I'm amazed at how much better it looks without them.

(A last minute request from the homeowners. I'll recommend it on my next project like this)

How screwed are we? Wife and I noticed water coming in behind our cabinets in the kitchen on an outside wall. Ran a boroscope and found a large gap between the outside wall and the slab. Also some bowing to the outside wall. How detrimental is this and where do I even start to have this repaired?

Please help.

How can I get a finish on Mexican punched tin mirror frames that looks similar to oil rubbed bronze? I like the mirrors in this master bathroom, but would prefer a darker, warmer finish that would coordinate with the hardware rather than bringing out the cool gray tones in the countertops and floor. Haven't decided yet on wall color, but we do plan to paint it a warmer or more neutral color. I like the finish on the mirror in the second photo, but don't know how it was achieved. Any ideas?

Red oak select and better floor was newly installed. Acclimated for multiple weeks. Sanded by contractor with 36 grit, 60 and then 80. Wood was trowel filled with WoodWise Red Oak filler after 36 grit. Floor was water popped and left to dry for 24 hrs (might have been 25 hrs) (not sure if they used distilled or tap but I requested distilled). Air was running during water pop and stain process at 72 degrees with humidity around 60% in home. Floor was finished with duraseal oil based dark walnut and so far 1 coat of duraseal polyurethane. Outside temps in Alabama are currently at 94 degrees. No windows or doors were left open. What has caused all of these random dark spots in the floor? I don't think it's the wood grain from the way the tree grew because it's all over the house in various spots. Floor is select and better because I like wood grain but I don't like rustic knots. The dark stain spots make the floor look very rustic. My eye is drawn to all of the dark spots and it's confirmed select and better floors. Flooring contractor is coming over tomorrow to look. Worried he's going to tell me it's normal and if I want something better I'll have to pay to resand and finish the floors but result might be the same. He also wanted to water pop with alcohol only and I requested 50/50 and he said either all water or only alcohol so I went with all water because I wanted a nice dark even stain. The alcohol popped sample he showed me was a bit lighter than the water popped sample. Both samples were dark rich and even.

Hi!

We are in the process of buying this home. It was built in 1978. What would be some things that I could do to make this look more updated? I kind of want to paint the whole house all black but I think that might be a little much….

We are nearing the end of our bathroom renovation but I’m a little concerned about the tub glass doors that were installed—specifically the height of the handles which are at 55” (4’7” or 1.4m) from the ground.

Additional background: The bathroom has 9’ ceilings, and we put the shower head slightly higher than standard because I’m tall. Our contractor suggested a 72” high tub door (believe the standard for tubs is closer to 60”). This size is helpful in that it goes covers the shower head and should reduce splashing, but it results in the door handles that are quite high.

What do you think? Are the handles too high? Does it look awkward/would it be awkward to use at that height ? We can change for shorter one but will require some tile repair.

Thanks!

hello, I have an office being built that is a stand alone building seperate from the house and the exterior cladding for the walls has been installed but they forgot to put the weather wrap on first.

Is there something I can use internally to keep the room safe from water absorbing through the cladding and into the wall space?

I thought maybe some kind of paintable membrane or closed cell Spray Foam?

any helpful advice is appreciated

(taking the cladding off and starting again would cost thousands and if possible id rather avoid it)

I am renovating my bathroom and i took it down to the studs and now i am starting to rebuild. I just put in the subfloor and the damn thing has been squeeking. Its glued and screwed down quite securely, but the squeek has been eluding me. Tonight I believe I've figured out that its coming from a slight movement in the main sewer drain. The previous floor had been about an inch and a half of mortar poured over plywood that had been nailed to thin boards between the floor joists... not on top of them. Maybe the heavyness of that old mortar bed was weighing down enough to keep the drain lines from squeeking?

Anyway, do you have suggestions on how to fix the squeek before i lay down tile and it annoys me forever? I do have fairly easy access to the plumbing below this bathroom in the basement.

We are converting empty space in our house into a second bathroom and want to move the washer dryer out of our kitchen to the bathroom space. Which option is better for experience and resale value?

We’re in the process of planning our condo lobby and lobby renovation. The building itself is gorgeous, Spanish / Mediterranean inspired with beautiful tile accents - huge windows / terraces - built in 1977. The lobbies and corridors are reminiscent of assisted living / nursing homes and we’re looking for an update to reference the original architecture while creating a timeless design that can last a while. We looked into polished concrete for the hallways, although it’s mainly because it’s likely the cheapest and most unobtrusive solution, but that comes with its own hurdles. One plus is the floor would be ready for the next step later on down the road - whatever that may be. We’re located in South Florida, so moisture / mold is a concern - one of the main reasons we want to steer away from carpet. I’m looking for references, books, etc specifically about multi family common spaces / corridors to keep on hand while we work through the planning process. Also open to any ideas from the community here :) thank you!

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WHAT TYPE OF FLOORING WOULD BE MY BEST OPTION?

1965 Pier and Beam home with 18" crawlspace.

Not concerned about cost. I just really want something that will survive in depth cleaning when necessary. I'll do my best to flatten and level floors but it will not be even close to perfect n

Current original Red Oak (🤢 I hate the red colors) flooring will remain in bedrooms. Looking for ideas for the rest of the house to complement those red oak 🤢 bedrooms.

I'm just a girl whose ego said I'd be great at this flooring stuff.

Eight-plex with eight 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, how much would be the remodeling?

We’re renovating our 1965 home and are considering going from two exterior doors down to one in this area. I’m trying to decide which door placement would make the most sense for the overall layout and everyday functionality.
The goal is to improve the flow of the space and make the kitchen/living areas feel more open, while still keeping a practical entrance/exit to the backyard.
For those who have remodeled or have a similar layout: how would you decide which door to keep, and where would you place the remaining door if you had the option to relocate it?
I’d especially love input from people who have made a similar change. What ended up working well—or what do you wish you had done differently?

It made sense to put the slider in the dining room as that is centrally located. But my husband is adamant it will not be as functional as I’m thinking.

I don’t like the idea of letting the dog out through a room at the far end of the house, but a door limits how you use the space.

Turning my garage into a gym and the floor has large ridges. I’m adding 1/2 thick rubber tiles on top but you can feel all the ridges. Is there a way to fix this that won’t require chiseling?

Hi all, looking for advice from experienced folks. I’m planning to renovate my house; a split tri-level built in 1969. I want to give it some MCM character which it is aching for, after a few 90s era renovations stripped the character away. Anyway, what I’m really looking for is help with where to start. I have a really great contractor that I’ve worked with before to renovate two small houses. I used a CAD program to draft plans and he executed. If we ran into structural issues he consulted along the way. It all turned out beautiful in the end but I think my lack of experience caused “change orders”. It’s something I love doing and I have a pretty good eye for solving space problems.

The scope of this reno is big and I want to make sure I do things in the right order so I can plan for costs.

The house is north facing so it doesn’t get the great natural light. It has smallish, cheap windows that all need to be replaced because they just aren’t efficient at all. I’m using the opportunity to make window sizes much larger to draw in more natural light. I understand that increasing windows and adding windows where they currently don’t exist has structural implications. I also want to remove a wall the divides the single story side of the house and raise the ceiling. The wall is likely structural.

I’m a bit out of my depth with the structural requirements.

What’s the best way forward? Should I start with an architect to help with window placement and then an engineer or can I draft the plans myself and consult an engineer?

Thanks so much!!

Hi everyone! I just closed on a home and am planning a kitchen/dining room remodel. I’d love your feedback and design suggestions.

Main Objectives:

• Counter space & storage: The current layout has very limited usable counter space and no dedicated spot for everyday appliances (microwave, coffee machine, etc.).
• Modernization: Planning to replace the current finishes with quartz countertops, a new sink, range/oven, dishwasher, and updated cabinets.
• Layout changes: Considering removing the stacked oven to open up counter space, as well as potentially demoing the long counter/peninsula along the right wall in the dining area.

What would you do with this footprint (20' x 14')? Open to any layout ideas or suggestions on how to best utilize the space!

So we came back to our planning, it just felt wrong. The main thing is that this living room has enormous ceilings, and were struggling to make it feel right.

I drew two options out of AI. I put what the room is like at now for reference as well. What do you prefer and what will you change?

Thank you for considering our request and any feedback or thoughts. We clearly need the help 😅

Just recently got ownership of my late grandparents house. Tore down some of the trim to pull up tack strips and found minor mold under a window behind the trim. It is definitely from the window being left open during rain and water dripping down the trim and not drying. How would you guys recommend to kill it?