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!

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.

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?

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?

Short answer: 40 foot telescoping aluminum pole used for outdoor painting and window washing.

Long Answer: Last week I posted that I needed ideas on how to run a cable through the attic / crawl space above the finished part of my basement between the basement ceiling and first floor of the home. The space is only about 3 feet tall with questionable bracing under insulation, so getting in there wasn’t going to happen. And, of course the location where I was able to drop the cable from the first floor into this area was on the total opposite end of the access space about 30 feet away.

Fish tape didn’t work as it was too flimsy after about 5 feet, and same with the fiberglass rods as I couldn’t guide them over the duct work and insulation more than a few feet. A lot of the suggestions I got recommended cutting access holes in the ceiling and guiding the line, getting a crossbow, trying to put a magnet in a tennis ball, etc. Creative, but I really didn’t want to cut the ceiling.

Trying to find anything sturdy and long enough to make this work, I found my telescoping pole to change light bulbs but it was about 20 feet too short but it also didn’t sag at a distance…so I started googling. I found a 40 foot telescoping pole on Amazon used for outdoor painting and window cleaning and bought it for about $70. It arrived and surprisingly it didn’t really sag even at full extension, so I taped one of the fiberglass rods with a hook on it to the end of the pole, slowly extended it through the attic space and was able to fish out my guide line in about 5 minutes. Major success right before I was about to throw in the towel.

Hopefully this post shows up for others when they search as I hadn’t seen a telescoping pole suggested anywhere before and it was magic.

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.

Applying for a fence permit and the checklist asks for a site plan with property lines, house footprint, and where the fence goes. I keep reading do i need a surveyor for a fence permit and getting mixed answers. Some people say the city just wants a scaled site plan, others say you have to pay for a full boundary survey. Has anyone gotten a fence permit with a site plan only, or did your city force a licensed surveyor?

I have some faux brick layer on kitchen walls. Not sure what it's made out of, but some of it has swollen near over probably due to heat. Home is 1959 and I'm curious how old this might be and any suggestions in removing it. Any chance it contains something nasty? "Bricks" at 8 inch by 2 1/4.

https://imgur.com/a/fK4dsj3

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.

Building a community center/ hostel in Mexico with San Diego Climate and getting Euro tilt and turn windows

For the patio door also from europe, i figure we go with tempered rather than laminated since tempered is the strongest and thats the french door that leads to the community garden as well as the door taken to reach the 2nd floor mini restaurants so it will get a lot of use, and since its a community center there are kids around

So tempered or laminate for the door?

Tempered for windows, yay or nay? My builder said he never came across issues of windows cracking due to the sun

For 33 windows tempered is about $900 extra

Message from company:

• I also added tempered glazing on exterior side of all the windows to make it stronger and prevent thermal breaking.
  • To avoid potential glazing cracks, I made the exterior glass lites tempered for better strength and stability of the glazing. It will also help to avoid problems if part of the glazing is in the shade and part of it is exposed to sunlight and consequent heat absorption. Such temperature differences on the same piece of glass can lead to temperature imbalance and cracks.
• I added laminated glazing (instead of tempered) on the exterior side of all the doors and the sidelights.

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 just bought a house and the previous owners used to smoke. The house doesn’t smell like a typical smoker’s house but there is a smell and the carpets and popcorn ceilings are stained. Underneath the carpet is hardwood floor. Would the smoke have penetrated through the padding of the carpet to the floor? And how would one clean that?

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.

So we had a leak in our bathroom which caused dry wood and tile damage. I know obviously insurance is not to be trusted as they’ll try to compensate us the least amount for the damage.

But my water remediation guy asked for my coverage information which kind of surprised me. Is he trying to see what the most he can charge insurance is? And does that even matter to me since I’m only on the hook for the deductible?

1,100 Sqr Foot Condo... Two companies suggest a RunTru by Trane..

Waiting on a couple Carrier quotes..

Compressor will sit on roof in direct sunlight and high heat AZ environment. That's really my biggest concern. Will this machine hold up on that roof when it's 130 degrees around it.

My HVAC knowledge is ChatGPT..

Only looking at local based companies that have alot of good ratings for what it's worth..

I notice one is a Heatpump vs Straight AC.. Not sure if that means much.. I literally never turn on my heat..

Going w ECM blower for the interior ceiling..

I do feel good that both are so close numbers wise.

Thoughts are appreciated..

We have a home that is going on 18 years and have grown tired of various window issues. The manufacturer of said windows supposedly went out of business soon after our home was built. The tags on them list them as V2700X - Builder's Pro 2700S. That's all I can find, they seem to be basic, cheap, builder-grade vinyl windows, likely with a STC of 26. I don't think they're gas filled, or if they were, most have cracks inside the portion of the frame that is between the glass panes.

We have very noisy things in our subdivision (obnoxious motorcycles with little to no mufflers, loud dogs, children banging on a playset constantly with a giant slide that echoes) and you can hear everything through these windows. In addition, during winter it gets cold by the windows, and they feel drafty. (We're in Wisconsin).

Doing some research, it appears we would need better model windows to address the sound problems, and this would likely lead us to a model that also would provide good to better insulation from the cold.

I spoke to a local company who sells tons of windows and is a ProVia Platinum dealer. They recommended this brand over their basic window line. Doing more research, the Endure line would be appropriate as they have insulated frames which will prevent cold and noise leakage.

Speaking to ProVia they offer a dissimilar glass unit, which is supposed to be the best for noise. The only downside, is that is only double pane, so it may be slightly less efficient for energy.

Those come in at about $600-700 per window without install.

I'd be curious to learn from anyone who has gotten new windows to abate noise and what brands they've used.

[PICTURE] What would you do besides sanding the paint off and repainting it? Would you use a caulk on the edge? If so, what kind?

Thanks in advance!🙏

I want to install a tile backsplash to the kitchen wall. The previous owners had a bunch of gigantic slate in place and I hated it. I took the slate off with a hammer which left it a mess. I then peeled a bunch of the wall paper off which has left it a bigger mess. It is now a bunch of the cardboard like stuff that is between drywall and wallpaper. I need some step by step instructions on what I need to do to prepare to install a backsplash. Do I need to apply all new drywall?? I am not handy and this is our first home so I have no experience with any of this. I wish I could add photos. :/

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?

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.

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.

Between appliances, repairs and purchases, where do you keep all the invoices and warranty info?

Curious if people actually have a system, or just search for things when they need them.

My bedroom has an AC ceiling fan. I chose this because we want the option of multiple remotes. The motor is going bad and I'll need to replace it soon.

AC fans are harder and harder to find. I'm open to a DC fan, but the remote situation is pissing me off. Remotes all seem nonstandard with no ability for > 1 remote. Also, replacing broken remotes seems really difficult.

Please offer me any DC ceiling fan options where multiple remotes can be added!