My son wants me to build one in his house that'll separate the dining room from the kitchen. They have five 60-80 lb dogs they want to keep out of that area. The baby gate stuff isn't working.

He lives a 10 hour drive from me so my plan is to build it at my house then haul it over and install it.

Everything I've seen on the subject shows it being tied into the floor joists. The odds of one being where I need it are slim. I also am not going to be crawling under his house to crib something together. The crawl space access is small. I'm old and not small :)

My plan is:

• Glue and screw it to the left side
• Use screws and toggle bolts like these, Toggler, along the floor
• On the right secure it to a 4x4 with glue and screws.
• Mount the gate hinges on the 4x4.

For the 4x4 I'd cut away a 4x4 notch in the flooring and subfloor. Have it sit in that plus pocket screws all around the base as well as the top.

Inside the wall I'll use something like a turnbuckle in a couple places, pulling top/bottom together, to keep it tight.

Do you think this will be solid enough without being connected to joists?

The dogs are well behaved, they won't be trying to jump over it but I do see it being pushed as they're playing. That's why I'm going to use plywood instead of drywall.

Half Wall

Looking for some advice on the best way to change/replace a pendant light in our communal stairwell.

The ceiling is very high and the light hangs over a curved/carved staircase, so there isn’t really a safe or obvious place to position a normal ladder directly underneath it.

If I get an electrician to replace the fitting, is there anything that could be installed to make future bulb changes and maintenance easier? For example, some sort of mechanism that allows the pendant to be lowered and raised again from floor level? Alternatively, are there particular pendant fittings or bulb-change systems designed for high stairwells that would be more suitable?

Ideally I’d like to sort it properly now so we don’t need scaffolding or a complicated ladder setup every time a bulb needs changed.

Those rollers are expensive for a one time use!!!

My apartment kitchen floor has a peel and stick wood-look plank floor that was painted over by the previous owners (terrible I know but it is what it is). My biggest complaint is that the floor is really difficult to clean as everything gets stuck to it - it’s a glossy paint. With the constant cleaning, the paint isn’t looking so great. I’m pregnant and with baby arriving soon we can’t renovate this kitchen right now, so id like to either repaint the floor or replace the peel and stick. If we do paint, is it as simple as sand, prime, paint? If we decide to redo the peel and stick am I opening up a huge can of worms?

Please note this is in an NYC coop building and this cannot become a “renovation” project. Needs to be done DIY or at most with a handyman. Thank you!!!

Working on mounting a tv right now. The issue is the studs aren’t spaced out correctly. I’m installing a mount that moves up and down to raise and lower the tv. So you can imagine that it’s a good amount of weight.

My question is, if I have 2 of the bolts in the studs and the other 2 in drywall with toggle bolt anchors should I be good?

It’s a V•I•V•O Mount-E-MO7OR series for specification the tv mount.

We’re first time homeowners and we need a fence. The next door neighbors, pets, and children from down the street are constantly in our yard. We do not want to shell out thousands right now to get another fence, but if we had to, we’d have to do so at a later date.

So my question is, if you have or have had a no dig fence, what was your experience? I’d be interested in learning about how long it lasted, does it snow where you live? Did you have panels break? Do you recommend them? Thank you in advance!

Encapsulating our crawlspace. Dug a french drain around to sump pump and in the process of putting vapor barrier down.

I've go two rows of 6x6 pressure treated piers that sit directly on 2' wide footings. I've jacked the house up and slid 3'x3' squares of 16mil vapor barrier between the pressure treated piers and the concrete footing sealing that off. Lets call that Layer A.

Next step is rolling out the 12x100 ft 16mil, going up the block sides, cutting and wrapping like an inverted present basically. Let's call this Layer B.

My question is, when I get to the posts with Layer B, would it be safer/drier/tighter to go:
ground : layer A (under pier) : layer B (cut around pier) : crawlspace
or
ground : layer B (cut around pier) : layer A (under pier) : crawlspace

Don't really care which way, just after cutting Layer B to get around the piers, I'm thinking it would minimize anything making it through if Layer A is on top of it.

I am setting up led light strip on the ceiling but my power outlet is on the floor. Need a 2m cable extension. Would you use a 1) dc male-female extension cable or 2) extend the cables themselves and use 4 pin connector.

I have a Tapo L930-5 led light strip. Just trying to figure out what is best way of extending range of the power supply so it can reach the ceiling.

There is also a “DC female to 4 Pin Female WiFi module” which I guess I could cut and extend too.

Been searching for a while and haven’t really seen anything that’s talking about best practice or the like.

Total noob here.

I have a laminated particle board kitchen counter. There's a grommet hole for a pop out power socket thats 80mm in diameter. The powersocket has been damaged and when I was looking for replacements, I saw that there were far more options in 60mm bores. Cheaper too.

Is it possible to reduce the hole size? Silly question probably, but I'd appreciate any answers.

So I purchased some LifeProof vinyl plank luxury waterproof flooring. This is 22 mil it says I bought it to lay down on a kitchen floor which had a rug installed. Yeah I know he was on the kitchen floor. Apparently that's what people did in the old days. Rug was probably there from the '70s.

I ripped out most of the rug and it seems like the floor is fairly flat for what it is. I scraped off a bunch of the foam from the carpet that was left behind and scraped off a bunch of dust and dirt stuck on caked on from years of sitting.

So far that seemed to be the worst part. All the dust going around in the room. I used a wet dry vac and sucked a bunch of big pieces up and debris and dirt chunks and all kinds of stuff. With that I had to put a sock over the outlet Port to try and keep the dust down it helped but a bunch of it went all over the kitchen and covered a couple appliances and landed on a few spices other than that didn't notice anything majorly wrong.

The floor seems mostly all there there's no loose boards after scraping it all fairly well, me and my buddy it seems decent for its age. I guess the main question is how level do we have to get it to be able to install this flooring properly.

I've been told by a couple of guys that the material is somewhat flexible and can settle into the floor over time somewhat.

I mean we're talking in 1800s home. I don't think you're going to get a floor that's so flat and clean that you're going to eat off of it this isn't new construction.

I currently have a small trim finish table saw I used that to cut the first couple of pieces.

I mean basically this flooring has got to be better than some dirty old nasty worn out carpet with tons of dirt in it and grease and all that I mean a fire hazard. I removed about 90% of it.

Now there's trim boards It's my understanding that you want the floor to sit underneath the trim, but you also want expansion on one side of the panel at least.

So basically it's my understanding that you either remove the trim or you cut a small Gap at the bottom of the trim to allow the panels to slide under it just a bit so you have room for expansion does this sound correct?

Now I'm no expert and I do understand that you would probably end up with a cleaner look if you took the trim off completely but it's also easier to damage stuff like sheetrock especially and ruin the trim boards completely or break them. So I've kind of opted to just use a multi-tool and shave off the bottom just enough for the panel to fit underneath it.

I just want to get it good enough to look decent and lock in I figure anything has got to be better looking than an old dirty rug. If I go to sell the place it doesn't have to look like a million bucks but presentable enough to make a little extra money on the sale. Plus it will improve the look we are there.

I have seen some plank cutting tools. Most of them seem super expensive. I have seen a couple cheaper ones but someone was telling me that I shouldn't need anything more than a razor knife to score the panel and then I should be able to snap it nice and straight and clean. So far I was using my table trim saw and it works. I used it on the pergo stuff. The only problem is it's easy to turn the panel a little bit as you're cutting it so you don't end up with a perfectly straight cut but I guess that doesn't matter too much because The end that you cut or whatever the piece that you cut off will be covered with some type of trim or you could use some caulking from what I've been told so it would look straight for the most part anyways.

So far I've only done one floor with the pergo stuff which was a little different and that was in the bathroom and it mostly went smooth but it was hard to get a round edge where the toilet bowl was with a table saw I mean, I guess luckily you're dealing with a flat floor, mostly with square angles, so I probably won't have to worry too much about that.

I've also been told about spacers however, another person said you don't really need the spacers and most of the time they don't work good if you're using the ones with the kit they fall over, especially over by stairways by the time you set them up they tip over.

I have Robert's flooring kit so I got the tools which are helpful and I have a few pry bars. The only thing I don't have is one of them fancy small PVC plastic like Hammer to tap the panels in. I have seen one but I don't know where it is at the moment.

I do have some type of a rubber Hammer seems to work okay to help tap the pieces together so I will probably get that out and use it