r/HomeMaintenanceAdvice

We just had this new threshold put in last year, but every time it rains, this spot seems to get soaked. What can I do to stop it? Starting to notice a damp mildewy smell. Help!

We are working on updating a 40 year old house that we own. I would like to replace this exhaust fan cover but I’m wondering 1) if this is something I could do on my own or do I need an electrician to do it as it seems like it is bolted into the ceiling (and it is filthy, I know!!). 2) if I can do it on my own, how do I go about getting it off and replacing it? And 3) will a modern cover likely fit in this old one’s space? Or am going to have to like custom order a cover?

Does anyone have experience with this? Sorry if this is a silly question— I have no renovating experience and I am doing this on my own room by room; small steps at a time.

Note— the light does not turn on. Unsure if that is because a bulb is out or because it is not wired in to do so. We have found that everything in this house has been done half assed so that wouldn’t surprise me if it were the latter.

Thank you so much.

I need to replace the one on the other side, and I don’t know what they are called. They’re only about 5 feet in length, and the lip is a little under 2 inches high. Also is there a way to attach a downspout to direct water away from the structure?

Edit: This is just our pool house. (it's size is about 8'x16'), our home has traditional gutters. These upside down drip edges have been in place for 10+ years with no issues, but after all of the comments I took them off to check the wood underneath the shingles. The wood looked brand new, no signs of water damage anywhere. The ground is stone pavers, so no erosion of the ground/foundation. We get a good amount of rain here, and at least a few ice storms every year (2 inches of ice a few months ago), so maybe these work fine on smaller buildings? I'm starting to think that whoever installed them may have actually known what they were doing?

Not really sure if this is an issue or not. Does anyone know if this is something serious, or not too big of a deal? Came up in an inspection of a home that I'm currently looking at and the inspector said he couldn't tell me if it meant anything was wrong with the foundation and I would need to consult an expert. Seems like it might just be the edging block or something.

Home Depot is selling 6 foot emerald green arborvitae for the cheapest price I can find. I live on a corner lot and want to buy a bunch of these because they offer bulk discount which brings them to 47 per tree. I have heard they can randomly die, but I also heard they grow well in the Midwest. I feel like these are my only option since im not allowed to build a privacy fence next to the street. what are my options?

thanks!

A slab on the walkway to my front door is cracked and sinking in. They are only about 5 years old and I'm sad that one is already looking this bad. It's about 3 feet wide and 4 feet long. How much would just one of these slabs cost to replace? I'm trying to figure out if it's even worth it because I'm not sure it would be possible to match the same color as the others. I want to know how this happens so I can prevent it from happening again and wasting money.

We just bought a new house, and the woman who lived here did not take any care of the lawn for the last several years. So there seem to be years of incredibly matted pine needles & leaves. We’ve gotten most of the leaves, but these pine needles are such a pain. ~1/2 acre that is mostly just this crap. Trying to figure out where to start!

Currently under contract on a home. Seller's disclosure said no knowledge of mold. However, during the inspection contingency period, the inspector found a lot of mold in the attic and a lot of evidence that they tried to treat it already with mold paint. I'm not sure how dangerous this type of mold is but it doesn't look so great. Either way it looks like they lied about it completely and are trying to keep the earnest money. Is this mold treatable or should I try my best to get out no matter what?

Since moving into our apartment the floors have continually come up like this no matter how much we fix it. We could put in a maintenance ticket but we are worried about invasiveness since it is a whole floor issue. I’m sure it is caused by the bed (I’m a toss and turner) and we’re not in a place where we can afford a nice rug to cover the entire surface of the bed. Any tips on how to fix this or what to do?

Purchased a house a few months ago and just discovered an immense amount of dirt and dust and whatever else gross things are living there inside of my HVAC system. There is a lot more than the photos convey. My question is, would air vents in this condition have the ability to affect my health if I am breathing this air in my house for long enough?

Hello,

I recently purchased a gas Samsung dryer for my house since there is only a gas hookup. However, I did not realize that it would be so difficult to find someone to actually hook it up. All of the companies I have called said that they would charge me $100 just to come look at it. The only plumbing company that I got to come look at it free of charge said they were going to give me a good deal and only charge me $500 to hook it up and tried to scare me that if i try to hook it up myself the house might blow up to pressure me to sign. Keep in mind I have the kit and all the materials to hook it up and my home has the standard outlet.

My research tells me an experience plumber should have no trouble connecting the line to the dryer within 15-20 minutes. $500 is what I paid for the dryer and if I knew it was going to be so expensive I would have rather paid an electrician to install an outlet for an electric dryer even though it would be more overall, I could use it to charge electric cars as well. However, I cannot return the dryer anymore.

Does anyone have any advice for me? Am I getting scammed or is this the normal thing now adays and how did I not know it was this difficult/expensive to hook up a gas dryer to a house?

Long story short I ordered a ton of wood chips and after they were delivered onto my driveway, I started to quickly notice a terrible rotting smell that reminded me of a pig farm. I even smelled it in the air from really far away. It came in a few different colors. What am I supposed to do with this stuff, would it make good mulch or should I try getting a refund? Starting to worry that my neighbors will report me to the city due to the smell.

This chimney cap looks like it needs to be replaced, how feasible is it for me to buy a new one and install it myself? I'm getting quotes of $500+ just to replace it not including materials.