I bought this house almost 5 years ago. The previous owners had a security system. I have not subscribed to one. Looking at doing some changes in the house and the motion detector is in the way. Been reading online that I need to completely power off the system, unplug the backup battery then I can safely remove the motion detector.

The backup battery is locked, previous homeowners never left a key or anything. Called the company, cox home life, and they basically said since I'm not a subscriber they can't do anything for me. And even if I was a subscriber, they don't know that they can just open up the backup battery lol.

So I am thinking of just ripping the motion detector out and cutting the wires, but I don't want to get myself hurt or damage the electrical stuff in the house.

Does anyone have any experience ripping these things out or have any guidance they could provide?

I started shopping for a solid wood bed frame and somehow ended up falling down a rabbit hole about joinery and construction lol.

At first, I thought solid wood was all I needed to look for, but now I’m wondering about things like how the side rails connect, center support, and whether bolted joints tend to loosen over time.

I’ve come across quite a few people saying their beds started squeaking or wobbling after a year or two, and I really don’t want to buy something that looks great but becomes a hassle to live with.

For those of you who’ve owned a solid wood bed frame for several years, what’s held up well and what hasn’t? Is good wood joinery really worth prioritizing, or can a bed with bolted connections be just as sturdy in the long run?

Be careful! I called Angie's list through my contractor company around March 2026 when the recession started getting bad to get extra work. The person who answered the phone said they would have their salesperson call me. That person called me and told me a quote after talking over all their packages. I told him I would get back to him I just needed to go over the price with my business partner. He immediately started asking, "I thought you were the boss? Why aren't you making decisions? Is this too much money for you that you have to talk to someone else? I can't hold the price once I get off the phone call." I was stunned silent because in 10 yrs of business, I've never been talked to like that.

I told him something about his professionalism being shocking and that I'd be looking elsewhere.

A few days later the original person who answered the call reached out to follow up, and I let him know how unprofessional the salesperson was. He apologized for him and then continued to try and get my service. UGH.

Since then, the company has been getting non-stop telemarketing calls EVERY SINGLE DAY. 2 to 3 a day. It's been MONTHS since I spoke with him. I'm sure he sold our info to some lead company data bases because of that interaction.

I have a can of each that were never used (so full) and are probably 20-30 years old. They've been stored on a shelf in my garage where it never gets too warm or cold (San Francisco). When I open them up, they're still soft and workable, with no weird small or mold. Is it worth using them, or buy new cans?

My family have been planning to get an extension put in for our house. We wernt supposed to get one not until the summer but our contracter said something came up with another client and said he could start doing it around late september and finosh by december, its been more then 20 days since he was supposed to come survey the house for preporation

My family having been binning carpet for this thinking it was starting soon and weve gotten rid of wardrobes aswell and it has had them stressed as the contractor has been dodging text and calls everytime

Replacing my garage door and running into a few issues. We need a garage door that can work without springs. It's a mental and safety thing. So are there any garage door options that could be manually opened without a machine, springs, or tension rod?

I'm looking at carriage style doors that would just operate on hinges. Sourcing a good supplier of those has been tough. 16x7 size.

I imagine a lot of answers will be 'Just use springs'. But any alternate options is appreciated.

I'm ripping out the wall-to-wall carpet in my basement and trying to figure out what flooring to replace it with. I'm in Connecticut, so moisture and mold are my main concerns.

The basement has never flooded, but I'm worried about condensation. There are also some white stains on the concrete that look like efflorescence.

I'm deciding between ceramic/porcelain tile and 1-inch rubber tiles for a home gym. Ceramic/porcelain seems like the more durable option, but I'm worried about cracking from gym equipment or dropped weights. Rubber makes more sense for a gym and would be softer for the kids when they play down there, but I'm concerned about its lifespan and moisture getting trapped underneath.

What would you go with? And would an epoxy sealer on the concrete be enough to deal with moisture, or is tile a better option?

Hey all, I am at the point where I am really starting to panic about the lead paint in my home.

I am seeing all sorts of things online that are scaring the hell out of me. We told our doctor that the room has lead paint and the entire upstairs trim has lead paint, and my doctor was very alarmed and moved up our lead testing screening. In my seven-month-old son’s room and throughout the entire upstairs, all of the wood trim and doors are painted in lead paint. The doors are also rubbing and have probably been rubbing for decades. Also in my son’s closet, there is lead paint that is peeling and the plaster in the closet is crumbling in some areas. Probably a tennis ball sized area has painted plaster that fell out and it tested positive for lead.

Also up throughout the hallway, there is some minor flaking that is occurring, and there are tiny paint chips on the floor as well. I’m absolutely terrified and unsure what to do. I know this may sound irrational to some, but I would appreciate any guidance. My son was born at 29 weeks and spent 80 days in the NICU. So my sense of danger and protectiveness may be overinflated, but it’s to the point where it is consuming me.

If I lay down plastic and missed the area, would it be wise and safe for me to lightly pick off the flaking paint and then paint over it with the lead defender eco bond primer? I am just concerned about the lead dust. I also want to try and take the doors off the hinges and take them outside to plane them so they don’t rub anymore.

Hi,

Interested in recommendations for power tool set recommendations for newish homeowner interested in DIY.

Honestly, not even in advanced projects but to start, tools to hang mirrors and pictures on plaster walls. I've had trouble getting the hang of trying to drill through my 1920 walls.

Any YouTube channel recs for beginners?

Thanks

Was giving my bathtub a once over today and noticed this hairline crack that’s about an inch long. Is this something that can be patched? I checked the basement under the tub and I don’t see any leaks. I also used a moisture meter I have on the wood under the tub and it was coming up dry. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

https://imgur.com/a/7sbOUYF

For a while I kept having an issue with water backing up into my basement.

I went through everything, thinking it was clogged pipes, drain field issues, over saturation from the rain, etc etc.

I saw that my effluent filter was clogged very often, and then completely popping out of the baffle.

My found out that my effluent filter had a "gas deflector" and upon removing that part of it, it never clogged again.

If you look at this photo, it is the slotted gray piece at the bottom: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512eXUwKi4L._AC_SL1208_.jpg

That is actually not needed and caused major clogs for me. They sell the filter without the gas deflector.

Anyways, if you ever come across an issue like mine, try that out. Hope it helps anyone out there!

Hi everyone,
I am having a frustrating issue with my Harbor Breeze Avian ceiling fan and the FAN-53T handheld remote.
Up until today, it worked fine. Then, the light suddenly stopped responding to the remote. When I press the light button, the red LED on the remote lights up, but the actual fan light won't turn on or off.
I tried doing a rapid power cycle using the manual wall switch to clear it. Instead of resetting, the fan motor immediately jumped from Low straight to High speed. Now, the entire unit is completely frozen on High. It refuses to change speeds or turn off when I press any of the buttons on the remote.
I’ve had a similar lockup happen in the past. Back then, we fixed it by leaving the remote in a drawer and just using the wall switch for a few months, which eventually forced a reset. But right now, it is October and freezing cold—I can't leave a fan blasting on High, and I don't want to wait months for a passive drain.
Here is the catch: I cannot flip the main circuit breaker to the room to force an immediate hard reset because I run sensitive home networking equipment in here that I absolutely cannot take offline right now. Dropping the canopy to mess with the wiring is also a bit too complicated for my current situation.
Has anyone dealing with this specific Harbor Breeze Avian model found a trick to force the internal receiver module to factory reset or clear its microprocessor freeze immediately without cutting power to the rest of the room's electrical outlets?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

I have someone who was supposed to seal my deck tomorrow. It looks like it’ll be raining on and off all day (like 35-55% most of the day), and it says 100% it will rain on Sunday.

I should reschedule, right? He’s wanting to still do it tomorrow.

I was watching a few YT videos and I thought it was going to be an easy fix, but I was wrong!

I was able to remove the face plate but the drain linkage assembly is stuck.

The drain linkage assembly is really rusty and probably the whole area too, this is a pretty old house.

I’ve tried baking soda, white vinegar and hot water and it didn’t work.

I spoke with plumber briefly and he said that if that doesn’t work, they’ll probably have to cut part of the ceiling (bathroom is on the 2nd floor) and try to access from underneath. I am obviously avoiding having to do that so my next try will be penetrating oil.
I hope that will also help with the drain stuck in closed position (not really closed position but the was is going down suuuuper slow).

https://imgur.com/a/y3XQScz

Pic: https://i.imgur.com/Yn2FusE.png

Had my garage floor done in 2023 and I have a warranty so I called the company and waiting to hear back.

But... I'm not super confident I can get them out to repair this spot, so what are the DIY options here? Im a bit worried about spills getting in there and more flaking off, plus its gonna bother me forever if I dont do something.

Hello Reddit community. I come looking for your best recommendations in terms of window film. The building that I work in is mostly windows and during the evening the sun comes in blinding all the staff at the register. What I’ve been tasked with finding is: a window film that will block as most of the sunlight blinding us as possible while also keeping visibility both ways as clear as we can. Most I’ve come across are privacy film but I’m pretty sure the big boss wouldn’t like people to not be able to see into our business. If anyone has best recommendations please let me know. If I should post this in a different sub my apologies.

Looking for some advice on replacing the blinds on our large arched window.

I'll admit I'm pretty undereducated when it comes to blinds and window treatments, so I'm hoping to get some insight into what our options are.

We recently received a quote for $2,800 CAD for a Palladian shelf, valance, and three individual blinds (one for each window section). Personally, I find that pretty expensive, especially considering we previously replaced 13 sets of blinds throughout our house using Home Depot's custom-cut blinds for approximately $900.

The main issue is that this window is 93 inches wide, which exceeds the available widths for the blinds we've been looking at.

My original thought was to have a Palladian shelf installed and then purchase and install three individual blinds myself for approximately $800 total.

The proposed blind measurements would be:

• Left: 22.75" wide × 58" long
• Middle: 47.5" wide × 58" long
• Right: 22.75" wide × 58" long

However, my biggest concern is the weight of the three blinds across a 93-inch shelf, particularly since there wouldn't be a centre support. I'd prefer not to drill directly into the vinyl window frame, and I'm worried about the shelf sagging over time.

Is a 93-inch Palladian shelf realistic with only side supports? Would three faux-wood blinds of these dimensions be too heavy? Are there alternative mounting methods or products I should be considering?

I'm open to different styles or approaches. Ideally, I'd like something that looks clean, matches the rest of our house, and doesn't cost nearly $3,000.

Any suggestions, experiences, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

I have a 15x13 paver patio and looking to add a roof/enclosure. Has anyone done this? Would love inspo pictures does/donts etc..
Oh, also pricing! Im in between Philly and NJ if that matters.

I need to put something on my basement slab before setting up my wood shop. Without paying through the nose and facing the problem of finding a specialty product that ships to remote Nova Scotia I'm wondering if anyone has tried applying any common easily available products on cold basement slabs. Most products specify at least 10° C ambient air as well as surface temperature for proper adhesion but I don't have in floor heating so my slab is what it is when it comes to temperature. Here it is middle of October, I can run space heaters etc. no problem but the slab surface is not getting any warmer. Having used Behr semi-transparent with wet look top coat before in a home with heated floors I know that is a nice product for DIY and gives really nice results.

Anyone do this but on a cold slab below the recommended temperature and did it work out?

Open to other cold concrete floor product suggestions as long as I can get it to my home in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Can a regular plumber help move the main water shut off valve? It's in the crawlspace but you actually have to go down there and move a bit forward to get to it. I'd prefer it right at the opening of the crawlspace for easier shutoff. Is this possible? How costly would something like that be?

Hello All!

I wanted to run some ideas by the group and get some insight on switching my power-hungry electric hot water tank to a hybrid 65-gallon unit.

I have a partially finished basement with the following square footage:

• Unfinished (utility side) - 440 square feet
• Finished side - 357 square feet

The previous hot water tank and boiler (both gas) vented through a 6-inch pipe that was reduced to 3 inches and is now capped and no longer used. The 3-inch pipe is capped in the uninsulated garage.

I understand Hybrid hot water tanks can drop the temperature anywhere between 5-10 degrees in a basement, and I am wondering if I can vent that dehumidified cold air into the uninsulated garage or run extra PVC pipe (or any other recommended material) to the soffits, which are roughly 20 feet from the unused 3-inch pipe located in the garage.

The unfinished/finished side of the basement will hover around 60 degrees during Upstate New York winters, so I would prefer not to drop that temperature further. Additionally, I can open up the unused exhaust pipe to accommodate a larger pipe (up to 6 inches).

Note: I am aware I will need to run a condensation line and can dump that condensation into the same pump used for my boiler.

What are the cons and/or any known issues with essentially venting the cold air into the garage/soffits if necessary? Additionally, I would like to build something that would allow me in the spring/summer and early fall seasons to reroute that dehumidified, colder air into my den, which can easily be accessed from the garage either through the wall or ceiling, to make use of that cooler air, or simply dehumidy my basement during those 3 seasons if rerouting colder air from the system to a room is not ideal.

Thank you for any insight!

This may be my own experience, but I have found that more expensive or high-end filters do not work substantially better no last longer than cheaper filters replaced every 4-6 weeks. Higher MERV numbers only seem to make the unit work harder to keep cool. Are others having opinions?

Hello all, I am having issues getting a permit to do my front porch.

I have an uncovered front porch that’s around 5x10. Been here since I moved in, it’s trash. Stairs are falling apart, the treads have half come off. Every decking board is no longer attached.

I have been going back and forth with the city to get a permit. I am planning to do as much as I can myself and have a family friend who has done this line of work his whole life help. He no longer has insurance or liability.

I had originally submitted the permit as myself essentially being the “general contractor” and paying him for the time and help. I was able to get the exemption forms from NYS to waive disability and workers comp because it’s my house and it won’t take more than 40 hours.

However after submitting everything else they are still insisting on having liability insurance. Has anyone else dealt with something like this?

USA. Racoons tore into dorma window siding. Contractor was supposed to 'replace to original'

A few issues besides a terrible job which they are supposed to fix tomorrow

1. The siding does not look original. There will be 1 inch of black metal flashing showing on the lower border as well as the vertical/diagonal border

Also, instead of 3 inch cedar it's 4 inch hardie plank siding. The contractor did tell me it would be hardie plank but did not mention it would be 4 inches (when he showed up he said they couldn't find 3 inch so it had to be 4 inch)

1. The insurance agent would only accept this bid because it was a third of the price of the other 3 bids. The contractor said his bid was lower than the others because it was hardie plank siding and not cedar siding, which okay, but neither he nor the insurance agent explained that using hardie plank siding meant it would be impossible to look like the original. It was only said to be a different material, nothing about 1 inch of black metal flashing showing + 4 inch vs 3 inch original siding width

My question is does a switch from cedar to hardie plank affect the value of a 1920s Victorian house? Is there any negative effect of choosing this material?

I live in an area of Southern California that is prone to outages every year during red flag days. This latest out power has been out for over 24 hours and we're expected to not have it restored for another day. I'm looking for recommendations for a backup system. We have solar already but no backup (I was cheap when i got the solar system 5 years ago and am kicking myself). Any recommendations more than welcome.