Home Improvement: How do I remove the strong body odor smell from my son’s bedroom? It seems to have penetrated the wood flooring. |
- How do I remove the strong body odor smell from my son’s bedroom? It seems to have penetrated the wood flooring.
- Succulent Accent Wall
- Backyard storage structure converted into an office.
- How can I clean up this washing machine receptacle hole in the wall?
- Switching to a gas range from electric.
- Will removing the water restrictor in my shower head greatly increase my water bill?
- Peeling paint from my bathroom walls, I don’t know what this is
- Retrofit windows vs direct replacement
- Convert white Bosch 800 dishwasher to stainless
- How to modernize 60 year old hardwood floors?
- What can you get to stop your bed (with wheels) from constantly sliding away from the wall?
- What are your favorite beginner guides for home maintenance?
- Heard a click then suddenly outlet no longer works.
- I won the 'Guess the date' contest and spent my winnings fixin up my laundry room
- Can I move / remove this radon system?
- Project share: fun dining area project in an open floor plan
- What to do with this vintage Broan extractor fan? I love the look and it still runs but I’m not sure how much air it’s actually extracting. https://imgur.com/y7xqRTJ
- I don’t think my Mom’s deck was flashed - The damage is absolutely unbelievable.
- What do you guys use to lubricate your garage doors? I've always used silicone spray, but a guy who worked on my door today said WD-40 was better. He seemed to know what he was doing, yet every forum I've read says DON'T use WD-40. They mostly suggest silicone or lithium lubricant.
- Steam cleaned extremely pet soiled carpet before and after
- Replacing chainlink with wood fence?
- Dryer vent question
- Having electrical problems in my house. Have done a thorough investigation and can't figure it out.
- CH breaker nuances
| Posted: 29 Apr 2020 10:26 AM PDT So like my post title says, I need advice on how to get a strong body odor smell out of my 16 year old son's bedroom. He is profoundly affected by his autism and is completely non-verbal, wears a diaper, and has a low cognitive level. He is capable of learning and I'm sure he knows far more than he's given credit for, but he is limited in his ability to be responsible. So, unfortunately, he cannot really participate in de-odorizing his bedroom. My son is still in the throes of puberty and has a lot of body hair. I'm guessing that his body being covered head to toe in thick hair adds to his stench. In addition to that, he will change his own diaper if he has only urinated in it. For a long time he would remove the wet diaper and just throw it on the floor. This caused the urine to penetrate the wood floors and left a dark stain that smells like urine. Thankfully, he now places them in his diaper pail. I would appreciate any advice on what I can do to get the scent out. I have looked into an ozone generator, along with air scrubbers, and air purifiers, but I really don't know what I should try. I apologize for the long post and for it being about an unpleasant subject, but I would like to take a stab at getting my son's room less smelly. Thank you all. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Apr 2020 05:40 PM PDT Hey guys! I just wanted to come on here to show off my new kitchen wall that has appropriately been named "The Succ Wall". This was done with stencils and a large paint sponge. I plotted out the area beforehand to keep my pattern straight. I used the same colors of paint for the wall as I did the chairs to keep everything matching with so many colors going on. Overall the process wasn't very difficult, just time consuming. This project took about 10 hours from start to finish. If anyone wants to try something like this the biggest piece of advise I can give is to be careful not to overload your sponge with paint. Otherwise, you end up with paint squishing through the back of the stencil and get muddy lines. If this does happen, you can clean up edges by using a Lysol or other cleaner wipe to clean up the edges before the paint drys. Let me know what you all think or if you have any questions about the process!! 🌿 [link] [comments] |
| Backyard storage structure converted into an office. Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:58 PM PDT A little background - needed to have a place to work from home while a crazy 2 year old is running around. We had this storage structure in the backyard that we never used for anything but storing junk...turns out, it was the perfect place for an office. The whole job was done by my dad, his friend (an electrician) and my father-in-law, (who did the flooring) and 90% of the materials we already had on hand. The only new expenses were the drawer hardware and flooring. Including materials (like grout, etc.) it came out to around $200 total for the remodel. Next steps - getting it a bit more decorated (need a plant in there somewhere) and maybe a rug, because it echos a lot. I'm willing to hear suggestions on how to make it echo less! [link] [comments] |
| How can I clean up this washing machine receptacle hole in the wall? Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:44 PM PDT Hello! I am looking for advice on how to make this water hookup for my washing machine look more aesthetically appealing. I called two different plumbers to the house to give me a call on installing an inlet receptacle - one quoted me $1100 the other $1300. Thats not going to happen! Part of me says just dry-wall patch up to and around it but that might not turn out well. Are there any other options out there? Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| Switching to a gas range from electric. Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:34 PM PDT Our electric stove is kaputz so we are switching to a gas range. We already have a gas line behind the stove but what I was wondering is if we need to have the gas company come open the line and install the connector etc or if the appliance installation people will do that step? It's too late in the day to call so I was hoping someone here had some experience in the area. Thank you. [link] [comments] |
| Will removing the water restrictor in my shower head greatly increase my water bill? Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:26 PM PDT |
| Peeling paint from my bathroom walls, I don’t know what this is Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:38 PM PDT My boyfriend and I bought a house a few weeks ago and I realized there were some bubbles/tears in the paint where something had previously been hung. I started peeling the paint, which came off way too easily. In the corner, between the wall and the ceiling, there is something that seems like plaster, but it's chalky and slightly gummy. I can rub it off with my fingers pretty easily. Maybe it's from water damage? There's no fan in the bathroom. There's also a large patch of green that doesn't look like paint. Any ideas what this is? Pictures in link: https://imgur.com/gallery/kjBkHLi Please help?! [link] [comments] |
| Retrofit windows vs direct replacement Posted: 29 Apr 2020 07:21 PM PDT I will be replacing my windows soon and was wondering, what are the advantages/disadvantages of going with retrofit windows vs direct replacement? I currently have single pane windows with aluminum frames and I will be going with vinyl. I got one quote for generic vinyl overly windows, but there was a specific brand that I was looking at that only does direct replacement (Provia). The thing is my home has a traditional stucco exterior that will be impossible to match without re-stuccoing the entire house, and from my understanding I would have to tear back the stucco if I went with a direct replacement. I'm just not sure if it's worth all the additional cost and effort or not. [link] [comments] |
| Convert white Bosch 800 dishwasher to stainless Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:19 AM PDT We have a 12 month old Bosch 800 series dishwasher that doesn't match our new (well, in progress) kitchen renovation. Rather than buy a new dishwasher, I found that you can buy a replacement stainless front, control panel fascia and handle for ~$120 and reskin the dishwasher. Added bonus, you can go from bar handle to inset handle [link] [comments] |
| How to modernize 60 year old hardwood floors? Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:42 PM PDT So we just got a well built but dated suburban home. Under the carpet are some nice hardwood floors. But we were looking to modernize the look. Currently they are a bit orange. So if we sand them down can we put a more modern finish on them? What would that be? Or is it better just to put a modern laminate over them? [link] [comments] |
| What can you get to stop your bed (with wheels) from constantly sliding away from the wall? Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:27 PM PDT |
| What are your favorite beginner guides for home maintenance? Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:09 PM PDT For example, I've found the lawn care guide by /u/wino_tim (https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/comments/fb1gjj/a_beginners_guide_to_improving_your_lawn_this/) was a fantastic starter guide for learning basic lawn care. I also learned an incredible amount about maintaining my new pool from the Trouble Free Pool "Pool School" (https://www.troublefreepool.com/blog/pool-school/) I'd love to see what other guides this community trusts, for any topics - plumbing, tree care, electric, concrete, cleaning, etc. [link] [comments] |
| Heard a click then suddenly outlet no longer works. Posted: 29 Apr 2020 06:28 AM PDT I have a power strip connected in my home office powering my desktop, printer, mini fridge,etc. and had this set up for months. Just recently, I heard a click and everything turned off. A few outlets nearby do not work as well. I checked the breaker and none of the switches were set to off. I turned off the switch that powers my home office and turned it back on. Still no power. Any thoughts on how to fix this? EDIT: Thank you everyone! It was the GFI outlet nearby that was tripped and just had to reset it back on. I'll be moving my mini fridge elsewhere to prevent this from happening again [link] [comments] |
| I won the 'Guess the date' contest and spent my winnings fixin up my laundry room Posted: 29 Apr 2020 05:12 PM PDT Feeling the need to share because I NEVER win anything! Here is my finished product. Well mostly finished.. I still need to buy a fancy canister for my laundry pods and storage containers for the top shelf. I wish I had a before picture. My laundry room had one very thin shelf that was too high and the walls were a dirty beige. I used the same light grey paint that we used throughout the house and accented the back wall with basic white paint. The stamp was made from a kitchen sponge that i cut into a triangle. Shelves are new 2x8s from Home Depot that i sanded, stained, and sealed. Thanks for the gift card! Now on to the next project! [link] [comments] |
| Can I move / remove this radon system? Posted: 29 Apr 2020 07:25 PM PDT Bought our house a year ago. The loan required that a radon system be installed. We are now wanting to finish the basement, but unfortunately the radon system is in a horrible spot. It is located almost 2 feet out from the wall (white pipe in picture). However, it appears there used to be another radon system where the sump pump is (one of the black pipes). The sump pump area appears to be sealed. I would like to use this system instead of the new one. I would really like to maximize space in the basement as the area is quite small. Therefore I am wondering what to do about this white pipe. Can I use the old system and remove the new one? I am open to other ideas as well. Maybe move the pipe closer to the foundation? [link] [comments] |
| Project share: fun dining area project in an open floor plan Posted: 29 Apr 2020 12:09 PM PDT Hi everyone! Just finished my first house project that was related to design and not "omg we need a plumbing drain" kind of repair. Here's the album before during and after: https://imgur.com/gallery/pu9ldcU I got the panels from Lowe's and they are 16x24, already came in rectangles. The one under the window is 28x8 I believe. Chair rail is also from Lowe's. Paint color is Sherwin Williams HGTV Oceans side - there is also another SW Oceanside that's green, so had some trouble between the sample and the full can. I have one image where I taped the panels to make sure my measurements and math were correct - lots of measuring and leveling here! I also installed the chair rail BEFORE painting which is not how you're suppose to do it - do it AFTER painting otherwise you will be doing a lot of taping and painting. And taping and painting. Would've been a lot easier to just install the chair rail on top of the paint. Live and learn. I did this the super cheapskate way. Didn't use a nail gun and just used a finishing tool and wood filler. As you can see I used towels and old rugs instead of buying painters plastic for protecting the floors. The hardest part in my opinion of the whole thing was the caulking, mainly cause I'm very OCD. I got out of the whole project for under $250! I feel like this helps to set apart the dining area more and it's a separate space from our kitchen/living room, since it's a fully open floor plan. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Apr 2020 07:08 PM PDT |
| I don’t think my Mom’s deck was flashed - The damage is absolutely unbelievable. Posted: 29 Apr 2020 02:28 PM PDT Hey, folks. I'm writing to you a very concerned son. My mom put a deck on a few years ago and now there is extensive rot threatening the foundation of the house. The entire back of the house is rotting, and one exterior wall is one rain storm from caving in. The windows the doors are starting to rot out of their frames. Home owners insurance won't cover it and the code enforcer (who inspected the work for blatant faults) didn't seem too alarmed. A contractor is going to begin reconstructing the walls and repairing the foundation, but I really want to convince my mom to take the guy who put the deck on to court, as this is going to be an extremely costly repair. We can't tell if the deck was flashed or not, and won't until it's removed, but I bet anything it was not. Water is getting into the basement from the same source and is wreaking havoc on the interior walls as well. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Apr 2020 09:17 AM PDT |
| Steam cleaned extremely pet soiled carpet before and after Posted: 29 Apr 2020 08:29 PM PDT Here is a side by side of my carpet cleaning project on a heavily soiled and extremely smelly carpet from the house I just bought (this is just the worst section but I did an entire room that I could barely breathe in from the pet dander in the carpet.) Process: I prepped the carpet by first vacuuming it with a regular vacuum cleaner ( I used a shark vaccuum) To steam clean,The machine I used was BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet pro carpet cleaner, I ordered it off Amazon for about $230. I first did a steam cleaning of the carpet using the oxy clean formula found at this link https://www.lowes.com/pd/BISSELL-48-oz-Pet-Stain-Remover-Concentrated-Steam-Cleaner-Chemical/1000193061 . This formula smelled so good. One problem with the steam cleaner I found was that it left little piles of debris (dog hair and/or carpet fibers) and I had to around and pick them up after finishing a section of carpet. Some of the debris would also clog up the cleaner and I would have to stop to clean the debris out from the vaccuum. You also have to keep an eye on dirty water tank because there is no light or alert to when it's full other than you notice that it's not sucking up the water good. It took several hours for the carpet to dry completely, I had a ceiling fan going, 3 windows open and an oscillating fan in the room. Also turned on the HVAC fan for a bit. A couple of days later, the smell was MUCH improved, but I still smelled some dog. So I then did a second steam clean using the Pet stain and odor antibacterial liquid found at this link https://www.bissell.com/pet-stainodorantibacterial-carpet-formula-40-oz-1567.html The picture at the top of this post is the finished result. I can say that not only did it make a huge difference in the look of the carpet, I can finally breathe in the room the dog smell is 95% less. You can still smell a hint of dog if you get down and smell it, but it will do for now (since i'm planning on eventually putting wood flooring or laminate. Overall I would recommend the machine and product I used. All the cleaning liquids I used came with the machine when I purchased it. [link] [comments] |
| Replacing chainlink with wood fence? Posted: 29 Apr 2020 09:18 AM PDT I have a 4 ft chainlink fence. I would like to get a taller wood fence for more privacy. Can i use the old metal posts or will they be too short to handle a taller fence? Any other suggestions and advice welcome. Edit: thank you all for all your help! I learned a lot! Sounds like using the chainlink posts wont be worth it in the long run. Especially, with my large backyard. Thank you again! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Apr 2020 07:41 PM PDT I'd like to convert to having a stackable washer and dryer to save space in my laundry nook. However, this would put the dryer further away from the vent hole- I would estimate increasing from 1' currently, to ~6'. Also, it would have to make 2 turns along the way. Is that reasonably safe? And if so, would it be better to use the slinky/bendy aluminum hose, or semi-rigid, or rigid? Thanks for any advice! [link] [comments] |
| Having electrical problems in my house. Have done a thorough investigation and can't figure it out. Posted: 29 Apr 2020 03:51 PM PDT Hi all, So I'm having two different problems on two different circuits. This all takes place in the basement. I recently mapped out my breakers on my house and found a few that I cannot figure out where they go, I'm assuming Circuit 1 below is on one of these breakers. Circuit 1: Wires leave breaker (voltage read 125V) and goes through a ceiling (sheetrock ceiling, can't see under it) across the room about 30 ft before it reappears in the unfinished part of the basement where the entire ceiling is exposed wires, plumbing, etc. I am pretty certain there is no electrical devices between these points. So this wire goes to a junction box where it then splits into 3 receptacles, which then split into 2 more. Since the end of fall of last year I had been putting heavy load on those receptacles because I bring my outdoor garden indoors. I didn't have any problems until last week. The problem arose when I plugged in an additional shop vac and used it for like 20 minutes. Moments after I turned it off, all the lights went out. I checked the junction box - it is not receiving power, so obviously everything after it is also not receiving power. But the breaker is fine on the other end. I don't understand where this problem could be. Is it possible that there is another electrical components between the breaker and the junction box? It wouldnt make sense to do that because that circuit already has a bunch of points of load and it's just in a different area than where the mystery component (or perhaps broken wire) is. What do you think is going on here? Please ask me if there is anything else I can clarify about this circuit. Circuit 2: From the breaker box the wire goes a few feet to a receptacle. This receptacle works just fine, it's receiving power and sending more along. The next component is a switch. Reliant on this switch is: light, light, receptacle (presumably in the order). I can't verify this order because the ceiling is covering those wires, but I know for a fact they are all on the switch. So the switch definitely works, and so does light one. Light one is sending current. But light 2 and the receptacle of interest do not work. Here's a clue: there is only one wire leaving light 1, but light 2 and the receptacle each have only one wire coming in. So somewhere hiding underneath the ceiling there must be a junction box, right? One wire has to turn into two wires somewhere! With the switch on, the voltage of light 1 is 125V, 0V at light 2, and 10V at the receptacle. How is that possible? And is the 10V a sure indication of a specific problem? FYI it is not noise on my voltmeter, when the switch it off, it goes to 0. FYI this breaker is also reading 125V. So yeah, I'm at a loss, it feels like to further my investigation to both circuits 1 and 2, which I do not feel seen to be directly related, I must tear my ceiling down to inspect the wires hidden bc it seems that's where the issue is. Even if I did have to do that. How would I know where to start? I'm okay cutting a hole in the ceiling but I'm hesitant to start hacking away at it unless I have to. Can anyone give me any tangible advice for this scenario? This is weird. One circuit f'd up a month ago, and the other last week. Again, they are on different breakers. Could they be related in any way? Moving forward, do I need to split the load of my heavy lights across multiple breakers to avoid future problems? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 29 Apr 2020 07:35 PM PDT I am attempting to replace an old CH type UL breaker in a house that I just bought. I got another CH type breaker from Home Depot but found that my old one had a notch in the side that was critical to its fit in the box. Is there a technical term for this? See attached photo; the old breaker is on the left and the notch is at the top: [link] [comments] |
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