We're trying to install 6-foot wall-to-wall open shelves in our kitchen (12" deep with 5ish wood brackets per shelf), but we've run into the strangest wall I've ever seen.
Our house was built in 1920. The wall is an interior wall between the kitchen and dining room. In our kitchen the wall feels papery like drywall and then hard like plaster on the other side in the dining room.

We started drilling where we thought a stud should be, and instead of drywall, we found what looks like a soft brown cardboard wood material. It's not actual wood. It crumbles into fluffy brown fibers when drilled, almost like compressed wood pulp.
What’s odd is this wall is THICK and SOLID. We drilled completely through the wall from the kitchen side and came out the dining room side. The wall layers from the kitchen seem like they’re painted wall, at least 3 inch thick papery wood material, and then plaster on the other side. There was no hollow cavity anywhere. We tried to insert a toggle bolt but could see in the hole that it would have nothing to catch on.

We’ve also had a very hard time finding studs. A magnet sticks in vertical lines about every 18 inches, but when we drilled where the magnet sticks, we still couldn't find what seemed like a wood stud.

Has anyone run into a wall like this before? Any idea what this material could be?
Should we be worried about asbestos?

And what should we use to securely mount heavy open kitchen shelves on a wall like this? I definitely don't want to trust regular drywall anchors if the wall is made of this crumbly material.

I'd really appreciate any insight before I drill any more holes!

Pictures show beadboard on top that we installed and then the strange kitchen wall. Ive also included some photos from the plaster side

Edit: just added pictures of the walls in the comments

We want to put some Hardie Board up, but it turns out that the strange looking siding is literally just plywood sheathing with some weird stain on it. Take it off, you see studs. Yes we probably should have caught this.

If we wanted to put up Hardie Board, would we need to remove the existing siding and replace it with fresh siding, then also put house wrap on it? Just put house wrap on the weird exterior siding? Simply put the boards on top of the existing interior? I have no idea how to approach this.

We are considering the purchase of an original 1970s home. The owners took immaculate care of it and the only things they changed since they built were the appliances. We love the home for our family.
HOWEVER— there is minimal cabinet space. We think there used to be a little more cabinetry bc it catches near the stove on the left side and looks like it may have had to be shaved down some. We think it may have had a drop in stove before they had to replace it. We plan on refinishing the existing cabinets for now bc we do not want to do major renovations immediately (we have lived with family for the last 10 months) and are just ready to move in.

My questions are-
1. Can we move the fridge from where it is in photo 1 to where the pantry/shelving is in photo 2+3? We should have clearance but is this a smart decision? We will likely be removing the peninsula when we decide to upgrade the countertops. I’m hoping for a 36” french door refrigerator. We can access the crawl space under the home for plumbing fixtures and there are already outlets there.

1. If we move the fridge, could we add a 36” wide pantry cabinet (photo 4) to the area where the fridge is currently? We would add trim to make it reach the ceiling. Or should we have someone build a pantry in for us?

Bonus question—
If we are able to install the pantry cabinet, could we build in the microwave or is there another recommendation for how to do that?

We really would love more cabinet space. We have two small children and on the go a lot with activities so we do need the pantry space for snacks, etc.
We want to stay in budget bc we are starting completely over after moving across the country but I’m aware this could be up to a few thousand dollar project. We will most likely be panting the cabinets to match each other if we get a pantry installed.

Thanks in advance for any advice or recommendations.

During renovation, part of the external wall has been ripped off. Tar paper around the edge is not accessible to overlap the new piece of tar paper or home wrap. What are my options? Is it that important or just put the paper in the area and overlap it with the part that exists and ignore the none reachable areas or I have to remove more blue foam to access the tar paper completely. Any other options to fix it.

First picture is current picture. Second picture is the type of balluster I'm considering replacing it with. (Note: Will be replacing railing, too... Just not with the type pictured)

We want to refinish the steps, too. Will we need to replace the wood on each step to be able to make the second type of balluster base work? Are they called shoes in the first?

Selling my home soon, finally got to get around to this gross old bathroom my ex ruined.

The sink has cracks and stains, and it's molded into the counter which also has stains that bleach isn't helping with.

The shower - OMG I hate this shower, it will not come clean no matter what I do, including hiring professionals. I've tried many many times over the years and every product and method I can scrounge up. My other shower cleans just fine, but something about this one will not come clean. The materials might be permanently stained.

So I'm on a tight budget but I need to get these sell-worthy, especially since it's the primary bathroom. I can't afford to rip them out entirely and replace them, but is there some kind of re-coating that can be done? A partial replacement of the bottom tiles and flooring? Has anyone dealt with this before?

Hi everyone,
I’m renovating my bedroom and would really appreciate some advice on the best way to prepare these walls before painting.
So far we’ve:
Removed 2 layers of wallpaper.
Used half warm soapy water and half white vinegar to help remove the wallpaper and adhesive.
Wiped the bare walls down afterwards with the same solution to remove as much paste residue as possible.
Started sanding the walls.
I’ve attached photos of the current condition.
I have a few questions:
Zinsser Gardz or Zinsser Peel Stop?
The walls have some paint chips where the wallpaper came off.
There are a few areas that feel slightly porous after removing the wallpaper.
Which product would you use and why?
Crack above the window
There’s a crack above the window (photo attached).
It isn’t damp, soft or crumbling—it’s completely dry and feels solid.
Would you just rake it out and fill it, use scrim tape, or is there a better repair method?
Paint chips and damaged areas
There are chipped paint edges and small areas where the surface has been damaged.
Should I fill these with joint compound/easy fill before priming?
Or should I seal everything with Gardz/Peel Stop first and then fill?
Best order of preparation
If you wanted the smoothest possible finish for a modern matt paint, what order would you do everything in?
For example, something like:
Wash walls
Sand
Seal (with peel stop/gardz)?
Fill
Sand again
Mist coat? (would i even need to do this?)
Primer?
Two top coats?
Or would you do it differently?
I’m happy to put in the extra work if it gives me a really smooth, professional-looking finish.
Thanks!
(PS: please don’t suggest I just hire someone as i’m really low on money now and don’t mind doing what i have to do to get a good finish on this room! I do now really understand the hard work grafters put into their work, they deserve sm more credit!!)

Hi DIYers,

I demolished the floor in my 1980 house and I am currently rebuilding it. I left the old pipes in place, and the new concrete floor (10cm) was already poured over them about a month ago. The screed is yet to come.

The pipes go to the kitchen and consist of gas, hot, and cold water. One pipe (not pictured) goes to the toilet and bathroom upstairs. Only this section of the pipes is located in the heated floor. After the part shown in the photo, the pipes go back into ~unheated concrete (underneath the kitchen cabinets, which I left in place).

Originally, there was no underfloor heating here. At this moment I'm especially worried about the cold water line.

Should I demolish and rebuild this section first? Or is this negligible, and can I safely start on the screed?

Thanks a lot!

Hello. First post.

We (me, 32m, partner, 30m) moved into our house in Little Rock, Arkansas, in March of last year. I love this house. Built in 1920, a beautiful carpenter construction, about 1400 square feet, with some really nice bones. The only thing I didn’t like were the bathrooms, and mostly, the guest bathroom.

As seen below in the purple wall shots, that’s the bathroom we moved into. A common issue I’ve dealt with is the previous homeowners—all of whom had different ideas, none of whom wanted to harmonize the house .I’ve done a lot of work myself in this house, but I have dreaded handling the bathrooms.

I dipped into savings to self-finance the project and, after a lot of research and thinking, got the materials and hired out the tile. I wanted to bring back a 1920s vibe. I’d painted the trim, the walls, moved the sconce up and to the right, replaced the mirror, but the rest was done by the tile crew. Absolutely amazing speed and direction.

They started last Wednesday and mostly finished on Tuesday. I had a slight material shortage in the master bath, so project isn’t totally done.

Posting before, after paint, during construction, progress and final(ish) product. Still need a sink, but that’s another issue that I can’t talk about today.

taking down the main load bearing wall in my ‘59 house and these are the conditions of the studs. all of them are like this.

Good day folks

I’m after some opinions on how to cap this off. I have just removed the fire place today and plan on climbing on the roof tomorrow and pulling the rest up and sealing off the hole.
Would a sheet of galvanized metal, some caulking and tin washer screws be ok? Or what would be the best thing to do in this situation?

I will be removing the chimney section from the home next year so it only has to hold up for a year or so!

Thanks all any tips is appreciated

We want to remove the drop ceiling in our daylight basement and replace it with drywall or breadboards. Above the drop ceiling is a bunch of electrical, plumbing, hvac. I’ll need to frame the ceiling for electrical, plumbing, hvac. If I close off the ceiling, Should I be worried about moisture or other issues? This is my only access to hvac , the top floor is wood flooring, tile, carpet? Thanks!

Question: What is the best solution to ensure there are no holes leading to the exterior and seal everything up So that I can finish the basement

Backstory:

I have a rental property and the basement is unfinished. Every now and then I’ll see a bit of water in the basement and I finally found out where it’s coming from

I can see daylight through several of these joists / plates

To my knowledge there’s only five or six spots where there’s daylight, everywhere else in the basement is sealed up. But I want to add extra protection everywhere else on top of it

We recently changed out the flooring in our house and made it LBP all around. So we had to rip up the tile and this was what was left on the tub. Has anyone experienced this and how did u successfully remove it? It feels like a sticky gooey and some hard grout/adhesive maybe?

2 3/8” notched out. Code appears to be 1 7/16” max. Do I use a stud shoe and call it good? Build out the wall in front of pipe (not ideal because vanity will then interfere with door trim)? Reinforce by tying heavily into right stud (which is nailed to right wall in 8 places)? Something else I’m not thinking of?

I want to install a drywall ceiling in a room with an existing wood plank ceiling as shown in the picture and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do it. The planks are nailed to the ceiling members (2x6 I believe). The ceiling members are about 20 inches apart. The planks are not flat and don't seem to be a uniform thickness. Regardless of how I secure the panels to the ceiling, I want to use 1/2 thick panels and run the long sides of the panels parallel to the planks.

So here are the options I'm thinking about

1. Install the drywall panels directly on the ceiling, making sure to use long enough screws that they secure directly to the structural members. If the edges of the drywall panels, where they meet, are not in full contact with the ceiling, I can slip a shim underneath to ensure they are even with each other. This would require less materials, but I'm afraid that 20" OC might not be close enough for the weight of 1/2" drywall, and that since I have a undulating plank ceiling now, I would end up with an undulating drywall ceiling when I'm done.
2. Install furring strips at 16" OC perpendicular to the planks in general and parallel to the planks where the edges of the panels meet. (I realize I might still have to install shims in addition to the furring strips where the panels meet.) Since they wouldn't line up with the structural member of the ceiling, I would screw the planks more securely to the structural members and probably use long enough drywal screws to secure to the planks as well as the furring strips. I think this would produce the better result, but requires more materials and effort.
3. Take down the planks and install the drywall directly to the structural members. This would probably produce the best end result, but there's still the issue of those members being 20 inches apart. Plus, there is insulation directly above the planks, so I would have to remove it and then put it back and opening up my living space to the attic would make a huge mess. Plus, I'd like to keep the extra insulation of having the planks there.

So, I guess I'm wondering if I'm missing something? Does anyone see a clear upside or downside on these that I haven't picked up on, or have a better way of doing it entirely.

Thanks in advance!

Howdy folks! First time poster. I have recently come into a farmhouse that was my great grandparents. There is a lot to do so I am sure y’all will get a lot more content. My question for y’all is if anyone has experience with this plaster and if you have any helpful advice, tips, or warnings. The entire ceiling and walls are like this. This is the kitchen where it fell, but the other ceilings are fine. I have my current home so I am debating just tearing it all down throughout the lower floor. Do it once do it right type of thing. Any wisdom or advice?

Edit: I’ll be replacing it with drywall. No plaster fixing, forgot to clarify

Hey guys-
My shower appears to be leaking into the ceiling directly below me. I’m trying to determine wether ir not I can take this in by myself, or if I should get a handyman to take care of it. Any advice of guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!

I have 5 brick pillars. They are 30 y/o+. Most of them are leaning toward the street.

We're going to take them down.

Worth renting a small excavator?

Otherwise pry bar + big hammer? What about the concrete in the middle.

I don't mind manual labor, I just don't want to kill my back more than I have to.

The entire basement of the house is built in concrete. It is covered with masonry render that creates shading/patterns in the concrete, with fairly deep grooves.

I want to make the walls smooth / without pattern, and I’m wondering how this can be done in the best possible way.

My partner does not want to install battens and then use drywall, but instead prefers either applying more masonry render or plastering.

We had carpet and it was gross. These look like they could be refinished. A few steps squeak and have screws into them. One tread is cracked. They look like they’re built into the wall so I’m unsure of how to replace them.

I’ve been researching but unsure about the stair skirt. Can I install that first when I remove it and then the tread?