feature image via Getty Images / sturti
This particular Member2Member iteration on home reno has been on the agenda since the very inception of the column. Whether you just need some help soundproofing your room or are in the process of putting up walls in your house, doing some light concrete repair or trying to get rid of pests, this is the post to seek advice. Are you handy? Do you have particular skills that you want to share here? Now’s your time to shine! So, got questions? Ask away! Have particular expertise you want to offer, go ahead and start a thread. Thank you all for bringing your best selves to A+ and this community so frequently and to this comment section. I’ve been really looking forward to this one, and until everyone has [or creates] a queer handyperson guild in their city, I feel like we can at least do this.
How To Post A Photo In The Comments:
Find a photo on the web, right click (on a Mac, control+click), hit “Copy Image URL” and then…
code it in to your comment like so:
If you need to upload the photo you love from your computer, try using imgur. To learn more about posting photos, check out A.E.’s step-by-step guide.
How To Post A Video In The Comments, Too:
Find a video on YouTube, copy the URL, and paste the link on its own separate line in your comment. You no longer need to use the “embed” code!
Love this topic! So I’ve got a bathroom question. This is kinda gross but my house was built in the 1950s and hasn’t really been updated so the bathroom doesn’t have a fan. It gets really humid in there whenever I shower, and the decades of humidity and moisture in there have caused the ceiling to get super gross. The paint is peeling and I think there’s a bit of black mold growing on it. Any advice on how to 1) clean the ceiling and 2) keep it clean in the future? Would it be super hard or expensive to install a fan? I do have a dehumidifier in the house which helps a lot!
When I redid my bathroom (sadly not really able to install a fan b/c apartment) the contractor recommended this extra fancy paint specifically for bathrooms https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/interior-exterior-paints-stains/product-catalog/abs/aura-bath-and-spa-paint. It’s only been like a year and half now, but I feel like my previous regular paint started peeling after only a few months and this still looks great. I do have a mini-dehumidifer in the bathroom and live alone so I can shower with the door open most of the time.
Endorse apple cider and plastic wrap!
I wanted to add that it does matter if you use apple cider vinegar. One time I didn’t have any and used white vinegar with something with sugar in it, maybe even apple juice, and it just didn’t work. So make sure you use apple cider vinegar!
Hi Mary! Sadie (my girlfriend) wanted me to let you know the following (she can’t comment for some reason and I, a person who works here, for some reason, cannot figure out what’s happening):
From Sadie:
I have the same issue with my bathroom! So for removing the mold, my partner put on a Tyvek suit, respirator, goggles, and latex gloves and sealed off the room with a tarp around the doorway so that nothing escaped into the rest of the house (mold, possible lead paint). They then scrubbed the mold with bleach (I believe white vinegar also kills mold, but you have to leave it on for about an hour before scrubbing) and then sprayed the mold with a mold killer that they bought at a big box hardware store. This will kill the mold but will not remove the stains. Also scrape any loose paint and sand the edges so that it doesn’t create a lip. You’ll have to prime 2 or 3 times to completely cover the stains. (Killz works better than Zinzer, and they have an anti mildew/mold primer.)
You can add a fan in the bathroom yourself, if you’re not squeamish about doing basic electrical work and cutting a hole into your ceiling and side of your house. Otherwise, paying a handyperson will cost between $300-$500. If you’re comfortable with doing some mild demo, you can also DIY an opening transom window over the bathroom door so that humidity can escape with the door closed.
I haven’t used mold-resistant latex paint and can’t comment on its efficacy. Linseed oil paint and limewash paint have been used for hundreds of years and are both naturally mold and mildew resistant. The paint allows for moisture to travel through it, so it doesn’t get trapped and can evaporate naturally. I’m planning to install American Clay in my bathroom, which is a clay plaster. (Though much easier and more forgiving to use, and you don’t really need to know how to plaster to install it.) The clay absorbs excess moisture in the air and slowly releases it as the humidity decreases. Since it’s clay, there’s no waste, because you can just add more water if you want to reactivate it (the water doesn’t create a chemical reaction the way that, say, concrete does), which means that it has a more relaxed work time. It’s NOT for use in showers or places that get regular exposure to water, though. It also comes in a lot of colors! I promise I don’t work for American Clay, I’ve just installed it for clients, and I’m kind of in love with it. http://www.americanclay.com
Hope this helps!
LOL Here is a photo of me in the bathroom mold-killing setup in case anyone’s interested. Truly cannot wait until Sadie and I can install American Clay in our bathroom.
I will start this off with the smallest of small, but I think technically it counts as a “fix.”
I’ve been having those little fruit flies all over the place this week and I don’t like it! I’m seeing improvement from not leaving food out, taking the garbage out and tying it up even when it is in my garbage can, also washing the entire garbage can in my shower bc the flies really liked it –
but those DIY, “make a cone out of paper and put it in a bottle with something sugary in it” catch me, like, one fly each. I don’t want to waste money or space on a fancy zapper, but do y’all have any fave anti-fly hacks?
Thanks babes!
Try making those little traps with apple cider vinegar instead of sugar water. Contrary to the saying, you can catch more flies with vinegar! (at least in my anecdotal experience)
We’ve also had good luck with pouring either diluted bleach or boiling water down the drains, in case they’re hatching there.
I’ve found clear flypaper that you stick on your windows is way more effective than the kind you hang from the ceiling that comes on a little spool!! Flies think they’re going outside and stick right to it.
I’ve always found that a piece of plastic wrap stretched over a cup of apple cider vinegar and secured by a rubber band, with holes poked in the top with a fork, makes for the best fruit fly trap. This tends to capture a lot of them, at least for me!
What Nicole said, alternatively giving the flies their own glass of wine, either uncovered or with punctured plastic wrap. I’ve found they are particularly fond of dry reds. Also scrub out your indoor garbage can, taking care to get around any rims where eggs or larvae may be.
I also endorse the apple cider vinegar/plastic wrap & cleaning out the drains advice! Those always work well for me too. And it sounds like you have fruit flies, but something to check if you have a lot of houseplants: the one time I was staying with a friend and the vinegar, etc methods were only catching a few flies, it turned out that they weren’t fruit flies, but fungus gnats because one of her houseplants had rotting roots (if you think this could be the issue, there’s a lot of info online on how to deal with it).
Endorse apple cider and plastic wrap!
I wanted to add that it does matter if you use apple cider vinegar. One time I didn’t have any and used white vinegar with something with sugar in it, maybe even apple juice, and it just didn’t work. So make sure you use apple cider vinegar!
Thanks for putting this together, Nicole! I own a condo in a two unit building in the northeast and there are two wood porches – front and back – that both need attention. The front porch in particular has peeling paint, and some loose boards. Does anyone have experience with replacing or fixing porches? I would like to replace the wood with composite, but my co-association owner is anti-composite, stating it’s ugly/will detract from the value of the building. I don’t like the ongoing maintenance of wood, especially living in a climate that gets cold and wet every winter. I’m interested to know how others, especially in places where your porches get covered in snow and shoveled out every year, have approached this problem. Thank you!
In New England and a big fan of composite. My previous home had it as siding and it was fantastic. Looked good and no weathering concerns. I’ve got wood decking now and constantly wish it was composite instead.
Thank you for the confirmation that composite does work well in New England and looks good!
I had to Google what composite was as I wasn’t familiar with the term (I’m in the UK), but it’s basically plastic, right? We used recycled plastic lumber for a garden project instead of timber and I found it easy to work with and I think it looks great. It’s made from waste plastic, the stuff we have is made from plastic previously used to wrap straw bales for agriculture, so it’s eco (to a degree – When I was researching companies who supply it in the UK some imported the plastic waste from overseas, which makes it less eco). Two years later it’s needed no maintainance.
If recycled plastic lumber is available where you live maybe it could be an option for your job.
Thank you for the suggestion about recycled plastic! Great to hear that it’s still maintenance free and looking good in your garden two years on, that’s encouraging!
I am fortuitously planning on spackling and painting tonight so if anyone has any pro-tips or recs for like the best youtube video to watch I am interested! I had my bathroom professionally painted last year as part of a bigger reno and it is so noticeably better than any painting I’ve ever done so I’m clearly doing something wrong. If it matters at all (idk!), my walls are plaster.
What kind of spackling and painting are you doing? Are you spackling cracks? If so, make sure the plaster isn’t loose by pressing on it. If it’s loose, you’re going to have to *sigh* open up that crack by removing the crumbling plaster with a putty knife or utility tool. Be careful, because the destruction is fun, but it can lead to “delam dominoes,” where the plaster Just. Keeps. Coming. Off. But if you don’t remove any crumbled plaster, it will continue to deteriorate and move. (If this happens, comment below and I will tell you how to fix it.) If this is not your life and the cracks are tight, then use grid tape. Put down a very thin layer of spackle as “glue” over the crack and to its sides and then put enough grid tape to cover the entire crack. This will prevent the crack from spreading and also appearing in the new spackle. Wait for it to dry, then cover with spackle to cover the tape. Try to feather the spackle into the plaster and make it as smooth as possible so that it’s less sanding. Wait for it to dry, and then sand with 220 grit sandpaper till smooth.
For painting, always prime. Even if the paint says that it has primer and claims to be one coat. This is a lie. Always prime. I recommend cutting in first and brushing 3-4 inches from the ceiling and trim so that there are clear lines for you to roll between. Are you using matte, eggshell, satin, semi? If you’re using matte, cut in the entire room first, then roll. If you’re using anything with any kind of gloss (anything but matte), you ‘ll want to do one wall at a time — cut in, then roll — because once one coat of paint is dried, if you go over it, it will cause “flash,” so you’ll be able to see the line between cutting in and rolling. You’ll also see this if you spackle and just paint over that one spot — it’ll be shinier.
If you have any specific questions about painting, I’m happy to answer them!
This is grid tape, just so you know what Sadie’s talking about here.
To be clear, cutting in is when you use a brush to paint the corners and define the line between the wall and trim/ceiling. A cutting in of 3-4 inches gives you a good margin of error in case the roller slips, so that you don’t accidentally end up with paint on the ceiling. (Even if that happens, you can easily remove it will a wet cloth if the paint is still wet.)
Also! Make sure the roller is pretty coated but not sopping. Don’t be shy with the paint. I recommend getting an extension pole (your back will thank you), and once the roller is loaded with paint, place it in the middle of the wall and roll up, then down, spreading
the paint evenly. If the roller is looking a little dry and the wall is looking patchy, add more paint to the roller. It doesn’t save product to try to press every little bit onto the wall. It will just end up removing paint, and it will end up looking splotchy.
Ok so this isn’t strictly on theme BUT Niko’s piece this week got me thinking: Does anyone know of other queer home renovation shows, on HGTV or otherwise? Turns out Trading Up With Mandy Rennehan is only available to stream in Canada much to my dismay 🥲
Not 100% queer, or 100% HGTV, but the show “How to Build a Sex Room” on Netflix has multiple queer show participants, feels like HGTV, and is downright delightful.
I don’t have specific recommendations, but your best bet for this is probably actually YouTube? Just because queer people don’t have to wait to be greenlit by a company to get on Youtube. I don’t know much about what’s coming out in terms of like actual stations.
This is embarrassing to admit, but I own a power drill and don’t really know how to use it! I tried hanging one (1) curtain rod and the drywall crumbled and the anchors wouldn’t stay put and I got flustered and gave up and have not used the drill since. I want to hang a spice rack in my kitchen but am afraid of the same thing happening and having ugly holes in the wall. Can anyone recommend a very gentle, friendly, super-beginner-level guide to drilling and hanging stuff in drywall? Thank you so much and thanks Nicole for hosting this little advice swap!
Just commenting out of solidarity; I’m afraid to even try using a drill by myself bc I’m pretty sure that is exactly what I will do. Good luck!!
First off, know that this is the fault of the drywall and not you! Drywall is cheap and can be cut with a box cutter. It’s remarkably easy to break, and also really easy to repair. Please don’t be discouraged. I also have a problem with anchors, and I have found the following three options to work:
1. Use industrial adhesive to keep anchor in the hole (not recommnded and not dependable, but sometimes you just gotta use what you have)
2. Toggle bolts. I think they’re mainly recommended for plaster, but I’ve also used them for drywall because fuck it.
3. Find a stud to scerew into. You can buy a stud finder for cheap, or you can knock till you find it. The wall will sound hollow where there is no stud, and will sound denser and higher pitched where there is a stud. Also, studs in modern-ish construction have a standard distance of 16 or 24 inches, for finding your bearings with a tape measure. If it’s an old house, then they will be less standard and probably closer together (more like 14 inches.)
You’re the best, babe <3
Thanks so much Sadie! I think maybe I will get a stud finder and try again!
ALSO if drills intimidate you, I watched this entire 9.5 minute video to make sure it was good, and I recommend getting your drill out, watching this video, and practicing using all these different settings without a project you need to get done right away. I will note that the speaker in the video has, like, a more advanced version of a drill than I do, and also bits that use a holder, and you might have a less-complex model and bits that do not use a holder. That’s okay. If your version has fewer settings, they’ll just be missing, but the settings you DO have won’t be different from what the speaker is showing you in this video, if that makes sense. Honestly, I also recommend digging around Youtube for just about anything related to power tools. There are SO MANY resources when it comes to reno projects and the basics, too.
Thanks for spending 9.5 minutes of your day on this, Nicole! I will be sure to take a look!
The Sorry Girls are a DIY channel on youtube
– they have some great “intro to power tools” videos that are useful and easy and not at all condescending. Highly recommend! Drywall sucks, and so much of the problem is probably not you. Invest in some anchors and your life will be forever changed.
My question is actually a yard question that is tangentially home repair related? But still hoping someone can help.
Last year when my wife and I bought our house, we needed to have a new vapor barrier layer installed underneath. It all went well, but the guy who did it said when he was under the house he noticed one of the roots from our big fir tree in the front would start pushing up the foundation soon. He suggested taking out the tree entirely, which I would rather not do if possible because it is healthy and provides lovely shade for a big portion of our house.
Has anyone tried and succeeded in cutting a major root of a tree without killing the tree? Or fine other similar foundation preservation related things that might be helpful?
Hi! My partner is an arborist, who says that cutting roots can be tricky on the best of days. Harder still is cutting out a large root, but there’s a couple of things you can think about before starting.
Is the root part pushing into your front foundation above ground? Then you may have to keep in mind that you can only really remove up to 15% of the tree’s total surface roots at a time. THEN it’ll take a couple of years for the tree to heal, each time you cut it. Also, how far away from the base of the tree is the problem area? You can pretty safely cut roots at a distance of five times the diameter of your tree. A big, full-grown fir tree will require a further distance away from it than a lil decorative guy. Because of that and the fact that the offending root sounds like it might be on the larger side, there’s a bit more risk in playing operation on it.
However! There are ways you can help your tree in the healing process afterward! And if you’re still nervous about the idea, you can call an arborist to come look at the root to ask for a professional opinion (+ tips on how to take care of your tree while it heals). Root-cutting is best done in winter or early spring as it’s the slowest-growing seasons, so if the project isn’t too urgent you might be able to wait until it gets colder to give your tree the best shot it can at recovery!
As a prevention tip also, you can dig down and put root barriers to help direct your roots further down into the soil and away from your foundation!
I’m less familiar with this process because where I’m living, most of the trees in residential areas are invasive species, and nine times out of ten they just get removed. But it’s still a good tip whether you’re putting in trees or looking to cut away roots!
I have a very old house (1860) with a bare-earth-covered-with-a-tarp vapor barrier and visible tree roots inside my basement. We hired a structural engineer to check it out recently he told us that the tree is actually helpful because it holds the soil in place. We only need to worry if the foundation starts to shift and bulge a lot (like, 6+ inches). So! We got a plumb line set up and took measurements so we can monitor for changes over time.
Idk your specific situation, but maybe read up on
Hit send too early! Maybe read up on how to measure foundation movement. It took ~30 minutes total and bought me and my wife so much peace of mind to have a plan in place.
This is more outdoor renovation, but I’m doing work for a friend’s mom’s house that was bought decades ago. Their fencing is at the point where it’s brittle, crumbly, and– because they live in a windy area, the actual gate hinges have blown right out of their posts! Like the perfectly opposite direction that they were nailed/screwed in!!
Their mom has asked if I could replace the gate and the hinges, but I think the dang thing is so old I may have to rip out all the posts and replace them, too. Does anybody have any tips on the process? Especially on perhaps “wind-proofing” the structure for the future, haha!
Thanks very much, I’m proud of all of you and the work you’re doing!
Hi there,you’d need a treated timber for posts so they last inground and all weather without rotting.
You’ll need to dig holes for each post, usually 500mm deep but I’d consider deeper if it’s windy, position poles at correct height (you can do this with string across both /poles and may need to prop them up with another piece of timber) making sure their level,pour cement mix (get a few bags of construction grade for strength ready to mix) as per instructions, allow to set adjust poles to ensure their level if necc .i prefer quick set but slower allows more adjusting time if you need it… Also watch lots of videos to get a sense of how you’d approach it as every project is not the same.
I have this stud finder that that’s supposed to sense electrical current but it’s SO oversensitive, it will light up in areas where I’m like “no way is there a wire there.” It’s made me scared to drill holes in the walls because what if it’s right and I hit a wire? Does anyone know a way to make it less sensitive? Or have a good rule of thumb for how to know where wires are unlikely to be?
Also, finding and hiring people to do things to my house makes me so anxious. Anyone have tips for finding good contractors etc and feeling more confident talking to them and trusting them to come into my house and not break it?
Generally cables tend to run from top to bottom as close to your socket as possible – if you know how to isolate a power point you can have only 1that you work off (with extension cable) and turn off the rest Inc the room you’d be working on.
I usually go by most recent reviews for getting trades into do stuff…you can also ask for a couple references, relevant work related licences important to make sure they’re insured…
I have been using NextDoor to find contractors who have a lot of recommendations and that has worked out pretty well for me so far? I avoid looking at it for anything else.
Bought a house last year and while it’s *mostly* fine, there are definitely some things that should happen. Two questions- everyone talks about home reno with such ease, but how are people coming up with the money for big projects? Like I have to redo my stairs and thinking about saving $20k or whatever makes me feel ill. Is there some kind of secret (other than DIY)?!
And! I want to build a murphy bed inside of a bedroom closet, so that I can use the room for other stuff when there’s no one staying over. Have you done this? Where would you start?
I feel you on the big repairs issue! You can add renovations costs to your mortgage. I know people who have done that but for bigger renos (more than $50k). Or you could use a line of credit depending on the interest rate? Good luck! That murphy bed/closet idea sounds awesome
I feel so strongly about not having a dedicated guest room! Why do I want a place that will make me feel lonely when it’s not full.
I looked into Murphy beds and gave up because my ceilings have a dramatic slant. But what I’ve landed on is an air mattress + really nice mattress topper so that it will feel like a real bed. If you need an interim solution, that might fit the bill!
Yeah, like, the secret seems to be taking on debt? In terms of how we fund things personally, we haven’t had to take on any additional loans yet, but Sadie and I have had to generally live really frugally and also just spread out our DIY projects over the course of years so that the costs are spread out, too. We also DIY basically everything we can because you’re right that once you involve labor, the costs just skyrocket! I also know someone who re-did her stairs herself, so it’s definitely possible to DIY if you’re up to it.
Ok this really couldn’t have come at a better time, because my partner and I just bought a HOUSE!
We need to install a washer and dryer in a new location right outside a bathroom on the first floor. So we need to a) make sure the floor can hold a stacked washer/dryer, b) create water hookups for supply and drainage (will involve going into drywall and/or through the floor into the unfinished basement), c) create an electrical supply suitable for the dryer, d) vent the dryer, and e) relocate an hvac vent in the floor. My question is: what professional and/or group of professionals do I need to hire to do all these steps? I’m not worried about proximity to necessary supply lines or feasibility, I just literally don’t know what to even google to get started!
Thank you Thank you thank you Autostraddle heros for this thread and any insight in advance!
Congratulations!! I would start with getting plumbers in. Mine are able to install water lines and vents. They don’t do electrical, but they have been helpful in recommending who to work with.
Also! My stacked washer/dryer combo is impossible for me to reach behind, and it’s a necessary step to clean the dryer vent. So if you are doing anything cute with framing your appliances in, make sure you consider how you’re going to reach the back for maintenance!
Hi! I just got a WFH job, need to work in my bedroom and thus want to hang a curtain across the room to separate my chilling space from my work space. Any tips on the best way to do this? I’ve looked at tension wire but am worried the drywall in my old building is too fragile. And now am thinking about doing several ceiling hooks and using clip on rings to hang the fabric, but — same concern! I’ve used anchors successfully in some of the walls in our apartment but some of them have just crumbled when I tried to tap the anchor in. Any advice appreciated!
Hey! I model for online life drawing sessions and use a line of the small, clear command hooks on my ceiling to hang sheets for a back drop. I just attach the sheets with safety pins as my curtain rings. Every now and then some of the hooks start to loosen and I just replace the adhesive backing. Works pretty well! My ceiling is wood panels, but I also use command hooks on my drywall to hang curtain rods and most other things and they’ve mostly done the trick. Stick with lightweight fabric for your curtain and lots of hooks to distribute the weight evenly.
I hate the low-hanging light in my dining room and want to replace it with a pretty flush mount that I won’t bang my head on. Have any of you replaced lighting fixtures? Was it hard? Any words of advice?
It’s not that hard! Your difficulty may vary, I think, mostly depending on how heavy the fixture is. Like, I’ve replaced a ceiling fan and that was brutal just from having to hold it up. A couple notes of caution for old houses: 1) if your house / apartment is very old, I’d put a wooden board under your ladder or feet for some extra insulation because even though you are cutting the power before doing this, you never know! 2)Also if your electric system isn’t updated, you’ll need to do some research to make sure you aren’t exceeding the wattage that your fixture can handle and I’m sorry I’m not more of an expert there, but maybe someone else can jump in and help! This is obvs also a concern with any fixture in any house / apartment, but it becomes more complicated with older buildings that haven’t been updated just because the wiring might only be meant to handle relatively low wattage situations. Hopefully that’s not the case for you!
Here’s a video on how to do it that’s pretty basic and should be easy to follow. Pretty much any fixture is going to be the same in terms of the wiring. You may also want to have some new wire nuts on hand in case you want to replace any that are in there currently.
Thank you! <3 <3