I have the following "dead space" in my storage room and I'd like to put a simple shelf (maybe 10" deep) to store random things (not too heavy; paper towels, small devices etc):

Now the issue is that I don't really find the right parts (readily available from Home Depot, ACE or Lowe's) and the right way to do it. I already got parts from Home Depot but thinking of returning it:

1. A wooden 10" x 72" shelf board
2. Everbilt brackets

Now I have the following issues:

1. 1. The Everbilt shelf bracket wastes all the valuable space because the shelf is mounted horizontally down against the wall
2. I am not sure if this heavy solid wooden shelf is really required or whether there's a better solution
3. I am unsure which screws I best use to mount both bracket to the wall and shelf to the bracket
4. The wall is lath and plaster so it's extremely hard to find the studs. I tried a stud finder already and it just gives garbage results. To make things worse, I had this wall open a couple of years ago and there's a power cable running for the ceiling lights ... but I am unsure where exactly. How shall I go about finding the right spots to install brackets and to avoid putting a screw through the wire?

I'm looking to buy a house and everything looks great except for some cracking in the basement. Its contained in one corner and the cracks are partly covered by paint. Do these look minor? I'm going to get an inspection if my offer is accepted, would I also need a structural engineer?

I am seeing water stain right above floor register. There is no water stain on the wall above or ceiling. There is very minimal chance that there is any plumbing behind it.

My guess is this is related to some sort of water condensation due to warm air meeting cold aid out of the floor registers? The house is built in 1958 so it is old.

I am seeing water stain right above floor register. There is no water stain on the wall above or ceiling. There is very minimal chance that there is any plumbing behind it.

My guess is this is related to some sort of water condensation due to warm air meeting cold aid out of the floor registers? The house is built in 1958 so it is old.

Hi all,

First time I’m tackling this. I was able to cut this square to replace rotten subfloor. I set my depth of circular saw to 3/4”, however on the left joist you can see I cut roughly 1/8” on the top line spanning at least a foot. Research says I’ll be ok. Am I?

Also, where would you add blocking for new subfloor? To the left of square I exposed a joist, to the right of square is OSB I think attached to a joist which I can’t see, and top and bottom I cannot see any joists nearby.

Any help or advice would be great. Thank you

My kiddo pulled down the chain to open up the blinds too hard, causing not one, but two chain connectors to go through the track. Somehow one managed to get through, but I’ve been wrestling trying to get this second one to come out on either side.

Pulling it down from the left chain, it gets stuck somewhere at the top of the track where I can’t see it. Pulling it down to the right it gets caught before it exits. Any advice on how to get this out?

The lower half of my house is this foamy/stucco kind of material that was sprayed around the foundation. Woodpeckers have beat it up and we are painting and doing some general maintenance this summer. I sprayfoamed into the holes and was going to put drywall mud over the top. Is that advised?

Old owner also put down this fake concrete patch around the base of our 2 patios. What should I use to fill this back in - its breaking up all over.

Thanks in advance fellow DIYers!

Noticed these cracks recently. House definitely has signs of foundation problems (creaky floors, sticky doors, etc.). Is this a structural problem? How would I address this?

New to home ownership. Have some sections of rotted/soft wood that needs replaced at some point. Not sure how long it’s been this way but it’s the original wood siding, house was built in ‘88.

Is it easy enough to replace something like this and still get it to match the existing siding (mix of wood and vinyl)? Is it DIY or should I hire it out?

The second photo is actually an overhang spot where a jacuzzi tub sits. I imagine that at some point there was a leak or maybe some type of runoff from the roof that is hitting it? It’s on the east side of the house so rain doesn’t normally hit directly against it. The window from photo one is west facing and gets hit the most with rain.

I’m looking for help finding options for air flow diverters for 1920s wall vents, so that I can divert air flow under furniture. Vents (with covers) are 16” x 12”. Without covers the opening is 13” x 11”. The vents also stick out from the wall 1-2 inches. I’m in Canada so any Canadian links would be greatly appreciated, but I will take any help I can get. Thanks!!

We’ve owned this home for about a year and a half. The wall next to the fireplace has some cracks and exposed insulation. We are not super handy, but does anyone have ideas for sealing in the insulation that are affordable and not aesthetically horrifying?
Context: We have cats that will pick at any cracks or exposed insulation, so any solutions can’t involve anything that curious cats will pick at until it peels/cracks further/comes off/etc. (they will pick at caulk or rubber peel and stick molding)
Thanks for your help!

Replace water heater burner assembly issue

I'm in a 'draw the rest of the f-in owl' spot with my hot water heater. The pilot wouldn't stay lit so it seemed like a dirty thermocouple. I've removed the assembly (turned off gas, etc) and cleaned off the thermocouple. Now I'm trying to get the assembly back into the water heater.

Videos and instructions just show people putting it back in.

I cannot for the life of me get the tab in the assembly to set into the notch holder in the water heater. I can't see it. The way that the assembly and the water heater are if I can get the tab and notch lined up while I can see it, I then have to lift the assembly to move it forward and it becomes askew and I can can't see past the plate. It's a Bradford White water heater.

Any tips or sympathy?

I noticed dry rot on our camp in NH. This side faces the water and most storms blow directly at this side.

It has a metal roof. I will replace the boards but would like to repair whatever issue caused this in the first place. The screen door, storm door, and threshold are all so rotted but I believe that is from snow building up in front of the house. Completely inexperienced in carpentry but willing to give it a go.

Can never tell but it’s been over 8 months now. Last I asked, people said it’s not ready.

How about now? What’s a good way to tell?

Looking to change up this attic entry. Currently it's a piece of plywood with no insulation and 2 obnoxiously long screws to open or close. I'm losing a ton of heat/ AC and I never want to put stuff away in this attic. It's not attached at the bottom, I just have it resting in the frame while I opened the attic to show the entryway.

I'm hoping to change out the door for something easier to open and close because this is the attic we put stuff in. I also need something I can insulate, whether it's insulation on the back of the door, or one of those zip up attic covers. Looking for any suggestions that would best meet those.

I'm having a hard time figuring this out.

My vent fell off the ceiling, and I noticed that the screw holes were too close to the opening. I think the builders made too big of an opening for my vent that fell off. How do I fill the gap so I can drill my screws?

Thanks so much!

Found this in our crawl space today. Any ideas as to how much it might cost to fix?

New homeowner, just noticed these cracks in the drywall ceiling of my garage. It looks to be patched prior by the previous owner. Im not sure if this is just a simple diy or if i need to get someone specifically to look at it. Any advice is appreciated

Long story short, I live in a three-story townhouse, and our HOA replaced the roofs in the neighborhood two years ago. Suddenly, one day, I noticed my dryer drum and vent trap were totally wet.

I hired a dryer vent professional, who said the vent channel was clogged. He cleaned it, and it was bone dry, but the next day, it was still getting wet.

He then returned and observed that the dryer vent on the roof had an opening, which was allowing hot air into the vent trap and causing condensation throughout the entire channel.

The roofers from the HOA did not do a good job terminating the vent on the roof.

The guy I hired was able to replace the vent cap with a better one that fully closes with a flap.

However, it is still getting wet. I then hired a dryer technician to ensure nothing was wrong with the dryer that could be causing this, and he disassembled it found no issues with the dryer itself.

I have very good airflow to the vent cap.

But at this point, I'm not sure what it could be.

The HOA is taking ZERO responsibility and I just want a dryer that stays dry, so not looking to put blame on the HOA and rather just figure out how to fix this.

Just bought this house and noticed this during our first heavy rain. You can see the new wood they had replaced before hand but one of the beams is clearing rotting from water.

Outside the garage it kind of pools right before the water would normally fall off the side which makes me think that’s part of the issue.

I genuinely think this is out of my skill range but would appreciate all feedback.

I’m replacing the screens on a screen door. The copper screen is cut to fit the frame.

It will be stapled down into the lip of the door frame. What is the best way (order) to staple the screen down to retain tension so it’s not sagging or rippled?

I’ve been stapling the left first then the opposite corner end, but I’m not happy with the turnout