Hi. I’m hanging some very lightweight outdoor lights on a brick wall. I plan to screw into the mortar with tiny cement screws. And leave enough length sticking out to hang a light from. Not worried about the weight of the light pulling down the screw. Do I need anchors ? Thanks !!

Thank you everyone for all your help!

So the process is fairly simple, not too many questions about that. However the only replacement glass easily available, whether the local hardware store or Lowe's/HomeDepot, is what they refer to as "picture frame glass" which one helpful hardware store employee said isnt suitable for an exterior facing door.

Being that its a PIA to acquire a suitable glass panel replacement (BTW- what type of glass is suitable? Tempered glass?), what really is the downside of putting in "Picture frame type glass" ?

Thank you again!

I want to mount a 48" LG OLED (11.5 kg) on a drywall wall with metal studs.

Wall construction:

• 12.5 mm single-layer drywall
• metal studs
• studs are 50 cm apart
• Vogel’s TVM 3645 full-motion mount
• 3 mounting screws/points
• TV can extend about 52 cm from the wall

My idea is to drill 13 mm holes through the drywall and directly through the metal stud, then install 3 hollow-wall anchors through both the drywall and the metal stud.

Would this be a reasonable/safe setup for an 11.5 kg TV with a full-motion arm, including when the TV is turned up to 180°?

EDIT: I did a bit more research and I think I will instead buy a 18mm thick plywood that I will install between two metal studs. The TV mount in the middle of the plywood and using zip toggles. This should put even force between two metal studs and the whole plywood and drywall behind it. Is this a more reliable approach? https://imgur.com/Wyxjrt2

So I spend a lot of time sitting in bed. It's where my wife and I like to be. I bought one of those desks that sit on the floor and has wheels that slides under the bed so I can have a little desk hanging over my bed. The problem is after gaming rolling it back out to go to sleep it wakes my wife. So I built a desk . It's made from black iron pipe. Essentially it's just an L made from pipe with a wood desk mounted on top with a base attached to the floor. At first I made it with all slip joints but it just wouldnt stay up straight had to make shims just to stay up level. So I tried threaded pipe. It worked really well untill last night when the threaded base seized and I couldn't swivel the desk top. ( I know I'm not the best at explaining things, I'll share some pictures when I get off work) Anyone out there in reddit land have any ideas of what I can build or buy?

Why is it not recommended to use a spanner on the tap handles to turn the tap on/off? Is it because metal can still break or is that not the main problem?

Hey guys, I want to stick some posters on my wall but the tape and glue dots are again n again coming off due to anti stick paint ig? which glue do I use or any other solution that the paint also stays in place?

https://imgur.com/a/5r7woZt

Bought a house built in 1918 that had this pantry added on, and for some reason its missing any thing to separate the inside of the floor from the outside air on the bottom. The insulation is just exposed and falling out, and obviously it gets incredibly cold in the winter.

I was going to redo the insulation and also put in actual board + spray foam where it meets the house (you can actually poke through directly into the basement in some places)

My question is, do I just slap plywood over the whole bottom and call it a day? Or is there any moisture, ventilation, insulation, or other factors i don't even know to consider?

Any recommendations for longest lasting exterior paint for homes?

Hi,

I have a 1997 2-story home with a very steep roof pitch and not much walkable attic space.

There are 3 bathrooms upstairs and each exhaust fan vents into the attic.

Where do I even start? I want to hire out just because of the roof.

Roofer then plumber?

Two of the bathrooms are right next to each other. Can they share a roof vent?

The downstairs bathroom vents into the crawlspace, but we never really use that shower. I think my best course of action for that one is to open the ceiling and vent it outside with a dryer vent. Is this okay?

Just looking for someone to relate here. I bought my house 11 years ago at 30 by myself and was so completely gung ho about doing everything myself. I built my own furniture and did a lot of renovations how I wanted. Now ten years later I’m starting to get sick of some of it and I feel bad wasting the wood and going to something else. I wish someone would have told me to slow down. Can anyone else relate ?

I suppose tastes change over the years and I’m now older and I am questioning/ feeling bad about not liking the things I’d done before.

Prepping a commercial room on a budget. I have 6 open-louver drop ceiling fixtures 60 x 60 with glass T8 tubes that need shatter protection for an inspection.

​If I lay 3mm clear acrylic sheets inside the bottom grid frame to act as a barrier, will the heat from the tubes warp or sag the plastic over time? Looking for the absolute cheapest way to clear sanitary compliance.

Or is there another way?

Hello! I am trying to install a mailbox that's going to be fitted to brick. However, after drilling holes into the brick and putting plastic wall anchors already in (also already tried drilling screws into the anchors) they are stuck and the screws are being stripped. I think my issue is the hole needs to be bigger 1/4 instead of what I originally drilled them at.

My question is, it it a bad idea to use a drill bit to re drill at the right sizing as I am unable to get the plastic wall anchors out of the brick? I've tried drilling screws halfway into the anchor to then pull out as well. Unable to do that and am feeling somewhat helpless.

Any help would be appreciated!

Recently purchased a cabin that is heated with baseboard heaters. Each of the heaters has an on-unit thermostat, with no wall thermostat. I know *nothing* about electricity, and hopefully will DIY it with a friend who is an actual electrician.

If we wanted to hook these up to wall thermostats, such as Mysa, I'm guessing there isn't an easy way to do this? Someone would have to add the wiring in themselves (?).

I'm guessing each unit will have to be individually wired to a thermostat above/near the heater? Is this a big project?

Hey everyone,

Just wondering if anyone could give some advice. I'm building a built in. I've done most of it, just trying to do the finishing now. I have a few gabs between shelves that I want to put some trim on. My plan is to secure a 13 to the wall in between the cabinets. Attach some arms to the piece of wood. Add another 13 on top of that, so I have a foundation to put my trim on. I hope that makes sense.

My question is how I secure the first 1*3 to the wall? Unfortunately there are no studs there. It'll just be to the drywall. But it won't be supporting anything really, just the trim. Would I use drywall screws? Wood screws? Ideally I don't want to deal with anchors but will if you guys think I should.

Thanks

Hiya all, I was hoping you could give me some advice. I am looking to build some floating shelves, or even a free standing shelf, to hold some rather heavy plants. I have about H x W x D = 2000 x 400 x 200mm to play with.

My issue is that I live in a rented flat, and the Landlord is not particularly happy with screwing things into the wall.

What would you guys recommend? My worry with floating shelves is that I have no clue how to hang/support them without hardware being screwed in.

Thank you.

Hi everyone,

We are planning to buy a house in the south of Germany and need to extend the living area on a very tight budget (ideally budget-friendly timber frame construction). The current living room is simply too small for our needs.

Check the following links for photos of the exterior: https://imgur.com/a/RgFtcVR

So far, two main scenarios have come to mind, but we are 100% open to completely different proposals or creative alternative layouts if you see a better way!

Option A: Extend to the South (Front / Terrace Side)

Concept: Remove patio doors/windows, install a steel beam to open up the load-bearing wall, and extend the living area ~3 meters to the South via timber framing.

Pros:

• Structurally straightforward and looks natural/coherent from the outside.

Cons:

• We lose a large portion of our beautiful south-facing patio/front garden.

• A significant chunk of the gained space aligns with the kitchen area. Even if we remove the wall between the living room and kitchen, you still get the feeling of sitting semi-in-the-kitchen rather than having a dedicated living space.

Option B: Extend to the West (Side / Covered Patio Area), our current favourite

Concept: Remove the existing covered seating area next to the garage and build the extension out to the West with large windows for natural light. Since the West wall is an exterior load-bearing wall, we would need to knock it out and support it with a heavy steel beam.

Pros:

• From an interior perspective, this makes WAY more sense. It creates a proper, spacious living room layout separate from the kitchen.

Cons / Challenges:

• Terrain / Slope: The ground slopes. We would need to flatten/excavate this area and build a retaining wall so soil doesn't push against the new extension wall.

• Access / Pathway: The main house entrance is behind the house. Extending West means we need to relocate the pathway (leaving ~1.5m clearance between the garage and the new extension).

• Visual Aesthetics (Exterior): It risks looking like three mismatched structures clumped together (Garage + Main House + Extension).

Our Dilemma & Constraints:

• Interior vs. Exterior: Option A looks better from the outside, but doesn't solve the living room feel inside. Option B makes total sense inside, but complicates the exterior/garden layout.

• Budget: Extremely limited. We cannot afford an expensive turnkey contractor project. We need simple, cost-effective structural solutions.

Philosophy: We lean towards Option B (West) because interior living space quality is our top priority, and garden landscaping can be adapted step-by-step over time.

Questions for the Community:

• Do you see a completely different / 3rd alternative for extending or optimizing this floor plan on a budget?

• For Option B (West extension): How would you handle the slope/retaining wall, structural steel beam integration, and the 1.5m gap pathway between garage and extension without blowing the budget?

• Any creative ideas to make Option B look visually cohesive from the outside?

• Are there layout tricks for Option A (South) that could prevent the "sitting in the kitchen" feeling?

Any advice, structural suggestions, or fresh perspectives are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I'm working on overhauling my detached garage for use as a workshop and generally nicer space. The end goal involves installation of a minisplit or other climate control solution so I can maintain a comfortable temperature year round (I live in the midwest).

What I have in mind for the walls is for them to be finished with plywood. I like the idea of being able to screw lighter things into just about anywhere on the wall, and I like the look. The roof is vaulted, and I'd prefer not to install a ceiling so that I can use the joists for storage, as well as allowing the room to feel a bit larger.

What insulation solutions do I have available to me here? For the walls, I was thinking fiberglass or some other simple insulation approach with the plywood over that. I'm not sure what to do about the ceiling.

Best way to mount an Anker power strip to this perforated PC stand without blocking the outlets?

Photos of the stand, power strip, and current mounting setup

I have a JWX Gaming Computer Tower Stand, ASIN B0C2VDZRJW, and an Anker 351 Power Strip, model A9192.

Right now the power strip is attached to the side of the stand using the straps that came with the JWX stand. It works, but the straps run across the front of the power strip and cover some of the outlets, so I want to get rid of them.

The back of the Anker power strip has two keyhole mounting slots. I also found the original two mounting screws that came with the Anker. The screw heads fit the keyholes properly, so I would prefer to keep using those screws instead of trying to find different screws with the same head dimensions.

The JWX stand has a perforated metal panel with a bunch of mounting holes. I can line the Anker keyholes up with the holes in the JWX panel, and the original Anker screws fit through the JWX holes.

The problem is that the Anker screw shafts are smaller than the JWX holes, so the screws wiggle around inside the holes.

What would be the cleanest way to secure those original Anker screws to the JWX panel from the other side?

I was thinking there might be some combination of washers, spacers, bushings, nuts, a small backing plate, or some kind of insert that could fill the extra space in the peg holes and hold the screws firmly.

I want to keep the original Anker screw heads because they already fit the keyholes correctly, use the existing holes in the JWX stand instead of drilling new ones, make the power strip solid enough that it does not wobble when plugging and unplugging things, and keep all of the outlets completely accessible.

Has anyone mounted something similar to a perforated metal panel or PC stand? What hardware would you use here?

so, i've been wnating to make a deer skull mask for halloween but i couldn't find the materia that is black for the outside like a paper or so, but you can see it for the inside, i'm wanting to put in the eyes. (google won't help cuz it thinks i'm talking about cars, even my chatGPT thought that i was talking about cars) anyways here is the mask model.

but i don't know if it has the eyes space or not, help me please

For school reasons i need to make copies of a certain metal doubloon my teacher gave me. I'd like the copy to be pretty believable. I was thinking of using air dry clay to make a 2 piece mold, let it dry and then use the clay again to make a copy which i will then spray with gold decoration spray. Will this work or will i have problems with it sticking to the mold? I could only ever find videos using clay molds to make silicone copies or silicone molds to mske clay copies lol

Looking to tile backsplash but unsure whether to try silicone around edges of this or what really? Any advice?

My kitchen sink has a ~1/4 inch round(ish) chip in it. I was considering trying to repair it with this "SuperGlue Porcelain Chip Fix" product. Has anyone had experience or good results with it? Or any additional thoughts or advice?

edit: is that I have a typo in my title?

Hello all!

I recently installed a wireless bridge on our building at work (1 pound, using a J-Pole 1.7 pounds), total about 2.7 pounds. I used 5 inch 1/4 blue tapcons, and drilled the advised 3/16 holes. However, I was not able to get the tapcon to fully bite to the concrete (likely due to my dull 3/16 SDS bit/ not cleaning out dust). This structure is about 1-2 inches of soft stucko, to hollow cinderblocks. So, I added 2 zip ties per tapcon into the hole, and it locked up nice and tight/secure.

Reading some posts on here and I’m worried now one day it will just fail, maybe in a year? How many of you guys have actually done this outdoors with regular white zip ties? This is NJ weather. Is it worth getting a lift and getting back up there? Any similar stories are much appreciated!