I find cheap stud finders (which is all?) to be extremely unreliable. Return it if you can... I just use a small high-strength magnet (I usually grab a OXO bag clip with a strong magnet that lives on our fridge) and rub it across the wall lightly grazing the surface. It will stick to the drywall screws. mark them then scan up and down to make sure you find more to confirm its a stud and not a random screw from something else... Remember they are usually on 16" centers (in the US) but can be on 24" centers for some interior (non load) walls. They can also be closer than 16" when an extra is needed for a corner or a intersection with another wall, etc.

And, its confusing for everyone... The "Pro" that mounted the microwave in our kitchen attached it to the 3" PVC drain pipe in the wall instead of a stud... found that when renovating the kitchen...

I would guess (only a guess, worth less than you paid for it) that someone had to dig out the main drain to replace/fix it and just left the "spoils" there when done. If that is correct, then there is no harm in putting it back (if you are convinced the drain is working correctly, not leaking, etc.) Loose dirt is not going to be doing anything structural. And, of course, if the mounds of loose dirt don't touch the joists they also aren't doing anything.

The proper path forward is to get a structural engineer out for an inspection and consult.

And definitely keep an eye on that drain - are you sure it isn't leaking or easily obstructed so that the previous owner wanted it easy to get to?

This isn't true. The metal clad wood pella sliding doors have an easily removed/replaced sliding section so you remove it for transport and initial install and and then puck it back to check everything before putting the final fasteners into place. You definitely need delivery or access to a truck, but that's true for all of them.

You can buy Pella doors direct (with or without install) or from Lowes (in the US). The Lowe's pricing is much better than list price, and I found the pella dealer will match it, there are some features / combinations that Lowe's can't order for some reason.

I am not advocating for Pella over Anderson; just there are more choices out there.

Doors are expensive. You will never be able to repair it to hide the damage. Much better to drill a hole through the wall, which you can easily repair (unless you have some exotic stone on the outside of the house).

I still don't like the idea - it would be much better to place the battery in a waterproof box and leave it outside. They can be had very cheaply.

Remove the rear wheel and the fender - you will have much better access to the bolt. I think that will get you where you need to be.

A section of metal pipe can be used to extend the length of your wrench to get more leverage.

Is there a nut on the bottom? Can you get a wrench on that?

If you decide to use heat (a torch) then you must remove the rear wheel and fender and clean the grease off the chain, etc., or it will quickly catch on fire. I don't think this is a good DIY method.

I think the people before me having covered everything - its a cheap method to finish poor quality drywall work. Also commonly used to hide damage... Would make me very suspicious there is/was a leak or some other problem they decided to cover up.

If the building is very new, then asbestos shouldn't be an issue. If it is asbestos, there is nothing you can do without getting asbestos remediation done first.

About removing it - the common method is to scrape it off. Then you would sand (with a vacuum) and try to finish the drywall on the ceiling properly, which will be a PITA. You may find it easier overall to scrape to get it generally flat then add another thin (1/4" or 3/8" thick) layer of drywall and finish that.

Try sticking a push pin into it. You will be able to insert a pushpin into drywall. Not into a plaster wall or cement board.

Plaster went out of style (well, cheaper alternatives won) in the 1950's to early 1960's. After that, houses were all drywall. Very old houses will have plaster over wood lath. During the 1950's and 1960's it was usually plaster over a product that looked a lot like drywall, but was made to replace the wood lath. The plaster will be thick and quite hard - makes a nice wall!

That said, it's always better to think of ways to land the screws on studs anyway. Try to re-imagine your plan if you can.

I don't see any problem with this, and it's quite common in building new construction to plow under this sort of debris.

If the structure is pre-1970, I would NOT bury any bricks that have been painted, as it is likely lead paint

The thinking is that you don't want to bury things that are actually toxic, or will breakdown and become toxins, or collapse and create a low spot in your garden over time (I buried a hay bale once, I can still see the low spot in the yard). Bricks, mortar, concrete rubble don't have these problems.

Thanks. That makes troubleshooting easier.

I don't think this is good. It sounds like you have some non-dimmable bulbs on a circuit with a dimmer. That will always end badly.

I would disconnect the wires from the first fixture that started flickering and see if that solves your problem.

Do you have a dimmer or a switch? For troubleshooting, you can replace the dimmer with a simple on-off switch and see if everything works properly like that. If it does, then its a poor interaction between the dimmer and the LEDs. Not all dimmers are rated for LED's and not all LED's are dimmable. Check what you have...

I used pre-insulated flex ducting, which is good for this sort of vent (not good for a kitchen vent...) and just moved those over once the proper vents were installed. I decided to go straight up through the roof to keep the vent runs really short to minimize the chance for condensation. The gable would have been ok, but the nearest gable faced the street, so it would have been a bit ugly. If it was facing the side of the house, that would have been easier/cheaper and I would have done that. The original builder had left all three bathroom vents open into the attic ( grumble !%$?!) so I had them all fixed at once. It was a bit of a challenge to find a roofer to even show up for such a little job. In the end, I overpaid a guy $500 to install three vents into the roof (asphalt shingle). I had to go into the attic and attach my flex ducting to the inside of the new vents.

Do get it fixed, as that moisture builds up and grows mold, and attracts small insects, which attract other insects, which attract mice, etc. The water is the first step in a thriving attic ecosystem....

As far as temporary fixes, you could extend the flexible hose to an eaves vent or to a gable vent and somehow secure the end of the flex pipe up against that vent for now. Then have a proper vent installed when you can, but don't wait too long...

I used a 4-inch "starting collar" (search your favorite hardware store for that part) to hold a piece of flex duct up against a gable vent until I could get a roofer out to install proper vents. It did the job... Bend the tabs to the side and screw it into place, then tape, zip-tie your flex duct to the starting collar. I wouldn't leave it like that for years, but will definitely get you through the rest of the winter.

Maybe a stainless steel combination counter / drain board / sink? Very commercial looking if that fits your style... You can get them in lots of sizes, left, right, centered, etc. This is one example just to illustrate - https://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/s4819l.html

I would replace the pipe with PVC just because steel (or iron) pipe gets nasty over time, and you have no way of inspecting the inside of the pipe to see how rusty / obstructed it is.

And, this might blow some minds, you can get clear PVC pipe. A little icky for normal sanitary piping around your house, but perfect for a sump pump drain - you can see what is happening inside the pipe... see if it's obstructed, water is flowing, etc.

(regular PVC pipe is white since they use the cheapest filler possible - ground up limestone).

https://www.clearpvcpipe.com/products/schedule-40-clear-pvc-pipe-1-4-in-to-12-in-size-10-ft-lengths

Here's one version of the clear quiet check valve - https://www.sumppumpsdirect.com/Zoeller-30-0041/p14772.html

Sorry the OP is having a hard time with these. It is a good lesson for other DIYers to make sure not to let mortar build up around these leveling thingamajigs. I am about to start my first tile project where I will use the plastic levelers, so this was useful to see...

And it's extra good for sniffing!!! ;-)

It is not a bad idea. It is done with special acoustic glue - it is very gooey and doesn't dry hard like most glues. Good damping. They suggestion you apply it in a random pattern and not stripes or dabs to avoid creating sharp resonances.

I don't know if you can get it where you are, but perhaps once you see it you can find something similar or at least read the instructions to get some tips... And, BTW, they still want some screws for mechanical strength and to satisfy the building codes.

https://www.greengluecompany.com/

The "wings" are pretty generic. You could buy two single gang boxes (2 wings each) and transfer the 3 wings you need to your box.

And, it should be obvious from what happened, but don't drive the screws so hard that the wings break off or the drywall gets crushed! Just snug... Not the place to try out your new Christmas impact driver!

You will have a minor problem mounting your light fixture - some want the mounting holes to be in one location (vertical or horizontal) and some have rotating mounting plates that don't care how the box is oriented. If you have the first type, rotate the electrical box 180 degrees - since it has three wings, that should give them all some drywall to attach to. You might have to turn the power off and loosen the wires. If the light fixture is adaptable to any angle, then you have nothing to worry about...

Generally you go 1/8" larger to make sure there is room for the epoxy all around. Check the size of the mounting holes on the posts. If they are half inch, you can increase the size of the threaded rod a bit - I would go up to 3/8" rod, and drill 1/2" holes (leaving 1/8" to fill with epoxy). You want a little "wiggle room" to get the spacing of the studs right and to fill all around with epoxy. Read the Hilti instructions - they are good - and there are some youtube videos. This is a very basic video, but shows the process (you don't need the extra step shown after using a core drill - that is something unusual) - the related videos below it are also good - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsonKFh0UUw

If you are doing something that is fussy, transfer the pattern to some plywood, drill the same hole pattern in that, and hold the studs in place with two nuts (one on each side of the plywood) and make sure you can get that in and out of the drilled holes without binding up. You can even leave the plywood in place during the glue cure (just don't accidentally glue the nuts or the plywood to the concrete!).

You still have the same requirements to clean the dust out of the holes, using a small brush (I stole the brush that came with one of those reusable straws my kids had to have...) and some compressed air. Vacuuming can be part of it, but it won't get the dust out of the very bottom by itself. Sticking a thin tube down to the bottom and blowing it out with compressed air is better (but don't breath the concrete dust!).

Heavy insulated curtains in front of the door work wonders. Arrange them so they go floor to ceiling, and are close to the wall.

I've used that metal double bubble insulation over really poor windows and doors before (in rentals, where I wasn't going to spend much money). Tape all around the edge. It cuts out all the natural light, but definitely helps with the heat loss.

You can also get "window insulating kits" with some plastic film you tape around the edges and heat a little bit with a hair dryer to get it tight and decent looking. Not as good insulation, but you don't lose the light.

They are absolutely fantastic for making holes! Also crazy good for removing tile (with a flat chisel bit). Just pick some other concrete fastener...

I fell for all that, too. Tried a better drill. Bought the special Tapcon bits and drivers. Cleaned the hole like we were doing surgery.... still broke 2/3 to 3/4 of the damn things...

I have both conventional hammer drills and SDS. It's not the drill. Tapcons stink no matter what.

I'm assuming you were trying to use something like a tapcon threaded anchor? I personally despise them. Even when I use the factory bits, they tend to jam and break off. I suggest removing the anchors and then drilling the holes out large enough to use glue in anchors. A SDS hammer drill will make quick work of it. Borrow or rent if needed.

What many commercial installers do, and will work for you, is to glue studs into the holes using special epoxy and then mount your post with nuts. If you are in the US, Home Depot sells the Hilti glue (link below) - which I have used and like - you would still need to drill holes and purchase some threaded rod of the correct diameter. Drill the hole a little oversized and then glue the threaded rod into the holes. Let it cure, then attach your posts. The exact length doesn't matter. I would use stainless steel threaded and stainless lockwashers and nuts to avoid corrosion problems.

It can be convenient to make a jig out of plywood and use that to check the spacing and location of the studs are correct before the glue sets.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hilti-HIT-1-Hybrid-Anchor-Adhesive-10-oz-Tube-3575547/303857797

Cull her from the list!