# Where is the best place for direct consultation for home repair / DIY questions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841 "2024-01-29T22:19:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841/1 "2024-01-29T22:19:15Z")
As evidenced by other threads I’ve created, both here and elsewhere, I as a new homeowner who’s not handy have had questions about certain aspects of home repair and maintenance. Right now, it’s about smoke detectors, with a surprising number of intersecting questions and dependencies. Is there a good place, online or otherwise, to get answers to these questions? Places like this board are all well and good, but I’m pretty much at the mercy of the universe’s RNG, and even if someone does answer, they don’t necessarily want me to bombard them with follow up questions and requests for explanation. Plus, I don’t want to spam with just my problems, since it’s not this board’s specific purpose. Unless anyone wants to volunteer to be my consultant and give their expertise, of course I’m expecting places outside this message board. Paid services will be considered. Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841/2 "2024-01-29T22:57:56Z")
Any problem you have has also been had by a large number of other people–so you can just Google it. Youtube is good for how-to videos. Reddit has all kinds of sub-reddits. I see I have this site bookmarked–but haven’t gone there for years: > **[DoItYourself.com Community Forums](https://www.doityourself.com/forum/)** > > Question and Answer Forums for home improvement, home repair, remodeling, decorating, hardware, electrical, electronics, travel, health, investments, real estate, traveling, banking, investing, insurance, auto, vehicles, vessels, boats, campers,... ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841/3 "2024-01-29T23:40:45Z")
I’ve tried both. I don’t know how to Google “what kind of connector is this white thing and does it fit in this specific adapter” or “will I hit any electric or water lines if I drill in this specific ceiling in my condo?” As for Reddit, I’m at the mercy of whoever decides to answer, and even then, I sometimes have follow up questions, and whether a poster wants to answer them is a coin flip at best. Plus, considering the past 24 hours, if I have multiple questions in a short time period, I’ll be seen as a spammer. That’s why I was asking about more professional sources; their job is to answer questions like mine, so they won’t mind “spamming,” and I can show them pictures of my condo and ask directly, okay, do you recognize the thing in my photo?” I can also more easily deal with asking about any jargon I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841/4 "2024-01-29T23:48:28Z")
The reality is that you need a handyman but they are hard to find and frequently…iffy. This board isn’t a bad place to post–I’ve been in construction ever since graduating with a dual major of philosophy and psychology (go figure). Others here also have a lot of experience. I’m injured and bored this winter, so feel free to bug me. However, whether you will hit a water line in your ceiling? If you don’t cut a hole to inspect? Yes. (BTW, cell phone borescopes are cheap). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841/5 "2024-01-29T23:49:21Z")
How about consulting people at a retail store? Obviously, there’s Home Depot and Lowes, but some staff is more experienced than others, and these stores are usually so busy that you’d have to wait a while to get someone’s time. Instead, try local stores. Where I grew up, there are really good independent plumbing supply stores from which we’d buy stuff but also ask the staff for advice. Similarly, there were shops that sold appliance repair parts and we’d talk to them as well. Growing up, we’d ask the staff at a really good local, independently owned plumbing shop, or ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841/6 "2024-01-30T00:05:35Z")
All joking aside, if you are actually planning to screw something to your ceiling, you’re probably fine. Ceilings will be either trusses or joists/rafters. Trusses, any wiring or pipes will be up in the void, and joists/rafters should be a minimum of 2x10 and and holes are **supposed** to be in the middle third of depth and length. Interior walls? Proceed with caution. Modern screws and impact drivers mean you can go through a protection plate like butter. Ask me how I know. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841/7 "2024-01-30T00:44:05Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > what kind of connector is this white thing You might try Google Lens to help with identification: > **[Google Lens - Search What You See](https://lens.google/)** > > Discover how Lens in the Google app can help you explore the world around you. Use your phone's camera to search what you see in an entirely new way. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841/8 "2024-01-30T00:47:54Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Is there a good place, online or otherwise, to get answers to these questions? There are active subreddits on every aspect of DIY or maintenance that you could possibly imagine. If you google reddit plus the thing you’re interested in, it will usually guide you toward the best subreddit. For smoke alarm recommendations and advice it looks like r/homeowners is the place to go. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-the-best-place-for-direct-consultation-for-home-repair-diy-questions/996841/9 "2024-01-30T01:00:48Z")
As I mentioned in post 3, I have tried Reddit in the past (and in fact on this very topic), but I’ve found too many drawbacks compared to real time and “professional” conversation (my situation has a lot of dependencies, I may need to quiz the other party on terms they use, and ask other follow up questions, etc, all on the whim of who sorts by “new” and how upvoted my post is).