Really a Rev! Really Handy!
D.I.Y. or Not?
Undercroft
The client wanted to tastefully hide a storage area under the front porch – one where the builder didn’t quite have enough granite stone to completely cover all the foundation area. The solution was simple: match the lattice that was attached to the archways on the front side of the house with a latice wall [...]
As big as it gets
There’s a limit to what I do; I’m a handyman, not a contractor. Some jobs I can’t do; I’m not licensed for some work. Other jobs I just won’t do. For many that I could do I would have to hire at least one assistant – and the honest truth is I’m just not interested [...]
Auxiliary shop air filter
My wood shop is a dusty place. Even with two dust collectors and a HEPA air filter it still taxes the heat pump air handler when I’m in the middle of a project. I needed an auxiliary air filter like this one above right – I just didn’t have $350 plus to spend on one. [...]
For Friends… And a Little Bit of Cash
But not enough (cash, that is)… There’s not enough profit in a job like this to ever make it worthwhile solely based on monetary terms! Back up a bit: It’s the chicken or the egg to call them clients or friends. Both apply. So when the call comes in that a rental house has a [...]
Garage Door Surround
Recently I’ve spoken to several folks in a nearby neighborhood, all with a similar problem. Their garage doors were framed and then cladded with aluminum fascia material. It looks nice, doesn’t need to be painted, and is usually called “maintenance free.” The problem is, some 10 years later, many of these are completely rotten. (From [...]
Knowing What to do and How to do it
A problem with RV faucets: The factory installed models are usually – to put it mildly – junk. But they are “RV” models – which usually means they are cheap plastic (the industry calls it “lightweight”), take odd connectors and parts, and usually when they break, can only be repaired with more “RV” parts. (That [...]
Making it Work
The problem: A storage room off a carport with doors to the back yard. Sometime in the past a couple of interior luan doors had been cut down to fit the odd size opening. Not surprising that some years later, those doors are rotten and the whole assembly is, to put it bluntly, a mess. [...]
How to save over $2,000
The problem: Windows that aren’t plumb, won’t lock properly, and have substantial air drafts. Which is a big issue in a house for sale that every potential buyer sees in the breakfast area. The bid from a contractor? Over $3,000 for new windows. The fix: I milled additional molding in my shop to inset in [...]
