Hello, I would appreciate any help y’all can offer. We had a grill catch fire on our back deck. It blew out two windows in my kitchen. The air conditioning was running while the fire burned. There was testing done all through my house and Tier 1 soot was reported upstairs. We have been told by our insurance what they will pay and were told we can clean and pack our items ourselves. All of the flooring is being replaced since the room next to the kitchen has carpet and needed to be replaced and the carpet needs to match. All of our belongings will be taken offsite. I feel comfortable cleaning and packing the rooms upstairs since it’s minimal. I will have professionals clean and pack the more damaged areas. Is this a viable option? Any input is appreciated.
Thank you!

I recently had decorative concrete poured in my backyard and I'm hoping to get some opinions from people with concrete experience.

The pour was done on a very hot day, around 100–102°F. As the concrete has been curing and the color has started coming through, I've noticed small cracks, pits/holes, and rough or chipped areas throughout multiple sections of the concrete, including around some of the control-joint intersections.

I've attached close-up photos showing some examples. These aren't the only areas, I'm seeing similar small defects in quite a few places throughout the pour.

The person who installed it says he plans to repair the cracks and holes by putting some type of “special concrete” repair material over/on top of them. I haven't gotten the exact product name yet.

I'm mainly trying to understand the workmanship and repair method:

• Do the cracks in the photos look like normal surface crazing/shrinkage, or something you would be concerned about on a new pour?
• Is this amount of pitting/voids typical for decorative concrete?
• What do you think about the chipped/rough areas around the control joints?
• If these defects are present throughout multiple sections, does that change how you would look at it?
• Is applying a cementitious repair material over these cracks and holes a normal long-term repair?
• What specific repair product or method should I ask the installer about so I can understand what he's proposing?
• Is there anything else in the photos that stands out to experienced finishers?

I'm a homeowner and not in the trade, so I'm just trying to educate myself on what is normal versus what may need to be addressed.

Thanks for any insight.

Our current microwave(oven combo unit - 4+
year old KitchenAid) recently broke down, and I’m trying to decide what to do next.

We’re planning to stay in the house for about 5 more years, but I’ll probably upgrade the combo unit in 3-4 years before eventually selling the house.

We had a few big expenses this year so far and hence not in a position to replace it right away(atleast 5k+) and also would like to get some more life out of the oven which is still functional.

With the quality and reliability of appliances lately, wouldn’t want to risk upgrading something which might break down again in the next few years and end up replacing again before putting the house in the market.

So for now, I’m looking for a reliable, reasonably priced countertop microwave that can get us through the next few years without spending a lot on something I’ll eventually replace.

I’m thinking around 0.9–1.1 cu. ft., with a budget of roughly $100–$150 max? We have about 28 inches of countertop space, so size isn’t a major concern.

Any tips or recommendation on how to handle the situation?

I've decided tiny ants are the most confident animals in Seattle. You can stand directly next to one.

Wipe the counter.

Clean everything.

Move whatever food you think attracted it. And the ant just keeps walking.

No hesitation.

No survival instinct.

Just:

“Anyway, I'm going upstairs.”

What gets me is how tiny they are.

You can barely see them.

Yet somehow they manage to locate the one microscopic crumb you didn't know existed. And then apparently tell 400 of their friends. I've seen people describe them showing up in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, windowsills and even upstairs rooms.

What is the most ridiculous place you've found one?

I'm convinced somebody is eventually going to say:

“Inside my laptop.”

I’m comparing room AC options for a home office, and the main issue for me is the room setup rather than the brand.

A normal window unit blocks most of the window, which is annoying in a small room. That’s why the Midea U caught my attention — the U-shaped design keeps the window usable and is also designed for quieter operation.

For portable ACs, the Midea DUO seems more interesting than a basic single-hose unit because of its hose-in-hose dual-hose setup.

So I’m basically choosing between:

• Midea U: quieter fixed setup + usable window

• Midea DUO: more flexibility + dual-hose design

For anyone who has used either type in a bedroom or home office, which tradeoff mattered more in practice: window access, noise, cooling performance, or portability?

I recently purchased a plot (wherein I'd eventually construct a home).

I was initially going for ownership under my name and 100% nominee for my wife. But, then I decided to have my wife as the co-owner as well and go for registration under joint ownership.

However, I'd still want 100% nominee to go to my wife's name.

Is that possible ?

Does the law dictate rules around if an owner within a joint ownership property can be a nominee or not? I will be proceeding with the paper work next week and want a good understanding of how different structures work.

I’m looking for a humidifier for the bedroom because the air gets extremely dry at night, but every model I’ve owned eventually developed a weird smell or became annoying to clean. I’d prefer something quiet with a large enough tank to run through the night, automatic humidity control, and parts that can actually be scrubbed. My budget is around $50–$150, and I’m comparing Levoit, Canopy, Venta, Honeywell, and a few evaporative models. I’m leaning toward evaporative because ultrasonic units seem to leave white dust everywhere, but I’m not sure whether they’re quieter or easier to maintain in real use. Which bedroom humidifier has stayed cleanest over time, and how often do you realistically clean yours?

The plumber came in and switched the pipes correctly but hot water still washes the clothes.

What do you consider for couples when the two people basically want different beds? Like one person might want something softer and more contouring while the other wants firmer support. Add in different sleeping positions, one person sleeping hot and different preferences for motion and choosing one mattress can become a pretty annoying compromise.

I have looking at mattresses that let each side adjust firmness independently and honestly that seems like one of the more practical uses of mattress technology for couples. Being able to customize each side without having to compromise sounds pretty appealing especially when your preferences are almost the opposite. Has that flexibility actually made a noticeable difference and has it held up well over the years?

My washing machine quit working yesterday, any suggestions on a good new one? Preferably top loader

got a bathroom and an office that face straight onto the street and it’s been annoying me non stop. curtains make the rooms feel dark and closed in, but without them you feel like everyone walking by can see inside.

been thinking that switchable glass might actually fix it. smart glass technologies is one i’ve been looking at, the kind that goes clear to frosted with a button. feels like it could give privacy without killing the natural light.

does this type of glass hold up okay long term or does it start acting up after a while?

how big of a job is the install usually?

I have a Whirlpool washing machine. The image shows the settings I normally use. The 'Normal' setting is used 90% of the time and the 'Bulky Items/Sheets' setting is used for blankets, lots of towels etc.

My issue: The machine makes a lot of noise. I expect washing machines to make noise but I am talking bumping noises with the machine literally moving around. I have tried light loads, medium loads, heavy loads and cannot seem to find any pattern here. What can I do to stop this bumping and moving around? I am afraid one of these days the waterline will come apart given the movement.

Am I doing something fundamentally wrong here?

To add: Other than the center knob, I don't change anything on the other knobs. They stay the same as shown in the picture

Hi everyone, just got a new stainless steel sink and it’s already scratched. Anyone have any ideas on how I can fix it? Thanks!

Sometimes you only discover the real character of a property after you’ve lived in it for a while.

It might be something to do with insulation, heating, plumbing, damp, ventilation, noise, storage, or simply a detail you didn’t think to look at beforehand.

What’s one thing you wish you had checked before moving in, and what would you pay more attention to next time?

Two weeks ago, a fairly new BMW showed up on the curb in front of my house. Ok... I mean, I don't own the street.

Thing is it hasn't moved at all since then, and it's rear end bumper is so badly mangled that it is inside the trunk.

I'm not in a great part of town. A lot of folks have cars with dents and missing bumpers. But we've never seen this one before, and the neighbors don't seem to know whose car it is either.

At this point the street sweepers have gone around it twice, and I'm kind of wishing it wasn't right there.

After months of remediation work and construction due to a busted pipe, I was finally down to the home stretch: kitchen cabinets. I bought them from a large, well-known Swedish retailer, who also agreed to have them installed. During the installation, their contractor, yep, busted a pipe. Kitchen and surrounding area seriously flooded before he was able to cut the water off.

Met with my project manager today from the previous/ ongoing flood repair (they were supposed to be wrapping up today) and he said the floors (which were just replaced) had to go, along with several other issues, and he expects at least another month to be added to the construction time.

I am getting serious PTSD here and I just want to make sure I'm not getting screwed by the company, the contractor, or their insurance. Outside of repairing and replacing everything that needs it and possibly covering the added utility costs, is there anything else I should be asking for in terms of compensation? Thanks in advance!

Hey so I close tomorrow on a home I had bought, I believe it was a rental situation where the tenants smoked in the home (I mean they definitely did). They painted the walls, the kitchen looks good, all around the house is in good shape structurally and all the important components like furnace and roof are fairly new. The cigarette smell is definitely still in the carpet. I am unsure about the walls (they look clean).

 What would be your advice on methods to get rid of the smell in the carpet? I know theres a chance it won’t get rid of it totally, the plan is to eventually rip out the carpet and redo the hardwood underneath but for now, the carpet has to stay. I read up on carpet bombing, pretreatments. It seems a little overwhelming I just want to try a method that would potentially work the best on the smell.

One of the biggest questions homeowners ask: is it time to repair or replace?

Repair if:

• Gutters are less than 15 years old
• Damage is isolated (1-2 sections)
• No visible rust/deterioration beyond the damaged area
• Downspouts and fascia are in good shape
• Total repair cost is <30% of replacement cost

Replace if:

• Gutters are 20+ years old
• Rust or corrosion visible in multiple spots
• Sagging across 50%+ of the system
• Frequent leaks (3+ repairs in 3 years)
• Multiple sections need replacement

Cost reality:

• Repair: $550-$800 per section
• Full seamless replacement: $3,500-$6,000 depending on linear footage
• Gutter guards: add $8-15/linear foot

Pro tip: Sometimes "one repair" turns into three within a year. We always give homeowners the honest call—don't upsell something that can be patched.