c/diy-home-projects

I swore by my old cordless drill for years, but a stripped screw head changed everything

I was putting up a new shelf in my garage last Tuesday, just a simple job with some 2x4s and lag bolts. My trusty drill, the one I've had since 2018, started to struggle on the third screw. The bit slipped, and before I knew it, the Phillips head was completely rounded out... stuck about halfway in. I tried everything I could think of: rubber bands, a different bit, even pliers. Nothing worked. I ended up having to drill the head off completely, which took another 20 minutes and left a mess. It finally clicked that the drill's clutch was worn out and the battery just didn't have the consistent torque anymore. I guess after five years of constant use, things just give up. Has anyone else had a tool fail at the worst possible moment, and what did you replace it with?

Vent: Tried to use a paint sprayer on my living room ceiling and it was a disaster.

I borrowed a Graco Magnum from a friend, thinking it would be way faster than rolling. It ended up spraying a fine mist over everything, including me, and the ceiling looked worse than when I started. Anyone have a foolproof method for a smooth ceiling finish without this mess?

Serious question, my neighbor mentioned he spent $1200 on a custom closet system but built his own for under $300.

Honestly, that got me thinking about how many projects we assume need a pro, so has anyone else tackled a big built-in they were told to hire out for?

I was sure I needed to replace my whole kitchen floor

After a pipe leak, I had to choose between patching the damaged vinyl planks or redoing the whole 200 square foot room. I picked the patch job, using leftover planks from the attic, and it blended way better than I thought. It took me a weekend and saved over $1,200 in materials. Has anyone else had a repair turn out better than a full replacement?

Pro tip: I compared a $15 plastic spackle knife to a $40 metal one for my drywall patch, and the difference was huge.

Showerthought: I just found out how much weight a standard drywall anchor can really hold

I was hanging a new bathroom cabinet in my place last weekend and got curious. I looked it up in an old hardware manual I have, and the numbers blew my mind. A basic plastic expansion anchor in half inch drywall is only rated for about 25 pounds! I had no idea it was that low. I was about to use them for a cabinet that probably weighs 40 pounds empty, which is a disaster waiting to happen. I ended up having to find a stud and use proper lag bolts instead, which took way longer. It makes me wonder how many things I've hung wrong over the years. Has anyone else been shocked by the real weight limits for basic hardware?

My bathroom reno turned into a weird plumbing adventure

I was swapping out a sink in my old house last month, and the shutoff valve just snapped off. Water shot straight up, hit the ceiling, and started dripping down like a little indoor rain. I had to run to the basement in my socks to find the main shutoff, which took a solid five minutes of panic. The whole ceiling got soaked and I had to patch and repaint it, which added a week to the project. Now I test every single shutoff valve with a bucket under it before I even touch a fixture. Anyone else have a simple job go totally sideways because of one old part?

Heard a guy at the hardware store say 'caulk and paint make a carpenter what he ain't' and it finally clicked for me.

Thought I could replace a bathroom faucet in an hour, but the old shutoff valves were completely seized.

I spent the first three hours just trying to get them to turn, soaking them in penetrating oil and using two wrenches. Ended up having to cut the old supply lines and install new valves, which took the whole afternoon. What's your go-to trick for dealing with stubborn plumbing fittings?

Appreciation post: I was putting up my new kitchen shelves wrong for a month until my neighbor pointed out the stud finder beeps.

PSA: Saw a deck in Seattle with the posts just sitting on gravel, no concrete at all.

I visited the old hardware store downtown and saw they still sell real linseed oil in metal cans

Three years ago in my old kitchen, I would have never tried to cut my own butcher block countertop, but last month I did it with a circular saw and a homemade guide.

Last week I was oiling it and my neighbor asked where I bought it, which felt pretty good.

My brother told me to use a 3/8 inch drill bit for the shelf brackets. Wrong.

He swore it was the right size for the wall anchors I bought. Drilled six holes in my plaster wall before I even tried the anchor. They just spun right out, leaving huge craters. Had to patch everything and start over with the 1/4 inch bit the anchor box actually said to use. Anyone else have a simple tip that went totally sideways?

My old deck stain job started peeling after just one winter

I stained our back deck in late September, thinking it would hold up fine. By April, whole sections were flaking off like old paint. The guy at the paint store said I probably didn't clean it well enough before I started, which makes sense because I just hosed it down. I had to rent a power washer and spend a whole weekend stripping it all off to start over. What's the best way to prep a wood deck for stain so this doesn't happen again?

Pro tip: I stopped using a level for picture frames and it looks way better

For years, I'd hang a picture by getting it perfectly level with my little 9-inch tool. Then I noticed all my frames looked a bit off because my old house floors and ceilings aren't straight (built in 1952, you know how it is). About six months ago, I started just hanging them by eye, lining them up with a door frame or a shelf instead of the bubble. The visual line matters more than the true level. Now my gallery wall actually looks right. Anyone else ditch the level for hanging stuff in a crooked room?

Pro tip: My kitchen floor tile job went from a mess to done in one weird Wednesday

Last Wednesday, I was laying down that peel and stick vinyl plank in my kitchen. It was a fight, with pieces not lining up and my back hurting. Then my neighbor, Frank, who used to do this for work, came over with a heat gun and a 6-inch putty knife. He showed me how to warm the adhesive just a bit before pressing it down. We finished the whole 120 square foot area in about 4 hours after that. Has anyone else found a simple tool trick that saved a whole project from going bad?

TIL to always check for a wall stud before hanging a heavy shelf

I was in my garage trying to mount a new tool rack when the drywall anchor gave way and the whole thing crashed down. I ended up using a stud finder and some 3 inch screws to fix it right. Anyone have a better way to find studs without a tool?

My dad warned me about using cheap spackle on a drywall patch

He said the $2 stuff from the bargain bin would shrink and crack, but I figured it was fine for a small hole. Sure enough, after two days it looked like a spiderweb and I had to redo the whole thing with the good compound. What's the one piece of DIY advice you got that you wish you'd listened to right away?

My bathroom tile job turned into a two week project because of one wall

I thought redoing my small bathroom floor would take a weekend. The main area went fine, but the wall behind the toilet was way out of square. I spent three days just trying to cut the tiles to fit that weird angle. I went through a whole box of tile trying to get the cuts right with my wet saw. In the end, what I planned for two days took me fourteen. Has anyone else had a simple tile job get totally messed up by a bad wall?

I was painting my kitchen cabinets wrong for a solid month

I was brushing on a water-based enamel, getting super frustrated with the brush marks and slow dry time. My neighbor, who used to paint houses, saw me working and said, 'You're using the wrong brush and not thinning that paint at all, are you?' He was right. I switched to a good quality angled brush and added just a little water to the paint, like he showed me. The next coat went on smooth and dried way faster. Anyone else have a simple tip that fixed a big painting headache?

Overheard a contractor at the lumber yard say to use a paint roller for drywall mud

I was picking up some 2x4s in Phoenix and heard a guy telling his helper to use a cheap foam roller instead of a trowel for the first coat on fresh drywall. He said it goes on faster and leaves less to sand later. Has anyone else tried this method for a smoother finish?

Hot take: I tried using leftover laminate flooring as a backsplash and it actually worked

I had about 10 planks from a kitchen floor job and glued them up behind the sink, but the steam from my kettle made the edges peel after a month. Anyone know a good waterproof adhesive for that kind of thing?

My deck ledger board pulled away from the house last night

Heard a loud crack around 9 PM. The 2x10 ledger attached to my brick veneer was hanging by two lag screws. I used the wrong anchors, the plastic ones that came with the kit. Had to prop it up with 4x4 posts from the garage. Anyone know the right masonry anchors for a fix like this?

I always thought you needed a special tool to fix a wobbly ceiling fan, but my neighbor in Denver said to just tighten the screws on the mounting bracket first.

After ignoring the wobble for a year, I finally got a ladder, found the three screws holding the fan base to the ceiling bracket were barely finger-tight, and fixing them took five minutes with a regular screwdriver, saving me from buying a balancing kit.