Home Maintenance Tips for the Home Handyman in You

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Mr Handyman and Mrs Fix It - Types of Services Provided

Services provided by a home handyman differ from that of a contractor or builder.

Generally speaking, a licensed contractor is a tradesperson who provides residential and commercial construction services on a contractual basis. A builder is another type skilled professional; one who builds structures and/or provides substantial renovation and remodeling services.

A handyman, whether a DIY home owner or someone hired to provide a handyman service, can skillfully complete a variety of odd jobs; small to modest scale tasks, home repair, and maintenance projects.

Just Ask the Handyman!

Handymen are competent home fix it and repair problem solvers. Adept at a variety of jobs. Including home appliance repair, home roof repair, kitchen cabinet resurfacing, window frame repair, home glass repair, tile replacement, wall painting, furniture refinishing, and much more.

A handyman job can be an easy home repair project, or entail more complicated phases of home improvement. Such as aspects of plumbing, HVAC, and home electrical repair and upkeep.

Free Home Repair Tips for the Fixer Upper in You

Regardless if you are a novice Mr fix it or a super handyman with experience, the following DIY home improvement tips can save you time and help ensure project success:

Caulking Tips - Caulk is a strong glue-like substance and flexible sealant; used in between tiles, to join dissimilar materials, and to seal a joint or corner that requires a measure of “give.”

First and foremost, if caulking is loose - fix it! This is especially important near plumbing or where moisture is involved; to keep water from seeping up, under, and around tiles. Requiring expensive water damage restoration efforts to prevent mold and mildew.

Silicone caulk is a good water sealant, providing a flexible bond. Great for humid or damp areas of the home - such as around a tub, shower, or sink. Water-based latex, polyvinyl acetate (PVA), and acrylic are other types of caulk, each with distinct benefits and drawbacks. Be sure and select the right type of caulk for your particular project.

Tip: when replacing old caulk with new - clean the area with water before caulk removal. This introduces less moisture around the tiles or joint than what would be there if you cleaned using water after removing the caulk. Once caulk has been removed, clean the area with denatured alcohol; helping to ensure proper adhesion for a water-tight seal.

Silicone caulk is best removed using a utility knife or single-edged razor; caution must be taken to avoid bodily injury. Also, keep the blade at a low angle so that objects do not become scratched. Note: little black lines may appear on porcelain while scraping off the caulk; use alcohol to remove them. If this doesn't work, try a mild scouring powder specially formulated for use on porcelain.

PVA caulk and water-based types are more easily removed using hot air to soften the caulk first. A heat gun works best; a blow dyer (used for drying hair) might work in a pinch. Note: to avoid injury to hands and surfaces, set heat under 300-degrees.

While home handyman professionals prefer caulking gun use, in untrained hands a caulking gun has the tendency to “overshoot;” leaving heavy clumps of caulk instead of the desired fine line. Small plastic tubes of caulk, though more expensive, are easier to control; proving a more uniform bead, even for a novice beginner.

More DIY Project Family Handy Man Tips

One home repair improvement tip to fix a squeaky floor is to enlist the help of a second person to locate the squeaky area. If the floor is plywood and the squeak is over a joist, simply top nail it. If the squeak is between joists, block it.

Fix it yourself tip - how to fix squeaky hardwood floor problems: squeaks in a strip wood floor over plywood should be fixed by securing the floor up from the bottom, whenever possible. Repairing from the bottom is better from a cosmetic standpoint; it avoids marring the floor's surface.

Need to match paint color in order to touch up a stained or damaged area of a wall? Take a small paint sample from the wall to a reliable paint store and let them match the color for you! Whether the wall is drywall or plaster, use a utility knife to lift a small 1” X 2” section off the wall, about 1/8-inch deep. The cleaner the cut, the easier patching will be. Instead of brushing the paint on during touch up, daub it on; work from the center outward.

Home repair advice: for walls along high traffic areas or walls that have not been painted for several years, painting the entire wall instead of touching up a single area usually yields best results.

Locating Reliable Handymen in Your Area - Easier Than You Think!

Whether you require the services of an palm beach handyman for an extreme house makeover or handy man services for any other type of American home improvement. Finding just the right home repair contractor is a snap at www.localhandyman-services.com. Best yet, estimates are FREE!

Simply sign up without cost or obligation, and post your project online with our easy-to-use tools. Member service providers view project details; they also receive e-mail notification of newly posted handyman jobs in their locality - within their area of expertise.

Project owners receive competitive bids from contractor handymen within days - even hours - from project posting. View each contractor's portfolio online at www.localhandyman-services.com - 24/7; including company profile, resumes, licensing/insurance/credential information, references, and even photos of recently completed projects.

Hire the handyman contractor of choice - or none at all. Remember, there is no obligation whatsoever.

Whether you need a master handyman for a complicated home repair project, or someone to help with some of the more difficult aspects of do it yourself home improvement. Finding just the right contractor at localhandyman-services.com is fast and easy. And because members bid competitively, cost for handyman have never been better!Posted by: James Rampart

Preserving and ideally increasing the value of owner properties is one of the chief roles of a property management company. Tenant requests should be addressed promptly and owners provided with transparent system for seeing how their money is being spent. A competent manager accomplishes all of this with the assistance of both internal staff and their network of qualified, licensed vendors whom they have vetted for excellent cost effective service.

Here's a list of issues to review and questions to ask the property management:

How does the property manager track incoming resident maintenance requests and the subsequent work orders?

A software solution should be in place here. You want to find a manager with a system that does not allow maintenance requests to fall through the cracks and require multiple tenant requests before the work is done. Ideally, tenants should be able to submit maintenance requests online.

How are after hours maintenance requests and emergencies handled and who handles them? Call Local Handyman for more question - 561-244-9919

Make sure its someone qualified to handle the problem. The last thing you want is an answering machine or someone saying you will have to wait till Monday to get your or your tenants issue resolved.

What system do they have in place to practice preventative maintenance?

Preventative maintenance is the mechanism a manager uses to maintain the value of your property and avoid letting small issues become larger more expensive problems down the road. This involves things like a predefined maintenance and inspection schedule as well as promptly addressing known issues. This of course assumes owners are willing to make the necessary repairs when they come up. Slum lords may balk, but successful real estate investors know that when you’re in for the long haul you have to engage in sustainable practices that maximize property values, not short-term practices that delay (and multiply) costs.

Do they have their own maintenance crew?

If the answer is yes, are they covered by workers compensation and are they licensed, bonded and insured? Additionally are they available 24/7/365 for emergencies?

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What contractors do they work with? 

Do the contractors carry workers compensation and are they licensed, bonded and insured? Does the management company oversee the contractors’ work for quality, code compliance and cost effectiveness? Some owners like to take the extra step of researching the primary vendors that will be used to make sure there are no red flags.

Do they have any conflicts of interest with their vendors? Beware of relationships that are based on something other than good work and the best price. Vendors reward management companies for their business, but this should be in the form of discounted rates, which benefit the owner, rather than "referral bonuses" that go to the management firm.The 
Management Contract  may state something to the effect that the management company may:

“…perform any of its duties and obtain necessary products and services, through affiliated companies or organizations in which Management may own an interest, and may receive fees, commissions and/or profits from these affiliated companies or organizations.”

If this is the case make sure you get full disclosure on the nature of any pre-existing relationships where this applies and will be notified when this comes up again in the future with new vendors.

One possible exception to this rule would be when the management company receives a small fee from vendors for guaranteed payment, meaning the vendors gets paid by the management company regardless of whether the owner whose property is being worked on has sufficient funds in their account.

What rules do they have in place regarding contractors entering occupied properties?

Make sure they have an established policy here. Anytime contractors and maintenance personnel are entering occupied units there is potential for trouble if the situation is not handled carefully.

Do they provide itemized statements with receipts for the work performed?

This adds accountability and transparency to the billing process. You don't want to work with a management company that is unwilling to provide solid documentation of where your money is going.

Do they let tenants perform repairs?

Tenants perform inferior quality work, and their lack of insurance coverage, liability or workers compensation could leave you liable in the event of an accident or injury. Why take the risk of having them accidentally fall off a roof or ladder, electrocute themselves, or flood your home? If they don’t allow tenant repairs, make sure this is written into the rental agreement. If you are comfortable allowing them, at least have the tenant sign a waiver and agree that the repairs must be approved by the manager. or have them call local handyman services at 561-244-9919 or visit us at
https://www.localhandyman-services.com/

What recurring maintenance tasks (lawn mowing, etc.) do they expect the tenant to perform?

This is not considered a liability hazard although providing these services eliminates the issue of tenant neglect and can improve tenant satisfaction which helps with retention.

What is involved in their process for preparing a property to be re-rented after a tenant has vacated? How long does this process take?

The property should get the usual cleaning, paint job, re-keying, etc. but this is also a good time to consider strategic improvements that will maximize your rental revenue. You want to find a property manager that will proactively offer this kind of feedback on an as needed basis. Obviously the quicker the turnaround time, the better.

The best crew in the world can't fix what they can't see. Regular inspections are a critical component of preventative maintenance.

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Nothing is impossible with the right attitude and a hammer. Tag a punny friend! ?These are our Services:
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Keep Your House in Tip-Top Shape: An Incredibly Handy Home Maintenance Checklist

When Buying A Home, most people probably first think of the financial responsibility. Don’t let yourself forget, however, about the time and labor that home ownership also requires. Just like regular oil changes for your car keep your engine happy and healthy, keeping up with regular home maintenance tasks will keep you from future headaches and wasted money.

It can be intimidating to think about these various tasks, especially if you’re a new homeowner. It’s a long list — there’s no denying that. The good news is that you can do the majority of it on your own without much experience. Google is your best friend, and if you really get stuck, call up your local handyman services @ 561-244-9919.

In order to maximize your efficiency and actually get all of these tasks done, you might want to create a home maintenance calendar for yourself. Whether online or on paper, you can jot down small, regular tasks for each weekend and not be too overwhelmed. We’ve listed tasks that need to be done monthly, quarterly, and biannually. We’ve also given you a list of tasks to be completed seasonally. Not every expert agrees as to which task needs to be done in which season, so this isn’t a black and white list, necessarily. Do what works for you and your schedule, and as long as all these things get accomplished, your home will be happy for years and years to come.

Monthly

• Inspect, and possibly change out HVAC filters. Many experts will say to change the filters monthly, but that’s not always necessary. For smaller families without pets or allergies, you’ll likely be okay changing the filters every 2-3 months. If the filter is dirty, change it out, otherwise inspect it again next month. I’ve also been told by handymen to go with cheaper filters and replace them more often versus going with the expensive filters. (You can also get it out of your mind by using a delivery service like Clean Filter
• Clean kitchen sink disposal. There are a bunch of ways to do this, but the handiest and best all-around solution seems to be vinegar ice cubes. Put some vinegar in an ice tray and let it freeze, then run the ice cubes through the disposal. It freshens it, but as a bonus, ice sharpens the blades. You’re welcome. Or call local Handyman services @ 561-244-9919 you can also visit us www.localhandymanservices.com
• Clean range hood filters. If you’ve never thought of doing this, you’re in for a real “treat” when you get that filter off the hood to clean it for the first time. Local Handyman Services

• suggests simply using a degreaser from an auto parts store mixed with hot water. Let the filter sit for a few minutes, rinse it off, and you’re good to go.
• Inspect your fire extinguisher(s). We’ll assume you have and know how to use an extinguisher.
  This inspection doesn’t require much: ensure it has easy access (not being blocked by a garbage can or anything else), that the gauge shows adequate pressure, and that it has no visible signs of wear and tear.