My uncle swears by a 60/40 mix of acetone and brake fluid for seized trailer hitch bolts. He lets it sit overnight, then hits them with a torch for a few seconds before trying the wrench. Claims it works nine times out of ten.

Exactly! All that extra tech just becomes another thing that can break and needs fixing.

That article has a point about reliability, but calling them the last reliable tech feels a bit strong. Plenty of simple, single-purpose gadgets still work for years without a fuss. It's more about choosing tools that don't overcomplicate the task.

In city jobs, map checks aren't always key. Old records can be wrong, so trusting them too much causes problems. Sometimes local knowledge works better.

Take felt paper from back in the day. It actually did block some moisture for a short time, which was better than nothing on old subfloors. @beth_sanchez47, I get why you'd say it's useless damp, but it served its purpose when options were limited. Now, foam and rubber underlayments are a huge upgrade because they handle sound and moisture way better long-term. Calling high-tech underlayment overkill misses how much it improves comfort and protects your floor investment. Would you rather save a bit now or deal with creaks and dampness later?