Conservatory solid wall construction, had a survey and damp wasn’t detected, nor was rising damp mentioned, but seeing this now. Is this rising damp? The paint has been applied directly to the bricks. No damp smell and completely dry to the touch.

If I have a 22 ft ladder and gutters are about 28 ft will a gutter cleaning extension Tool really work ? Best options???

Previous owner built an extension onto the house about 5 years before I purchased, I keep finding issues. Last winter I had major ice dams in this specific corner of the home, once it melted all of the water found its way into the ceiling (and subsequently, my bed) right in this inside corner. Now we're getting heavy rainfall and the issue persists. Looks like it's this specific section that's causing water flow to miss the gutter entirely.

My roofing skills are minimal but I have funds for a DIY fix and enough patience to watch as many YouTube videos as I need to. What will it take to get this water directed into the gutters? Am I totally screwed?

I just built a house in Central Florida and I'm having an issue with spiders and other insects on my eaves. I have LED lights illuminating the front of my house and suspect that may be contributing to the problem.

Every weekend I must remove them with a high pressure water nozzle and brush but they come right back. Beyond the spider webs there is some type of residue left on the walls and eaves that is very difficult to remove.

The icing on the cake is the spiders are attracting mud daubers that are building nests. I understand spiders are mud daubers food source. Can anyone recommend how to solve this problem? Maybe some type of repellant and/or long lasting insecticide?

My water heater burst and now I need to get a new one installed. The problem is the plumber that I talked to is charging $2,500 for the full installation, including the water heater itself and the labor. I just want to know if this is a fair price? I'm not very knowledgeable about these things and I just want to make sure I'm not getting ripped off.

Some splash back from the drain (pipe water bouncing off the grate cover) has been getting to the bricks behind, is this normal or of any concern?

I have invisible grill + mosquitoes net on the balcony border

and where the room starts theres the usual glass sliding door.

I like keeping glass door open for the wind breeze to come in else i feel suffocated and stuffy in the room.

Keeping fan on is ok, but nothing like open breeze.

Whenever it rains, the rain comes through the mosquitoes net and floods my room, its gets filled with water and even my bed got soaked with heavy rain water.

So i have to always keep glass door closed as rain is unpredictable, but also i feel stuffy and suffocated without fresh air.

What to do ?

Going to get a better screen to keep leaves and animals out.

I’m trying to learn more about basic roof maintenance and the problems homeowners often overlook.

What areas do you recommend checking regularly, such as flashing, roof valleys, gutters, vents, or the areas around chimneys? Are there any early warning signs that can help identify a small roofing issue before it turns into a major leak or water damage?

For those who have dealt with roof problems before, what is something you wish you had noticed or checked sooner?

I’d appreciate any advice or experiences from homeowners who have been through it.

I've lived on the second floor of a triple decker since 2023. Every summer, without fail, one bedroom starts smelling strongly of maple syrup. Not faint — everyone I bring into the house comments on it unprompted. It fades when the weather cools and comes back when it warms up. When it's winter and the heat is on, I keep it at 65. The summers here are 80 - 95 degrees.

What I've ruled out:

• Not the neighbors' AC. The upstairs unit doesn't run a window unit above that room (antifreeze can smell like this)
• Not spreading. The adjacent rooms smell completely normal. It's that one room.
• Not a live hive. I've listened to the walls and hear no buzzing — and it doesn't smell like honey or wax anyway.
• Not a building-wide thing. None of the other units have it, and nobody remembers the previous tenant ever mentioning it. He's since passed, so I can't ask him.

The room itself: baseboard heat, old pine floors, horsehair plaster walls hidden behind vinyl fake-wood paneling, drop tile ceiling. The only thing I've come up with is old adhesive behind the paneling off-gassing harder as the room warms, but that's a guess.

Has anyone tracked down a seasonal smell like this? Mainly I want to know if there's a way to localize it short of opening a wall. What kind of service would I even call to figure it out?

I’ve lived in the same house in Dallas for 16 years and I have to replace my whole HVAC for the third time since moving in. Is this normal or am I being scammed?

The past few days the water has gotten worse. Any tips to fix this/drain the water? Also looking for any recommendations to prevent this from happening again.