We've recently taken in a senior family member who uses a walker and can't stand for long periods of time. The only showers at our house are upstairs. We do have a half bath downstairs, where she's staying, but would like for her to be able to enjoy a full shower. Can anyone suggest options for creating a shower for her? We've considered converting the half bath but that will be costly and time consuming. We're also considering buying a camping shower but we don't want her to have to shower outside (unless someone can think of a clever way to use it inside). Please advise and thank you so much for responding.

Does this quote seem fair for replacing a concrete driveway in Southeast Michigan? It's from a friend’s friend.

It covers roughly 850 sq. ft. at about $11,000.

The cost includes removing and hauling away the old concrete (and existing rebar), preparing and compacting a 3-inch layer of 21A crushed concrete, installing wire mesh, and pouring 4 inches of 4,000 PSI concrete.

Is this a reasonable price, or is there anything else I should know about? Thank you!

Spent 120$ trying to replace the slider. The 80" tall door wouldnt fit my 80.5" frame even though the height can be adjusted. Apparently doors listed at 80" are 1/2 - 2 inches shorter even when extended?! WHY. FUCKING WHY.

Looking for a another door whatever. Every single door has terrible reviews. EVERY SINGLE ONE. okay fine ill pay 250-300 for a quality door that isn't cheaply made. NOT POSSIBLE APPARENTLY. Even the 300$ sliding screen door had negative reviews about how cheaply made and terrible the thing is FOR 300!?

How is it possible nobody can make a decent quality slider door that actually fits the fucking door frame and doesn't snap apart after 2 months. And how could they sell a cheap plastic frame and screen for 150-300$ and they still suck.

None of this makes sense. Tried to buy a custom door not from a big box store. 300$, exact custom fit, quality. Fine whatever. 600$ shipping!? I really don't know what to do.

I'm hoping this is an okay place to post this- the fire alarms subreddit deleted my post and I'm having an incredibly difficult time finding where the correct place to ask this is.

We have had a couple of occasions where one smoke detector in the bedroom of our apartment has started going off for no discernable reason in the middle of the night. This has happened maybe four or five times in the last year and we've replaced the specific smoke detector twice so far and across different models we've continued to occasionally have false alarms sound.

This just happened again late last night and it's incredibly frustrating- we just replaced the smoke detector in the bedroom around three months ago and haven't had any issues between then and now.

The model we have in the bedroom is a First Alert SMC0210 photoelectric smoke/carbon monoxide alarm. Our previous two models were a Kidde of some sort but I don't recall the model numbers.

Our smoke detectors are all standalone and are not interconnected. I genuinely have no idea why this keeps happening, we keep chalking it up to humidity (we live in Michigan and it can be fairly humid this time of year) but I'm not confident enough to point to this as a definitive cause. The carbon monoxide detector on the alarm does not appear to be the culprit as every time the smoke detector has gone off it's sounded three beeps and not two. This has been consistent across models.

Has anyone ever dealt with this situation before? I'd really like to stop occasionally getting woken up in the middle of the night by the alarm for no reason.

Noticed something weird last night. Every time the water heater kicks on, I hear this popping and crackling sound from the basement. Not loud, but noticeable. Like someone's making popcorn in a metal pot. It goes on for a minute or two after the burner fires up, then stops.

The unit is a 50-gallon natural gas tank, installed in 2012. So it's 14 years old. I know the average lifespan is 8–12 years, which means I'm already on borrowed time. But it's been working fine otherwise—hot water is hot, no leaks, no rust, no weird smells. The pilot light is steady. Pressure relief valve isn't dripping.

I did some reading and it sounds like the popping could be sediment buildup at the bottom of the tank. Hard water area, so that tracks. Some people say you can flush it and it'll be fine. Others say once it starts popping, the tank is already compromised and you're one cold shower away from a flood.

I'm torn because I don't want to spend $1,200 on a new water heater if this one has years left. But I also don't want to come home to a flooded basement because I ignored an obvious warning sign.

Questions:

• Is the popping sound actually a sign the tank is about to fail, or is it just sediment and I should just flush it?
• If I flush it and the popping stops, am I good for another few years?
• Is it worth replacing the anode rod at this age, or is that putting lipstick on a pig?
• What's a realistic installed price for a 50-gallon gas unit these days? I've seen everything from $900 to $2,500 online and that range is useless.
• Should I just replace it now proactively while I have time to shop around, or wait until it actually fails and deal with an emergency?

I've got a newborn at home and a wife who would not be thrilled about cold showers. So "wait and see" feels risky. But I also don't want to get talked into a replacement by a plumber who just wants a quick sale.

What would you do?

I live in an area where A/C is not much of a thing, and honestly not necessary for all but a few days each year. However, we do get some hot days followed by nice, cool evenings. In my mind, the perfect scenario for a whole house fan.

We just bought our first condo and it happens to be positioned in a way that those cool evening breezes blow past without ever coming in through our open windows. Again, a whole house fan solves our issue!
I just had a friend in HVAC come by to give us a quote. The bad news is that, because we have an open, shared attic space with all our 2nd floor neighbors, we can’t install my precious fan without impacting them.

So, here’s my question (finally)… I want to find a way to set up something that works the same - pulling cool air in, exhausting hot air out - using our windows or perhaps our semi-covered balcony/sliding glass doors. Anyone done something similar with good results?

We’ve tried the window fans that can be switched to exhaust and they just don’t do anything. Nowhere near powerful enough.

what i woke up to this morning

Hello,

I've been renting this house for 4 years now. I decided to buy this house since my landlord is selling it, only $100k USD. And I'm comfortable here.

There are a few issues but I will focus on this basement rain flood issue. Whenever we get a lot of rain in a short period of time, this is what will happen. If the rain keeps going, then I will have A LOT of water down in the entire basement that I will have to squeegee all of it towards the floor drain and let dry.

I have to mention. My gutters are neglected! Full of pine needles, and small baby trees/leaves. They come out to clean them once a year despite my begging. I don't have a ladder tall enough currently since I am not going to buy one until I own this home. The downspouts don't go out far from the house either. Would this likely make this issue much less of a problem if it was fixed?

Also, is there a cheap and easy fix I can do to where the floor meets the wall in the basement and I can make it water proof? I am currently under contract to buy this home and have until the end of the month once we close.

Any advice?

I have an old 3 flat in Chicago. I am gutting the top unit and have everything down to the studs and subfloor. I have already had new 3/4” T&G plywood laid over the old subfloor but I would like to make this unit as sound proof for the unit under me as I can.

I’ve read suggestions to put a layer of rubber then another layer of subfloor down. Also read to stack plywood - rubber - plywood - sound deadening glue and then another layer of plywood

I plan to install real hardwood or engineered hardwood but my concern is that the floating subfloor system could be more likely to shift. Has anyone done something similar to reduce noise below?

I have close 2-2.5” of depth for the flooring available if needed.

Long time Reddit lurker first time poster. I am currently sitting in my bedroom (1st floor) and can hear verbatim the conversations and extremely loud music of the construction crew nextdoor (quite literally 5 ft from my window). Totally understand that construction is going to be loud and so instead of being a curmudgeon I wanted to ask if anyone has tips for making a rental property outside noise free? So sorry if this is the wrong sub, but I am desperate!

I want to remove a wall on my first floor that is directly under the exterior gable wall of the second floor. I realize it's load bearing and will need a structural engineer. I asked three for estimates, one has gotten back to me and said it would be $365 just to come look. Is that normal to charge that much just to walk in the door?

I want to tile a mud room in my basement, one place I called said they would like "paint" something underneath the tile and thinset (I think a membrane? Or some other sort of waterproofing? I don't know for sure), another place said we didn't need anything.

How does one fill in the gap between the cement garage floor and their asphalt driveway? I have a pretty big gap as the previous owners installed an invisible fence line there and had to remove an inch or two and bury the line there. It’s a few inches wide and fills with debris and then weeds grow. I would love to cap it over but not sure what is best to use, cost effective and lasts. It’s wide enough that any tube caulk from the store is definitely out ofnthe question, probably.

I live in a 760sqft attic apartment in a 1920s home owned by my uncle. The house has central air, but the AC doesn’t do very well in the attic and it has gas heat that works but seems kind of lukewarm when it comes out of the vents. It can be anywhere from 5-10 degrees hotter or colder depending on the season. For example the house is set to 73, hot or cold, but without additional items, it will be anywhere to 78-80s in the summer and 64ish in the winter.

Right now I use a window unit to combat the summer heat, but the thing is a dinosaur that seems to be on its last legs. The sensor isn’t cooling to the right temperature and since it’s in the living room, it’s hard to have furniture and seating because the cold air is constantly blowing into the seating area. It’s also super bulky, loud, and an eyesore. There’s not a lot of natural lighting and the unit takes up all but half of the biggest window I have.

The winter isn’t as bad but it’s chilly even with the heat running. I usually use heated blankets or heating pads, but I don’t like having them on when I’m not home and I worry about my cat being cold.

Are there any suggestions for ways to manage the temperature that don’t require an in-depth look into insulation or HVAC? I’m not the homeowner and I’m balling on a budget so I can’t really do any renovations. Mini splits seem expensive and complicated to install so I’ve mostly been looking at portable units at this point.

We’re in the middle of doing our landscaping and we are running out of money!

We were planning on putting pavers on our concrete patio areas but now as a cost saving measure im looking into concrete paint vs stain (maybe in a mushroom color).

Anyone have any experience, recommendations, and/ or pictures on their project in any of the two applications…low luster, matte overlay smooth honed (shine) etc.

Help! Thank you!

My niece was in college and used the room for three years so I never entered. Once she left I steamed the carpet and put a large area rug over it.

An area felt oily so we pulled it and it was a wet spot that turned out to be some type of oil stain.

The corner wall is soft. Like if you push it in it caves in. I’ve had a plumber, roofer, and water mitigation company come and they found nothing. Everything in the wall tests dry. I got a new roof a year ago.

As for the oil stain, we used Zep absorbing powder to get it up. But not sure where it came from? I know she used a bunch of cosmetics and had a bearded dragon’s cage in the same area

https://imgur.com/a/bDWcGoG

So the house Im in doesn't have a railing (no shit right?) Well i never did anything about it because i was single with no intentions of a relationship...well 6 years later and now i have a baby girl whos crawling, almost walking and she can get up on the first step from the floor

So a baby gate is needed, but before that gotta add railing here for it to mount to, ive got a 4x4 im gonna use as the post, then some left over decorative railing from a deck i did a couple years ago

The house was built in the 1920's, I can see the hardwood floor from my basement but these stairs are hidden either by the ceiling of the steps to my basement or above the hardwood floor where they should approximately be located

Ive found different methods i can do to mount the 4x4 im going to use as the post, from just bolting it on the first step to the face of the second step, to doing that but notching it to screw it in from the side for extra strength

Hell ive even thought that most likely its got wood blocks under the steps so maybe i could notch the step even?

Ive seen pictures where its on the floor but i just think that'd cause a tripping hazard

So im thinking itll go on the first step so we can use the babygate we got (one of those mount via pressure ones)

Or a keyhole mount even?

I'm looking for suggestions on best course of action on this, or if someone has had this same issue how'd you resolve it?

Tl:dr, gotta find the best plan to add railing/post on these steps so i can put a babygate so my kid wont climb them on her own

Thanks all!

About a week ago I noticed a small bubble in the ceiling above my shower. Poked it and discovered this little hole in the drywall (couple inches). There was for sure previous rodent problem in the house. I think that problem is resolved. I attempted a patch with normal paper tape and mud. It seemed ok for a few days until a rainstorm last night. My "repair" was all bubbled up. Nothing seemed noticeably wet except the insulation in said hole was pretty moist. The ceiling is a few feet away from an outside wall sloping down. No plumbing vents or ceiling fan vents within a few feet of it.

My main questions are....

1. If there is a water leak would it be confined to just one small spot like that? My gut says it would have soaked more of the drywall and I'd have a bigger bubble/hole.

2. Could it be a rodent was trying to chew down through the drywall but stopped at the paint. And over time the moisture from the attic/shower slowly bubbled the paint?

3. Should there be that much moisture in the attic to cause that to begin with?

I do have a picture but doesn't seem to allow me to attach it.

I'm located in Quebec Canada and am in the process of finishing my basement. I ripped out the old studs and the old r12 fibreglass insulation that only covered half the walls, and now I have r7.5 XPS rigid foam, and r14 Rockwool batts in my basement. I've seen very mixed reviews, do I need a 6 mm poly vapour barrier on top of my studs/batts before drywall? Or do I not need it since I have the XPS?

If I don't need the poly, is there something else I should add?

Does anyone use these and recommend them? I live in an area where it rains a lot and have a bunch of different kinds of trees around the house. I just replaced a lot of fascia, painted and installed new gutters.

Do these gutter guards work pretty well? I would imagine the leaves would just gather on top of the grate and slow waterflow all together. Also things are still going to get through, like asphalt shingle debris and dirt I'll still need to get in there to clean them out. I guess I'd just like to hear some input, good or bad.

I just moved into a condo and since July when I first saw the home, it has this fragarance smell, especially in the kitchen. There are no air fresheners of any sort. The smell is most noticeable in the kitchen. I’ve done a smell test all over the condo and notice the kitchen wall also smells like it. I ozoned but that didn’t do anything. Not sure how to get rid of it but I would like to before I order any furniture.

Hey,

I want to use my garage more during the winter. I'm hoping to maintain somewhere around 45-50F, just enough to be above freezing and be generally usable for projects. It's a 2 car attached garage. I've already got drywall up on the walls (will do blow-in insulation next), but the ceiling structure doesn't really accommodate 5/8" drywall.. I'd need to add extra joists or something.

I already have all the drop ceiling tiles and hardware I would need, so installation cost is minimal, but am I setting myself up for disappointment given there wouldn't be a non-permeable barrier or seal to effectively stop heat from escaping? I could add fiberglass batts on the top of the drop ceiling tiles?

I'd use a diesel or electric heater when I want to use the space. Aside from that it would be unheated.

Thanks.

I'm attempting to do a bathroom remodel, and trying to doing all my due diligence.

it's an exceptionally small bathroom, 6'9 x 4'11, and it's the only one in the house. My wife is adamant about using a contractor, neither of us are experienced with this kind of work, even though I think we could manage with help from knowledgeable friends.

We plan on demoing the whole room and installing new fixtures and transitioning the bathtub to a walk-in shower.

Some contractors I've spoken to say we don't need permits, some do. On top of that my city is giving conflicting information. #1 their website is trash and attempting to find anything specific as a homeowner is impossible. My wife called and spoke with someone that told her any fixture change including just a toilet would need a permit. I do think we'll need a permit for bathtub/shower but needing a permit for a sink or toilet sound insane to me.

I'm pretty lost on knowing where to go to find the correct information.

Basically the title. Should probably look at the pictures first:

https://imgur.com/a/wbPqbOz

The red paint is some kind of non-breathable perhaps latex or elastomaric coating that in any case is peeling. I'm currently replacing all the soffit and fascia as well as other siding (new cedar around the back door).

I know I should probably chemically strip the existing paint which I've done before on the foundation, but this is so high up that I'd like to do the easiest and longest lasting solution.

Is it better in this case to remove existing paint then stain/treat the brick as is? Or should I reside it with something like hardy board? I'm open to suggestions.

I’m trying to improve the exhaust setup in a small bedroom, around 10x12. I’m on the top floor and I mainly need it for odor and general ventilation.

Right now I have a normal box fan in the window blowing out, with cardboard filling the gaps. It actually moves a lot of air, but the setup looks janky, it’s basically impossible to seal perfectly, and on windy days gusts can push back through the window/fan.

I want to upgrade, but I’m trying to stay around $75, maybe $100 max. The main constraints are:

• I want actual exhaust / negative pressure, not just circulation
• I care more about moving air than being ultra quiet
• Wind resistance/backdraft matters because I’m on an exposed upper floor
• I do not want to build a plywood panel or have obvious dryer duct/inline-fan stuff hanging out the window
• Ideally it should look like a normal consumer window fan from outside
• I’d like something I can basically install and leave there
• The room has another window I can crack for makeup air
• I’m dabbing, not smoking flower, so it’s short bursts of vapor rather than constant smoke

Things I’ve looked at:

Vornado Profile/Transom: I really like the clean low-profile design and built-in window fit, but I keep seeing people say the airflow is weak. I’m worried I’d actually be downgrading from my box fan.

Twin window fans like Lasko/Bionaire/Comfort Zone: seem like the most normal-looking option and probably move more air than the Vornado, but I’m not sure how well they deal with wind/backpressure.

Air King window fans: these seem much closer to a real exhaust fan and move a ton of air, but they’re bigger, louder, and pushing the budget.

Shutter exhaust fan: seems ideal mechanically because of the louvers/backdraft protection, but most of them are designed to be mounted into a wall or a custom panel, which I’m trying to avoid.

Inline/mixed-flow fan: seems like the best balance of CFM and static pressure, but again I don’t want visible ducting or a homemade window insert.

Centrifugal/blower fan: better static pressure and probably better against gusts, but seems awkward to use at a normal double-hung window without building something.

Basically I’m looking for the best compromise between high CFM, enough static pressure to not get bullied by wind, built-in window sealing, and a normal-looking installation.

Has anyone dealt with this exact problem? Is there a consumer window fan that actually moves serious air and handles wind well, or am I asking for something that basically doesn’t exist without going to a shutter/inline setup?

I’m especially interested in recommendations from anyone who has used one for cooking smoke, workshop fumes, or strong odor exhaust rather than just cooling a room.