r/HomeMaintenanceAdvice

Hi! I live in a prefab home with skylights in each bathroom (two bathrooms) and one in my kitchen. The bathroom skylights have had recurring issues with condensation and black mold forming on the ceiling around them. The skylights are recessed, so it's like having pockets in the ceiling that collect all of the heat and moisture.

In the colder months I find that covering the mold with several coats of mold killing primer takes care of it. I've also starting placing damp rid hangers in the skylights. Seems to help, but once the hotter months hit the mold starts coming back.

I don't have the money to tear the skylights out and replace the ceiling. If that's the only option then Im just gonna have to live with the mold. What are some cost effective things I can try? I was considering trying to seal off the skylight completely with insulation, a board, and some caulking. Would this help? What about improving air flow? Maybe installing a small fan in the skylight cavity?

I really need some advice team, I'm stuck for what to do and at large financial/mental loss/plus now at odds with my neighbours.

For Context (my legal question at the bottom) back in January we discovered a pool of grey water under my kitchen floor (It's a suspended timber floor - 1930's house) After much testing and ruling my our own drains, pipes, guttering etc... We discovered it was 110% my neighbours drain escaping water into my house (potentially for years given the extent of the damage caused). My kitchen has an extension that was built some 50+ years ago and my neighbours added a drain right in the corner between my original house wall and my extension wall but on their land against the boundary line.

We called the neighbours and asked them to run their kitchen sink (which drains into the drain against our wall, as well as their bathroom sink and shower). After agreeing, a few moments later a stream of water started pouring out from under the original back wall of my house (maybe a foot under ground level). The surface of their drain was severely damaged and cracked and allowing water to escape into the surrounding earth and evidently my kitchen subfloor. We did a few hose pipe tests (with their permission) and every time water flowed directly into our kitchen from the same spot.

I asked the neighbours to have a proper survey and repair carried out to make sure no further damage or channels of water were flowing to my house, however they ignored me and instead poured a load of concrete around their drain which did not stop the water flowing into my kitchen. At this point our insurance said they wouldn't help at all until we had solid proof the neighbours drain was the cause, so we had a professional builder come in and he confirmed it immediately and then we paid for a full drain survey of their drain which confirmed it was also severely damaged below ground and given the fact our houses are on a hill, gravity was clearly leading the escaping water directly to our house.

To try and keep a long story short, the neighbours turned nasty and denied any fault and started accusing us and my old extension wall of being the cause of the water escape (it does have some cracks and holes in its render but it was confirmed by all builders we had visit not to be the cause, as the water was entering our property from below ground) My insurance finally got involved but I had to pay a £700 excess and lost my 15 years no claims causing my premiums to rise a fair bit. Of course I've only had half a kitchen now for nearly 8 months as it's still not repaired (insurance companies really suck) I've been living with my partner as she has a little one and the state my house has been in since, has made it unsuitable for a small child.

To end, my insurance has confirmed and accepted the neighbours are 100% to blame but they do not believe they can prove negligence so have not sought any form of recovery from them. However, by its very definition they have been negligent by allowing their drain to get into such a state of disrepair. Not only that, but when they finally did have their drain repaired properly (so they say) a few of months ago, they have refused to provide any proof or paperwork to confirm the below ground damage was repaired and our insurance company are happy to take their word for it. The only proof I have I suppose is that the water has stopped flowing into my house now, but it is proving to be a very dry summer, so who knows.

I want to know, could I seek the £700 we lost back in small claims court? They are also now refusing us entry to their land to carry out maintenance on our extension wall which is only now accessible from their garden as they put up a garden fence some years ago. The court fees to gain access are around £309 I believe, so I would also like to seek that expense back in small claims court if possible. They have put up a decorative wall directly against my extension wall blocking me from re-rendering a small section of it. Ideally I need this removed so I can sort that section of my wall and prevent water ingress into my brickwork. How would that work in court?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, if anything is unclear or you need more information please let me know. I'm at my wits end and my neighbours have been truly horrid since all of this broke out. Screaming at me in the streat and banging on the wall of my extension with broom sticks at random points through the days. It's all getting a bit much.

The middle right, with the murky water is the entry point

My wife and I split maintenance costs. I told her the deck/fence guy was going to sand and stain both sides of the gate and return. He only accepts cash or Zelle. I paid my half via Zelle. I don't know what happened with her side. She either couldn't figure out Zelle or sent it to the wrong person. My wife asked me to pay the fence/deck guy. I told her no because I have to pay the stucco guy on Monday and I wouldn't have enough time to move extra money to that account since it was the weekend. The stucco guy only takes cash or check.

She had to go grab cash from the ATM to pay her half. The fence guy and I had to stand there for 30 minutes until she returned. I told her you got to be more prepared.

Was I wrong?

My town is in the middle of a heat wave. It is 100° outside. I live in a townhouse. I noticed my outlet on the wall that the sun hits is warm, Not hot! I did have my phone charger plugged in. (Not connected just left plugged in) Is this normal or is this cause for concern?

Thanks in advance!

I am having a sour odor in my house, it's a pressure dependent problem, meaning the odor gets worse when it starts to cool down outside, or the toilet is flushed in morning or evening (not during the day). The odor comes from the tub overflow and from behind the kitchen sink where the plumbing goes into the walls. I can also smell it around the fridge and in the garage where the wall is shared with the fridge. So the odor is travelling through my walls but I and no one can find the source. What I've done:

• smoke tests
• thermal imaging/water meters
• snaked the drain
• checked vents on roof
• had animal/pest control out
• it's not the furnace or AC, that is new, smell was before they were put in.
• several plumbers, HVAC, restoration, sewer have been out and still no answers.

Looking for any other ideas or suggestions please!

I bought my first house thinking I was making the smartest decision of my life. Cute neighborhood, good price, passed inspection… that’s the key moment

Fast forward 3 years. Cracks started showing up in the walls.But it didn’t seem like a big deal, indeed it looked fixible

This is where the problems began. My windows became difficult to open and close. My beautiful little house was moving under my feet

And that is when I called in the foundation expert. He came to my place, took some measurements, and then gave me the number. It was quite shocking. We are talking about figures in thousands, if not more

And after hearing all the problems I tried listing it traditionally. 2 agents came by, looked at the cracks, and basically ran for the hills. One straight up told me to sell it for pennies or tear it down. The other said she'd list it but couldn't guarantee anything

I felt stuck. Couldn't afford the repairs, couldn't sell it normally. But I also couldn't keep living there watching it slowly fall apart.

Then I found these we buy houses companies that specialize in as-is purchases. Reached out to a few. Most offered laughable amounts. But one of them made a reasonable offer. Not amazing, but fair enough that I could walk away without losing my shirt

Signed the paperwork. 2 weeks later, keys handed over. Done!

Part of me wonders if I gave up too soon. Maybe I could've saved for repairs. Maybe found a buyer willing to take on the project. But honestly? The peace of mind is worth something too

Anyone else dealt with foundation nightmares? Did you fix or flee?

Help my neighbor has put grass and sprinklers right up to our shared block wall. It is now separating I think from him flooding it for new grass. I live in a relatively new home. It still has a 7 year warranty from the builder and he is violating the HOA guidelines on turf and irrigation. I filed a claim with the builder but they will probably deny it. He is watering right now! Do I tell him about what's going on or just file the claim, make a complaint with the HOA and go from there?

https://preview.redd.it/uqcz52nygx8h1.jpg?width=3472&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f8b368d3555de3b598a9118acc3897b50cd03000