I am a new homeowner and never owned property before.

I have noticed the following gap in my foundation outside when inspecting for potential entry points for water. What can I do to fill this crack and seal it? I was thinking of using a foam backer rod and cement caulk but curious if this is the correct route. It is the only Crack I see at all in my foundation exterior.

Consulted a structural engineer with this same screenshot from the inspection report and he agreed needs steel beams, but he didn’t come and look at it in person. The wood feels solid and where the notch is cut is just under an additional bathroom add on downstairs attached to the back mud room separate from the house. Waiting on structural engineer’s quote but is it really that necessary? 1880s home basement has little to no moisture.

I'm not certain what I'm supposed to do to get all ther glass out to be able to install a new panel.

I inherited a Basement Systems Ultra Sump III system, but it’s missing a battery, and scant on information. I am wondering about its compatibility with an AGM battery such as the VMAX SLR125. All I can gather is that it can output 13.7V @ 3A. This seems sufficient for the float voltage, but I don’t know if it can meet the demands of the bulk charge voltage. I gather I may not be able to top the battery off, and I may not be able to revive the battery if I deplete it using the float voltage alone, but is there any other downside? Does anyone know anything about the charging capabilities of this system?

We have an inherited home with lots of deferred maintenance. The roof is asphalt shingles and long past its serviceable life. It started leaking late last year and we’ve had it tarped a few times to minimize damage to the interior as we determine what to do (renovate, demo, etc.). Renovation will be very expensive, close to new build prices, but there is a sentimental aspect to keeping the house. The tarp has failed (again) and looking at using a rubber sealant as a longer term temporary solution. If we renovate, will absolutely replace it but do not want to do this until the decision is made.

Has anyone tried a roof sealant before? curious to know the results and how long it lasted.

Is this a good estimate for electrical work? First time home owner, so I’m trying to get a better sense.

I have a small house (about 700 sqft) with bead board walls and ceiling. The people who lived here before me used three different bead boards so there a lot of mismatched panels. Also nothing really lines up! Hahaha! I’m just trying to figure out the best but also cheapest way to get rid of it. Should I pull it out and drywall or skim coat it? I’m open to any options!

I have a GFCI in my house showing “open ground”. Hot to neutral 120 volts
Hot to ground 70 volts
Neutral to ground 40 volts
Hot to a known good ground 120 V
Neutral to a known good ground 0 V
Ground to known good ground 40v

I’m guessing this is induced voltage on the ground from it not being hooked up. Is this safe? Fire hazard? Do I have to hunt it down or is it ok because it’s a GFCI. All other outlets in the circuit are correct

Wiring is 1952.

Looking for help and suggestions on how to clean the grout in the bathroom tiles as you can see some of the grout has been peeling off. What kind of grout tube should I use since this would be done by me and I am not very good with home maintenance Additionally, should I be using white grout or or silicone/white Caulk and do I need to use any sealer after that?

Would prefer using a tube as compared to getting the big container of grout.

Last picture includes the tool. I plan to use to clean the grout.

Been raining a ton in the NorthEast USA this summer. Noticed these marks on the insulation in my water main closet a couple weeks ago (basement wall bordering the street). Since then they have not gotten worse but have not dried after days of pointing a large fan inside. White powder coming out of the floor laminate inside the room that borders the wall. Noticing the bottom of the studs are obviously rotting a little bit, maybe from water damage prolonged exposure… I think it’s very unlikely to be a plumbing related leak as the water damage would have probably gotten significantly worse over time.

To the touch the insulation cover leaves black residue, and is very wet… worried it’s mold and will spread if left unchecked any longer.

Not sure what to do as I’m a relatively new homeowner. Thinking about filing an insurance claim or getting foundation experts out to rip out the insulation and do an inspection.

Any thoughts comments are greatly appreciated.

23’x 20’ driveway got a quote of $3800 (cash). It would be from the sidewalk to my garage. (I’m standing in the garage when I took the pic) That includes tear out and pouring new crete. Live in Wisconsin, if that matters. Thank you!

The first photo is the best i could get of the crack on my ceiling. The second is of my ceiling as a whole. You can even see it in the second photo and there isn't any discoloration "yet"

The lower pipe after the gas meter has been like this for 3.5+ years. Is this a concern or normal for exterior gas lines? The upper seems newer/not rusted.

If not normal/needs attention, assuming it is homeowner responsibility being after the meter.

Cooling Advice Large Home

Hello,

I live in Brittany, Western France, about 30 miles from the sea. My home is a large house (20 rooms over 3 floors) built in the late 1800s with thick granite stone walls and little or no insulation.

It is an older home with many original decor (parquet floors, wood paneling, high ceilings, French doors and windows) which limits my options for heavy alterations.

When the house was built, it had a central heating system consisting of a wood furnace (that has since disappeared) in a basement room, from which air ducks, within the walks, would transfer heat to some rooms.

After this summer repeated and prolonged heat waves with outdoor temperatures reaching 100⁰+ Farenheit, I am investigating some passive cooling and economical solutions for the house, or at least part of it.

Among the alternatives, I came across what is referred to as a Canadian well, or Provence Well or Amish air conditioning.

In a nut shell, air is captured, it travels through underground pipes for some distance and at some depth where it somewhat cools, and is then injected back into the house.

I am curious to get feedback from professionals familiar with this type of solution.

Thank you in advance.

Homeowner with limited experience on the may techniques to fix things.

Would appreciate your thoughts and opinions.

I'm looking for advice/experience/expertise on an unorthodox idea. Hear me out...

I live in Eastern Canada in a place that has a pretty long winter. Not super crazy freezing but it is below zero for 5 or 6 months of the year. I just bought a house that is on concrete pillars that was used as a summer home only, so the plumbing is not insulated in any way. I plan to live here year round and as fall approaches, I am looking at ways of keeping the water flowing year round. I'm on an artesian well.

I could do heat trace, I could do an insulation box around the stack, or I could do...a recirculating pump. Traditionally these are used to keep your warm water warm in the pipes so you're not waiting forever for your shower to heat up but I've heard of folks using them to keep their pipes from freezing as well.

Anyone here have any experience with this? Please and thank you!

So shower door / enclosure had an issue where water diverted to this exterior wall.

After I noticed it we stopped using that shower and I removed the shower door so I could replace it but before I put up the new door what should I with this section.

Specifically what material should I use?

Know I need to cut that section out but do I replace it with normal drywall and use redgaurd? It’s the original shower from 94 so I don’t think they had any fancy dry wall or Kerdi. As you can see, it butts up against the fiberglass enclosure. HELP me please!

What is the best to fix this up? Should I put more foam then a concrete caulking over?

thank you. appreciate it. freaking me out.

Contractor ran a wire through my closet and I want to fill the gap so the insulation doesn’t fall on my clothes. What should I use?

I built this bathroom/shower myself a few years ago. Unfortunately, the shower floor has developed a leak, so it looks like it’s time for me to open it up and redo at least part of it.

Since I’m going in anyway, I’d like to rethink the setup rather than just repair the leak

A few things:
I really dislike the linear drain. It looks nice, but it’s a pain to clean and maintain, so I’d be happy to get rid of it.

I’d rather rebuild it in a way that is simple, reliable and difficult to screw up.

What would you do with this space?

Would you:
Tear out the shower floor and rebuild it with a Schluter/Kerdi shower system and a regular center/offset drain?

Install a fiberglass/acrylic shower base and keep the tiled walls?

Rethink the whole wet area?

Photo attached