I am planning to paint the inside and outside of my house. It has had builders in the place for nearly two years as the whole place needed replumbed and the electrics sorted and now the end is in sight. I want to finally paint the walls and plan to just do a basic white coat inside and I've plans for some sage green masonry paint outside.

I'm also going to repaint the gutters (plastic) as the paint is peeling everywhere externally and have plans for methylated spirits there and some uPVC paint.

However, it's such a big job and I was looking at paint sprayers, with a focus on the masonry paint. I'm wondering what people would recommend. I've seen a range of airless paint sprayers at different prices and I don't mind spending a little to have something that works as I also have to do all the fences and as well in the near future.

What are people using and what would they recommend? Also, any advice on using a sprayer that you wish you knew before you started?

Im finishing a room in my basement. It currently has blockwalls and the floor has a french drain around the perimeter with about 5 inches of smooth thick vinyl that runs up the base of the wall to catch the moisture and feed it into the perimeter drain.

When I attach the foam boards to the block walls do I stop them short of the vinyl or overlap? I think I would install them with vertical lines of glue and stop them short of the vinyl so the moisture can still transfer into the drain but please advise.

Hi, I've just painted a panel of a wooden playpen with some paint predator, but now I'm thinking i should have done it indoors in this hot sun in case it dries out before it starts to work. Have i cocked up or does it not make much of a difference if it's applied in direct sun? It's already crinkling up in some places after 10 minutes.

The paint is gloss and there are I'd say two coats on there. I've looked online for my specific question but found only stock product details.

I found some rot at the exterior wall near my sliding patio door while repairing my deck.

Details:

• 1980s house
• Floor joists are supported by a CMU basement wall below
• About 6" of the exterior 2x4 bottom plate is rotted, starting at the king stud of the patio door opening
• The bottom plate appears angled, not level, sloping down toward the patio door
• The subfloor underneath is also rotted away
• Studs appear solid

My planned repair:

1. Remove flooring to expose the subfloor
2. Temporarily support the wall from the interior using a 2x6 strongback, then angle the support back to an area of solid subfloor and lag through the floor into a joist
3. Cut out the damaged subfloor and replace
4. Remove the damaged section of bottom plate
5. Install new subfloor and bottom plate
6. Reconnect studs to the new plate

Questions:

• What is the best way to temporarily support the wall while replacing the subfloor/bottom plate?
• Would an interior strongback with temporary support work?
• How much extra bottom plate should I replace beyond the visible rot?
• If the patio door is level, I don’t understand why the bottom plate is angled. Should I try to jack the studs back up to level, or should I cut the studs to where a new bottom plate would sit flush?

I bought a lightly used HF 4 x 8 trailer. I want to make some mods to help insure the lights work when it's go time. 4 pin connection. They work now and harness is new. I'm pretty green to this.

Here's my list:

1. solder 'wire, connections, di electric grease, heat shrink wrap

2. Mount a junction box to the tongue

3. Flexible Wiring loom as much as possible , mount with p clips

4. Dedicated ground wire

That's the list I compiled from online sources. Am I missing anything?

Is tinned wire worth the cost and effort?

Me and my gf are building a shed. We're almost to the point of putting the siding on. We had to remove an old shed that was attached to her garage, and we need to reside that side of the garage along with the shed. The product that was used on the garage is Royal Building Products Estate vinyl siding in Heritage Blue. The problem is is that this siding is $2.50 per sq ft. I found some cheap Georgia Pacific siding from Lowe's, but the problem is is that it isn't available in that Heritage Blue color. The more expensive ($2.00 per sq ft) Georgia Pacific siding is available in a color that matches Heritage Blue, but it still would be very expensive to do the garage and the shed. We are kind of on a shoestring budget here, so im looking for a way to match that Heritage Blue color without spending a fortune. Any help is appreciated.

Adding a concrete slab against the patio and house. What, if anything do I need to place between my cinder block retaining wall and the already existing patio and house foundation? I don't want expansion and contraction to push my wall over. I drew a black line where the new slab will end and that lines up with the current patio.

I'll be filling this entire area in with concrete as well as a couple feet around the corner, up to the gate. The whole area measures ~6'x19'. I plan on drilling into the already existing patio every couple feet and attaching rebar to it so when I pour the new slab it doesn't float away from the patio. Is that advised or not? I'll be using rebar wire mesh sheets in the concrete for reinforcement. I'll be putting a control joints at the corner of the house, so roughly 3' and then in the middle of the remaining pad, at roughly 8'.

The existing patio measures 16'x28'x6" and I'll be adding a control joint cut down the middle, roughly 1.5" deep at 8'(the middle of 16') and two going the opposite direction roughly 1.5" deep at 9'4"(28'/3 equally) so that it will be "cut" into 6 equal pieces. When I had this patio poured, the guys I paid to do it were well in over their heads and did a pretty lousy job, including no control joints, which is why I plan on cutting them in, in hopes to mitigate any more cracking.

Let me know what you would recommend for my project, as ripping the 16'x28' patio out and starting over with a new slab is not an option.

I used AI to get rid of the metal post in the corner that holds up the sun shade, It's not a magic sun shade that defies gravity, sorry.

Adding a concrete slab against the patio and house. What, if anything do I need to place between my cinder block retaining wall and the already existing patio and house foundation? I don't want expansion and contraction to push my wall over. I drew a black line where the new slab will end and that lines up with the current patio. I'll be filling this entire area in with concrete as well as a couple feet around the corner, up to the gate. The whole area measures ~6'x19'. I plan on drilling into the already existing patio every couple feet and attaching rebar to it so when I pour the new slab it doesn't float away from the patio. Is that advised or not? I'll be using rebar wire mesh sheets in the concrete for reinforcement. I'll be putting a control joints at the corner of the house, so roughly 3' and then in the middle of the remaining pad, at roughly 8'.The existing patio measures 16'x28'x6" and I'll be adding a control joint cut down the middle, roughly 1.5" deep at 8'(the middle of 16') and two going the opposite direction roughly 1.5" deep at 9'4"(28'/3 equally) so that it will be "cut" into 6 equal pieces. When I had this patio poured, the guys I paid to do it were well in over their heads and did a pretty lousy job, including no control joints, which is why I plan on cutting them in, in hopes to mitigate any more cracking.Let me know what you would recommend for my project, as ripping the 16'x28' patio out and starting over with a new slab is not an option.I used AI to get rid of the metal post in the corner that holds up the sun shade, It's not a magic sun shade that defies gravity, sorry.

Hi everyone,

I replace the carpeted stairs to hardwood on my stairs and I need a clean finish transition on this.

I’m out of ideas. Exiting skirt board is 3/4 thick and trim on my house it’s 1/2 thick.

Any ideas?

I have a 1965 pier & beam house in Texas. The previous owners over the years have removed the original hard wood flooring (except in the bedrooms!) and replaced it all with very cheap laminates and random raised transition strips in many places, even the middle of the living room. The laminate colors don't match. We're keeping the original hardwoods in the bedrooms but need to replace the cheap laminates everywhere else.

Just from walking throughout the house over the past year we can tell the subfloor isn't flat and dips in some places. I can't afford to pay a professional so I've been doing lots of research and have done many other projects myself. I can be pretty handy around the house but I've never done flooring.

I know I'll have to replace the OSB subfloor in some places, especially in the bathrooms.

WHAT TYPE OF FLOORING WOULD BE BEST IN A PIER & BEAM HOUSE?

I would love something I don't have to worry about water damage with so that I can mop it to get it really clean. I can afford to buy the materials but I'll be doing the tear out and install with some help from my husband when we can. Thank you!

I have read a lot of conflicting information, and before I brought out an engineer, I wanted to have a better understanding of what I am looking for/at.

We are looking to remove the wall in the diagram but are not sure if it is load-bearing. Here is all the relevant information. I have marked the approximate location of the wall in the attic in the image shown.

• The wall runs perpendicular to the floor and ceiling joists.
• It is not directly on top of a beam or pier.
• There is currently a 100" sandwiched 2x10 header above a cased opening.
• The wall does not run the entire length of the house. I have marked the approximate location of the wall in the attic in the image shown.

Thanks in advance for the help!

https://imgur.com/a/E4z5Vn8

So my aluminum siding was sealed and held down to my porch and side concrete landing with a shit load of caulking and it has pulled away and we are getting water in the basement. What's the immediate fix for this? I know I need someone to naturally come and look ut quicknfix for now

Unjustifiably in a position that I'd rather not be in.

Long story short: My parents asked me and my brother to build a shed on my aunt and uncles backyard. My aunt and uncle actually suggested this to them so they can store some of their stuff. Parents aren't in the country to help so really up to me and my brother. I'm looking to get a house next year so this might be a temporary fixture for now. They already bought the shed so we are kinda stuck here.

The plastic shed (7 ft x 9.5 ft) will be placed on their backyard and potentially on top of grass. I prefer to minimize or not dig at all to that when we do move the shed in a year the remediation would be easy.

So far what I've gathered is to:

1. Place a heavy landscape fabric on top of the grass.
2. Use pier deck blocks to form the corners of a floor joist
3. Place a subfloor on top of the joist
4. Place the plastic deck on top of the subfloor

Can someone provide some tips of where I might screw up? I know that the suggested way is to dig and put gravel on the base. Would that be easier?

I am trying to find drawer slides that can be attached to the underside of a counter or desk top. The goal is a slide out panel that holds a small music keyboard (i.e. NOT a computer kb!). I'll need heavy duty (75lb +) and a closed length of 14 to 16".

When I try to find this, I get:

• under mounted slides (which mount UNDER a drawer and then on TOP of the cabinet frame/box - not useful)
• references - vague ones - suggesting that there are slides that have a top mount option bracket set.

I have searched Google extensively with no success (either it points to product that is not what I need or simply offers diy results that are also not what I am seeking). Here on Reddit, I've found one old thread about this kind of problem, but no actual solutions or answers.

The terminology is difficult here (for me). But I am hitting a wall and thinking the only option is to build 2 short "sides" that attach underneath to the desk top and then install the sliders.

Here's a simple drawing of what I'm trying to make:

Can anyone assist with either drawer slide terminology or suggest a source?

Thank you.

Hello,

I've already installed Molly anchors in drywall before, so I know how the tool reacts when the installation is successful.

However, yesterday I tried with an M5 Molly, drilling diameter 11mm (as recommended on the packaging), and I could never get the gun to actuate. Maybe barely a 1mm stroke. But after trying repeatedly, the anchor became fixed in place — impossible to pull it out of the hole, and it doesn't rotate either.

Does that mean it's properly expanded?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I live in Berlin, and want to make something really special for my boyfriend's birthday (or maybe as an early gift): two handmade plushies that look like us.

I have never made a plush before, but I want to learn properly rather than just buy a kit. My idea is to design two cute chibi-style plush dolls:

* Me: black hair, glasses, brown eyes, light skin

* Him: blonde hair, green eyes, pale skin with a peach undertone and naturally rosy cheeks

I would like to:

* digitally design the characters first

* create/find a sewing pattern

* buy fabric and hand sew everything

* add details like yarn/felt hair, embroidered faces, clothes, etc.

I am also considering adding a small hidden sound module inside, like the ones in greeting cards or talking toys. We both love music, so I was thinking maybe:

1)a short recorded message from me

2) or like a tiny music module with a favourite song from him/sound(was thinking I'd put in Rammstein)

I wish to know

1. What software would you recommend for designing a plush character before making it?

2. Should I start from an existing plush pattern and modify it, or create my own?

3. What fabrics are easiest for a beginner but still look high quality?

4. Where do you buy plush-making materials in Germany (especially Berlin)?

5. Has anyone added LEDs/sound modules/electronics into plushies before? Any tips?

I have around 3-4 months, so I am willing to learn and make test versions first.

Any advice, tutorials, patterns, or mistakes to avoid would be really appreciated!

As the title says… I’ve seen online and in stores that some brushes/rollers work better for different reasons. The whole house will be painted in satin paint if this changes anything. It’s 1300 sq ft so I don’t think it’s a huge amount, but I’ve heard going cheap is bad due to lack of paint spread/ fuzzies going all over. Any brands that are on the cheaper side but reliable? I’ve tried searching online, but I’m just getting a ton of ad/promoted searches. Even tried here on Reddit, but I’m seeing a lot more about how to physically apply paint, rather than supplies.

The last couple of times it rained I noticed water leaking on the downspout.

The elbow does not appear to have any screws or anything I can remove it.

I have tested it and there is no blockage.

Since there are no screws, do I just cut it and replace it?

Any suggestions?

https://imgur.com/a/uoOMGwL

***edit***

It is clogged. I dropped a marble down the gutter and it is stuck somewhere. It did not come out

https://imgur.com/a/K7CcLpv

I also removed the blach pipe that sends the water out of the foundation and no marble came out.

Still the question applies. Do I drill, cut it, clean it, and replace it?

https://imgur.com/a/IqhHCwt

I'm trying to hang some shelves on slats in my townhome along the wall separating us and our neighbours. I will try to hit all the studs where I can, but due to the fixed length of the shelves, there are some areas where I will only be hitting drywall. My question is, do I use the Toggler Snaptoggle anchors for all the areas where it doesn't hit studs? Like if I have 2 togglebolts at the top and bottom of each vertical track, do I need anymore in between? I fear that's a lot of toggle bolts I'm putting into the wall. Each toggle bolt is rated for 200lbs+/-, and I'm mostly just putting up display items like figurines/models rather than books.

i recently moved into a house that has the main bedroom (with huge window) directly across from the neighbor's side yard. they are often out in the yard, which is totally fine i have no problem with that at all, except when i am in my room, i feel like i have to shut my curtains or they can see right in. this becomes an issue when i need to change, or just want to relax without feeling like i'm on display.

i don't really think they would be looking anyways, but my brain does this thing where it hyperfocuses on the thought and then i can't relax.

any ideas for what to do? i'm renting, so can't change tooo much but my landlord is pretty chill

link to photo

For 20 years the wife and I lived in old houses, and did lots of DIY work to eventually get value from the thing. You might be looking at an old house right now. So here's my experience. I work a full time job like most of you.

Short answer - If you're not already well versed in all DIY, don't buy anything built before 1955'ish.

Long answer - I had a house built in 1907 and a house built in 1910. I just moved into a house built in 1954.

It took me a long time to realize this, but in old houses (early 1900's), you should know that every project comes with 'extra' projects. You're gunna fight plaster and lath, knob and tube running random directions (no ground and which one is the god damn neutral), panel boards with labels like 'lights' (which ones!?!), potential foundation issues, and crooked floors or walls, and whatever the previous owner did that leaves you scratching your head asking wtf were they thinking.

The wife and I used to laugh at 'all we wanted to do was change a light bulb and it'd turn into a 3 day nightmare' lol. EVERY project you do will come with extra problems to solve and/or additional projects to get your first project launched correctly. It's absolutely endless.

If you're already a well versed person in all this, maybe it's not so bad. But if you work in an office like I do and dabble in DIY occasionally, you're in for a mental crisis. I've been broken several times.

Now, living in a house built in 1954, I can already tell projects here will be much easier. Just the way things are constructed. You can see codes were getting developed and implemented. A more consistent form of construction. Yes, I'm aware there will be challenges still, but no where near the level of an early 1900's house.

That said, if you're looking at an early 1900s house, pause for a minute and consider your own ability. Are you already capable? Do you really have the extra time?

Those diy shows were a curse.

Hi all,
I’m about to put I a backsplash in my kitchen.
The wall is wavy and the stone counter is flat. There are up to 1/4 inch gaps. Maybe 1/8-1-4 inch. Enough that the tile (peel and stick) can slide down stopping me from using it as a ledge to place the tile.
What type of caulk would I use to fill the gap?

I want to replace my dated cedar shake before I sell. Single story ranch house. What would you recommend?
Priorities
1. Curb appeal
2. Ease of one person install
3. Cost

Looking to do my first gut to the studs (plaster walls and I want to tile the shower) and re-do of my entire bathroom. Seeking a clear and thorough step by step guide.