c/diy-and-reno

I just saw my neighbor try to hang a shelf with only one drywall anchor

He was putting up a 4 foot long solid oak shelf and only used a single anchor in the middle, saying it felt 'tight enough'. That thing is going to rip right out the first time you put a plant on it, you need at least two anchors into studs for something that heavy. Has anyone else had to explain basic load bearing to a friend before they wrecked their wall?

My brother-in-law watched me paint a ceiling and said 'you're fighting the roller, let it do the work'. I've been holding it wrong for 15 years.

Warning: I thought spray foam was just a gimmick until I sealed my attic last winter.

My heating bill dropped by $40 a month after using two cans, which completely changed my view. Has anyone else had a big win with a product they didn't trust at first?

A client in Denver pointed out my grout lines were uneven, so I switched from a 1/4-inch trowel to a 3/8-inch for larger format tiles.

Has anyone else found that a simple tool change made a huge difference in the final look of a project?

Why does nobody talk about using a cheap paintbrush to apply wood glue for edge banding?

I used to use my fingers or a putty knife for years, but after watching a cabinetmaker in Cincinnati apply it with a 2-inch chip brush, I tried it and now get a perfectly even, thin coat with zero squeeze-out.

I found a 1930s newspaper under my kitchen floorboards last Tuesday

Remember when you had to mix joint compound by hand in a bucket?

I used to spend twenty minutes with a drill and a paddle, getting dust everywhere. Now I just grab a box of the pre-mixed stuff, and it's done in two. Anyone else feel like that small change saved their sanity on drywall projects?

Question about a $150 oscillating multi-tool I bought for a bathroom demo

I thought it was overkill, but it cut through old tile grout and a hidden nail plate without wrecking the wall. Anyone have a different go-to tool for tight demo spots?

Serious question, I had a contractor in Boise tell me to always paint trim before installing it, but my dad swears you do it after.

Last month I was redoing my kitchen and the debate came up when I had to decide on the spot for the new window casing.

Can we talk about the $150 I spent on a fancy paint sprayer for a single room

It took me longer to clean it than to paint, and the finish wasn't any better than a roller. Anyone have a better method for small jobs?

My uncle told me to always buy the $30 paint roller, not the $5 one.

I argued with him for years until I finally tried it on my kitchen cabinets and the difference was night and day. Anyone have a similar 'you get what you pay for' tool story?

Remember when you had to go to the library for a house plan?

I spent a whole Saturday in 2005 at the main branch pulling books to sketch a porch addition. Now I just scroll through a free app on my phone and find ten ideas before my coffee gets cold. What's the first project you did where the internet totally changed your process?

Got tired of the mess from my old corded circular saw and picked up a brushless model last month

Honestly, the cordless one is just way better for moving around a site. I was framing a shed in my backyard and not having to drag an extension cord over the dirt made a huge difference. The battery lasted through cutting all the 2x4s and plywood without slowing down. Has anyone else made the switch and found they use their saw more now?

Vent: My buddy in Phoenix said he never uses a stud finder for drywall anymore, just knocks and listens. Tried it on a closet build and it actually worked.

My whole bathroom tile job is now a half inch off because of one bad measurement

I was laying out the floor tile in my guest bath, starting from what I thought was the longest wall. Measured everything twice, or so I thought. Got three rows in, about 15 square feet done, and my wife walks in and says, 'Is that line supposed to be crooked?' The wall itself isn't straight, and I didn't catch it. Now I have to pull up all that thinset and start over from the center of the room. Has anyone else had a wall lie to them this badly?

Saw a really smart tile layout at the new library in Bellingham

They laid the big floor tiles on a diagonal across the main hall... it makes the whole space look bigger and hides the fact that the walls aren't perfectly square. I'm redoing my small bathroom and never thought about doing that with my 12 inch tiles. Has anyone else tried a diagonal pattern in a tight space?

TIL my 3/4 inch drill bit is no match for a 1940s Chicago brick wall.

I was installing a shelf bracket in my kitchen last week and hit what felt like solid iron, which snapped the bit and sent my drill spinning out of my hands into a bowl of cookie dough.

Warning: I spent $180 on a 'professional' paint sprayer for my kitchen cabinets and it was a total disaster.

After three days of cleaning overspray off my floors and windows, I had to strip it all and roll it by hand anyway, so has anyone else found a sprayer that actually works for a first timer?

Showerthought: my first time mudding a ceiling in my old apartment

I was in my first place in Spokane, trying to smooth a patch. The whole thing sagged and fell out, leaving a bigger hole. I had to cut out the bad section, put in a new piece of drywall, and start over with thinner coats. Anyone else have a mudding disaster that set you back a whole weekend?

Showerthought: My bathroom fan vent hose just detached inside the ceiling

It happened yesterday while I was painting, and I heard a weird flapping sound from above. The flexible duct had pulled clean off the wall vent, dumping all that moist air into the attic space for who knows how long. Anyone have a good trick for securing those connections besides just more foil tape?

Took me a full weekend to figure out why my old door wouldn't latch

It was just a simple fix on a 1920s interior door in my place... or so I thought. The strike plate was off by maybe an eighth of an inch, but the whole frame had settled over the decades. I spent hours shimming, planing, and adjusting the hinges before I realized the door itself had warped slightly. Ended up having to build up the edge with wood filler and reshape it with a rasp, which took another day to dry and sand. Anyone have a better method for dealing with a stubborn old door that just won't catch?

My bathroom floor tile job cost me an extra $300 because I didn't buy enough the first time and the dye lot changed.

I ran out of tile halfway through and the new boxes were a noticeably different shade, so I had to pull up a whole section and start over, has anyone else had this happen with a big box store brand?

Spent $200 on a cheap moisture meter before a basement reno, and it almost cost me ten times that.

Need a fast bathroom reno crew

We're planning to gut our downstairs bathroom before family comes to stay with us. Any local recommendations for a crew that works fast but doesn't cut corners?