Holiday season is just around the corner, and the official Halloween kickoff is only two weeks away. The only thing scarier about Halloween than the ghosts and ghouls (and the dentist bill) is the prospect of your home not being in tip-top shape when things get busy. Oftentimes homeowners won’t know what needs fixing in their house until one of the holiday guests inadvertently discovers it for them, which may be the easiest way to make a Repair To-Do List, but definitely isn’t the best.

In two weeks there are going to be hundreds of feet (small and big, don’t forget Trick-Or-Treaters’ chaperones!) pounding down your porch, and if you aren’t sure that your house is ready to go now the trick may end up being on you after all.

Here are a few holiday appropriate home maintenance ideas to get you started.

Check your fence.

If you have a fence around the front of your home, it’s important that you make sure everything is working properly before hundreds of trick-or-treaters start passing through its gates. Fences can take a lot of wear and tear, but it’s best to make sure they haven’t taken too much sooner rather than later.

Update your electrical system.

If it’s 8:00 and you still haven’t heard the doorbell ring, you might have a problem bigger than being the only house on the block to give out pennies instead of candy. If you’re a fan of Christmas lights, checking to make sure your house is all wired and ready to go now is much better than waiting til there’s 3 feet of snow in the way. Think there might be a problem? Give us a call, don’t try to fix it yourself!

Decorate!

Stringing up spider webs and perfecting that life-size werewolf almost always takes longer than you think, so start right away. Have an immaculate decorating concept in mind that you can’t quite execute yourself? Don’t worry, we’re here to help with that too!

Taking care of a home is a lot of work.

It seems like there’s always something to do, something that needs to be fixed, or some new product or piece of furniture that could make your life infinitely better (or so the marketing departments would like you to believe!). When your home maintenance to-do list gets so long it takes three refrigerator magnets to keep it in place, it might be time for a new game plan.

Just like medical doctors preach the importance of preventative medicine to stop potential health problems before they start, so should you practice preventative home maintenance to trim that to-do list and keep your house looking and feeling its best year round.

By sticking to a weekly home  maintenance checklist you’ll not only get in the habit of taking care of problems right when they happen, you’ll also stop the problems from happening in the first place by practicing that all-important preventative care.

Each home is different of course, and though we’ll be happy to zip over and help you with any of your specific needs (really, we will be! Give us a call!), here are a few handy home maintenance ideas that can be applied to nearly any house:

1) Check your wiring

Out of the over 300 deaths caused by electrical fires annually, we’re going to bet that most, if not all, of them were preventable. Exposed wiring is a seriously dangerous threat, and though it often provides us with light for our lamps, it’s not something to be taken lightly.

Give your home a quick once-over this week and make sure none of your exposed wiring is frayed or damaged. If you think you see a potential problem, don’t try to fix it yourself. Call an experienced electrician and get it taken care of pronto.

2) Hit the roof

Well, not the roof exactly, but the space directly beneath it. The weather is turning, and with the cold swell comes a lot of little critters trying to find a warm, dry place to nest. Squirrels may be cute to look at but they are certainly not fun house guests, and even the smallest hole in your attic gives those guys all the opening they need to sneak in, get comfortable, and start causing a ruckus at all hours of the night. Inspect your attic for any sign of potential problems and give us a call to repair any holes if you’re not sure how to do it yourself.

3) Test your carbon monoxide detector

You can’t keep your family safe and away from harm if you don’t know there’s any danger, right? Carbon monoxide is at its worst during winter when windows are closed and people snuggle down under piles of comforters to sleep soundly through the night. Make sure sure all the carbon monoxide detectors in your home are working properly before an accident happens.

In terms of being eco-friendly, having a dimmer switch means that your lights will never be at full power. When dimmed, your light fixtures are using a lot less energy.

Dimmer switches can also give each room its own look and feel. For instance, having your lights dimmed really low in the dining room will give you a romantic feel, while having them a little higher in the kitchen will maintain the energy you desire. Also, don’t forget about the living or family room where your family watches movies, or possibly your office or bedroom. Dimmed lights will work in just about any room in your home.

Overall, dimmers give you more control over the look of the rooms in your home. It also helps you save on money, and help the environment all at the same time. Whoever said you can’t marry saving money with giving more style to your home while saving the environment?

The next time you are looking to change it up a bit in a room, just remember to try a dimmer. Ehow has a great how-to on installing dimmers. Click here for a step-by-step guide.

Now, if you decide installing a dimmer might be out of your realm of expertise or just don’t have time, give us a call and we will gladly help you out.

Once you are done with preparation you are good to go. Use a pry bar to take down the wall piece by piece starting at the trim or door jams. You will come across nails, therefore use a reciprocating saw to cut through these and along the edges of the wall to ensure all the plaster is removed.

Once you are finished removing all of the chunks of plaster, remove all of the electrical boxes. Use wire nuts cap any lines. If you come across any pipes you will need to contact a plumber to reroute those. Finally, with only studs left use the reciprocating saw and sledgehammer to know out each stud.

Once the studs are removed use the pry bar to remove the last piece of wood across the floor. Click here to watch the step by step video on how to remove a wall.

Looking to fix-up your bathroom but just don’t have time and the means to hire someone to come in for a full renovation. Rest easy…we came across a few fantastic ways on Home and Garden Television’s (HGTV) website that will give your bathroom a freshened up feel without having to gut your entire space.

You can start by customizing your bathtub by building a beadboard bathtub panel to give the look of a shower/bath combo without having to gut your bathroom. They also focus on how $100 worth of wainscoting can give your bathroom a completely new and updated look. Click the link below to watch to how-to videos.

Adding a new focal point to your bathroom will draw the eye and add a dash of color. HGTV demonstrates how to choose a feature wall to add some color. They added a floor to ceiling stencil to draw the eye up making the bathroom look larger and to add some interest to the room. Adding some chrome finishes gives the room a complete updated look.

Not too sure you want to go the modern look…well shabby chic may be the way to go for you. Adding a crackle finish to your vanity will give a vintage look. The crackle paint costs around thirty dollars. Another money savor to update your bathroom is peel and stick tiles are also a great quick fix to refinish any floor. Bathrooms are great because they are smaller spaces.

The number one takeaway you should always remember is that you don’t have to shell out a bunch of time and money to make your bathroom look shiny and new. Majority of these quick fixes were under $100 and took under a half of a day’s work. Don’t be afraid to find your style, use your imagination and do some of these projects yourself at home. Remember, if larger repairs occur throughout a project it is important to call a professional.

When completing the demolition phase of a kitchen remodel, the first thing I like to do is shut off the water.  You will have to disconnect your sink drain, disconnect the water lines, and disconnect the fridge waterline, if you have one.  Water is not something you want to mess with.  Depending on the age of the shut off valve, they may not actually work.

Therefore, it is best to go to basement to find the shut off valve and turn your water off.  After the water is turned off, you need to turn on a basement faucet to allow the water to drain from the lines.  This should only take a few minutes.

After the water lines are shut off, you should remove all of the appliances.  For your kitchen remodel, you may be getting new appliances or you may be reusing the old appliances.  It is best with all the activity that will be going on in at kitchen to just move the appliances to another room, even if you are getting new appliances.  This way you do not have to worry about damaging the appliances.

With respect to the extent of renovation in your project, the demolition could be removing only the countertops or dismantling the whole room completely.  This stage of the remodel can easily get out of control.  You need to be smart here and actually disassemble your room, instead of demolishing it.

If you need to remove any electrical outlets, you should trip the circuit breaker at the circuit breaker panel.  Make sure to mark the breaker so somebody else does not turn the breaker on.  Unknowingly encountering an electric line can be painful, if not lethal.

Avoid damaging something important while demolishing to avoid unnecessary expenses. For example, if you want to remodel your entire kitchen but keep your existing flooring, you need to cover up the floor.  It is important to protect the items you want to keep in your kitchen unchanged.  If there are any fixtures in your kitchen that you wish to keep like knobs, faucets, etc. then you should remove them in advance and put them away in a safe place.

All the moldings and trim of your kitchen can usually be reused.  If you want to reuse your kitchen trim, be sure to remove it carefully and place aside in a safe place so you do not damage it.   Depending on the age and condition of the trim, you may want to replace all of your trim.  After the trim is removed, it is time to remove the countertop.  Depending on the style and size of the countertop, you may need help getting the countertop out of the home.

When removing the base cabinets, it is advisable to start by removing the moving parts first like drawers, doors, and etc.  Then it is time to remove screws, if any, that may be holding the cabinets to the walls.  Once you have detached the cabinets from the walls, separate one cabinet from the other.

I encourage everyone to get some extra help when you start dismantling the wall cabinets.  If you are removing the cabinets by yourself, first  start by removing any screws that might be connecting the cabinets to each other.  Then, go on to remove the screws holding them to the walls.
Once you are done removing the cabinets, start removing the drywall.

If you are not completing any electrical changes or layout changes, you may not need to remove the drywall.  If you are not planning to remove the drywall, you need to plan to spend some time repairing the existing drywall to prepare for paint.

Having a more sensible approach to demolition can avoid causing unwanted damage to your kitchen.  By using the above-mentioned techniques, you can do the demolition work in a very safe way.  Kitchen demolitions need not necessarily be a hassle.  You just need to prepare a good demolition plan, which is smart as well as efficient, and which prevents any loss or damage.

In this blog we are going to be discussing completing a kitchen remodel.

Completing a kitchen remodel consist of multiple phases. The first phase is the planning and designing phase. The second phase is the demolition. The third phase of construction.

The construction phase can be broken down into multiple phases, these will be explained later. The fourth phase of a remodel is the maintenance and caring for your new kitchen.

The planning stage starts with making a detailed plan of your kitchen by measuring your kitchen. This is the time to draw some plans with a different layout, moving the fridge, dishwasher, and etc.

If you are thinking of expanding your space take this time to measure others areas of your home, along with the kitchen to draw some preliminary plans for an entirely different layout for your kitchen remodel.

Find the inspiration for your dream kitchen. You can look it up the internet or go through the various other resources like books, magazines, and even take a peek into your friends’ kitchens. From all the ideas out there, find out the one idea that is close enough to your personal imagination of your kitchen.

After finding the design for your kitchen you need to look in to your finances and decide how much you can spend on this project. It’s always wise to stay a little below your net expenditure so that you can handle any unexpected costs that might come up. Just check up the prices of your neighborhood houses to make sure that you can reimburse the investment that you are making in your house if you do decide to sell this house some day.

If you are remodeling your kitchen, you should know that replacing the cabinets can be expensive. You might want to consider giving your present cabinets some refurbishing. On the other hand, if you’ve made up your mind about making major changes to the design, then you should seriously consider purchasing new cabinets.

When looking for countertops, you have many options starting from quartz to natural stone to synthetic solid materials. You can even try out the eye-catching plastic laminates which can serve as an inexpensive alternative. But stone can be heavy and unannealed, so prepare the cabinets without any bumps or high regions as this can cause them to crack.

The flooring can either be replaced or even left unchanged if it is in tip-top condition. The common choices are ceramic tiles but they are not so cost-effective. You can even use laminate or hardwood floors but if you have selected laminate flooring you need to get a warranty for its high moisture zones.

Choose your kitchen appliances wisely taking into consideration factors like style and function. Kitchen appliances which meet your everyday needs and also ameliorate the looks of your kitchen are ideal. Choose appliances keeping in mind the way in which the person running the kitchen uses it.

You can get sinks of various sizes and shapes made from stainless steel to stone to cast iron. Simultaneously choose your faucet so that the number of holes in it matches those in the sink. And if you wish to install an extra hot or filtered water tap on your sink, or even a soap dispenser, make sure that your sink is compatible with that as well.

Last but not the least in kitchen remodeling is the lighting. Make sufficient use of different kinds of light fixtures in your kitchen to illuminate the working areas and focus the light where you need it the most.

Remodeling your kitchen is a serious investment in time and money. If you are planning on completing the work yourself at some point in the remodel you may need help. This is where Metro Handyman Services can be of service to you, we can help by completing smaller parts of the remodel that you do not want to complete. If you decide that you do not have the time or the experience to complete your kitchen remodel then our remodeling company can step in and help you out.

In future blogs we will start breaking down the steps to remodeling your kitchen from, the demolition phase, hanging drywall, hanging cabinets, installing flooring, and etc.

A kitchen should fill you with high spirits every time you enter it and should soothe your senses too. This can be done if you are ready to paint your kitchen using various kitchen painting ideas.

Prep your kitchen before you start to paint. Tape off all of the window trim, door trim, and base trim. Cover the flooring, countertop, and cabinets with painters plastic.

Also, check for any scratches or holes in your walls and fix them by filling and sanding them before you apply the paint. If there is presence of mold on your walls, use bleach and water solution, or any other anti-fungus cleanser to remove them completely. Be sure to allow time for your walls to dry completely before you prime and paint.

If your existing paint is oil-based, then you need to apply a latex primer over the latex paint. Applying the latex primer will create an adhesion on the wall for the latex paint to adhere to. With all the advancements in paint technology today, there really is no need to go for oil-based paints in your kitchen. I encourage everyone to choose washable latex paints.

Kitchens are subjected to a lot of grease and dirt. The paint that you choose needs to be waterproof and resistant to stains. For kitchens, semi-gloss and gloss paints are the best choice for your kitchen walls. Semi-gloss and gloss paints provide a better water tight seal and cleans easier than other sheens.

If you want your paint-job to last a long period of time, it is absolutely essential to prime the painting areas before applying your paint. Start by cleaning all the surfaces and then sand them lightly to guarantee good adhesion. Choose the primer that is suitable for your walls; all primers are not the same. Super-adherent primers that mitigate covering of previous enamels or varnishes are worth checking out.

If there are too many stains on your existing paint, then you can look into stain-blocking primers which cover up the existing stains. Primers are also available which cover iron or steel, which possess certain special anti-rust features.

When you are choosing your paint colors for your kitchen, you should consider those which create a cheerful atmosphere or which stimulate the appetite. Colors like light yellow, lemon green, peach, or even brownish-red are the ideal choices.

If you want to give your kitchen a complete makeover, you should consider painting not only the walls, but also the cabinets. Being creative and thinking outside the box can really give your kitchen a whole new look!

Painting your cabinets, as with all home projects you complete, comes down to the preparation. You need a good latex paint, sandable primer, wood putty, tack cloths, sandpaper, and most important, patience.

Start by removing all the doors, drawers, and hardware, including hinges, from the cabinets. Make sure to protect countertops, flooring, and appliances to prevent incidental damage. After everything is removed, wipe down all of the cabinet faces, doors, and drawers with a good heavy duty degreaser. Depending on the condition of the cabinets, you might have to clean the cabinets a few times.

After the cleaning is complete, it is time to start sanding the cabinets. I recommend 100 grit sandpaper to sand the cabinets. After the initial sanding is complete, use wood putty to fill in any dings and dents. After the wood putty has dried, sand smooth. You may have to apply the wood putty twice with sanding each time, depending on the extent of the damage to the cabinets.

After the sanding is complete, it is time to prime the cabinets. To prime the cabinets, use a 2 ½-inch to 4-inch paint brush and use a quality primer that can be sanded. Primer that can be sanded can be purchased at a local paint supply store. Lay the drawer fronts and doors on a flat surface. Start on the backside of the doors and drawers working from the inside center, then work your way to the outside. When painting the cabinet stiles, start on the inside and work to the outside.

When applying the first coat of primer, go against the grain first and then with the grain. After the primer has dried to the touch, flip the doors and drawers over to paint the front side. After all the priming is complete on both sides of the doors and door fronts, and your stiles are painted, it is time to sand the cabinets.

Make sure the primer has completely dried; this may take up to 24 hours. Use an orbital sander and 220-grit sandpaper to smooth away brush strokes and to remove any high ridges on the cabinetry.

Use a sanding sponge to sand any corners, crevices and detailing that cannot get sanded with the orbital sander. Be careful not to round off any corners. Use a tack cloth and vacuum to clean the cabinetry of any debris. Look over the cabinets for any areas that need to be fixed. I recommend priming the cabinets the second time, with the sanding, and cleaning. Follow the same procedure as before, working from the inside to the outside.

It’s now time to paint your cabinetry. Start with a new brush. The same as priming, start in the back of the doors and the drawer fronts; starting on the inside and working your way to the outside. Paint with the grain and apply a thin coat to prevent drips and runs.

After both sides of the cabinets are painted, sand down with 400 to 600 grit sandpaper. Clean the cabinets and apply another coat of paint. Always sand in between coats of paint to smooth away brush marks that might have been left behind from painting.

Now is the time you will see that all of your hard work has paid off! It is now time to enjoy your beautiful new looking kitchen!

You do not want to buy a door at your local whole building supply store and hope it fits.

Before getting into the basics of installing a front exterior door, let’s talk about the door itself and the tools required to complete this job. Most times when replacing a door the new door is pre-hung. Pre-hung means the door is attached to the sides – called jambs, the bottom – called sill plate, and the top – called the header. Also, on most exterior doors, the trim – called brick molding, is attached to the exterior.

When installing a pre-hung door, you essentially are removing the old door in one piece and placing the new door, all in one piece, in the rough opening.

Most front doors are 36-inches wide. Before ordering the new door, you need to remove the existing trim and measure the space between the framing and the door. With a 36-inch door you should have at least 3/4 of an inch space on the sides, and a 1/2 inch space on the top.

After you have verified the rough opening, you need to determine the swing of the door. The swing is which way does the door opens, left or right. If you are standing with your back to the door hinges and the door swings to the right, then it is a left hand swing door. If the door swings to the left, it is a left hand swing door.

Now that you have determined the size and the swing of the door, it is time to determine what type of door that you want. Your options include wood, steel, and fiberglass. Before ordering a door, I highly encourage you to do some research on the pros and cons of each type of door.

Wood doors are nice looking, but wood doors require maintenance on a regular basis to keep them looking nice. You will need to apply polyurethane every couple of years to protect the finish of a wood door. Wood doors are usually more expensive than steel or fiberglass doors.
A steel door is your best choice if security and durability are your top priorities. Steel units are stronger than wood or fiberglass. Steel doors are also the least costly.

Fiberglass doors are a smart choice. Fiberglass doors mimic the look of wood with wood-grain texturing and can be stained to match oak, cherry, or walnut. Voids in the framework are filled with polyurethane-foam insulation. Fiberglass doors are also less costly than a solid wood door.

Some of the tools you will need to replace your existing door include:
• Drill
• Drill bits
• Drill drivers
• Screws
• Shims
• A level
• Low expanding caulk
• Door wrap
• Caulk

Once you have the new door, it is time to install it!

The first thing you need to do is remove your existing door. Next, you need to make sure that the bottom of door has enough clearance to clear the existing floor and also a rug. To check the clearance of the door, install the door in the rough opening and measure the distance between the door bottom and the floor.

If the clearance between the bottom of the door and the floor is not enough, then remove the door and install an additional sub sill to raise the level of the door. Continue this process until you have enough door clearance for the floor and an area rug.

The sub sill is the area of the floor the door sits on. The sub sill can be raised by installing an ½-inch to ¾-inch green treated plywood over the existing sub sill with caulk and screws.

After removing the old door, it is time to install the flashing on the sub sill. Flashing underneath the door is important so that water does not contact the sub sill or the subfloor underneath it. For the flashing, you can use a waterproof membrane. The membrane comes in roll like tape and is very sticky on one side.

After cutting the flashing to size, apply it over the sub sill with the sticky side down. Make sure the flashing strips overlap each other, and the corners are protected. The final piece of flashing needs to overlap the siding on the exterior of the house. The purpose of the flashing is to direct water that might get under the door to the outside of the home and not to the inside of the home.

Check the level of the sill before placing the door in the opening. If a sub sill was installed, then level the sill as needed. Once the sill is level, lift the door into position. Put temporary shims in place to hold the door until the door is leveled and screwed into place.

From the inside of the home, look to see that the reveal around the door looks the same on all of the sides, top, left, and right. The reveal is the space between the door and door jamb. If not, start on one side and apply shims as needed making your way around the door. After the reveal is even, it is time to secure the door to the framing. This is accomplished by installing screws through the door jamb and the shims into the framing. Make sure to constantly check the reveal as you are setting the screws.

Make sure to pay attention to any instructions that come with the door; the instructions will explain where to place the shims. Also, be sure to abide by your local building codes when completing any work around your home. Remember, the outcome of the project will depend on your preparation. Read all instructions that came with the door prior to starting, check building codes, and if needed, ask for help!

Handyman companies are available and serving your area to complete jobs like this and other “honey do” jobs that are needed around the home.

In addition to being a gathering place for families, the kitchen is used every day, usually several times a day, for cooking family meals. Your kitchen holds all of your dishes, pots, pans, and food that you access daily. For these reasons most people want a kitchen that functions well and also looks good.

Over time, you will notice that the kitchen cabinets are showing their age and use. If you are happy with the existing layout, and do not want to undergo a full kitchen remodel, then refacing your kitchen cabinets is what you are looking for. Refacing your cabinets requires a little work, some planning, and can be done in a couple of days.

Refacing your cabinets does not allow you the opportunity to easily add more kitchen cabinets to the already existing cabinets in place. Refacing is to essentially remove the worn out wood and replace the wood with something new.

When refacing kitchen cabinets you have three basic options; overlay the cabinets with a veneer wood, stain the existing finish, or paint the cabinets. The tools needed to complete this weekend project are basic hand tools that you probably have around the home already.

Start by removing all the items from cabinets and drawers. Then remove the cabinet doors, drawers and all hardware. In most cases, new doors and drawers are ordered. New doors and drawers add to the cost of the project. Flat front doors and drawers are easier to reface. If you have raised paneled doors and drawers, it becomes more difficult to finish.

Once all the doors, drawers, and hardware are removed, sand the side and front surfaces of the existing cabinets. After you are done sanding, remove all that dust from the cabinet’s surfaces. Removing the dust will ensure a clean surface for the paint or stain to adhere to, and also to give the veneer a good service to adhere to.

If you are applying a new veneer to the cabinets it is not necessary to sand off all the old finish; just rough it up so the veneer will adhere to the cabinets properly.

I encourage people to start on a side panel first; this area is less visible. After a couple practice runs, you will be able to fine tune your techniques before moving to the more visible areas of the cabinets. Apply a thin film of wood glue to the cabinet surface and use a small nail to fix the veneer panel in place.

Be sure to set the nail heads just below the veneer surface. Start at the top of the panel and work towards the bottom. To trim the sides of the panel, you can use a block plane or a router to trim the veneer edges flush with the old cabinet faces.

After the side panels are complete, it is time to start with the front of the cabinets. Veneer all of the horizontal areas and rails first, and then use a sharp razor knife to cut in the pieces for the vertical stiles. When complete, trim all intersecting edges and corners flush with the sides. If you are refacing the cabinet doors, follow the same procedure as above. Fill all holes with wood putty colored to match your intended finished color.

If you are planning on painting your cabinets after the sanding is complete, you need to prime all of the surfaces first before applying the paint. Oil based paint is recommended for kitchen cabinets to help withstand the wear.

It is best to apply the paint with a good paint brush recommended for oil based paint; do not skimp on the brush. On the horizontal services of the cabinets apply the paint in a horizontal direction. On the vertical services of the cabinets, apply the paint in a vertical direction.

If you are planning to stain the cabinets, the process will be relatively the same as painting. When staining your cabinets, you cannot go a lighter color with the stain; only a darker color is an option. If you desire a lighter color for your cabinets, then it is best to overlay the cabinet fronts and side with a veneer layer.

After the stain has dried for twenty for hours, it is time to apply the polyurethane. Two to three coats of polyurethane is
recommended to have a finish to protect the cabinets from wear and tear. Sand the cabinets with 600 grit sandpaper between coats of polyurethane.

Wait until the cabinets have dried before placing the hardware back on the cabinets and placing all the items back into the cabinets.

For better results if you are not experienced with that kind of work, let the work be completed by a professional!

As with all projects you complete around the house, the key to a successful outcome starts with the preparation. Have a checklist of items needed, double check this list, and have the necessary items purchased prior to starting the project. When accounting for the time, plan on the project taking more time that you anticipate.

You do not want to feel rushed and “cut corners” to finish the project; you will not be happy with the final product. Take your time, have patience, and plan the project appropriately.

In some cases, it may be more economical to complete a kitchen remodel with new cabinets, countertops, flooring, and appliances. Depending on the extent of the project, the cost of refacing your cabinets can add up. Set a budget before the project, do your home work, and devise a plan to complete your plan.