r/HomeMaintenance

Trying to help my in-laws replace the broken handle on their toilet. I've tried using an adjustable wrench and a socket wrench while holding the little nub outside with a pliers and both just keep slipping off the nut.

They tried spraying WD-40 on the nut before I got there, but if anything it seems to have made it more slippery. I do have some graphite spray if that might help. I also have an oscillating multi tool that could probably cut the bolt off, but I figure that would probably shatter the porcelain. Any ideas?

edit: forgot to mention I am turning clockwise/righty-loosey

How concerning are these cracks? Wall is deflected about 3/4 inch. I was quoted for carbon straps but they said it would be a proactive repair as the delfection is not significant. Cracks go about 3/4 of the wall (not the full length of wall)

I feel like it happened within a week. The pattern looks like it starts "away" from the wall area so I don't think it is a gutter issue, or foundation issue. We've never had an issue with water coming in. Also, absolutely nothing spilled on the floor from the room above.

These are the best pictures I can get right now, bc the room is stored with furniture .

The moisture in the room is very high, which is why I'm wondering if that could be mold growing from the moisture in the room?

We had a pipe burst on the other side of the apartment months ago and the water mitigation company wrapped things in plastic that were still moist🙄. Those things have all been sitting in that room because we've had massive delays with
our insurance company paying them.

Obviously most of the stuff is going in a dumpster. We are waiting for them to do that. So basically even with a dehumidifier, that room is about 79-85% humidity right now, and with the plastic wrapped things, it has created a greenhouse environment.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or guesses!

These are some daily pics taken over the last week and a half.

Also, could this be moisture from
ductwork? The HVAC has been inactive for a few months, and probably has a lot of moisture?

We have a 121-year old triple-decker home in the Northeastern U.S. One of our exterior walls has been bowed like this for presumably many years (we moved in 2 years ago and it was already bowing at that point). Walking around my neighborhood, it seems like almost every other home has brick exterior walls either bowing inward or outward as well. Does this look like just normal settling? Or does this seem to look more like a structural deficiency? I know a professional’s opinion matters most, but I wanted to source some opinions from fellow homeowners too.

Here are some photos of the wall: https://imgur.com/a/bnYNak7

This trim keeps falling out and growing mold. Does my plan make sense?

1. Remove old trim, clean mold, dry for one week
2. Place back rod in gap
3. Caulk with silicone.

Let me know if you have better ideas.

Edit: the gap is like a half inch so just caulk will not fill it

Trying to explain to my landloards what we need fixed as we have a HUGE ant problem now but I’m not sure what that seal part is called.

Ok this one has me stumped. Just bought a new home with an upstairs that will not drop down in humidity. There’s not condensation on the walls or anything but it definitely has a basement type smell. Had a pretty thorough inspection and nothing came up. We’re in Austin Tx so it’s always humid outside but I’ve never had humidity issues inside. For reference, the first picture is the upstairs (on its own system) and the second picture is downstairs. Right now I’m trying to run the AC a bit more upstairs to dry out the air but so far it hasn’t worked. Any suggestions on who to call to help troubleshoot this one? Thanks!

Been in the house almost 7 years. Hasn't seemed to move much but there was a prior patch that obviously didn't hold.

House is on a bit of a slope

Should I repatch and continue to watch or have someone come out to inspect?

New home i for some reason didnt notice this but the door wont close. I assume the best way would to sand the frame

I don’t even know where to start with trying to remove this rather large tree stump. Any advice would be great. I have looked online and the main consensus is to basically burn it. However I am worried this will burn down the fence next to it. This in in the UK. Any advice?

This mirror has slid off the wall. What would it take to put it back in place? I’m thinking of asking a task rabbit to do it but I wasn’t sure how many hours of work it would take. Thank you!

At least once a day, especially in the evening, my wife and I would hear a single loud pop coming from our kitchen wall. Too high to be any pipes and today I finally figured out what it is. The eave has a pretty gnarly crack in it. It looks like the last homeowners tried to slow it down or stop it. What would be the most ideal way to stop this from getting worse or repairing it.

Hello, after taking a shower I came down to find what seems to be a water leak in my downstairs ceiling (right below my bathroom). I tested what was causing it and it seems like my sink and shower are the issue. I heard dripping noises when they are on. I was wondering what to do here? What’s my next course of action, can it wait or will it just become worse?

Three lines going into the washing machine - one straight in, and then this Y-shaped connector that splits. I'm wondering if the left rubber-looking tube is the hot water. We have hard water where we live so I'm unsurprised when things look like this, but what part is it and how easy is it to fix myself? Should something like this be left to a plumber? How soon could it become a problem? We primarily use cold water in washing. Thanks!