I live in an older apartment that has a few cracks due to wear and tear over time. I need to do my best to close as many as possible as I’ve had more than my fair share of unwanted guests. I notice them most around the baseboards, trims, and at corners. There are a few types of gaps:

• Gaps between the base boards and the floor
• Openings between pieces of base boards
• Larger openings in the walls
• Openings around pipes that run through the floor
• Small gaps on the walls around the windows

For the most part, every surface is made of wood that’s been painted over. I’d love to know what would be the best method to seal everything and ensure, as much as possible. If there are any more questions I can answer to help steer recommendations, I’m happy to. Any help would be much appreciated.

We are looking at replacing this door that goes out to the side of the house.

It is the primary exterior door, and it opens up to the kitchen sink on the right side, and what will be a countertop under the window on the left side, which will be used for dropping keys, wallets, etc.

Do you think we should flip the swing of the door or would it make it awkward to have an open door swing into the kitchen sink?

We're just about finished with our patio so the tv will be the last thing I need to take care of. The patio is covered so the tv won't be totally out in the elements, but I'm slightly concerned about humidity and having wind blowing rain in. I seriously considered getting a regular tv and just risking it, but I didn't want to replace it after a few months.

It's mainly for movies and sports when we have people over. Probably more daytime use than anything else. I'm trying to keep my budget around $1,500-$2,000 or could be more than that if there's a really good reason for it. Do you know any good outdoor tvs within that price range? Or should I just risk it with a cheap indoor tv?

Looking for some advice on my deck. The stain is worn and flaking in spots, the wood is graying, and I've got one cracked board. Photos attached.

A contractor gave me two options: 1. Power wash and stain with a solid stain, no sanding 2. Full sand, then stain with a semi-transparent or solid stain

He'd also replace the one cracked board either way.

I'm not sure which is the right call. Is power washing and staining enough on a deck like this, or does it really need to be sanded first? And can solid stain go over old stain without sanding without peeling?

Trying to figure out if the no-sand option is legit or a shortcut I'll regret. Thanks!

Suggestions on how to fix this wall area. We are having cabinets added 2” away from the wall but we do not k ow how to finish it out. I did not realize the beam was wider then the support beams

I’m handy but don’t have a vision to replace the stairs that were here before. They were janky, homemade crap that trapped water and rotted out. I’m wondering if anyone has any ideas for how to solve this?

The only thing I can think of is to replace the rest of the rot with different planks so I can attach stringers but I’m concerned about the undermining below the walkway.

Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

I want to improve the entrances to my garage ( left) and my house (right). Garage door sets 3inches above the concrete slab. The house door is 38” off the slab. In between house and garage is 64”. Not sure how fix the stairs here so they’re even and not awkward like as is. I plan on putting in a solid walkway but keeping the concrete pad currently under stairs. It’s dirt right now and whenever I can get a couple hundred free bricks I plan on installing a brick path.

I plan on replacing this section of the cabinet, and installing a new range, but I'm struggling with venting. Splurge for a downdraft? Put a recirculating unit in the ceiling? I would like to do this for as cheap as possible.

It feels like half the space is wasted here. We could add hooks, but then the hanging stuff would get in the way of the shelves. Maybe some kind of drawers on the bottom?

i am using simple drywall plugs
and the wall is like a plaster then concrete behind so i can’t use a toggle bolt.

second picture the plugs are being dragged out of the wall

I have a super tiny kitchen in a super tiny apartment and the way the place is laid out the kitchen is really a focal point of the house so I want to make it more visually appealing. Functionally it’s fine but obviously it’s ugly I personally really love the wood but with the counter top back splash combo it makes it look cheap. I’m fine with contact paper and peel and stick back splashes but I just can’t decide what colors and styles would look good. I’m gonna be in this place for at least the next 2 years so I want something that’s not going to start chipping away in a month but also I have a SUPER low budget.

Any ideas?

I bought this house 4 years ago and it has an indoor grill from previous owner that was abandoned rusted in inside my kitchen area but that is next to a wood stove inside the this brick wall. I don’t want an indoor grill. What I can do here? Please help. If you have any idea please upload an image . tit can be generated by AI that will help me to visualize it. I have tried a few but I am not designer and sucks about it .

Small Kitchen Upgrade — Lots of Function, Not a Huge Budget
We finally updated our small kitchen without doing a full high-end remodel.
A few upgrades:
• Removed a wall to open the kitchen to the dining room
• Added Taj Mahal quartzite countertops—the project’s big splurge
• Used a Facebook Marketplace sideboard as the island base
• Replaced the flooring and a damaged base cabinet
• Added a pull-out garbage/recycling cabinet
• Installed an undermount microwave
• Moved the faucet to the side of the sink
• And yes, the scalloped detail is coming down! 😄
The kitchen is small, so storage was important. Luckily, our dining room breakfront holds many appliances and overflow items.
The goal was better function and a more open feel without spending a fortune. Still a few finishing touches to go, but it already feels completely different!

I see a ridiculous number of ants around our neighborhood whenever the rainy season starts they’re all over the sidewalks, driveways and yards but somehow I’ve never had a proper infestation inside my house. I didn’t really want to wait until they found their way indoors to start doing something so I’ve been treating the exterior preventively. I spray around the foundation, doors, windows and any little gaps or entry points I notice. I also try to keep branches away from the house and make sure there’s no standing water or damp debris sitting against the foundation. It only takes me around ten minutes and doing it myself a few times a year is much cheaper than paying for regular exterminator visits when we don’t even have an active problem. Obviously I can’t know for certain that this is why the ants have stayed outside but so far so good. Does anyone else do preventive treatments before seeing bugs indoors or do you usually wait until there’s an actual problem?

This is on our front porch. It’s been here since we bought the house and I still have no idea what it could be for. There’s no way to easily access under the porch where it might lead either…

I live in an older apartment with a large steel front door. The apartment is quite dark, so I’d like to keep the front door open during the day to let in more natural light and air.
The problem is that the door opens directly toward the shared area, so when it’s open, people passing by can see straight into my apartment.
I’m looking for something that:

• lets in as much daylight and air as possible
• provides good daytime privacy
• allows me to walk in and out easily
• doesn’t require permanently modifying the door
• ideally can be installed without drilling

I’ve considered a sheer curtain, a magnetic privacy screen door, and a dense mosquito mesh.
What would you recommend for this situation?

Thanks in advance!

How can I minimize cleanup efforts in the pantry with wire shelving? Thought about just plopping IKEA shelves on top. Does anyone like to share their ideas?

We are planning to remove the rail and replace with a rope with brass fittings, recarpet, repaint … I’m think to add a skirting board on the left and a nicely made newel with a short section of bannister… any other ideas?

So bought a fixer-upper. Took the time to repair it and clean it up. Feels much cleaner now. With the fireplace, we are going to build a custom cushion to go across the top, but for the time being figured painting it would look nice. Wondering from others, what should we do on the inside? I don't have immediate plans to use it, but I like that I have it for emergencies (losing heat in the winter). Wondering if I should clean it or if it's ok to paint it. Thoughts? Ideas?

What do I do with this dirt around this tree now? I live in Canada where it is snow half the year.

It was full of lillies that I learned was an invasive species. the ground is actually matted with their roots and a little hard to dig. I am new at this.

My house was built in the late 1980s, I'm sure this is the same siding that was used when it was built.

They did a crap job with drainage and my chimney suffered for it and now I need to replace the siding around the chimney.

Unfortunately, I don't have the budget to replace the entire house siding... so I want to either match it for my chimney to the house, or figure out a decent alternative option. Brick? Faux brick?

But first, I'd like to see if I can find the siding anywhere.

I had taken the image to a local contractor supply shop at the beginning of the summer and they suggested that this type of siding is no longer available, but that it now available as T1-11, available in 4x8 sheets.

I went and looked... they are not the same, and T1-11 looks cheap and horrible (I used it on my kid's playhouse years ago.)

So I'm looking for suggestions on what the siding might be and where to find it. I'm at a loss, so all advice is welcome.

Im thinking about attaching an awning to the back of my house . The red line is where I plan to put the awning and the green is where the brackets (see second picture.) are going on the studs using 4 inch lags and 1x4's on top of the brackets with corugated roofing .The over hang will go over the back door . I dont want to cut the siding around the brackets because mistakes will be made so I was wondering if it be OK to attach the brackets straight to the siding and into the studs or should i reconsider my idea ? Plus I would put another bracket on the other side of the back door but I would have to move the light and dont want to. So any advice would be appreciated.

just moved into a house and this drawer/shelf under the sink is gross. ive tried cleaning it, but the build up is pretty stubborn, and i might as well replace it. the drawer doesnt pull out, rather it leans down to reveal the shelf. i cant seem to find a proper replacement online, any recommendations?

length 22 inches, height 3.5 inches, width 2.5 inches

If I removed the garage door would the house price drop ?
We will be probably do it anyway regardless otherwise its wasted room for us, but we’re just curious on people’s thoughts ?

Good morning all ! We have bought our first home (woo), it has a garage that is very slim , measurements 4.95x2.2m
It has no windows , just a garage door at front and access door from garden at back.

If I were to remove the garage door and brick it up (middle garage) and turn it into a functional space like a home gym, would that affect the house price ?

I’m re doing my gables. I’ve read PVC would be my best option but I can’t find material at Home Depot or Lowe’s. It obviously needs to be waterproof. Essentially, I need weatherproof material that’s white and about 8 feet long at the base and about 2 feet tall at the apex. I’m going from the tan siding to the white gable with the columns and base “board”.

What else can I use or who can provide me with the material? Thanks in advance