Picked up a fancy dehumidifier from the home center last spring to keep my basement dry, and it ran nonstop for 4 months before it just quit pulling any water out of the air. Tried cleaning the coils and filters every two weeks but it still turned into a paperweight. Anyone else find these things are built to fail after one season?
Last Tuesday I tried to fix a hole in my living room wall from a doorknob strike. Used a whole bucket of joint compound from Home Depot but didn't let any layer dry more than 2 hours. By Thursday it was cracking like a dry riverbed and I had to sand everything down to bare paper. Has anyone else ruined a patch job by rushing the drying time?
I bought this old house 3 years ago and I've been keeping a tally on the fridge of every little repair I do. Last week I hit 100 exactly when I swapped out a busted light switch in the hallway. But that one floorboard near the bathroom door has been squeaking since day one and I've tried shims and screws nothing works. Anyone know a trick for these old hardwood subfloors that actually sticks?
I was reading some old building science stuff from Energy.gov last night and found out most windows sold before 2020 with a U-factor above 0.30 lose more heat than they save in my climate zone here in Minnesota. Those double pane units I put in 7 years ago? They're rated 0.48. My heating bills have been way higher than my neighbor's who has the same size house but with newer triple pane windows. Anyone else check their window ratings after a few years and feel ripped off?
My bathroom wallpaper was peeling and I tried renting a professional steamer from Home Depot for $50 a day. Finally grabbed a $25 handheld steamer off Amazon on a whim and it stripped that old 90s floral pattern in under 2 hours, no damage to the drywall. Has anyone else found a low budget tool that beat the expensive version?
Watched my neighbor spend a whole weekend caulking over painters tape on his new window install in Phoenix. You gotta peel that tape off before the caulk dries or you end up with a peeling mess that looks like garbage six months later. Has anyone else dealt with this disaster?
He pulled the old one out right there in the aisle and showed me how it was letting water trickle past constantly, which explained the mysterious $45 jump in my water bill last quarter, has anyone else had a tiny part cause that much waste without noticing?
Burned me hard because the motor seized on the fourth cut of a backsplash and the rental place wouldn't take it back, has anyone else had a tool fail right after the warranty ran out?
Last Sunday I woke up to water dripping from the cabinet again. That pipe joint under the sink had been seeping for months. I tried tightening it with a wrench last month but that just made it worse. Finally watched a video from a plumber in Cleveland who said to use Teflon tape on the threads then hand tighten. Three days later and not a single drop. Has anyone else had luck with that trick or do you just call a pro for these little jobs?
Last summer I cut a hole in my living room wall to fix some old plumbing and slapped a California patch over it. For like 8 months that spot had a visible hump no matter how much I sanded. Then I tried using a 12 inch taping knife instead of my 6 inch one for the final coat of compound. The wider knife blended the edges way better and now you can't even tell where the patch is. Has anyone else had luck switching to a wider knife for bigger patches?
My buddy told me I was overthinking it and to just use pipe dope on my new gas line for the stove. I followed his advice and two days later I smelled gas near the fitting. Called a licensed plumber out and he said always use yellow Teflon tape rated for gas lines, not the white stuff or dope alone. Had to spend $120 on a service call and buy new fittings because the dope didn't seal right. Now I'm wondering how many other shortcuts people take that end up costing more in the long run... anyone else have a "trust me bro" DIY tip that backfired?
I spent last Saturday trying to air seal the rim joists in my 1940s bungalow in Cleveland. The can foam kept dripping and sagging everywhere, but the rigid foam board cut to size with a few dabs of caulk went up clean and solid in half the time. Has anyone else found rigid board way easier to work with for rim joist sealing?
Went there last Tuesday to grab some wood filler and ended up talking to the owner for 20 minutes about how they used to cut keys by hand, and now I can't find half the specialty bolts I need without ordering online has anyone else noticed local shops disappearing like this
For years I would just grab a paddle and a bucket and mix drywall mud by hand for like 15 minutes, always ended up with lumps. Last month I finally borrowed my neighbor's 1/2 inch drill and mixing paddle, got the whole bucket smooth in under 3 minutes. Now I can't believe I wasted all that time, has anyone else switched to a drill and felt dumb for not doing it sooner?
I saw online that baby powder can stop floor squeaks by filling gaps. So I dumped a FULL bottle under a loose board in my hallway. Now every time someone steps on it, a cloud of powder puffs up like a cartoon. My kids think it's hilarious, but I'm sneezing for hours. Has anyone found a less messy way to quiet a squeaky floor?
Last Saturday I tried using a cheap HVLP sprayer on my living room walls in Austin. Paint came out in thick blobs instead of a fine mist, and I ended up with drips running down every surface. After 20 minutes of frustration, I gave up and grabbed a 9-inch roller from the garage. The roller gave me a smoother finish in half the time, and I didn't have to spend an hour cleaning the sprayer afterwards. Has anyone else had a bad experience with budget paint sprayers?
I picked up a pack of those $3 plastic shutoff valves from a hardware store in Portland last spring. Installed one under the kitchen sink and it cracked after 4 months, flooded the cabinet and ruined the floor. Had to rip out 80 square feet of laminate and replace the particle board underneath. Spend the extra $12 on a brass valve and save yourself the headache. Anyone else learn this lesson the hard way?
I redid a 12x14 bedroom floor in my 1950s bungalow in Portland last month. Chose OSB because it was $40 cheaper per sheet than plywood. Now I feel like the OSB is gonna swell up if I ever spill a drink, and the screw holding feels softer. Did I mess up saving that cash, or is OSB fine for bedrooms if you keep it dry?
I always thought spending $8 on a quality brush was a rip-off until I tried a Purdy on some baseboards last weekend at my cousin's house. The difference in the finish was NIGHT and day, no streaks or bristles falling out everywhere. Has anyone else had a moment where buying a better TOOL completely changed your results?
My porch light started flickering last week and I taped the wire down like I always do. Then my neighbor, who's an electrician, saw it and just laughed. He said duct tape degrades fast and leaves sticky goo that makes future fixes harder. He showed me how to use wire nuts and electrical tape properly instead, and the whole fix took maybe 10 minutes for $4 worth of parts. Has anyone else been guilty of overusing duct tape on things that need a real repair?
I was patching a hole in my hallway last weekend and watched my neighbor try to fix a dent in his garage. He slathered on compound like butter on toast. Now he's sanding for hours and making a dust cloud. In my experience, thin coats with a wide knife work way better. You just need enough to cover the tape or fill the gap, not a mountain. Takes less time overall and way less mess. Anyone else see folks overdoing it?
I always ran a bead of caulk along the tub edge and smoothed it with my finger. Looked fine for a week then cracked every time. A plumber working on my neighbor's place told me to fill the tub with water first before caulking. I tried it last month and the seal has held through 3 showers no problem. Anyone else learn a basic thing way later than they should have?
I had a drip in my guest bathroom that kept me up at night for about 2 weeks. Called a plumber and he quoted me $150 just to come look at it. Figured I'd try replacing the washer first since I saw a video about it. Took me 20 minutes with a socket wrench and the drip stopped completely. Anyone else had good luck fixing old faucets with just a simple washer swap?
I was finishing my basement in Columbus last fall and skipped the vapor barrier on the interior walls. Three months later I peeled back the drywall and found mold growing behind it. Has anyone else dealt with moisture issues in a below-grade space?
I live in a old building in Brooklyn and my bathroom faucet had this slow drip. My landlord came by and just tightened the handle, said it was fine. Well three months later my water bill jumped from $50 to $250. Turns out the washer inside was completely worn out and the drip was actually worse than I thought. I watched a 10 minute YouTube video, bought a $3 washer kit at Ace Hardware, and fixed it myself in 20 minutes. Has anyone else had a landlord do a half fix that ended up costing you more?