Any idea, hoping it's not some kind of vermin or pest. House is probably 30-40 years old, just noticed this in the corner of our dining room. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I’m new to this house and the previous owners put carpet on the front steps. CARPET. It rains here often, and the muck that the carpet collected made the steps super slick, a safety hazard. A biohazard, even, with the organisms that started growing on it. I’ve tried multiple products, but the best tool thus far has been a razor blade scraper.

There must be a special place in hell for people who do this. I’ll be scraping the glue off until 2027.

I went camping with my family this weekend and came home to find my finished basement flooded with roughly 1–2 inches of water throughout it.

My primary sump pump failed and, unfortunately, the battery backup also failed. It was clean water - not sewage or anything.

Based on my monitoring system, the sump started overflowing around 5 PM on September 5. I got home and discovered the water around 12:30 PM on September 7, so the basement potentially had water in it for roughly 43 hours.

The basement is approximately 1,700 sq. ft. It’s mostly one large finished area, plus a full bathroom, a separate full kitchen, and a storage/mechanical room where the sump is located.

I immediately had a plumber come out and replace the sump pump. That cost me about $800 due to the holiday/emergency call, but the new pump got the water level down.

After that, I used a wet/dry vac to remove as much remaining water as possible and finished with towels. I’ve had 3 dehumidifiers and 3 fans running continuously.
I also have humidity monitoring. According to my Airthings - Basement humidity went above 60% around 7 PM on September 5 and peaked around 68%. I got it back below 60% around 5 PM today, and it’s currently around 51%.

Restoration company quote
The plumber had a restoration company come out while there was still some surface water remaining (I got all the water up now myself). They inspected everything and gave me a $10,645 water-mitigation quote. (They knew my insurance would only cover $10k)

Here is the redacted proposal:
https://pdflink.to/285aac32/

The quote is mitigation only — no reconstruction.
The $10,645 does NOT include replacing drywall, insulation, flooring, cabinets, trim, countertops, painting, or other finish materials. I’d still be responsible for putting the basement back together afterward.

My DIY plan
This is where I’m looking for advice.
I have a $10,000 insurance limit for this sump-pump/water-backup loss, so spending essentially the entire available coverage on mitigation alone seems painful if I can safely accomplish the same thing for substantially less.

My brother owns a drywall company and is willing to help.
I bought a pin/pinless moisture meter and mapped the walls at different heights. Based on the readings I’m getting, the moisture appears to be confined to approximately the bottom 24” in most areas. I’m comparing those readings against known-dry drywall upstairs rather than just assuming a green reading means it’s dry.

My current plan is:
Have my brother make approximately a 24” flood cut around affected walls, adjusting higher anywhere the moisture readings indicate it’s necessary.

Remove all wet insulation.

Remove the LVP carefully. It’s waterproof click-lock flooring, so I’m hoping to dry the planks individually and reuse any that aren’t damaged.

Completely expose and dry the concrete slab.

Pull out the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher so the areas underneath/behind them can dry.

Open all cabinets/drawers and remove the toe-kick panels to expose the areas underneath. If necessary, detach cabinets where we can’t access wet drywall or adequately dry behind them.

Run approximately 7–10 true air movers throughout the basement along with my 3 dehumidifiers. I’m also considering renting a commercial dehumidifier.

Continue monitoring the exposed studs, bottom plates, concrete, cabinets, etc. with the moisture meter and compare them with known-dry materials.

Do not reconstruct anything until everything is confirmed dry.

Once dry, have my brother replace the insulation/drywall and finish it.

Since the LVP is already coming out, have a flooring contractor correct the existing high/low spots in the concrete before reinstalling the floor. Then reinstall the required vapor barrier and reusable LVP.

Repaint the basement and replace any damaged trim/finish materials.

My thought is that if I spend the money intelligently, $10,000 could potentially cover most or all of the mitigation AND reconstruction, especially since I have access to a drywall company through my brother.
The alternative is giving the restoration company essentially the entire $10k just to tear everything open and dry it, and then I’m paying for all of the reconstruction afterward.

What I’m trying to figure out
For anyone who does professional water mitigation/restoration:
Does my plan sound reasonable, or am I underestimating something important that the restoration company would be doing?

I’m not trying to save money by skipping necessary
work. I’m perfectly willing to rent commercial dehumidifiers/air movers, buy equipment, open additional walls, remove cabinets, etc. if that’s what the moisture readings dictate. I just don’t want to spend $10,645 on mitigation alone if I can accomplish the same drying correctly for much less and put the remaining insurance money toward actually rebuilding the basement.

Also, is $10,645 a reasonable mitigation-only price for a ~1,700 sq. ft. basement with 1–2” of water, considering that it does not include reconstruction?

Any advice from restoration professionals or people who have dealt with a similar loss would be appreciated.

Just to preface we are first time homeowners and have spent, no exaggeration, HOURS looking for this beep. It’s coming from the kitchen area. We took the actual fire alarms for that floor and put them down stairs to eliminate suspicion. We have searched on top and inside of every single drawer and cupboard. Completely cleared them out. Under the sink as well. We’ve pulled the stove and the refrigerator out. We unplugged everything. Sometimes it sounds like it’s coming from the stove area and others from the fridge area. Sometimes it sounds low and others high. It almost feels like it moves around. We’ve checked the attic space above the ceiling. We’ve checked the crawl space below. It sounds super muffled from those spaces as if it’s definitely coming from within the kitchen as suspected.

We cannot pinpoint exactly where it’s at. Because it’s quite literally nowhere to be seen we are wondering if maybe there is a fire alarm stuck in the like empty hollow corner cavity under our counter. BUT it doesn’t sound muffled like it should if it was. And when you stick your head down there it then sounds like it’s coming from behind you. We’ve downloaded apps that indicate how loudness and walked around trying to see where it really picked up but we think the sound reverberation in that room throws the sound all over.

We’ve been in the house 1.5 years and it’s been beeping for about 3 months. Definitely sounds like a fire alarm. We are going absolutely crazy, not so much because the actual beep at this point but now because of the mystery behind it. Is there some appliance or thing we don’t know about in kitchens that would beep like this? We like to think we’re not complete idiots but we are completely stumped. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!

Had a bit of a scare last weekend when a pan caught fire while I was making dinner. My smoke alarm didn't go off, and when I checked it afterward, I realized it was already past its replacement date. Not saying that was necessarily why it didn't go off, but it was definitely a wake-up call.

I also realized how outdated my old alarms were. I had no idea you could get interconnected ones now, so I figured I might as well upgrade to those.

Anyway, check the dates on yours. I honestly hadn't thought about mine in years.

We’ve lived in this 1970 home for 2 years now, and I have always smelled this weird musty odor but haven’t been able to identify what it is. It’s driving me absolutely insane. Nobody else says they can smell it, but I have a strong nose and can smell it all the time.

The smell is hard to describe, it’s like a dusty, old wood smell. Almost like old books, or like wet towels in the wash that don’t get clean well enough. It just smells stale and not clean. When we moved in, the house had been recently remodeled with new floors, new paint, new trim, new appliances, and new bathrooms.

I have done so many things to try and fix the smell issue. I had our utility room drained clean, our HVAC and vents cleaned, I deep clean the house literally every week, make sure to put water through all the drains, open the windows when I can (which weirdly seems to make the smell worse), have a Pura and candles constantly going, do laundry all the time, etc. but the smell remains. Edit to add: I also have a whole home dehumidifier plus a portable one in the basement.

The smell doesn’t really have a source, it’s pretty much all over the house. There’s no visible signs of mold. I notice the smell on my clothes and bag when I leave the house. It’s on all my furniture. It’s driving me absolutely crazy and idk what to do..

I am under contract to buy a 1970s Pennsylvania house and just had an inspection. There aren't any large structural concerns, but we were not able to observe the foundation block wall itself because the sellers covered it with styrofoam insulation. Because of this, there is no way to tell if there are significant cracks/bowing without sawing off some of the insulation. My agent pushed back on asking permission from the seller to do that, and unfortunately it's too late now (I regret not pushing for this).

The inspector also noted that this particular back wall could possibly have negative grading, which is a further hydro static pressure concern (we don't know for sure since the soil is concealed by a wood deck). There's also a huge silver maple tree in the backyard about 17 feet from the foundation wall (which, sadly, we are probably cutting down for safety reasons).

The gutters/drainage/grade around the rest of the house are fine. There aren't any obvious signs of structural compromise on the house or excessive moisture in the basement.

To anyone who has bought a home with a finished basement, or one where the foundation walls were otherwise concealed, do you think I'm taking on an unreasonable amount of risk by moving forward with this house?

First-time homeowner here. We are 11 weeks into a 1980s ranch and up until recently the living room still felt like someone else's house. White walls, beige carpet, and every window had those plastic mini blinds that just scream this is a rental.

We painted the living room and bedroom ourselves over a weekend. Went with Sherwin-Williams, Accessible Beige for the main room and Alabaster in the bedroom. My back is still recovering from that. Picked up a sectional from Article during their summer sale, argued about where to put it for way too long, then threw a Ruggable down because our lab mix does not understand the concept of wiping his feet. Still not quite there.

My wife ordered these woven shades from Neutral Curtains. I do not know what the color is called, warm sand or something. I thought blinds were blinds and told her she was spending too much energy on it. We put them up last weekend and the light that comes through is not what I expected. I was sitting there, dog at my feet, and it took me a minute to realize I had not looked at the repair list all afternoon. That has not happened before.

My buddy came by Saturday and said it looks like one of those Instagram rooms. Coming from a 34-year-old man who has never once commented on anyone's interior, I count that as a win.

The hallway subfloor is still soft. The garage opener sounds possessed. And the 14-year-old AC makes me nervous every time it starts. The previous owner clearly did their own electrical work and I am trying not to look too closely. Nothing is finished, obviously, but the place finally feels like it belongs to us.

If you are early into your first house and it still feels off, paint the walls, then do the windows. That was when it clicked for us.

I’m trying to put a new shower head on and CANNOT get this stupid round screw thing off. I’ve sprayed it with WD40 and banged on it and I can’t seem to get it to loosen. Do I need other tools or an Etsy witch or ??? Please help!

https://imgur.com/gallery/kdsRTlR

For some context, they are not done. I feel bad for these guys because it sounds like my house's original 1984 windows were absolute monsters to try to work with, resulting in them having to completely redo my trim at no additional cost, so the expected 8-12 hour project has already stretched into 20+ (and they're coming back tomorrow), and I'm pretty sure one of the guys put a nail through his finger along the way... yeah it's just sucked for them, but before I send them off, I noticed some little imperfections and just wanted to ask people who know better if these are totally normal or if i should ask them to correct them. I've attached some videos to try to show what's in the following bullets:

• New trim not fully flush to the wall, and in some places slightly misaligned
• Random nail in my wall lol, nail on the very edge of the trim slightly visible
• Minor splitting in the trim Imperfectly cut interior framing piece
• Living room windows have visible vertical gaps at the edges so the upper windows can wiggle side to side a bit
• Dirty windows and frames (I can probably clean them if that's normally on the customer! Just don't know the etiquette)
• Flashing tape residue on exterior of home including a spot where the outer layer of the composite siding was stripped away and it's now exposed wood

Would appreciate some input! Please let me know if I'm being ridiculous, I just want to make sure I'm getting what I paid for before they leave. Thanks in advance!

Hey y’all, I visited my parent’s place today and my dad showed something potentially concerning and I’m trying to figure out whether or not it’s cause for alarm or at least important enough to have a contractor take a look. There’s one major structural wood piece in the basement that to my eyes seems to be cracked but my dad is convinced it’s normal. I’m hoping anyone could advise on whether or not this is the case and whether or not it may be a big cost issue.

Genuinely appreciate any help!

I have never seen this set up. Normally I just buy a new plunger and that fixes it. This blue rim seems to have a bump on it that is causing water to leak out. I think the bump is supposed to be there, but I don't know how to orient it to stop it from leaking.

In Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada

Hey everyone,

Have a stacked townhome in the GTA and during rain, I can see a tiny amount of water going from the corner of the top right downwards in the 1st floor window but nothing on the second and third floor windows. The basement windows also get water from the top.

Already called a roofer who said no issues there. I checked the caulking and no apparent issues there.

Now I’m not sure who to call who can help me find the leak.

Some waterproofing companies I called just say they only deal with basements. Called mitigation company out when it happened and they took down the drywall but the wood was dry except the window side with water.

So who can I call to help me find the leak? Any business recommendation who deal with these?

I'm kind of lost on what to do with a flooding issue that my city refuses to help with.

There's a clear buildup of water at one point on my fence-line with the neighbour who has a pool that is seeping into the rest of my backyard and turning it into a bog. The backyard is dry during the spring, fall and winter months, it only floods when their pool is open. When I hear some sort of pump humming from their side, that is when it slowly leaks. However when they have any event with people swimming, it DUMPS gallons and gallons of water from this point of entry, and has reached about a third of my yard.

I contacted the city, the neighbours shut everything off for about a month after the municipal officer came and my backyard was temporarily dry. Then they went ahead and started using it again and everything got re-flooded. Tried the city again and the new officer said they had everything up to code and these are "nice people", he did not bother looking at my side of the yard to actual inspect the flooding, and they have conveniently piled about 2 feet of stones on their side (under their pool) that would hide any flooding on their side. We submitted tons of video evidence of the flooding, but the city also ignored that.

The neighbours claim this is a gradient issue that has existed since the 80s... but it doesn't get worse with rainwater, and it only floods during the dry summer months... and it only started within the last 5 years...

I'm having a plumber/drainage guy do a chlorine-test once they use the pool heavily again, but the cheap strips I bought myself aren't coming back positive for chlorine (though the muddy boggy water might be too diluted).

I have come here in desperation as I don't know what else to do. Maybe build an expensive drainage system to deal with their pool water, or just live with the swamp and mosquitoes. Only good thing is summer is almost over, but I know it will happen again next year.

I'm in Southern Ontario. Hoping someone smarter than me can help point me in the right direction. Thanks for any help.

As titled suggests, partner ran ever so slightly into the garage and the picture is the result. Going to be selling in the next year and not even sure who to contact to fix this? or does it have to be replaced? Door works perfectly fine. TIA

Hello, new homeowners that would prefer to DIY, but will hire contractors if needed(and affordable lol). Appreciate any help or advice, information is below.

House built: 1999
Single-story home on slab foundation.

The issues are with both exterior doors, but mainly back door.

With the back door, a gutter was broken above the door and it seems that the water from rain has been corroding the underside of the doorframe for years (most likely before we bought the house in 2023). Is this something I can fix myself? Where would I start and what should I plan on needing? I am terrified to pull the rotten wood out cause I’m really not wanting to screw anything up and make it worse. Picture above.

My husband and I are both handy (volunteering at our local raptor center, so we do some woodworking/building cages, etc.), so if it isn’t crazy it is definitely doable, but I was unsure if it’s worth doing ourselves cost wise.

With both front and back door, the doors are hanging slightly crooked- as in top portion of door (on latch side) is tight against jamb, but bottom is not so you can see light through a gap on bottom corner of both doors.

Word of note, if it makes a difference, I have been wanting to get storm doors installed for better security and weatherproofing- has anyone done that to front and back doors? Worth it?

Any help/advice is appreciated!

TL/DR: Busted gutter has rotted wood underneath back door. House on slab foundation. What is best way to fix, DIY or contractor? For DIY any guidance?

Both exterior doors hang crooked on latch side, tight at top, loose at bottom. Best way to fix?

I'm trying to get my roof/siding/gutters done from summer storms. We finally got the checks from insurance and we were supposed to have a contractor come and discuss what work we were going to do, what materials we wanted, etc. He was supposed to be here nearly an hour ago and nothing. We're already in september and I fear the inside of our house is going to be damaged by snow if we don't fix this stuff. We already have leaks in the house.

It's very hard to find any companies willing to do this work anymore. I have things i need to do since I'm off today but don't want to leave and the contractor shows up. It's already making me nervous for when work actually starts.

What do you all do to avoid being taken through the ringer?

Help, please! We moved into a remodeled home in DFW earlier this summer, and we’re now noticing cracks developing along the exterior of the house, particularly around the front door, as well as cracks throughout the interior. We’ve also noticed that the baseboards appear to be separating from the flooring, and several doors have become increasingly difficult to close.

I know the soil shrinks and expands in DFW and we haven’t gotten any rain in over 2 months.

Could this be a sign of a foundation issue? Are we potentially dealing with a serious structural problem, and what would you recommend we do next?

Originally had the tv off to the right.
Still leaning that way but looking for some ideas other than my own

The deck will be covered once I put up the roofing.

I presume that since the purpose of the bathroom exhaust fan is to extract humid air, that the lint gets wet and then kind of adheres to it. Wiping with a finger work (you see the one disturbed spot I tried) but it ain’t quick and easy.

What’s the best method for removing that build up?

I have a problem removing a fence post. The post rotted and collapsed and I have been digging around as much as I could. I broke a lot of concrete around it already. I tried the jack method, but it did not work as on two sides the cement sidewalk held it down. On the second picture I indicated that the length between the housewall/foundation is 7 inches, the blue indicates a concrete "wall" that I cannot remove because there is no space to get the chisel and hammer inside. The red indicates the post itself. It is around 3.25 in x 3.25 in. The depth is 7 inches so underground so far. From looking at Lowes, I see these posts are sold being 7 feet long. The post was 5 feet above ground, so I am assuming that it went 2 feet underground. Please let me know what else I can do. I have tried everything I know so far.

Hey guys and gals and everyone! In midday, when I pull my car into the garage, the sun bears directly on the beam of my garage door opener, the one that goes across the floor to reverse it in the closing cycle if someone walks through the doorway. With ONLY the sun hitting it, it flat out refuses to close.

I've made shades, cardboard, nothing will stop it. I just spent hours making a little PVC tube that I spray painted flat black to protect the beam and it still refuses to work.

I have to go outside taking the opener from my visor, stand covering the entire sensor with my body, and only with the shadow of my entire body covering the whole thing will it completely close. Then I have to wall up to the front door, walk inside and put the remote back in my car. There's gotta be something with reflections or IR bouncing around or some component of this experience that I'm missing.

Anyone chase this thing down have any hints, tips, tricks, heckles you wanna throw my way, have at it. NO I DON'T WANT TO HEAR "Well you'll just have to that during tbe day." No. I can't let the Sun win. I can't.

I’ve installed a playground in my backyard last summer. Since then squirrels (I believe) have been coming over and removing pieces of the playground. Adding a photo for reference, and it’s like that all over the playground. What can I do to stop the damages? I don’t think catching all of the squirrels is a viable solution given the number of fuckers running around the area.

Thanks in advance

God I hope it’s not termite.

Just bought a house and did a full bathroom remodel. We’re very happy with everything, but when you take a shower, water pools in the silicone behind the tub like a moat and pours out onto the floor. A five minute shower was enough to soak a wash cloth. Any ideas on how we can solve this? This is not a shower curtain issue. We’d really like to avoid putting in a plastic dam. Maybe redoing the silicone to flow the other way? Or at least sit flush to the tub so it doesn’t create a river?

Any and all help appreciated. We’ll talk to our contractor, but my guess is he’ll just say to put up a a dam and deal with it.