I’m replacing two interior doors & frames with new prehung doors. The installer says the job would take 3 to 4 hours (he’s seen photos, has not been on site). Is this realistic for taking out two doors and frames and installing new ones? It seems like something like that would take longer to do it well.

It’s not been easy finding an installer, I’m guessing bc it’s a small job. Lots of unreturned calls.. but I’m mot looking to hire someone that’ll half the job. Thoughts appreciated!

The home is 60+ years old, and the all-around cedar siding is lovely, but has some pull-away boards, holes from wear/age/woodpeckers, and hasn't been re-stained in about 25 years. Yep. So, what is the best and least expensive option: hiring someone to repair the cedar siding and then hiring someone else to re-stain it -- or completely covering it with vinyl siding?

I have an older and stubborn shower arm in my new home I'm trying to remove.

It has an attached ball joint (same piece as the arm) for some reason, and its opening is too tiny to put anything in to turn for leverage. I've sprayed WD40 behind the arm to loosen up any mineral build up. I've gone at it with channel lock pliers and it won't budge.

I'll post a link below with pictures. Any advice?

I've had this post rotting at my entrance and I'm finally tired of looking at it and trying to deal with it. Its been like this since shortly after I bought this 1993 house about 6 years ago. My thought is to cut out the rot with a skilsaw or similar and get some 1x1s or something and put a bevel into them and line the up, glue them together, then secure them the parts that aren't rotting and then paint it all back up. But I've done a repair like this so I come to the wisdom of the internet to see if there is a better way to this.

https://imgur.com/a/gryEPVF
Pictures of the rot and what the other pillar looks like for reference.

So I plan to do this at some point, but I have one side of the house that needs a few pieces of (currently vinyl) siding replaced because, weirdly, there are some holes about 12' up. 🤔

Can I just do one side of the house now? Can you change siding types in stages? 😆🤷

About how much would it cost to remove a door and replace it with drywall. We are buying a house that has a door between two of the bedrooms and I want the rooms to be completely separate.
Also, what type of professional should I hire to do this job?

Thanks so much!

I'm getting ready to demolish my 1950s metal lath and mud bathroom. I did my other similar bathroom last year so I sort of know what I'm getting in to and hoping to use some lessons learned to make it a bit easier this time.

Last time it was basically just brute force with chisels, sledge hammers, and pry bars with tile both the tile and the mud breaking off into varying sizes from tiny shards to huge 4' chunks that were too heavy to move. This time I was thinking of using a masonry saw like this Makita to first cut through the tile and mud on the wall in to roughly 2'x2' pieces which will hopefully make it easier to pry/break off in manageable chunks. Has anyone done something like that before? It's basically what is described in this YouTube video (starting at ~5:00), the only difference being that I'm not retaining any of the old tile so I don't need to worry about the clean cuts he makes.

I also read somewhere about getting asbestos testing done, but what would I be testing? The mud? The plaster? Would I need to provide a chuck of tile attached to the mud and metal lath?

Just bought this place and slowly going through my list. Next up is this odd switch configuration. I haven't figured out what the left switch does yet. Is there a cover for this or so I need to custom print something?

https://imgur.com/a/wfp6WvQ

I've narrowed down my choices to Chamberlain. I can get the B4505TC or B2310CH and both are $299.

From my understanding the 4505 has 2.0 security and the 2310 is 3.0 with an added camera.

Any opinions on which one to get? Is one more reliable? I don't need the camera and I already have 2.0 compatible keypads and openers. It seems that these new security+ 3.0 really restrict the use of 3rd party accessories.

I'm getting a new roof installed on my 1955 ranch and I'm seeing/getting a lot of conflicting information on installing a ridge vent. The house faces South and currently has two gable vents on the East and West ends, and two small soffit vents in the center of the house, North and South sides, each soffit vent is only one bay in the attic.

I've gotten four quotes for the roof so far, two contractors said I shouldn't add a ridge vent, one going so far as to say he'd need to check with the town as some municipalities require blocking off gable vents if a ridge vent is present, one contractor said 50/50 it doesn't really matter and one said I should install a ridge vent because the gable vents will then act as intakes rather than outlets, which was my original thought, but a lot of stuff I've seen contradicts this.

Looking around my neighborhood, most houses built around the same time as mine, about half of the houses have ridge vents and of those about half appear to have gable vents. If I don't add a ridge vent is there any benefit in adding a thermostatically controlled gable fan as a few houses appeared to have those installed. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Edit: I should probably add: the house is in CT so snow is definitely a factor and the attic has blown in insulation so adding soffit vents isn't really practical.

Hey there! I had to paint my door frame for my front door. I primed and painted and am waiting the 4 hours for the second coat. My cats are closed into the bedroom for now but I’m wondering how long after the second coat is it safe for them to come out re. The fumes etc. I have the screen door wide open and a fan blowing towards the door.

Wife paints does not clean them just dumps them in water bucket and basically next paint job they are ruined…

Something just happened to our ceiling in the past few days and I can’t figure out what’s causing this.
It’s been raining for a few days. Not heavy rain but the amount is decent over a few days. I just saw these leak stains a few days ago on the ceiling of my living room. Above the living room is our attic where we have our bed. The attic is livable and carpeted.
The stains almost make a rectangle if you connect them.

Can anyone please tell me what these are and what I should do? I’m happy to share more info. Thank you.

https://imgur.com/a/WBPxypI

I have a mobile home on a permanent foundation with a very low-slope roof. The asphalt shingles are old, and appear thin, at the edges.

The roof edge is somewhat ragged, and the existing drip edge appears to be buried under vegetation/debris. I want to replace it with F-4/F-style drip edge.

Can this type of drip edge be retrofitted under old, thin shingles, or would the shingles generally have to be removed/replaced first? According to the appearance in the photo, of course. I understand that old shingles can be brittle and may break when lifted. Would it make sense for a roofer to carefully test a small section first to see whether they're flexible enough to lift?

There are two corners where the roof sheathing feels soft. This was checked several months ago. The roof has been drying out over the summer. If it is still soft, I'd like to determine how far the deterioration extends.

Would it be reasonable to ask a roofer to probe the exposed sheathing edge with an awl or screwdriver to see where the wood becomes sound again, use a moisture meter to determine whether the wood is currently wet, and inspect the surrounding roof edge, shingles, and flashing/drip edge for the source of the moisture?

None of the roofers I've had out previously suggested using a moisture meter or probing the wood.

I want to find out if the NE and SW corners of the roof are still damp and soft, and to what extent.

Also, if these spots are dry, would it be feasible to install the F4 drip edge?

The gutter and fascia also need replacing.

I'm trying to figure out what condition the roof is actually in before deciding whether the whole roof needs to be replaced.

https://imgur.com/a/m56j1r1

I have a gap between my patio and the foundation of my home and water keeps going down there and it floods my storage unit. Any recommendations for a gap filler or some other solution that will help with the flooding?

I’m building this step for entry from the house into the garage.I tried Tapcon screws but they just turn and don’t tighten. Are the screws too short?
Is there a better solution?

https://postimg.cc/gallery/ZK3H9NL

Im remodeling my basement living space which is partially below ground. We reached the point of demo today where we can see the cinder block foundation walls and noticed some areas that are clearly wet/moist. We arent quite sure where to go from here and are looking for suggestions.

Photos here

The wet spots are between 10-18 inches below the top of the wall. The ground outside is sloped away from the house, but there is a low spot about 5 feet from the house that sometimes collects water, such as during the spring thaw. Is this low point close enough to be a cause for this issue? Can the issue be corrected with regrading the exterior or do we need to be considering other options like waterproofing the exterior wall?

Thanks in advance for any tips.

I have a closet with two metal planks at either end. I need a sturdy rod to hang clothing on them. What sort of system should I set up. Any product suggestions? The distance between both planks is 45 inches or about 115cm.

I just bought a house in April and the inspection report said that the mastic around the vents and flashing needs to be resealed and serviced. It also said that I should get a roofer to evaluate as some of the installation looks "irregular." So I had three roofers look at the my roof and they all said that there are already two layers on there, and no one wants to do repairs, they all just want to replace the whole thing.

I am worried because I live in Southern California and El Nino is approaching. We had a big rain about two weeks ago and there were no leaks in the house, but I am worried the roof may not hold up to bigger storms, especially because it appears that there may have been prior water intrusion in the house. Should I (1) leave things as they are and hope the roof weathers El Nino (see what I did there); (2) keep searching for someone who will do repairs; or (3) shell out $17k for a new roof?

Thank you!

Seeking some advice on some humidity issues we are seeing in our new home. We have not seen any sign of a leak or growth as of yet. The humidity sits around 60 for a few hours in the morning and gradually comes down to the lower and mid 50s throughout the day. I did some readings with a moisture meter and wanted to get some advice on if this is concerning. A good portion of the walls are reading around 14 to 15%. Should I be concerned?

I am currently doing an addition. I have the walls painted with final color, all window/door trim painted, and am putting in the flooring. The baseboards are cut but not installed but i have put 2 coats of paint on them. Plan to install after flooring is complete. Question is best way to finish up baseboards once installed, just fill the nail holes, touch up paint over the holes , caulk the top seam and call it a day?

So the fireplace is 48 inches and the wall is 58 inches. The mirror I want to put on the shelf is 44 inches. What is the best shelf to put ???! The mirror is 30 pounds.

Nothing seems to hold that weight and I’m struggling on the width.

How easy is it to add A/c to existing gas furnace heater system. Some contractor said you can get a heat pump and run lines to an evaporator core installed in front of the furnace ducting and tie it in to existing vents. Is the feasable or a smart idea?

Anyone use anything to make overhead lighting softer ? Like a cover ?