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In the 80s I spent a summer on a landscaping crew. We had a non-powered smooth drum roller for compacting topsoil before laying sod. It was a steel drum, about 14" diameter by about 30" wide. It had a handle like a push-mower. We'd fill it with water for weight, then roll it over the soil. [more inside]
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 6:14 AM - 4 answers

We would like to swap a 5 inch longer mattress (XL Twin 38 X 80) onto a shorter bed/box spring (Regular Twin 38 X 75). Is this do-able, or a bad idea? [more inside]
posted by ovvl at 5:45 PM - 1 answers

My wife has seriously gotten into watching the birdfeeders, and our backyard (which the feeders overlook) gets local critters (bears, turkeys, and the occasional coyote for sure, as well as racooons and possums, but who knows what else?) I'd love to get a wildlife camera for her birthday - what's the best one to get? [more inside]
posted by restless_nomad at 12:06 PM - 6 answers

My elderly widowed mom's gas company, National Grid, has not provided her with heat from August 2024 - April 2025. What recourse do we have? Has anyone else experienced this? Should I escalate this somewhere? Snowflakes below: [more inside]
posted by ichimunki at 8:30 AM - 25 answers

This and this are screen grabs from a video by a guy in the UK. I'm in the US. I want this knife, or one very similar, for ultra fine plant cutting. It looks like a utility knife, but not like any here in the US. Help please, Metasleuths? [more inside]
posted by bluesky78987 at 10:12 AM - 8 answers

I am too scared to look at insect identification sites myself, so if someone knowledgeable could take a peek (link to Imgur inside) and just let me know what it is, I’d appreciate it. Also, bonus q: do this electric bug zappers work? [more inside]
posted by SomethinsWrong at 2:51 AM - 14 answers

I am getting rid of this desk because it serves no purpose for us (by the way, this desk is in the East Village, NYC, and if you want to come and get it for FREE before Housing Works gets it, send me a message!). And then I want to put some kind of nice-looking piece of furniture I can store things in --- LOTS of things. The space can hold a piece that is no more than around 52" wide, 24" deep, and around 52" tall. In other words, it is a BIG space! [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster at 2:50 PM - 3 answers

I want to use some kind of tape to reinforce some caulk in my shower. Have you ever used any of this silicone-replacement tape? Do you have recommendations? [more inside]
posted by dianeF at 8:44 AM - 6 answers

I have about 1000 sq ft. of yard that I only have to mow parts of - I'm looking for a good quality, durable non-powered / push mower to do this. A few additional requirements inside. [more inside]
posted by reedbird_hill at 6:24 PM - 7 answers

I moved and acquired a new backyard with twenty rosebushes, some big and old. I have no idea what to do with them. I like them, I want to help them be their best selves, but I'm really busy right now and can't afford to spend much time on them. Especially not on learning the right method. I don't want the best way to care for them, I just want to know I'm helping them survive until I can learn more about them. [more inside]
posted by toucan at 2:41 PM - 14 answers

So I opened my patio door a little bit ago for the first time in a while, and there is some sort of small insect nest in between the glass door and the screen door. Pic inside. [more inside]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 1:55 PM - 8 answers

Last summer the National Association of Realtors settled a lawsuit which says that sellers no longer are required to pay agents representing buyers. My realtor says that in practice sellers are still paying the same 2.5% commission to buyers’ agents. Is this actually true?
posted by billsaysthis at 9:42 PM - 4 answers

I’m not ready to commit to a style, I just want to get a bed frame that will accommodate a headboard at some point in the future. What kind of frame would that be? [more inside]
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:30 AM - 6 answers

The IKEA MYDAL pine bunk bed is rated for 200lbs max. Suppose one wanted to build it as a loft, but also reinforce to safely hold much more weight on the top bed. How would one identify the weak points needing to be reinforced? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph at 8:00 AM - 14 answers

I live in a smallish 2-bedroom apartment , and I clean my own house, unlike many of my friends. I am not, however, the neatest, tidiest person on the block. I'm currently on week five of a broken wrist, my dominant hand, a situation which I thought was coming to its conclusion but now find will be extended another five or six weeks. Thus I need someone to come clean my house. I'm feeling slightly anxious about this. [more inside]
posted by gigondas at 3:58 PM - 29 answers

So Kid Blah will indeed need to find a place to live in Boston, starting Sept. 1st. I know this is near impossible and will cost a fortune, but please tell me how one even finds an apartment from afar and makes this happen. We need a 2 bedroom; there's a roommate who's also not from there. [more inside]
posted by BlahLaLa at 4:50 PM - 13 answers

My sidewalk garden box (photos inside) traps rainwater on my sidewalk. How to fix? [more inside]
posted by Mid at 2:04 PM - 9 answers

How do I open this outdoor ceiling light fixture so I can change the bulb? It appears via Google image search that this may be a Hampton Bay LED flush mount ceiling light. That page is telling me this is a fixed LED light so when it burns out you have to get a whole new fixture!? It is less than 2 years old - should the LED have burned out already?
posted by Ike_Arumba at 7:39 AM - 2 answers

I have two outdoor tables that need new tops. [more inside]
posted by DMelanogaster at 2:19 PM - 4 answers

We have a ~10-year-old Fisher & Paykel refrigerator. It had been problem-free until yesterday, when it beeped a warning and showed a red light whenever it was opened. Over the past 24 hours, the fridge section got a bit warmer, while the freezer stayed the same (which makes me think it might be a thermostat issue). We were able to get a repair appointment for this afternoon. But then!... [more inside]
posted by Don_K at 9:05 AM - 10 answers