Opinions Matter

c/diy-home-projects

9

anderson.gavin•1d ago

Almost burned my house down fixing a toilet flange in Portland

I was replacing a rotted toilet flange in my 1920s bungalow last Tuesday and accidentally nicked a gas pipe with my reciprocating saw. Thank god my buddy Steve was there to smell it before I sparked something with the angle grinder. Cost me an extra $150 for a emergency plumber to come seal it up proper. Has anyone else had close calls with hidden utilities behind walls during bathroom renos?

18

the_drew•1d ago

Vent: People keep using drywall screws for hanging heavy shelves and it drives me crazy

After pulling down a bookshelf my neighbor put up with drywall screws last week I had to explain to him that those screws are meant for holding drywall to studs not supporting 50 pounds of books, has anyone else dealt with explaining this to a friend?

3

the_susan•2d ago

My new kitchen faucet failed after 3 months - here's the hidden problem

I bought a nice stainless steel pull-down faucet from a local hardware store back in July, thought I did everything right with the install. Well, last week the sprayer head just stopped retracting and water started spraying everywhere under the sink. Turns out the cheap plastic hose liner inside the braided exterior had kinked and split from day one, I just didn't notice. I had to rip out the whole setup, spend Saturday replacing it, and now I'm finding out a lot of these budget faucets use that same flimsy tubing. Anyone else had a faucet fail way too fast, and what brand held up for you?

23

cameron_chen•2d ago

Vent: My bathroom ceiling almost collapsed from a hidden leak

I was sanding drywall in my spare bedroom last Tuesday when water started dripping through the light fixture. Turns out a pinhole leak in the upstairs shower supply line had been soaking the subfloor for weeks. Has anyone else dealt with finding water damage in an unexpected spot?

8

alex_taylor10•4d ago

I used to hate using a chalk line for laying tile - now it's my go-to trick

For years I would just start tiling from a corner and eyeball the layout as I went. Last summer I redid my kitchen floor in a 10x12 room and ended up with a 2 inch gap at the far wall because I got off square. My neighbor who does tile work saw my mess and showed me how to snap a reference line down the center of the room first. Now I always pop that first chalk line and it keeps everything straight even when my measuring is off. Has anyone else had a tile layout disaster that taught you a better way?

9

rosed32•4d ago

My brother told me my cutting board was too thin and I changed everything

I was using a 3/4 inch thick board for years and my brother finally pointed out it was warping cause it was too thin for the size. He builds kitchens for a living so I listened. Switched to a 1.5 inch thick end grain board from a local woodworker in Austin and now it barely moves. Also stopped putting it in the dishwasher which was probably making it worse. Anyone else have a family member call out a bad habit like that?

23

samthompson•4d ago

TIL that most interior paint only covers about 250 square feet per gallon, not the 400 they claim on the can

I measured out my living room walls in Portland last weekend and found I needed almost twice as much paint as the label said, so after three coats I ended up spending $80 more than I planned, has anyone else noticed this gap between what's advertised and real-world coverage?

11

amy_sanchez•5d ago

Overheard a guy at Home Depot say you don't need a primer on pre-primed trim...

I was in the paint aisle yesterday and this older guy told his friend that primer is just a waste of money on pre-primed MDF trim. But I've had paint peel off raw edges before because I skipped an extra coat of primer on the cut ends... that's a real spot where moisture gets in. What's your take - do you coat every cut edge with primer or just roll with what the factory gives you?

25

keithbennett•6d ago

My garage outlet project turned into a full wall tear-out

I was just trying to swap out a busted outlet near my workbench last Saturday. When I pulled the old one, I saw the wire was melted right at the connection point, and the insulation was crumbly for about 18 inches back. After turning off the breaker and opening up the drywall to trace the line, I found the previous owner had run undersized wire for a 20 amp circuit. Ended up having to run new 12 gauge and patch three holes in the wall. Has anyone else found scary wiring hidden behind a simple outlet swap?

24

joseph529•7d ago

My basement pipe burst at 2am and I had to fix it myself

Honestly, last Tuesday around 2 in the morning I heard this weird hissing sound coming from the basement. Turns out a joint on the copper line under the sink had cracked and water was spraying everywhere. I shut the main valve off real quick but the floor already had about an inch of water. Since it was the middle of the night I couldn't call a plumber so I grabbed some PVC pipe and a coupling I had in the garage. I cut out the bad section with a hacksaw and used a heat gun to sweat a new fitting on, but my soldering was so sloppy it leaked again. Took me three tries before I got a clean seal and finally the water stopped. Anyone else ever have to fix a busted pipe in the middle of the night with no help?

16

dylanh97•8d ago

I was dead wrong about magnetic stud finders until last weekend

Always thought they were gimmicks compared to the electronic ones. Then I tried a CH Hanson 03040 on my lath and plaster walls in this old 1920s house, and it found every nail head perfectly while my electronic one was going crazy. Has anyone else had better luck with magnetic ones on tricky walls?

8

robert_rodriguez66•9d ago

That cheap paint job cost me $600 in rework, debating if it was really a waste

I painted my living room last summer with some $18 per gallon house brand paint from the local hardware store. Let me tell you, it looked great for about two months. Then I started seeing these weird spots where the paint just peeled off, especially near the windows where the sun hits. I tried touching it up but the new paint wouldn't stick right either. After a few coats that still looked blotchy, I finally broke down and hired a guy who used Sherwin-Williams Duration. That redo cost me $600 between the labor and the real paint. So here's the debate: was I stupid for trying to save $40 on the cheap stuff, or is it normal to learn this lesson the hard way? Has anyone else burned money on budget paint and regretted it, or do some cheap brands actually hold up in your experience?

25

nathan193•10d ago

Appreciation post: that one conversation with an old electrician about outlet spacing

I was helping a buddy wire his basement last weekend and his grandpa came down to watch. He asked why we were putting outlets every 6 feet instead of the code minimum 12. I told him it was just how I always did it. He laughed and said 'son, you're building for a lazy man's future, not a code inspector's present.' That hit me because he was right. I've had to crawl over furniture or use extension cords in my own house for years because I followed minimum code. Now I'm spacing outlets every 6 feet in my own living room just to avoid that problem. Has anyone else changed how they build after a talk with an older tradesman?

16

jasonc50•10d ago

Tried to fix a leaky faucet myself and flooded the kitchen under the sink last Tuesday

So I had this drip coming from the bathroom faucet for like 3 months. I finally watched a bunch of videos and thought I could swap out the cartridge. After taking it apart, I realized the old one was completely seized and broke into pieces. I ended up having to call a plumber anyway and he charged me $180 to fix what I made worse. Has anyone else totally botched a simple plumbing job that turned into a bigger headache?

1

wright.jesse•12d ago

Blew out my table saw fence alignment after moving it to a buddy's garage

Last month I helped a friend in Denver set up his workshop and we moved my old Ridgid table saw into his truck. I always assumed the fence rail would stay true, but after we set it up his first rip cut was off by nearly a quarter inch. Turns out bouncing around in the bed threw the whole thing out. I started checking fence alignment with a square on every new setup now. Has anyone else had a tool lose calibration just from moving it?

21

alex_hall91•12d ago

Tried shiplap in my 1920s bungalow and it fought back like crazy

I finally got around to putting shiplap in my living room last fall. The walls in my Chicago bungalow are SO out of square, nothing lined up right. I spent a full Saturday just trying to get the first row level and wrestling with gaps that kept appearing. Ended up having to scribe every single board to the old plaster, which added like 8 hours to the job. Lesson learned: never assume old houses have straight anything, even if it looks flat from across the room. Has anyone else dealt with wavy walls when doing wall paneling?

12

elizabeth220•12d ago

Visited my parents old house and noticed the shaker cabinets still look perfect after 20 years

Stopped by my childhood home last weekend to help my dad with a fence post and saw the kitchen cabinets he and I built together back in 04 still holding up better than anything I see at Home Depot now. Has anyone else gone back to an old project and been surprised how well it aged?

24

the_blair•14d ago

Grandpa's tool shed changed how I hang shelves

My grandfather had this old falling down shed out back in Des Moines. He kept a beat up chalk line from the 60s in there and showed me how to snap a level line before I ever touched a level. I still keep that same chalk line in my bag even though I could buy a laser level for $30. Has anyone else got a hand me down tool that works better than the new stuff?

27

the_wyatt•14d ago

The $20 pipe wrench that cost me 3 hours on a simple sink drain

I thought replacing a kitchen sink trap would be a quick 30 minute job. Turned out the previous owner had cranked down the slip nuts with what felt like a breaker bar. My cheap adjustable wrench just kept slipping off the rounded edges. After an hour of swearing and slipping, I drove to the hardware store and grabbed a proper pipe wrench for 20 bucks. Even with the right tool it took another 45 minutes because the old PVC had warped from heat. Total time was 3 hours for what should have been a 30 minute swap. Anyone else run into a quick job that turned into a whole afternoon because of one stubborn fitting?

12

quinn_king16•16d ago

Watched a neighbor build a deck off the back of his garage with nothing but a circular saw and a chalk line last August and it hit me that I've been overthinking every project for years

He had the whole frame done in 6 hours while I was still measuring twice and watching YouTube videos, so has anyone else realized they're just getting in their own way with all the prep work?

16

hugobarnes•17d ago

Tried to save $50 patching a drywall hole myself and now I've got a hole big enough to throw a cat through

Watched a YouTube video last Saturday, got overconfident with a jab saw, and now my living room wall looks like a cartoon character punched through it, anyone else ever turn a simple repair into a full renovation project?

20

bethj44•18d ago

Old timer at the lumber yard saved my deck project last weekend

Guy must be 70. Saw me loading pressure treated wood. Asked what I was building. Told him a 12x16 deck. He said 'stain the cut ends before you nail a single board.' Never even crossed my mind. Saved me from rot later. Has anyone else gotten random advice from a stranger that actually worked out?

2

schmidt.eva•18d ago

Am I the only one who thinks floating shelves are overrated for kitchens?

I see everyone slapping up floating shelves in their kitchen remodels and I just don't get it. I helped my sister install a set last month and after three weeks she already hates them because dust collects on everything. We spent $150 on solid oak and they still bow a little under the weight of her plates. Meanwhile my cheap IKEA cabinets from 2018 still look great and hold way more stuff without any dust issues. Does anyone else regret going with the trendy open shelf look or is it just me?

4

casey_lane73•19d ago

What's the right move when you find rotten wood behind fresh paint?

Last month I peeled back some siding on a 30 year old garage and found black rot that went 3 feet past a patch the previous owner painted over, is it better to cut out all the bad wood at once or sister in new pieces over time to keep the structure standing while you work?

27

carr.brian•20d ago

I used to think all underlayment was basically the same until I read the specs on a 6mm cork roll from Home Depot

Turns out the cork has an R-value of 1.8 compared to foam's 0.5, and now I'm ripping out half my living room floor because I wanted cold floors for wine storage but my wife said no way, anyone else get blindsided by insulation numbers after they already started?