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?

Moved into a deceased family member's home, their furniture was of course still here and the couch was in a room that it seemed to not be possible to move it out of normally. (yes of course if they got it in then it can get out, we could not find it and further my family is telling me it was nearly impossible to get in there 40 years ago anyway).

So my uncle decided to just chainsaw the thing in half and we got it out in pieces. Its not nightmarish or anything since we got it up largely with a vacuum but there are still spots with metal flecks. Is there a magnet tool I can rent at Home Depot or something that can easily pull these out?

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’m currently in the middle of a big basement remodel with a 120k budget. We’re adding two bedrooms and a bathroom to a previously (poorly) finished basement. We hired a local reputable GC after getting several quotes, and so far the project has been going okay, but there have been several issues particularly with hvac and plumbing which have required multiple redos of work done. None of the sub contractors seem to be coordinating with each other and placement of things like ducts and pipes seem to be figured out in the moment without any forethought.

One point of contention as been soffits, which I understand is often necessary in a basement. However, I seem to be the only person concerned about minimizing them. Two weeks ago I came home to ducting running right across a hallway creating a head injury hazard. I’ve made this known to the GC on multiple occasions and am told that they are working with the HVAC company to fix it.

Yesterday I came home to a second air handler for the downstairs with a vent running chest height across the doorway into the garage. The GC told my wife this morning that there’s not really another option.

I feel like a crazy person. Who does something like this and says to themselves “This looks good.” Am I being unrealistic? Is this what working with a GC is normally like?

https://imgur.com/a/xjo4ZJb

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?

We moved into this house in spring. We've always had issues with water. I'm noticing it starting to accumulate around the pool. The lawn is flooding too. And we've had rain but nothing torrential.

The house has a french drain but it's long since collapsed.

How can I fix this? And should I worry?

https://imgur.com/gallery/ebdc0SY

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 there, new to this sub. My partner and I have lived in this house for over 5 years now and the cabinets have been the biggest eyesore. I have very limited experience remodeling anything but my partner is very handy. Is it worth it to sand, strip, and repaint or should I just start budgeting money for new cabinets?

Side note, I don't own the home but it is owned by my family. Loose assumption I will inherit it but due to family drama I can't know for sure. I do anticipate living here for the foreseeable future. We host a lot of people often and it's the most embarrassing thing to me.

Thoughts/advice?

https://imgur.com/a/a4HoGzK

https://imgur.com/a/pzQ03rN

Had some guys come out and replace my rotten fascia (thanks previous owners) and when I was looking over the work I saw that there was this gap at the far end of my roof right above my gutter. I would prefer that there wasn't a big open hole in my roof that led into my attic but I don't even know the names of the materials I need to close it off properly. The person who replaced the fascia swears it was like that before, did a good job with the fascia as far as I can tell, and wasn't alarmingly cheap but was much more affordable than the local billboard companies (yes I got 3 quotes) so I don't want to deal with the back and forth hassle for a three inch opening.

As a tiny bit of background, the previous owners had the whole roof redone for 8k right before we bought the place and it is the most fly by night piece of garbage I've ever seen so I'm sure it missing half of the things that are supposed to be under the shingles but I can't afford a new roof and my insurance told me to kick rocks in regard to poor craftsmanship.

We’ve owned our home for a little over ten years. We really love it and it’s well-constructed, so there’s rarely any big issues but the previous owners were architects who put it in a lot of custom stuff and in the rare instance where we have an issue, it’s often more expensive than it probably should be. We’ve definitely made a few bad calls on how to go about home repairs but now we feel stuck and want to know our options. I’m leaving out some details that have been just frustrating rather than concerning but I’ll just say I’d prefer to never see this man again in my life.
We had a mold issue in our top floor a few years ago, got it tested and went with the remediation company the tester suggested. It seems the seals on the windows in our bedroom and guest bedroom each had issues, but the windows themselves were fine. The guy who did the work seemed competent for the most part and told us we’ll probably need to replace one of the windows in a few years and we could call him to get that done. Let’s call him RP.
After a couple years, we call RP to do that. It’s a custom bay window and we wanted to just replace it with the same style. It takes almost three months to get the window (when he had said 6-8 weeks) during which time water seeps in under the window. Then it becomes like a 3 day process for installing it, followed by him replacing the wall under the window where water had gotten in which he had replaced two years prior. Then he couldn’t salvage the stone window stool so we had to get that replaced and then he had to come back to finish up framing that. All in all replacing this window took around 5 months. And then a month later, the recent nor’easter hit and at its peak, water started dripping from the top of the sill of the brand new window (which is a whole new problem we never had). We didn’t want to deal with the guy again so we called a reputable window contractor who (thankfully) said it’s probably just a caulking situation but that they would have to charge like 1k and not give any warranty because they didn’t install it and liability and whatever.
So now we’ve had to go back to RP, who keeps telling me he’s gonna fix it imminently but then doesn’t actually show up. Meanwhile he told me the warranty for the whole window is in his name so if I ever have issues with it, I have to keep using him. I just want this to be over but it seems like that’s not an option. Can the warranty be transferred? How worried should I be about water getting trapped in the window (it’s been raining pretty often this fall, but no more leaks)? If this bullshit continues can I sue him for faulty installation?

we just got rid of the tub and i keep waiting for the shower to be way more work to keep clean, but so far it feels about the same or maybe even easier.

is that normal or am i just early into it and going to regret this in six months? curious what actual day to day upkeep looks like for people who've had one a while.

I am looking for how to best use the floor plan (without breaking any walls). I love Julie Jones style but too expensive and not available for a few weeks. Any alternatives that you follow/can recommend, I am working with an odd layout and getting overwhelmed . thank you!

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

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.

Hi everyone! Looking for some help.

This is my first time sealing stone and I wasn’t really sure if I was doing it right. Well, I definitely didn’t do it right because it’s so streaky.

These are the steps I took to apply the sealer:
- cleaned the surface with solution of water and a little bit of Dawn dish soap, then let dry for at least 24 hours
- poured Miracle Sealant 511 Impregnator on the table and spread sealer with an applicator pad
- waited a few minutes then wiped away excess

I came back a few days later to see these streak marks on my dining table 🫠 I think I might’ve screwed up the last step I listed above because I wasn’t sure how “wet” the surface was supposed to be, so I kept wiping until it was dry-ish (sorry I know that’s not super helpful but that’s the best way I can put it).

I did a quick research and it seems like Miracle Sealant has another product (Residue Remover) that I can use to try to get rid of the streaks. I didn’t see a whole bunch of reviews online though so I’m a little hesitant. Looking for some tips on how I can get rid of the streaks safely without ruining my dining table. Thanks in advance!

Photo of dining table/streaky sealer here: https://imgur.com/a/OYBGVwT

Came home today and barely had water pressure. Went down took apart the pressure switch and checked it to make sure it was clean. I noticed the diaphragm wasn’t holding any air so I pumped it back up to 28 psi and it’s held that all day as long as I don’t use water. When I do it doesn’t build back up and the pressure switch never kicks on. If I use the water after pumping up the diaphragm I have great water pressure again.

I had a water heater removed to work on the area behind and was quoted $850.

This is Lake County Illinois. Lines were capped as well.

Is this a normal price?

They said it would be another 850 when I’m ready to move it back

https://imgur.com/a/MkM9FwC

This is the result of a wood > Trex porch with posts wrapped with PVC. The random gaps and nail appearance are sloppy to me, should I accept this quality of work?

https://imgur.com/a/RKLVWgS

I have a propane stove in this room (that currently does not have a fan - I am guessing that makes a difference). I am wondering what I can do with the wall behind it? I honestly would like a built-in library here, because aesthetically I think it would look great but I understand that wouldn't be great for any of the books that I put on those shelves. And paper + fire is not always a great combination. So I am wondering what I can do with this space. I am looking for ideas that are not only more aesthetically pleasing than hanging vacuums, but that also will not cause my home to burn down, which is why I'd like input from all the professionals including firefighters :)

Two recessed cans in my bathroom ceiling are acting as the makeup air path for the exhaust fan. With the fan running I can feel a draft at both trims, and during a hot shower you can see the steam get pulled sideways into them. I want the fan pulling air in under the door instead.

Above them is an attic with spray foam on the underside of the roof deck. There's still some old fiberglass batt on the attic floor in spots. One can has a batt sitting on top of it. The other is wide open.

The fan is ducted, so assume that side works for now.

Mostly doing this for fun and because it bugs me.

What's the best way to seal these up?

* Seal the cans in place, or pull them and go to canless wafer lights and seal the holes?

* If I seal in place, is it fire-rated foam or caulk on the can seams and the gap at the drywall from below, a cover box from the attic, or both?

* With the roof deck foamed, does it matter much that the fan is pulling attic air, or is this just about getting it to pull from the right place?

​

Hey everyone, looking for some advice because I'm honestly not very handy and have pretty much zero experience with painting or home repairs.

I have a peachy/salmon orange wall in my living room, with a matte finish and a bit of texture. There was a tiny black mark just below a picture frame, so I tried cleaning it with a microfiber cloth and deionized water. I thought that would be pretty harmless, but afterwards a thin dark vertical streak appeared underneath the frame, almost like a little water run.

The wall was dry before I cleaned it and it's been about 24 hours now. The streak is still visible and doesn't seem to have changed much. I've taken the picture off the wall to let it dry, and I'm leaving it alone for now because I don't want to make things worse.

I genuinely had no idea that just wiping a wall with water could leave a mark like this. I don't even know what type of paint was used or whether it's washable, so I'm not sure what I'm dealing with here.

Would you just wait a few more days and see what happens, or could the finish itself have been affected? If it needs fixing, is this something a complete beginner could realistically do, or would it be better to hire a painter?

I'm also worried about matching the peachy orange colour and the textured matte finish. Would touching up just that small area leave an obvious patch? I'd rather avoid repainting the whole wall if possible.

Putting the picture back to cover it is an option, but I'd prefer that as a last resort.

I've attached a photo of the room and some close-ups of the streak. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi all, I recently bought an Andersen 4000 to install on my house. I have hardie siding and trim around the doors and am afraid to install the new storm door. Any tips on drilling/screwing into it successfully?

Background
The old storm door was very difficult to remove—many screws were overtightened, while others were stripped. When the contractor installed the old door on the new trim, they seem to have hastened the decay of the old one because every single screw into the side of the hardie plank was stripped, leaving my door to hang off its hinges. When the door finally came off, huge chunks of hardie plank fell off where those screws had been.

The contractor has agreed to replace the hardie plank when they come for another project. But i’m afraid the new door will end up in the same situation. I have two other storm doors I need to replace and I’m about to rip them off too to see what happens. Part of me wonders if wood would be a better option.

What lights are you installing in your showers? I have a steam shower that I am remodeling and I’m looking for a light to install in the ceiling. There are too few “steam shower” lights with near non-existent reviews. I’m thinking about installing a Custom Electric (Model # 53828101) canless wet rated light in the steam shower and adding 100% silicone or kerdi-fix to the seams where the light touches the ceiling tile. I’m using the schluter waterproofing system and maybe the kerdi-fix will be enough. Anyone run into a similar situation?