Posts Tagged ‘home repair’

New Year, New Home!

January 25th, 2012

The beginning of a new year is usually taken a symbol of new beginnings, and maybe 2012 can be a year of new beginnings for your home. We all have our to- do lists and if you haven’t done much to make that list shrink odds are it is just getting bigger. These problems are not going to solve themselves, and we need to be honest when it comes to our limits as amateur handymen and women. Take a moment to assess your list or sit down and compile one if you haven’t done so already. Don’t just look at what you think you can handle, consider everything that goes into a job before you ever take it on. Over reaching could increase the cost of the repair and hiring a handyman pro may be a better option.

Consider This Before Tackling a Repair:

  • Time: Many of the jobs on your list will take more than a day to complete, especially if you have no experience with the repair. Many of us only have a couple days on the weekends to work with when it comes to finding time for these repairs, and if you don’t have the time, you need to accept that you are never going to get these jobs done on your own. The pros will be able to check many of those repairs off your list in one day!
  • Tools: Another aspect of performing repairs in the home is the supplies that are needed to complete the job. Many of us don’t have power tools, painting supplies, and other basic tools of the trade, and renting or buying them could make doing the repair on your own pointless. Consider all of your costs before taking on a job by yourself. » Read more: New Year, New Home!

Mounting Your New Flat Screen: Safety Concerns

December 14th, 2011

The hottest Christmas gift the past few years has been the flat screen TV. If you have not yet upgraded, you and your family are in the minority because these high tech televisions are not going away any time soon. If anything, they are just going to keep getting bigger and more popular. Whether you get one as a present or you invest in the upgrade on your own, our biggest concern when it comes to that television is safety. If you have small children in the home, the flat screen is a bigger hazard than you may have initially thought.

The Safety of Small Children

Flat screen televisions are very insecurely balanced upon their stands. One tip forwards or backwards could send that TV falling off an entertainment center and onto whomever may lie below. Small children love to climb on furniture and one moment of distraction could lead to a disaster in your home should your child decide to use the television for support. This is an accident that has been growing in frequency over the past few years, and falling televisions have cause very serious injuries and even death. » Read more: Mounting Your New Flat Screen: Safety Concerns

Do It Yourself or Call a Pro

October 17th, 2011

“Do it yourselfers” have the best intentions at heart. They want to be hands on when it comes to taking care of their home and they want to save a few bucks along the way. For some projects, a homeowner truly can save some money by manning the work on their own, but for others, attempting them without professional experience could be disastrous. Knowing when the home repair is out of your league may be hard for some, but not assessing this possibility could cost you more than a little extra cash when you have to call in a professional.

Electrocutions and Floods

My father was one of those “do it yourselfers” that didn’t know the limits of his abilities. Many times, he would attempt a project with little more knowledge than that which he gained from a book. Sometimes he got lucky, but once he started messing with the electricity and the plumbing, things got ugly. It wasn’t until he electrocuted himself a few times and flooded the upstairs bathroom that he called a professional. I’m sure many of you are reading this thinking that you or someone else in your home fits this description of a determined “do it yourselfer,” but I am here to encourage you to take a step back and assess your limitations. » Read more: Do It Yourself or Call a Pro

Spots on the Ceiling, Moisture in the Attic

September 5th, 2011

The last time you painted your ceiling did you notice spots around the outside walls? Those spots are usually an indication that the insulation in the attic is starting to loose its R value, and condensation may be the source of your problem.

Attic Insulation and Year Round Condensation

During the summer and winter the poorly insulated attics will accumulate condensation. In the summer this moisture can leak into the lower level ceilings of the home once it soaks through the insulation, and it could also become a source of mold growth. Once wet, insulation is useless and no longer carries an r-value. In the winter this moisture becomes frost in your attic that further diminishes the effectiveness of what little insulation you may have up there. This situation can be corrected by adding blown in insulation to your attic. This blown in insulation will help to minimize future spots from occurring on your ceiling, but more importantly it will help cut your heating and cooling bills. » Read more: Spots on the Ceiling, Moisture in the Attic

Outrageous Electric Bills!

August 15th, 2011

The heat wave is over but some people are still hot under the collar. Why? They just got the electric bills. More than one couple is sitting there drinking their morning coffee and blaming each other for the outrageous electric bill that just came in the mail. In most cases it wasn’t because they had their thermostat set too low it’s because they have problems with the efficiency of their air conditioner or their home isn’t insulated correctly.

How Much are You Wasting?

These two simple problems that no one seems to see until we get extremes in weather will causes high electric bills and homes that are uncomfortable in the late afternoon. This wake-up call shouldn’t be ignored. If your air conditioner is using that much electricity in extreme weather, how much is it wasting in moderate weather? » Read more: Outrageous Electric Bills!

Summer Time Home Repair Scams

June 15th, 2011

The majority of scams that you hear about concern shoddy repair jobs or “fly by night” contractors, but there is another scam that dresses itself up as an offer to do home repairs but ends in a robbery. Any area that is affected by weather damage is vulnerable to these types of scams especially. The bad weather often cause roofs to crumble, gutters to fall, and a plethora of other home damage that needs to be repaired quickly. The scammers take advantage of this fact and will go door to door until they get a taker. Then the real scam begins…

Getting Their Foot in the Door

This scam is often carried out by a couple of thieves. They will say anything they can in order to get their foot inside your door. They will offer affordable low pricing and even a free on the spot inspection. An unsuspecting homeowner may think that this is their lucky day, but in reality you are anything but lucky. The “servicemen” will either try to split up or they will return later to finish the job. » Read more: Summer Time Home Repair Scams

Professional Handyman Services

February 21st, 2011

As spring inches closer and closer, many of us will begin tackling our home repair and improvement checklists. Odds are during the long winter season that list grew exponentially, and you may begin to worry about the cost involved in making these repairs along with the amount of time you will need to dedicate to each project. Nowadays there is a specialist for everything. One company to clean your ducts, another to fix the plumbing, and yet another to clean the air conditioner for the upcoming summer season and the list could go on and on. Signing several contracts and attempting to keep track of multiple payments could become overwhelming very quickly, but if you find one contracting company to handle all of these jobs, you could save your time and your money! » Read more: Professional Handyman Services

Hiring a General Contractor

January 18th, 2011

Half of the stress that comes from having a repair or improvement done to your home involves dealing with the contractor. Many of us have heard the horror stories that come from choosing the wrong company, and you may have heard the warnings about using a contractor that uses subcontractors to get the job done. A subcontractor is someone that your contracting company may hire to do a specific part of the job. This person will have an area of expertise like plumbing or carpentry, but doesn’t actually work for the contracting company.

The problems that often occur when using subcontractors involve their level of experience and payment. When you choose a contractor that uses subcontractors, you are trusting that the contractor is confident in the subcontractor’s abilities and that he will pay the subcontractor their fair share of the total cost of the work performed. But what happens if you place your trust in the wrong contracting company? » Read more: Hiring a General Contractor

Putting Off Home Repairs

January 12th, 2011

Ever homeowners has this list, and everything on it never seems to get done. It’s the home repair”to do” list, and instead of picking up our tools and getting to work, we use excuse after excuse to justify not completing the job. Well, today we are going to expose those excuses for what they really are, and hopefully motivate you to finally cross at least a few projects off of that growing list. Some of the most popular excuses that we all use include:

  • I don’t know how to fix it
  • I didn’t know I had a problem!
  • “It’s really not that big of a deal!”
  • “I will do it next weekend!”
  • “I don’t know who to call for help!”
  • “It will cost too much!”
  • “I don’t have time to fix it!” » Read more: Putting Off Home Repairs

Top Ten Holiday Home Repairs

December 23rd, 2010

The holiday season is already in full swing and with all of the festivities surrounding this time of year, there is a good chance that you will be hosting at least one family get together, and you may even be preparing room for guests who will be staying for an extended period of time. Before you do, there are ten home repairs and improvements that should be taken care of prior to their arrival.

  1. Home and Landscape Cleaning: A clean and tidy home, inside and out, is the first to impressing your guests. If you are having guests spend a few nights in your home, make sure they are supplied with clean linens and a clean space to sleep.
  2. Fix Any Broken Door Latches: Your guests will appreciate the privacy that comes from a functional door. This is a must fix especially if the door latch leads into a washroom. » Read more: Top Ten Holiday Home Repairs
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