Good home improvement/DIY forum?

[JoshEarl]

Guys,

I've learned so much through SRP that I'm thinking there have to be other good forums out there on other topics. My wife and I recently bought a new home (moving from a townhouse to a single-family home a few blocks away), and I'm going to have some home improvement projects to do. (Takes time away from honing and selling razors, unfortunately. )

Are there any good Internet communities related to home improvement?

Thanks for any suggestions,
Josh

[Wildtim]

I don't know of any communities out there. If you want some suggestions you can PM me I do home improvements and construction for a living. I might be able to help with suggestions. And would even be willing to tell you to call a contractor it's easy to get in over your head

[rickw]

I don't know of any communities out there. If you want some suggestions you can PM me I do home improvements and construction for a living. I might be able to help with suggestions. And would even be willing to tell you to call a contractor it's easy to get in over your head

I'll second that. I worked at Home Depot for seven years. In 1994 I was at the highest dollar volume store in the chain due to the earthquake. I had a house that had a board on board exterior and the roof had been changed from tar to shingles. The upstairs wall no longer drained correctly. I decided to remove the exterior, flash and insulate the wall. The average person would have been in deep trouble. I finally asked my neighbor, a retired framing contractor, to help. It still took the better part of a day.

Rick

[TomlinAS]

You might try www.thecreativeinvestor.com in the residential area. I'm a member there for other reasons, as the forum mainly focuses on real estate investment. I plan to get into that when I get home. However, there is a forum for rehabbers (house flippers) which covers a wide variety of topics. Everything from laying tile, installing countertops, fixing stoves / fridges / other appliances, plumbing, etc.

[Bruno]

It is important to know what to do yourself and what to leave for the pros.
I do a lot of DIY myself, and I have no problems with replacing the electricity, fixing drains, hanging ceilings, insulating roofs etc.

But I am not going to plaster my walls or installing cork floors.
That is speciality work with zero room for errors.

I have never looked for online places to get help, so no help there.
I final piece of advise: buy good tools.
Having quality tools really makes the difference between doing a good job in a reasonable amount of time and spending frustrating long hours, making a mess of things.

It's like straight razor shaving itself. Compare shaving with a dull zeepk and a sharp TI. Sure the TI costs more, butthe results are better, and you need less time to do it right.

[JoshEarl]

Bruno,

I think you're right on with your tools comment. I can get pretty creative when I need to rig something to do a particular job, but it's so much easier and cleaner when you have the right tool.

The other parallel to straight razors is the need for patience and finesse. The Manly Way is to use more force when something's not working. Yeah, doesn't always work so well. When I feel the urge to put 37 pounds of pressure on a stubborn edge that won't hone up, it's time for bed.

Josh