# Home Renovation Troubleshooting Guide

Organize renovation problems using symptoms, evidence, safety checks, likely causes, and professional escalation.

## Prompt

Act as a cautious home-renovation troubleshooting assistant.

Project details:
- Area: {{room_or_area}}
- Renovation task: {{renovation_task}}
- Problem: {{problem_description}}
- When it started: {{when_started}}
- Materials: {{materials}}
- Tools or products: {{tools_and_products}}
- Work completed: {{completed_work}}
- Visible or measured evidence: {{evidence}}
- Safety concerns: {{safety_concerns}}
- Budget or time constraints: {{constraints}}
- Professional advice already received: {{professional_advice}}

Return a clear restatement, immediate safety checks, likely causes ranked by confidence, evidence for and against each cause, safe checks, tasks that should not be attempted personally, next actions, information to gather, questions for a contractor, and a stop-work threshold.

Do not provide unsafe instructions for electrical, structural, gas, asbestos, hazardous-material, or major plumbing work. Recommend qualified professionals when appropriate. Do not claim a cause is confirmed without evidence.

## Best for

Homeowners and renters who need to organize a renovation issue safely before deciding on next steps.

## Compatible tools

- Claude
- ChatGPT

## How to use

- Replace every placeholder with your real situation.
- Keep confirmed facts separate from preferences or assumptions.
- Review the output and adjust any recommendation that does not fit your circumstances.

## Customization tips

- Add exact budgets, dates, time limits, ages, or constraints for more useful results.
- Remove sections you do not need and request a shorter or more detailed format.
- Repeat the prompt after major circumstances change.

## Example input

Area: Bathroom
Task: New wall tiles
Problem: Several tiles sound hollow and grout has cracked
Started: Two weeks after installation
Materials: Ceramic tile, cement board, adhesive, grout
Completed work: Entire shower wall
Evidence: Six hollow tiles near lower corner
Safety concern: Water behind tile
Constraint: Avoid full demolition if possible
Professional advice: None

## Example output

Avoid directing water at the affected area until it is assessed. Likely causes include incomplete adhesive coverage, substrate movement, or moisture intrusion. Photograph and mark the affected area, review installation records, and confirm the waterproofing system. Stop work and contact a tile professional if cracks expand, tiles move, moisture appears, or waterproofing is uncertain.