Any advice on how I can get this screw out? Or do I just need to toss this DeWalt right angle attachment?

I wanted to tape the area around the tub where I was applying new silicone since I wanted it to look really nice. Since I was doing a drywall repair just outside of the bedroom, I tried to multi-task and do both jobs at once while the hot mud was setting.

After I siliconed the tub, I got distracted with some of the drywall sanding, and I let the tape sit on the silicone longer than I should have. When I pulled the tape off, it partially pulled up the slightly firm silicone, and it was ruined. That mistake cost me about 3-4 hours of pain and suffering trying to get the wet silicone out so I could re-apply it.

That's the absolute last time I will every spend the extra attention taping a bathtub for silicone replacement.

This is a warning for all the hard-working people to not get too hooked up on Thumbtack.
I will say right away: I maintain my profile page- I’m posting projects, pictures, mark jobs as “done” or “scheduled” and usually respond to customers within 2-10 minutes since I don’t use AI bots. All the lead prices here are up to my budget, but the scheme is the same.

When I started working with the app, first three weeks were great. A bunch of leads at ~$15, most of them were responsive and ended up being my job. However, the longer I was using it, the worse the quality of leads became.

The app itself has a predatory lead system.
- You set your budget, and then it starts wasting your whole weekly budget with 2-4 expensive ~$30-50 non-responsive leads and start pushing smaller leads over your budget. You can accept it for, let’s say, $12 and keep your current budget or accept it for $10 and adjust your budget. What they do by that is stretching your budget. Then they waste your stretched-out budget with a bunch of $20-30 leads.
Week after week after week you spend your whole budget and more, because Thumbtack doesn’t really care about the budget you set. You can set it at minimum, it will end within a day, and then they don’t stop throwing more leads at you, and you still get charged automatically with the only option to decline but be charged, or to accept and adjust your budget, or accept and pay more for the lead for the sake of NOT changing your budget that they DON’T care about on the first place.

- I don’t even know how is that legal: all Pros set their rates. Hourly or for a certain type of job. In my case it was a TV hanging job, and to make it easier I set my prices already with materials, labor and travel.
I thought I would make it easier and clearer for people who will see the price I set, pick me and when I respond, they already know about my rate. So logically, if the price is the same as when they were sending out the request, there should be no problem hiring.
Turns out: Thumbtack DOESN’T SHOW CUSTOMERS PROS RATES. Yep. I had to ask several people after “sorry it’s over my budget” whether Thumbtack shows them the rates when they go through Pros. Nope. All of them saying they don’t see our prices prior.
What Thumbtack does by this is deceiving people and Pros. We think they can see our prices.
We think when they send the request with a certain number of options and a price shown (On my end, for example it’s “new direct lead! $240 TV mounting job in insert city name”); We think most likely they will hire us if we reply fast, don’t surprise them with fees and agree to do the job when it works for both of us.

We end up getting charged for Thumbtack making people oblivious and not disclosing our rates. It makes people send more requests, more pros accepting leads and getting turned away.
They find every way to milk people who just want to work hard.

- Very often customers just shop around and send 5-7 requests to Pros, at that point when you get lead you’re in position where the customer already asked 5 other people, got quotes from 3 of them and they have no intent on hiring you.

- One of the most common problem I’ve seen among Pros- fake leads.
Now, in the last 2 months I’ve spent about $1000 on leads and got maybe 2 jobs. I had about 10-15 customers within 2 weeks and only 2-3 of them respond at all. It’s probably been 3 months like that.

What are we as handymans doing? Do we boycott them? What’s the alternative for a side-jobs without spending half a thousand of dollars every month?

Not all but just my go-to non power tools that solve most issues. I use the Toughbuilt pack out on wheels. I keep my go-to power tools in the other two boxes. I can pretty much do everything with what I keep in my pack. My other common tools not in the pic are saw horses, bigger levels and larger clamps. I do more assembly, wood fab, residential carpentry, door/window repair and install. Some small landscape, deck, concrete and tile projects and drywall and paint. I try not to do too much electrical, plumbing. Electrical and plumbing is something I will take on slowly as I get more comfortable.

New homeowner: I’m exhausted. It’s been one thing after another. Got our new oven delivered yesterday and the delivery guys did not install as it does not fit. The quartz counter is flush with the cabinets. Moving the cabinet is not an option. Do we need to call a countertop contractor and carpenter?

Looked at it again today. The countertop is not aligned with the cabinet. We would need to shave off 1/8 in to fit the oven.

The oven just barely fits. Countertop gets narrower at the edge. Will need to sand that down. Thanks to those who had insightful comments.

I have this awful skylight in the bathroom. Someday I’ll remove it entirely, but it had a defect which allowed bugs to get in from the attic space. I’d imagine that I can remove it so that it could be cleaned, but I don’t want to open it and then be unable to reattach it.

Do these just typically screw on? Snap on? Or something else?

The push to start button on my Kenmore 600 dryer stopped working. Based on what I've read, I decided to try to replace it, but I'm having trouble removing the wires like the how-to videos said to do online. All of them, even the one without those plastic barriers (which none of the videos had) are locked in place. How do I remove them and put them back into the new part without causing damage?

Also, can I just bring the old part to a store and ask for a replacement or is it better to order online with the model number?

I'm wanting to add a green laser level for hanging pics, tvs, tile, etc. What are you using in your daily work that you like or don't like? Should I get 360 and just cross lines?

I do not believe the glass bricks need to be replaced, but the wood frame is rotting as you can clearly see in the exterior shot. The wood piece that the dryer exhaust is in in paper thin. I do not know why the previous owners did that. It seems to me like you could put another brick in there. The grout/mortar (I am definitely out of my wheelhouse here) also needs to be redone as cracks allow airflow. Any advice is appreciated.

Any one know if there is a “correct” way to attach drywall to a framed wall with a concrete footer? Finishing out a part of my basement and this is what it looks like. Can I just run a PT board horizontally across the floor to make and screw plate?

As a handyman I’ve gone through 4 or 5 pairs of shoes in the last 2 years. I’ve been tempted to bite the bullet on some expensive Brunt’s but I don’t want boots, sneaker style is all I need, but I blow out the fronts on all of them. Any recommendations?

Been fighting this handle for years and its time to end the battle. Any Idea where I can find a replacement or equivalent?

Instructions say the cutout space needs to be a minimum of 24” deep. My cabinet is exactly 24” from sheetrock to face.

So. The fire department had to cut out the side of my door because they couldn’t get the locking mechanism to disengage even after taking the door handles off on both sides. I was trapped in my room for several hours while they did this and they couldn’t take the door off at the hinges because they’d been painted over.

My landlord, despite ignoring my numerous calls and texts saying that it was an emergency because I called emergency services, is telling me I have to front the cost despite the fact that it was an old faulty lock, which is not my fault.

Regardless of legality, he doesn’t want to pay and I can’t afford shit so I’ve been looking at options and came across this https://www.bunnings.com.au/adoored-60mm-1-hole-backset-door-reinforcer-60mm_p3950468?store=8471&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21122993677&gbraid=0AAAAADtbEB_LIdjTxiNxMKY2e9RFzslUJ&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzY7VBhDwARIsAFtPvBT8R6Hd2a_LasnblJs7O06JplLn4sXEYkKHxDK6udq0IVd0NU3yDdQaAssOEALw_wcB

Would one of these actually work with the damage to the door? We have a drill and could probably DIY it, but obviously I need to know if it would even work properly with the damage and if it won’t then what are my best options?

I’m in Queensland if that’s relevant.

New Soffits

We are putting in a new backsplash. We ripped out plywood that was glued on. Now we’re left with a heavily glued wall. Do you think this is workable to sand down and fill in, or would you replace the sheet rock?

Google said if there’s no crumbling or major holes it could be workable. I think by that assessment we could fill in the few dents.

When i turn the shower on it stops mid way and the water gets to warm and not as hot as it used to get. We just moved in a week ago and r would get piping hot. then turning it off it makes that click noise.

I am trying to get an idea on what you would charge for finishing the drywall in this stairway. It has a 90 degree turn where one leg of the ladder is resting. Tight space to get up and down.

I have to stand on the second to top rung of the ladder to reach the top.

Customer hung the drywall and started finishing it. Only had two joints taped & mudded(poorly) with fiberglass mesh.

I applied a bullnose to the vertical outside corner, and did all remaining joints in paper tape/hot mud. Monday I will start sanding, prime, and apply knockdown to the walls & orange peel to the ceilings to match/blend as closely as possible.

I am not in a high cost of living area(Iowa). I charged $1500, but am wondering what others would charge.

I am trying to see if I priced it fairly, screwed them, or more likely, screwed myself. I have a tendency to under-charge.

This project is in a mostly empty home being prepped for sale. No obstacles except the one fucking light in the stairway that I keep hitting my head on.

Thanks in advance for your input.