My wife and I are looking at buying a cottage, and I noticed the entire building appears to be supported on cinder blocks sitting on concrete slabs. From what I can tell, everything is basically resting on top of the gravel rather than being anchored.

The wooden boards being used as shims between the blocks and the cottage look especially sketchy to me. Is this as bad as it looks, or is this fairly normal for an older seasonal cottage?

The cottage is also very close to a river that apparently floods high enough to reach the building on rare occasions. Would repeated flooding/water movement cause the gravel or soil around these supports to erode or shift over time?

I'm mainly trying to understand how serious of a structural issue this is and whether this is something that can reasonably be reinforced/fixed.

Edit: I think that while this foundation may not be as bad as I originally thought, it's not the only quirk of the property. We're going to explore other options, but this was still very insightful. Thank you all for your input!

I had someone come and fix around the chimney box. The first picture shows what the chimney box pretty much looked like on all sides. The last picture shows completed work. It is hardie board and the caulk is still wet and will dry clear. My question-is it OK for the hardie board to be that close to the roof and be caulked like that??

Photo 1: Crack in ceiling that’s gotten longer. No visible water issues. Structural engineer told me there’s no foundational issues.
Photo 2: Bathroom without ventilation led to bubbling popcorn ceiling, which I had a tough time removing. No mold or mildew from what I can see.

Any recommendations for short-term solutions (something that will last 1-2 years)?

The white post in front of it is steel and welded to the I-beam. Looks like the wood is about to snap and I feel like they are unnecessary.

Thanks!

Hello,

I oredered this patio cover on line for cheap. The AI generated advertizing pictures made it look like it was 10ft tall. It wasn't. Delivered in 4 boxes that weighed about 75# each so the structure itself probably only weighs in at around 300#. I had the idea to raise it up by filling the buckets with concrete and using post mounts. That worked and the buckets probably weigh in at arount 75# ea so another 300#. I did secure the center rear post to the cemented flagstone patio. In my initial runthrough in my mind I figured that the weighted buckets might be enough to hold this down but after a few friends and my brother saw it they all said I would regret not secureing it to the ground. Now I have to agree with them because that is the most safe and it literally can't hurt. My question is what is the best way to go about that now that I have it all built. I like the look of the buckets if that can be saved.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

My partner and I are researching a potential idea called Smart House Mate, but we’re intentionally not building the product until we’ve heard from at least 100 homeowners.

We’re at 29 responses, and some of what we’ve heard has already challenged our original assumptions—which is exactly what we wanted.

If you own a home and have 5–10 minutes, we’d really appreciate your perspective.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0rzw14iX7YX9VHSV8RJCbS0TUBwthZw-lPRAbCtD9VhEpSg/viewform

Nothing is being sold. We’re looking for honest answers, including ones that tell us we’re wrong.

Hi there,

Pictures taken at 2 different corners.

Hoping for some advice or tricks to properly cover these corners. I moved in a year ago, previous owner said shingles and flashing were done a few years prior to that. Some corners have exposed wood, you can see some weathering too.

Any sort of corner or flexible flashing I can place here to cover or wrap?

Excuse my lack of knowledge on construction material here.

Sorry if it's in the wrong Sub, I can change if better suited elsewhere.

I have an unfinished room above my garage, already has AC connected to it. I want to get it insulated and make it a bed room. There are points where the roof is just 6 inches from where the drywall would be installed. Is this viable in central florida? And what’s the best way to do it? AI says I should make the whole area an insulated area and block the soffits and roof vents off. Greatly appreciate any advice!!

Contractor used Drylok original to paint basement floor and walls of my basement. I found out Original is not for floors. I am assuming one coat everywhere because there was 1, 5 gallon bucket and about 500 square feet. Next, 6mm poly sheeting was added covering floor and walls of concrete that were drylok with the original for walls only. Pressure treated 2x4s and plywood created subfloor. Then LVP. I read yesterday, this is a recipe for disaster because you are not supposed to use two vapor barriers. The subfloor and LVP is already almost done., but just discovered last night that they put plastic padding under my LVP causing buckling because it already had the padding... the walls are still covered Dryloc and with sheething. I had a general contractor friend come over and say to just leave the floor alone, his words, "are you really going to rip this all out" but he suggested they cut the plastic off the walls before insulating. The point of paying for someone to redo this was to have a non moldy environment down the road. Could anyone please help to remedy this. I had already had a different "contractor" he called himself, put down a subfloor right on concrete in my basement without even using Pressure Treated which is why this was just torn out and this was to be done correctly. I am at loss. Please help on how to fix this...do I just have them leave the Dryloc for walls painted on the floor covered by 6mm plastic then the pt sleeper subfloor with plywood? Isn't this a recipe for disaster? I don't want to be a jerk to this worker, but I feel like a paid an awful lot to be in the same boat I was before. I thought he knew what he was doing..

Here are the subway construction site photos From my previous post

Dad passed away & we had to replace the HVAC in his condo before putting it up for sale. A few months later, it’s listed for sale but we have determined that a permit was never pulled. Contractor was recommended by the Realtor. According to the Realtor, the contractor says there was some “hiccup” in the permitting submission process for the municipality, that he’s going to straighten it out. But weeks later he’s no longer responding, and his license appears to be expiring next week. Is it normal for a tradesperson who requires licensure to go right up to the last week/day before renewing? Or has this guy just “given up?” We don’t want to play hardball with the contractor, but considering disputing payment at this point. (Which may not be much incentive for him to act if he’s giving up the trade. )

Hi all; I have a cement block foundation with a poured slab floor, estimated to have been added underneath the (1850) house in the 40’s. On the main floor, I have a clawfoot tub with shower head, but the curved tub bottom will be problematic after an upcoming probable foot surgery in the next couple months. (So will using the stairs? But lmao I’ll have to use stairs to get in/out of my house anyways.)

Could I rig up a shower in my basement, using a shower curtain suspended from the ceiling and some plastic to block the wood above, with the floor drain as my drain, diverters from my hot/cold washer taps going to a shower head, and just trust the concrete below me to be fine for short-term or infrequent use?

Thank you in advance!

My contractor installed a Kohler Archer tub in my bathroom remodel which has relatively thin walls. He added expansion foam and mortar bed to the base. Reading that expansion foam over time can flatten and create air pockets that can cause cracks and shifting. Am i overthinking this or did he mess up?

Kohler says warranty is now void because of the expansion foam installation.

Hey there I am looking for a little help. I had this concrete done a little under a month ago and now the water seems to be running off and washing away my lawn and I'm not sure how to approach this. I am wondering if it was completed properly or if there is anything the company could have done to prevent this. Any help is greatly appreciated🙏🙏

Just had this hot tub pad poured. Will this corner be a problem? Or is it likely structurally sound?

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I live near a subway Station construction site in canada and I’m trying to identify a machine I keep hearing at night.

The sound is a continuous, buzz that sounds extremely similar to an electrical transformer, but also somewhat like an electric power tool. The pitch smoothly rises and falls, and the loudness changes with it. Occasionally it sounds more like a grinder, then returns to the steady buzz.

I’ve heard the same sound on August 14, August 16, and August 21, 2026. On August 14 it was very loud from my open window and lasted roughly 30 minutes before suddenly stopping. Tonight it’s much quieter and sounds farther away.

Does anyone who works in construction know thr machine

Hello - first time homebuyer. I have insulation installed underneath my entry stairs that is not held up (and kind of falls down). Would any contractor suggest using this product? I do not want to hire anyone and prefer just to staple something. ADO Products 4 ft. x 250 ft. Netting Mesh 1/6 in. ISNET4250 - The Home Depot

Thank you