What r/HomeMaintenance keeps coming back to
Complaints raised here by more than one person. One-off posts are not included.
243 recurring problems · 812 threads read · read since September 2026 · Reddit
Raised more than once here
Most people first.
- 55How to fix a leaking water pipe in a tight space“The internal shut-off valve (quarter-turn shut-off handle) to the outdoor spigots was closed all winter but clearly there was still a leak.”
- 54How to handle a bad contractor who won't fix poor work“Is this a “wait and see if anything fails” thing or is my family in danger?”
- 41How to identify a weird bug found in the house“Not sure what these are and what to do for them, please help.”
- 38How do I know if a contractor quote is fair?“We were very surprised at the price, almost $70,000, and really just want to know if this is what something like this costs today.”
- 36Why are contractor and window replacement quotes so absurdly high?“Well, the boiler wouldn’t fire up and the tech threw us a list of about 7 different parts he insisted were absolutely necessary to repair the boiler. The parts and labor quote came out to around 10k.”
- 34How to find reliable contractors who actually show up“I’m terribly anxious I made a bad decision. Did I get screwed?”
- 34What are these tiny red beads in my house?“This fine dark powder is forming in two spots between the top of the molding and the wall.”
- 33Should I pay for appliance repair or fix it myself?“We just bought a house and it looks like the dishwasher is the first issue. Is this worth cleaning or should we just replace it?”
- 29How to remove a stripped recessed retaining screw“Trying to remove this nut attached to a wall but it’s not budging AT ALL. I’ve used a wrench, t handle, attachments for drill etc to remove it.”
- 27How do I know if I can DIY a repair or need a pro?“What am I looking at? Is this something a novice can clean up and/or replace or should I hire a professional?”
- 26How to find replacement parts for discontinued hardware“These are vertically hinged casement windows and this one hinge has rusted through so it no longer opens properly. I can’t find anything that would work from big box hardware stores…”
- 25How to clear a clogged AC condensate drain line“We have extensive water pooling from what I think is an AC overflow.”
- 24How to tell if a damaged roof needs replacing before winter“I have what I believe is an 11 year old modified bitumen flat roof. I have had multiple roofing companies come out who either quote thousands of dollars in repairs or recommend full replacement.”
- 24How to choose between different HVAC replacement quotes“How do we choose which option to go with?”
- 23How to fix previous owner DIY nightmares“water is leaking through the foundation in the basement, I just went and bought/set up a dehumidifier. I've been trying to funnel the water to the sump pump but I'm at a loss of what to do.”
- 22Water keeps getting in the house during heavy rain“A little bit of water seepage through it today, but not enough to get standing water just a damp spot.”
- 21Why does flushing one toilet pull water out of another?“My wife and I have been smelling sewer gas in this bathroom since the day we moved in, and I’ve been trying to track down the source.”
- 20Sump pump dumping water back near the foundation“it was raining on moving day and we immediately noticed the incredibly loud check valve slamming/hammer on the sump pump that was running exactly every 60 seconds”
- 19How to get a contractor to fix damage they caused“there's a tight turn in my apt garage and I fucked up and hit this gutter, Im about to tell my landlord tomorrow morning but I wanna know how much of a damage it'll be so I'll be mentally prepared 😭”
- 19How to unclog a drain blocked by hardened materials“My gutters are clogged/damaged somewhere underground between my house and the neighbor's house.”
What this forum worries about more than the rest
How much more often a topic shows up here than across every forum we read.
basement waterproofing11.9×caulking11.9×structural integrity11.9×window repair11.9×