c/diy-home-repair

Unpopular opinion: I think patching drywall with mesh tape is a total waste of time

Spent 3 hours fixing a crack in my hallway last month only to have it bubble up again - my buddy who does this for a living told me paper tape is way better for corners. Has anyone else had mesh tape fail on them like that?

Swapped my 1/2 inch drywall screws for 5/8ths after the ceiling cracked twice in my garage

I used to grab whatever drywall screws were cheapest at Home Depot for any job. Then I did my garage ceiling last spring and had two panels sag and crack within 3 months. My buddy Mike who does drywall for a living told me I needed 5/8 inch screws for ceiling work because the weight is different. He showed me how the shorter ones barely grab the joists overhead. Now I check the screw length against the drywall thickness plus the joist depth before I start. What length do you guys use for bathroom ceilings with 1/2 inch board?

Caught myself sanding drywall joints wrong for 2 years until a pro laughed at me at Lowes

I was doing the little back and forth motion like I was polishing a car. Some older guy walks by, stops, and goes 'son you're just making divots'. Showed me to go with the seam, long smooth strokes. My walls finally look flat. Anyone else have a basic technique click way later than it should have?

Just realized I've been sanding plywood wrong for years

I always sanded with the grain on plywood and wondered why my finish looked rough. Watched a guys video last night who said you have to sand in circles and use 120 grit max or the veneer tears. Anyone else make this mistake or am I just slow?

Spent 4 hours trying to fix a toilet fill valve that just needed a quarter turn

My neighbor swore by WD-40 for squeaky floors, so I sprayed the whole upstairs hallway

He said 'if it moves and shouldn't, use WD-40' so I drenched every creaky board in my 1920s bungalow. Turns out it just made the wood swell and now half my floorboards are popped up, anyone know how to fix that without calling a pro?

That 100-year-old window I fixed myself finally closed without a stick

I live in a 1920s bungalow in Dayton where the original double hung windows are mostly functional but finicky. Last month I hit the milestone of restoring my 12th window sash, replacing the old cotton ropes with new sash cord and repainting the tracks. It took about 2 hours per window once I got the rhythm down, and now every window opens with one finger. Has anyone else tackled old wood windows and found a trick for getting the parting bead to stay put without nails?

Tried to patch a drywall hole with spackle instead of joint compound

I had this quarter-sized hole from a doorknob and figured spackle would be fine since it was so small. After three coats and a ton of sanding, it still cracked and looked like a mess. Has anyone else had better luck with spackle on small repairs or should I just stick to joint compound?

That time I tried to fix a leaky toilet and it took me 4 hours

So I woke up last Saturday with a slow drip coming from the tank of my toilet in the spare bathroom. I figured it would be a quick fix, maybe tighten a bolt or replace a rubber flapper, right? Well, I started at 9 AM and by 1 PM I was still staring at puddles on the floor. Turns out the old fill valve was so crusted with calcium that I had to use a wrench and some vinegar to even get it loose. Then I dropped a tiny washer down the drain and spent 30 minutes fishing it out with a coat hanger. The funny part is that after all that, the leak was fixed, but the new valve was so tight it made a whistling sound every time it refilled. I had to take it apart again and sand the rubber seat a bit to stop it. Has anyone else had a simple toilet fix turn into a whole morning project?

Can we talk about how laminate flooring is way better than hardwood for basements

Everyone says hardwood is the only way to go for resale value but I went with laminate in my basement in Omaha after the 2019 flood. Three years in and it still looks great no warping or swelling even with occasional dampness from the sump pump. My buddy spent triple on hardwood and already has cupping near the walls. Anyone else take the cheaper route and end up happier?

Tried fixing a leaky faucet last month and somehow ended up flooding my bathroom for 3 hours

I was just trying to swap a washer on my kitchen sink in Austin and next thing I know water is pouring out of a pipe I didn't even touch, has anyone else had a simple job turn into a disaster like that?

Took me 3 tries to finally believe in self-leveling compound

I was fixing up a small bathroom in my house near Nashville last spring and the floor had a dip of about a quarter inch across six feet. My buddy kept telling me to just use self-leveling compound instead of shimming the whole subfloor. I figured it was just fancy thin-set and would crack like crazy. Finally gave in after watching a video of a guy pour a whole basement slab smooth. Mixed up a bag from Home Depot for like $30 and spread it out. That stuff actually leveled itself out perfectly with barely any work from me. Now I'm wondering if there's any trick to getting it even flatter or if I just got lucky with the mix consistency.

Paid $180 for a pipe inspection camera and it paid for itself in one weekend

Found a slow drain in my basement last Saturday and instead of calling a plumber for $300 I grabbed this cheap camera off Amazon. Turns out a toy car my kid dropped down the vent years ago was the culprit. Fished it out with a wire hanger in 20 minutes. Has anyone else had luck with those budget cameras or did I just get lucky?

Spent $40 on a cheap drain snake and it snapped in half on the first use last Tuesday

Had to call a plumber anyway for the clogged kitchen sink after that, and he said the cable on those $20-$40 snakes is made of garbage steel, so has anyone had luck with a specific brand of manual snake that actually holds up on tough clogs?

The 6 inch drywall patch that ate my whole Saturday

I had a small hole from a doorknob impact, figured I'd slap a patch on it in like 30 minutes max lol. Ended up spending 4 hours fighting with mesh tape that kept bubbling and mud that refused to set right. Has anyone else had a simple drywall fix turn into an all day project for no reason?

Finally gave in and tried expanding foam for a gap around my kitchen sink

I was sure it would just make a mess and never set right but after that gap kept collecting crumbs for 6 months I grabbed a can from Lowes for $8. Did it cleanly in under 10 minutes and now nothing falls down there anymore. Has anyone else had expanding foam work way better than they expected for sealing weird gaps?

Picked the wrong insulation for my attic in 2017 and still paying for it

When I reinsulated my attic near Spokane I had to choose between fiberglass batts and blown-in cellulose. I went with fiberglass because it was cheaper by about $200 at the time. Now I'm dealing with gaps settling that let heat escape every winter. Has anyone else regretted a similar insulation choice?

Finally fixed that leaky kitchen faucet after three tries

Dripped for six months and I kept buying the wrong washer size from Lowe's. Third attempt with a universal kit and some Teflon tape and it's bone dry now, anyone else have a simple fix turn into a whole saga?

Found my basement floor had a 2 inch slope I never noticed

So I'm putting in some new shelving in my basement near Cincinnati and I level the first post, level the second, and by the time I get to the third one the bubble is totally off. I grab a 6 foot level and drag it across the whole floor and sure enough the slab drops a full 2 inches from one wall to the other over about 12 feet. No idea how I missed it for 3 years since I moved in. The old owner must have just poured it that way or it settled like crazy. Anyone else find a WILD floor slope in their house that you only notice when you try to put up shelving?

Drywall anchor trick I wish I knew sooner

I hung a heavy mirror in my bathroom last month, about 25 pounds. Used those plastic toggle bolts that come with the kit. Went through two of them because the drywall crumbled around the hole before I got the bolt tight. Finally tried this trick where you drill a pilot hole the same size as the anchor, then tap it in with a hammer instead of screwing it. Worked perfect on the third try. Has anyone else had better luck with metal anchors over plastic for heavier stuff?

Appreciation post: My deck survived a whole winter without splitting

I built a small cedar deck last fall out behind my garage. Checked the boards this morning and zero cracks or warping after all that snow and ice. Did anyone else's outdoor wood projects make it through the season okay?

PSA: Check your attic insulation depth before winter hits, learned this the hard way

Last month I went up to swap out a bathroom fan and noticed my insulation was only about 4 inches deep in spots. House was built in 1985 and I guess nobody had added any since. My heating bill for January was $320 which seemed high. Added another 8 inches of blown-in cellulose and now the house stays way more even temp. Did any of you get a shock from your utility bills before fixing attic insulation?

Found a cheap way to fix a squeaky floor without pulling up carpet

I had this annoying squeak in my hallway right near the door, drove me nuts for 6 months. I tried those squirt bottle kits but they just made a mess on the carpet backing. Has anyone used a floor screw system where you snap off the head, and did it actually last more than a few weeks?

Why I think most people overspend on paint for interior rooms

Last week my neighbor repainted her living room and spent nearly $80 a gallon on that fancy brand with the built-in primer. I did my own living room 3 years ago using the mid-tier store brand from Lowes for $28 a gallon, and it still looks great after two kids and a dog. Everyone says you have to buy the expensive stuff for good coverage, but I did two coats on a 12x14 room and it covered perfectly. I used a 3/8 inch nap roller and got even finish without any splatter. Has anyone else had good luck with the cheaper paints or am I just lucky?

Tried using a shop vac to unclog a kitchen sink drain after watching a YouTube video...

I had a slow drain for weeks and after dumping $12 in chemicals down there with no luck, I stuck the shop vac hose over the drain opening with a rag and it pulled out a clump of grease in about 30 seconds... has anyone else tried this trick or am I just asking for a pipe collapse?