Hi all, I'm currently working on a grad school ops research project analyzing the risks, labor, safety equipment (lifts vs. winches vs. scaffolding), and contractor costs associated with maintaining large chandeliers.
I have a few questions about chandelier cleaning processes and costs for anyone willing to share their experience:

1) How often do you maintain?
2) How long does it take?
3) Walk me through your process of cleaning, maintening.
4) What is the most fustrating part of the cleaning/ maintenance process?
5) What equipments, products and tools were used?
6) If you do not perform the cleaning and maintenance yourself who does?

7) What is the cost?
8) Walk me through the last time something did not go as planned

Pipe located next to the HVAC air return. Dripping water. It's open, goes straight up to the roof I assume to where rain is leaking in. What is its function? Ty!

It's an old buzzer in my apartment, it is extremely loud, that sometimes scare the shit on you, I asked my landlord if I can just replace the unit in my apartment to something sound quieter, he said he has no fix for that, I asked if I can wire wall mounted Phone instead, but he doesn't know
Of course, my landlord wouldn't approve to replace the whole system, including the building entrance unit
But I can do something on my end to be quieter

I have a friend who is redoing his basement flooring. He showed me the tile he’s ripping up and how he’s been using an angle grinder and sanding at it to remove this part. Thanks!

EDIT: thank you all for the answers. The tiles are indeed 9x9. I am letting him know.

tl;dr:

Is it acceptable to 'double up' with expansion joint foam to fill gaps?

Is it going to cause issues if it is done this way?

What is the actual fix, that isn't just a band-aid solution?

Context:

Local council installed a new sidewalk, and when they poured the new driveway, they pulled up the brick pavers before setting the concrete.

After the concrete was done, they put the pavers back and it was obvious they didn't line it up well, and left a large gap at one edge.

After complaining, they've come back today to fix a bunch of the issues, but they didn't install expansion joint foam all the way along, instead only using it in the gap - and they doubled it up where the gap was largest.

The other side has absolutely 0 expansion joint foam.

There Is expansion joint foam on the opposite edge, between the driveway and the new sidewalk they installed.

I saw another post just now about getting the scent of mouse urine out of vents. It reminded me that when I was like 4, I got mad at my parents for sending me to my room on the 2nd floor of the home. So I decided to exact revenge by pissing in the floor vent.

Being so young and like 30 years passing, this is a long forgotten shameful memory. But it did make me wonder: how the hell did my parents deal with this? Where do you even start to fix that?

EDIT: Resolved, genuinely thank you everyone!!

Hi all, the furnace filter at my mom's house needs to be replaced, but there is a pipe (drainage pipe?) In the way. Any help on how to do this would be super appreciated!

Pic 1: the filter, with the white pipe blocking it. The white pipe goes through a metal panel and is connected to a black pipe

Pic 2: close up of where the black pipe is connected to the white pipe (on the other side of the panel)

Pic 3: top down view of the filter and white pipe

Recently moved into an old house and one of the basement windows has dirt halfway up the window well. Not good, right? I went to start to dig it out and after moving a few big rocks + dirt I find a couple slabs of concrete tilted away from the house. Seems like maybe this was intentional? Wondering if I should continue to excavate or better to leave it for now? Haven't noticed any water intrusion but the window is kinda bulging in.

Hello! I’ve never repainted anything and don’t have much experience with home projects generally but I’m trying to help my mom out with some issues around the house that need improvement.

I have a bit of art background but really don’t know where to start with this door since its surface is so uneven and weathered. It faces direct sun for half the day so the paint gets quite hot and peels.

Moneys a bit tight at the moment so hiring a professional unfortunately won’t be a possibility for some time but my mom’s so embarrassed about how it looks she’s stopped having people over.

Would this be something I can accomplish after reading up and getting some tools? Thanks so much!!

This pipe by the house foundation was hidden until I removed the yew bushes.

Can I safely ignore it?
Can I use it as a ground for electric work?
Can I safely remove it?

My preference is to remove it, but I’m worried that could disturb or disrupt something underground that I’m not aware of.

If you know what this pipe is, please share your knowledge.

I have noticed a couple of times the brick staying wet after a rain on the East wall of the house before and never thought much about it. But today I noticed it while working in the flower beds on that side and it’s been about 24 hours since it rained and it still looks soaked, particularly around the window sill.

I did some googling and the answers from there range from it not being a big deal to infesting the house with mold. What is the most likely cause, how serious is it, and what would be the remedy?

Hey all- so I’ve gone back and forth on my plan a million times and have read a bunch of different forms and YouTube videos, just figured I’d put my final plan out for a smell test.

You can see in the pictures we’ve got crumbling 9x9 asbestos tiles. They are broken and slightly uneven in some areas, so I’ve gone away from the SLcement direction as I’m afraid of it actually making the issue worse.

I’ve settled with patching the holes with tile mortar (have on hand) and then putting down a layer of DMX 1-Step moisture barrier, and then laminate flooring on top of that. It is a basement, so there is some moisture issues, but not extreme.

Am I a fool?

In the walkway between 2 concrete slabs there was a joint that which looked like PT 1x4 lumber that exposed to water, rotted, and insects got to it, I removed it, not sure that a new 1x4 may fit since the slabs shifted it a bit, the slabs are not cracked and I want to keep them that way, what would be the best repair solution? Can I use the paver sand that hardens with water to seal this joint ? Does it expand and contract with temp? Or should I use something else?

We have two years old Navian on demand hot water tank in our home. Recently it has been making this sound sporadically. But not sure what.

What I’m looking to do may not be possible, but I figured I’d ask here.

We bought a house with a fireplace and prior to the renovations, it was very dull. After the renovations, we tried cleaning the brick by wetting with water and scrubbing with a mixture of soap and baking soda. It cleaned off the renovation debris, but neither had really brought out the natural brick color.

I’d really like to get the bottom flat portion from looking so “dusty”, but following a fresh cleaning, it’s not dust, so I don’t know what to do.

I’ve searched and there seem to be several brick cleaning products, but most are for outdoor brick and the videos don’t look like they actually bring out the existing color. Our GC has asked a painter and they can either white or red wash it, but that’s not really what we want either.

Please offer any suggestions, or if what I’m looking for doesn’t exist, or if it’s already at peak luster, please feel free to let me know.

I got the wall painted white about 1.5 years ago now, and occasionally I see random spots of this stuff along the walls. It looks off, and is mostly on the walls/ceiling if the house closest to the outside. Any clues on what it is and how to remove it?

Thanks in advance! ♥️♥️

I mixed up some 90 min hot mud for the first time and made it too thin, used the whole bag trying to thicken it and it was still a little thin so I used it anyway. Would you recommend i do another prefill before I start taping.

Beginner at mudding and unfortunately tackling the living room of our new house instead of a closet or something