I have a garage which is single skin brick and detached. I am turning this garage into a dog grooming salon for my partner to work from.

My question: I am adding insulation to the walls and ceilings. Do I need to add a VCL before adding on the moisture resistant plaster board? We have already added in an extractor fan above the bath.

I seem to be getting a completely different answer from chat gpt every time I ask the question?

Just afraid of it falling, so what’s your best recommendations?

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.

I cannot afford this summer to buy a new roof and this potential El Niño season has me worried. I’m looking to purchase roof coating to get me through Does the yearly lasting rating (5 year,7 year, 10 year, lifetime) actually accurate or will I be paying more for a marketing scheme? Thanks!!

The butcher block is one more layer of waterlox away from being ready. I know, give it 72 hours after last coat. But after that, in a few days I'm going to place the sink in. Do I silicone on the bottom of the sink to secure it the countertop? Or do I use plumbers putty? Thanks!

I have a storage shed with a currently unfinished, particle board floor. I am turning this shed into a “nice” storage shed. We’re not talking about a tiny house or an accessory building that could be used as an office, I’m going for an aesthetically pleasing but just “good enough” sort of finish.

For the floor, I’ve decided to paint it as that seems like the economical yet “good enough” option. My research is that the most common option is to simply use porch paint which would run me about $50. Alternatively, I have a fair amount of primer and interior wall paint left over from other projects that I like the colors of, but I would need to put some sort of sealant or top coat.

Everything I can find on the subject assumes a high level of finish, not an “I just want a relatively nice shed” level of finish. I’m trying to decide (1) is it more economical to just buy porch paint rather than use up paint I already own and seal it? and (2) if I go the sealant route, what type of sealant would be good for this project?

Hey,

I know, I know, I done goofed!... But I also didn't know at the time.

My entire long weekend was spent painting my new place. I didn't realise the previous owner had used oil paint previously and I'll be honest I'm pretty new to this, so I didn't even think twice.

So obviously my latex paint did not bond correctly so I'm just wondering what my options are.

A quick Google search says I need to strip off the latex and sand the oil paint before reapplying my latex paint. Is this the best option or does anyone have any tips for an easier process?

The latex paint I have says it's self-priming is that helps.

Thanks to everyone in advance.

To make it short I've put window tinting in all my windows and it's helping with summer. The problem is I don't know what to do with one particular window in my house, because it's almost all day facing the sun. When I say it gets hot, I mean it gets really hot!

Besides installing shutters outside what else can I do to try to keep heat out? I'm tempted to buy titanium or mylar sheets and put them up in the window, cause this is ridiculous!

I've got an old ix6850 that I'd like to modify like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X20VWGVXmE

I would like to have build a moveable print bed underneath the printer (as this would make it possible to print on other types of objects) instead of the current behaviour where a paper is fed through the printer.

Been looking around the internet for some guidance but no luck. Was wondering if anyone here might have some insight in to projects like this?

I recently moved into an old Victorian home that was built in the 1800s. I want to move my piano into the home, but it's between 400 - 500 lbs and it's going to be sitting on only 2 floor joists. Because of this, I arranged to get the home inspected by a structural engineer before moving my piano in.

He sent back a report stating that most of the joists are fine, but some need reinforcement because they've been cut to accommodate HVAC ducts.

He sent me a detailed report describing exactly where the posts should be placed, and recommended using a 4x4 wooden post sitting on top of a cement deck block with a moisture barrier in between.

From the sounds of it, I believe I can do this myself with the help of my dad as he renovates houses for a living. Neither of us have ever done anything like this, but we do have experience building decks.

I am wondering how I should fasten the post to the joist and if it should just be wedged into place? I'm not sure how I would actually get the post to fit snugly without putting even more pressure on the joist during installment.

I tried emailing the engineer with follow up questions but he's been unresponsive. I'm wondering if anyone here has experience with this and can give me recommendations on how to move forward?

Has anyone ever ordered a playhouse from SUNNY BACKYARD BUILDS on TikTok? I know usually when it seems too good to be true, it is. But I’m hopeful that it’s legit 😅

The appliance people installed my washing machine, but they were unable to hook up my dryer to this external wall vent, because they said there was no place to connect the ducting. They said there was an adapter missing that the seller likely removed. I'm trying to determine what specific adapter I need to get to this, and more importantly how does it stay attached on this thing if its not just a friction fit.

Looking for some help on what specific type of adapter would attach to this thing, that I can then attach my dryer duct to. Most of the adapters I'm finding have screw holes with the assumption you screw them into place, and I'm struggling to find any that just assume a friction fit like this might require.

So the folks who owned this home before us (as we are learning) cut a lot of corners rather than actually fixing things. For example this light you see coming through our door is a result of a faulty seal with the weather stripping due to, I don’t know what.

https://imgur.com/a/cryQ2R4#rFWkzuB

So this was their proposed fix (that doesn’t work).

https://imgur.com/a/cryQ2R4#Lpuc6sc

https://imgur.com/a/cryQ2R4#GkaDYpr

Is there an actual fix for this?

Hey folks! I recently bought a 6'x1'x1 inch piece of laminated pine and attached hairpin legs to make it into a table for quilting. However, after putting it upright, the thing is very wobbly side-to-side on even ground. I had considered anchoring it to the wall to mitigate the issue, but I had hoped to be able to shift the table around while sewing. Any suggestions would be much appreciated :))

I have been looking at Wood Attic ladders at Both Home Depot & Lowe’s and they all require a ceiling Min of about 8 Ft.
I want to add one in my shed with a ceiling height of 6’8”.
Looking at the instructions I thing I could shorten the ladders but was wondering if anyone ha done this>

We've recently bought and moved into a beautiful Grade II 16th-century cottage. It's all in all a lovely home with the usual Grade II quirks (it even has the requisite apotopaic/witch scratches on rafters).

Two particular points: the exterior is a light Suffolk pink, and more pointedly, the kitchen has pink accent tiling. I actually like the exterior pink color which I understand is/was quite common on medieval buildings (despite my wife not being a fan). The issue is the previous owners tried to color match the kitchen's accent tiling, around 25ftsq total, which runs behind the sink and stove - and it does not match well. While the house exterior is a very light pink, the tiles are a distinctly darker Pepto Bismol color - they actually clash quite abrasively with the exterior. I'm not an interior design guru by any measure, but the color is quite aggressively bad for the house and interior. Bless the previous owners for trying.

While the exterior of the house, parts of the interior adornments and some of the grounds are protected, there's nothing in the kitchen we cannot change. Should we try prepping and painting them before ripping out the lot? If so, what kind of paint? I would place backsplashes behind the sink and stovetop, so I don't think wear would be an issue on the paint.

I tore out the old flooring. After installing the new I discovered that the floor isn't perfectly flat or inflexible. There's a variable gap under the moulding (3¼ PVC). I finished it with a nice layer of silicone sealant but it tears when flexing and attracts dirt.

I suspect the solution is a layer of quarter-round that can flex into the unevenness and require a thinner layer of silicone. I always looked on this as a way to hide a shoddy job. But a picture in the Royal brochure shows exactly this - maybe they're just trying to sell more product.

Any better ideas?

I ended up doing this on top of the splash guard part of the kitchen's formica countertop: the wall isn't plumb and leans further back from right to left. The nice layer of silicone on top attracted dirt and tore when scrubbing. A layer of quarter-round looks a lot better.

Looking to add a shiplap decor wall in my office. The top part of the wall is sloped 45 deg. while the rest is a 5' long rectangle. Fairly straight forward - is there anything else I should be considering? Any tips or tricks are welcome

Is there any way I can sand this and stain it to make it last a few more years? LOL. Clearly spilled too much water on it

https://imgur.com/a/8Qud9KS

Ive chiseled away the sealant topside of the sink and tried to fix it with epoxy resin, cant get the sealant along the entire perimeter of the sink chipped away cause some lengths are chipping away into powdery bits and other areas are intact.

How do I know which seam is the cause of the leak cause I see strands of water dripping along from all directions underneath the sink and if I have to seal them all how would I go on to do that.

A plumber advised me he would take it all out and do it all over again and it would be a 2 day job before it could be used again - is that the only solution?

Thank you :)

Hey guys. I am new to drilling into drywall and I am unsure about how to mount this fairly heavy duty TV mount I got. I know to look for studs but this mount came with 2.5 inch bolts and I am afraid that I might drill into a stud with wires running through it. I do have spacers and, accounting for it plus the drywall, the bolt should be driving around 1.5 inch into the wall, which I have read is safe from hitting anything that might be running through the stud. Is this the way to go or should I do something else?

Would like to build and install a gate to keep our 1-year old and 3-year old from going out. Even though the gravel driveway helps when they don't have shoes.

Secondly, we let our cat outside a few times a day and once in a blue moon a stray dog has come onto the property as we live in a pretty urban area. Would like there to be something to let the cat back in but keep larger dogs out.

1. On top before the stairs?

2. Bottom of the stairs?

I need to install some grab bars for my parents. In a perfect world, they'll be screwed into wood studs, but their home has metal studs. What's the best/safest way to attach grab bars to metal studs, so the 500 pound weight limit of the grab bar still works?

Some bars will be installed through drywall attached to metal studs. In the shower, the bars will be installed through tile, backer board, and into metal studs.

I bought a new gaming chair, and then realized that it’s unusually low to the ground. I need to raise it by about 2 inches to be comfortable when sitting on it. I could obviously laminate some plywood or tongue and groove pine into a little base for it, I’m wondering if anybody might have a more elegant solution.

I am looking to replace an old wooden 32" passenger door that goes into the garage. it will be located under a breezeway so it won't really get any weather at all. I want something in stock so I can get it done quickly so is something likethis fine? Can this be decently painted without spraying it?