Hiring a good handyman can be a bit of a challenge when you need someone fast. While it may seem like an easy ordeal to find a worker, there are many variables that you’ll need to factor in if you want to get a good job done. Depending on what’s broken and also your budget, you should be able to find a professional to fit your needs. Just follow a few tips to help guide you when making a decision.

Research companies
One of the first ways to find a dependable handyman is by doing a bit of research on all the available services or companies in your area. Once you narrow down a few that you like, be sure to compare and contrast prices and don’t hesitate to ask questions about certain materials, brand names, tools and more. People that work at bigger companies may use more expensive products – even when the basics would suffice. Also, many times, big companies have had success on their reputable name. Yet, some of them outsource to independent contractors. If you’re paying the money to have someone from a big name company do the job; make sure that’s who shows up.

Try independent contractors
Just because a company has a big, impressive name doesn’t always mean they’re the best choice. Smaller companies or even independent contractors can be dedicated to doing quality work at an affordable price. That’s because as an independent handyman, every thing is on him. He’s the president of the company as well as the worker. Yet, as with a company or service, make sure you research all the details about your independent contractor. Check references, see examples of previous work and don’t forget to get estimates and contracts in writing to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Seek out family and friends
Sometimes, you have resources that you may not even know about. Do you have a friend that is constantly tinkering? Does he or she love going to the home improvement store? Has a family member shown you work they’ve recently completed at home? Take a moment to check with the people you know and you could be surprised to learn that you may have a handyman right in your own backyard. However, to be on the safe side, only give friends and family members small jobs or less intricate work. Leave the bigger projects to someone that’s made a career out of repair work.

Finding a good handyman is the key to great house maintenance. Find out more at http://www.angieslist.com.

The choice of closet materials usually falls along the lines of cost versus utility & look. The vast majority of new homes have either white wire or ventilated wood. White wire is the cheapest, by far, and ventilated wood usually is the “upgrade” option (hint, hint…the installation and utility are the same as wire). Here’s a detailed breakdown of the differences and other options below.

White Wire

Builder love this ClosetMaid product because it is cheap and easy to install. Most clients don’t care about the utility of the closet and it always looks bigger when empty! Thus wire is set at 66″ off ground so most clothes fit, but is an extremely inefficient storage system. Over time, it also tend to have a mold grow over the entire surface which is nearly impossible to remove.

Ventilated Wood

This product is usually made of real wood and has a better look than white wire. Plus it has the advantage of some air flow around clothes and less grid pattern on folded items. That being said, it has the same lack of functionality. You may see two rows of hanging and some shelving, but rarely have I seen any drawers, clothes bin or other amenities. The cost is nearly the same, and sometime exceeds, melamine systems.

Melamine

Melamine is the industry term for a high density pressed board. Once the materials formed form mostly recycled wood by high pressure presses, it is effectively shrink-wrapped in any one of dozens of colors or wood grain patterns. After that, it is milled into various standard sizes and shapes that are joined to assemble a custom closet. Its advantages are many colors, versatility and efficient use of the space assuming you have a good design to start with. Melamine systems also have lots of options as they are based upon industry standard 32 mm hole pattern.

Real Wood

There are several suppliers (Mission Woodworking) that can cut and finish custom storage system parts in real wood (plywood core with veneer outer layer) with a good stain and finish. The design is key as it would be difficult to acquire parts for any last minute changes. These systems have only one drawback – cost. The cost is approximately 225% of a melamine or ventilated wood system. They do have a longer lead time as well.

So you do have to balance the functionality vs. look vs. cost when deciding on how best to upgrade or replace a system. A solid local custom storage firm, such as Closet Tailors, usually offers free design and can advise you on what fits your budget.

Chuck Hugan
Chuck is the owner of Closet Tailors in Southwest Florida. He has helped hundreds of clients maximize the use of their closet, garage, laundry, pantry and home office spaces. You can sign up for a complimentary consultation and design at: http://www.closettailors.com/capecoral.
He also maintains another site with useful storage information at: http://www.squidoo.com/closet_tailors_swflorida.

Redecorating a home is not easy, but redecorating a sea-going naval ship offers many more challenges. Due to the rigors of ocean life, including salt in the air and water, wall coatings have to be washable and tough as nails. Most furnishings on a ship should not have porous surfaces, but where they are used they must be abrasion-resistant and easy to clean. When repairs are done to the interior or exterior, all rust must be removed completely by sandblasting before the new paint can be applied.

These challenges and many more are encountered when an aircraft carrier or destroyer comes in to port for extended maintenance. Even for smaller boats, many of the same principles hold true. Most surfaces on sea-going naval ships are metal. The first step in freshening the paint scheme on a ship is to grind away any corrosion by sandblasting.

Repairs are then completed by welders, then primers and paints are applied by industrial painters. Many furnishings on a ship are built-in or attached to walls, so that rough weather does not cause the secured items to move about. The best storage method on a ship is a hook or fastener built inside a cabinet or locker that is bolted to the wall. Bins that are attached to the walls are also handy. When a ship is remodeled, it takes a great deal of work just to unbolt these built-in items and check for damage behind them.

A vessel with hundreds of rooms, such as an aircraft carrier or cruise ship, may have some items that are standard in each room, but some rooms are always slightly offset or curved to reflect the outer shape of the boat. Even some furniture, like tables, are often bolted to the floor. A thorough ship remodel involves removing those bolts, inspecting the underlying floor for damage, then replacing the item with a newer model. Whereas you might layer new materials over a damaged spot in a residential project, a boat is different because its walls and floors need to be seaworthy.

What makes the space on a ship more enjoyable to its crew and guests is the adaptability of the furnishings. The beds in some quarters are actually shelves that fold out from the wall, with safety belts in case of bad weather. Like a very durable Murphy bed, these can be snapped to a closed position during the day to save space. A remodeling job on a ship will involve ripping out hundreds of shelf-beds, replacing the hardware that allows them to swing in and out, and installing new ones that fit exactly into that space.

The movable surfaces that were chairs earlier become a bed when the time comes around for sleep, whenever that time may be. The chair cushion that becomes a mattress needs to have abrasion-rated upholstery, with a waterproof layer underneath. You can still have a curtain or shutter that matches your upholstery, tying the room together for a stylish look. Some cabins have carpet, but it gets shampooed more often than a carpet at a house. Even seasoned sailors and crewmen get seasick, so there are many reasons for having durable and washable surfaces.

There is a chance to pick fabric coverings in the process of painting a ship. Ships usually have many storage bins that also serve as benches, so rectangular cushions are almost everywhere. Some of those are also flotation devices in case of emergency. You might say that most items on a ship serve at least two purposes, like a James Bond pen that is also a gun.

Emergency equipment has to be stowed somewhere, and must be accessible in a hurry. However the bins for storage can be used as tables or seats when the lids are not open. A lot of furnishings, like small tables, fold out from the wall and fold back in when you need the space for something else. Keeping each room as adaptable as possible adds to the comfort of the crew and passengers. One way to update a ship is to add more of these movable but built-in features, so that each space on board becomes more useful.

Since 1987 Vanwin Coatings has been providing quality Virginia Beach VA sandblasting services for Military, Industrial and Commercial applications. In an Industrial plant, Aboard a Navy Ship, or sandblasting, painting or powder coating in our shop, Vanwin gives you the best possible coating solution for your application.

One of the best parts of your basement finishing project will be when color starts appearing. When tile is installed, when carpet goes down, when cabinets come in, and when paint goes up on the wall.

Manufacturer’s today are doing better and better at making finishes that are more appealing, vibrant, and fresh. Even if you’re picking neutral colors for your basement finishing project, the colors and finishes can really “pop” and make your basement look super attractive.

Based on observations from past experience, picking finishes for your basement finishing project will be the most fun, stressful, and perplexing thing about the whole project. Even if you are trying to match what you have in the rest of the house, you will deliberate over the exact color and style of carpet, tile, grout, granite, paint, cabinets, faucets, fixtures, etc.

After considering all your options and making your choice, chances are you’ll be pretty upset if things don’t look like what you expected after they’re installed!

Generally, as long as products are ordered correctly, the biggest potential differences will be a result of different dye lots used in the manufacturing process, and will likely never be noticed by you.

However, there is one preventable color problem that could creep into your basement finishing project…

One requisite component of basement finishing is drywall. Your walls will receive drywall right before all the fun color stuff starts happening. One thing about drywall that you might not have noticed is its propensity to soak up a lot of moisture.

This might not seem like a problem until it comes time to paint your walls. While painting over new drywall is certainly an acceptable building practice, it is also a sure way to end up with a tired looking wall. Because drywall sucks up so much moisture, it will suck up much of the paint that goes on the wall, which results in dull or tired walls even after multiple coats of paint.

The solution to this? Drywall Priming.

Using a good primer specifically for priming new drywall is the best way to get the paint finish you deserve in your basement finishing project. A good drywall primer will seal the new drywall, setting you up for a beautiful painted finish.

Experience shows that homeowners prefer a vibrant, freshly-painted wall regardless of their color choice. By priming new drywall you will provide a barrier between the paint and the “thirsty” drywall. Then, your basement finishing project will be primed for the fresh look and true color you expected.

Building more…

Joel Nelson is a remodeling expert serving the local market of Parker, CO, and specializing in basement finishing and kitchen remodeling. While building is his first passion, the increasing demand for educational resources in construction has led him (back) into a familiar passion: that of coaching and teaching. For more information, to view recent projects, and to inquire about upcoming Parker Basement Finishing seminars, visit http://www.constructingtrust.com.

One of the advantages of using a professional basement finishing contractor is having someone to ensure quality construction. Construction management (e.g. managing tradesmen, quality control, etc.) is an important part of any project and can really make a difference between a poor finish and a quality one.

On the surface, many aspects of basement finishing seem mundane and self-explanatory. This is far from the truth. Unless you really know and understand trade-specific construction specifications, you could be setting yourself up for huge disappointment.

Drywall is one of these trades which seems very simple and straightforward. However, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you could end up walls that look like a garage, and not the basement finishing masterpiece you envisioned.

One specification that should not be overlooked is drywall taping. For the benefit of those new to construction, drywall is attached to your framing with nails and screws. Pieces are cut to fit every section of your basement finishing project. Corners are covered with “corner bead,” a metal (or sometimes plastic/fiber) strip that is nailed to each corner.

After this, drywall “tape” is embedded in a skim coat of drywall mud over the top of every seam in the drywall. Once taping is done, it is time to either paint – or texture with the desired wall texture.

Drywall taping will make or break the quality of your finished walls. To make the most profit on your basement finishing job, it is common for contractors to shortchange the taping process. Usually this is done by embedding the tape in only one or two coats of drywall mud.

If only one coat is used you’re in danger of getting that “garage” look. The thinking here is that with enough texture, the seams won’t be noticed. Beware! This is a sure way to get shoddy-looking walls. Even with massively heavy texture, you will see ridges and lines along every seam. The purpose of basement finishing is NOT to provide the “garage” look.

Even with a second coat and prodigious sanding, the result will be an undesirable finish. The danger here is not really ridges and lines, but rather what looks like shadows or gentle humps in the wall. This is especially true if you’re close and look down the length of a wall.

For your basement finishing project you should require a 3-coat taping system, sometimes called a level-3 finish, prior to any texture. If you want smooth walls with no texture request a level-4 or even level-5 smooth finish.

First of all, the 3-coat system will cover any tape over the seam and totally eliminate the ridges and lines that are apparent with only 1-coat. Second, the 3-coat system spreads the drywall mud over seams out to 12″ or more, which will eliminate the shadows and gentle humps. After texture, the walls in your basement finishing project will be finished with the quality you deserve.

When you hire someone to work on your home, do you prefer it when they cut corners? Or would you rather they give you a professional job? I believe the answer is self-explanatory. Make sure your basement finishing contractor knows from the get-go that you won’t allow corner-cutting.

Building more…

Joel Nelson is a remodeling expert serving the local market of Parker, CO, and specializing in basement finishing and kitchen remodeling. While building is his first passion, the increasing demand for educational resources in construction has led him (back) into a familiar passion: that of coaching and teaching. For more information, to view recent projects, and to inquire about upcoming Parker Basement Finishing seminars, visit http://www.constructingtrust.com.

When you’re ready to give your home’s exterior an extreme makeover, you know you can’t go wrong with reliable and durable vinyl siding. Siding improves the beauty of your home and protects you from the elements during severe weather. While it may appear all siding is the same, there are actually a number of varieties to consider for your home remodeling project. One particular design may not work well for your house’s structure, so it’s important to discuss with a contractor the possibilities.

Consider the look of your home – one or two stories? Split level? Do you plan to use more than one type of exterior? Depending on how you want the house to look, you’ll need to consider the style of vinyl siding to use. Here is a brief rundown of some of the more popular types of siding with suggestions for use.

Rough Split Siding – This design gives the eye the impression that your home is covered by split wooden shingles. Actually, you’re looking at vinyl panels ridged for that rugged appearance. This style is one that can complement a home with a stone exterior, perhaps siding for specific parts of the house.

Half Rounds Siding – A self-explanatory design, half rounds are just that. This isn’t necessary a style used to cover an entire home, but dormers or other sharp points toward your roof.

Dutchlap Siding – Perhaps the most commonly seen vinyl siding, Dutchlap is good to use if you plan to cover your entire house. It is durable and easy to clean, and available in many colors.

Board and Batten – Horizontal siding gives a wall a rustic, rural look. You’re likely to see this style on barns and industrial buildings.

Once you have the style of siding for your home, consult with a licensed, bonded contractor about installation and warranties. Your home will look brand new with the right quality siding.

K. Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Virginia Beach siding and Virginia Beach handyman services.

Given today’s economy, many homeowners have found it more financially sound to make renovations to their existing home rather than move. Indeed, if your family is growing, a room addition may be more affordable now than searching for a larger house, but if you have no plans to expand there are still projects for your home than can make life more enjoyable. If you have had it with the antiquated look of your rooms, consider calling on a contractor or handyman to help you with a few good fixes to your home.

What can you have done to your house to improve the way it looks as well as how it functions in terms of security and safety? Our top five suggestions can work to wow guests and save money in the long run.

New Flooring: In time, kitchen floors especially become worn and dirty to the point that the strongest cleaner won’t penetrate the dirt. If you came into a home with existing vinyl flooring, you may want to consider upgrading to wood or tile…something attractive that also keeps clean easily.

Radiant Barrier Insulation: For your attics, radiant barrier insulation is designed to provide a more comfortable atmosphere for your home while also saving money on heating and cooling bills. With this installed, you won’t need to run the AC as much, plus you could receive a tax credit on installation if you qualify. Consult with a contractor to learn more.

Crown Molding: Little touches like adding crown molding to your walls lends an elegance to your home that people sense all the time.

New Deck or Patio: Do you live in a nice climate? Make use of your yard space with a deck or patio. Entertain in the summer with barbecues, and have a glass sliding door attached to let in natural light during the day, and eliminate the need for extra lighting in your home.

Bathroom Remodeling: Used to be bathrooms were built into homes for limited, necessary use. These days, however, we like to pamper ourselves and linger as we freshen up. What better way to do that than in a completely overhauled bathroom with updated shower fixtures, more room, and a lighted vanity. Who needs to go to the spa, when you have one at home?

Home improvement is likely more affordable than you think. With the work of a competent, licensed handyman, your current house can transform into the home of your dreams, and you won’t have to move!

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Virginia Beach handyman services and Virginia home improvement services.

Manufactured housing as we know it today is a lot better than mobile homes of the past! Most mobile homes will last a great number of years before they need any renovations or upgrades. However people can get bored of their surroundings, after a couple of years owners of such mobile homes may start to look for ways to renovate your mobile home. Reasons for renovation can include catering for a larger family, or create a better use of space.

When you are planning a mobile home renovation project there are some important differences to a normal home renovation project. One of the best bits about renovating a mobile home compared to a traditional home is that there are no support beams running through the centre of the home. Interior walls in a traditional home not only separate the space, but they also provide some support for the roof. On mobile homes however the internal rooms are just to separate the space; the roof is normally supported by the external walls only (which you shouldn’t want to take down!)

If you are considering renovating your mobile home in order to gain more space then you may consider removing a smaller room and opening the space up so that it is more usable. For example if there are two small bedrooms side by side, the wall separating the two can be removed making one larger bedroom.

Air on the side of caution

If you do decide to remove a whole wall when you are renovating your mobile home you must be very careful that you are not making a mistake. You do not want to leave gaps open that would allow insects in. Floors in mobile homes are often not as durable as in traditional homes and so you must make sure you keep all moisture out.

If you remove a wall it can actually weaken the floor slightly if you’re not very careful. You must carefully remove screws and nails make sure that you fill in any of the holes no matter how small they may appear. This will reduce the chances of insects getting inside your mobile home windows. You have to also renovate the joining walls so that they don’t have any scars remaining!

You could consider adding a porch to the outside of your mobile home this is a fairly easy project as long as you don’t go mad about it! You should not try to build it on to the existing structure, rather you should build it as a free standing building which is connected to your mobile home.

For some individuals or families, the fears of cost overruns and lengthy stays in a construction zone are enough to dissuade them from undertaking a major home renovation project.

This could be quite understandable. However, it’s a shame because there are a lot of good reasons to renovate. If you like the neighborhood where you live, for example, but feel cramped in a small, outdated kitchen, upgrading may be a better alternative than moving.

A well-planned home renovation could also increase your property value. If your home is older than most in your area, new flooring or other updates can help to bring your home up to par with others on the market. Knowing the basic factors about the renovation process, as well as getting assistance from the professionals involved, helps in avoiding unnecessary expenses and delays.

Plan A Renovation Project In Advance

A home renovation project makes for an opportunity to create the space you’ve always wanted. In the initial planning stages, draw a list of the things you wish to do. Write down everything you would want to add or change in a room. For instance, you may wish to install a convection oven or a larger refrigerator in the kitchen or new flooring and a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom.

Later, when you get an idea of cost from a professional renovator and from your own research, you can decide which options to keep and which ones are too expensive. To help you better plan your renovation, check on magazines and online home decorating Web sites.

In addition, also visit home shows and home decor shops to see some of the latest innovations in building products, countertops, appliances etc. Take note of product prices and energy ratings as you shop. You may find that certain upgrades will pay for themselves over the long run in terms of energy and water savings. A professional renovator can also be a good source of ideas and product suggestions.

Lastly, look for houses that have been recently renovated and see how the changes made affected the overall feel of the neighborhood. Everyone will appreciate it if the changes you make to the exterior of your house will compliment the architecture of your city block, or neighborhood.

What To do Before Starting Renovation Work

Before starting major home repair work, first take a good look at your own house. Try to respect the main features of its original design. You don’t want your work to contradict it too much.

Make sure to check your renovation design against the Building Code and requirements set up by your local government. Some types of changes generally do not require any special permits, and these include replacing interior doors, existing plumbing fixtures with similar items, cabinets or countertops without repairing or replacing drywall, or relocating rough utility lines.

The next move is to solicit bids from professional renovators. It is a good idea to get more than one opinion on the best way to proceed with the project and the estimated cost. They will quickly examine the areas you wish to upgrade, along with the items on your wish list in order to give you a complete estimate. They can also advise you if the project requires further design or architectural retooling.

Once you have chosen a professional renovator, it is time to go over your wish list in detail. They will inspect your home to take measurements and ascertain the locations of electrical and plumbing lines. The renovator may be able to offer logistical suggestions on your design such as improving the flow of traffic in a kitchen. If a room requires a change to the electrical wiring or plumbing, they will likely be able to tell you at this point.

A successful home renovation project requires good team effort between you and the professionals that you hire. To ensure a good outcome, you need a clear plan and good communication. Then all that’s left is for you to sit back and enjoy the results.

Certain home improvements which conserve energy, electricity or water are common in 20 year old houses including a new roof (reduced heating and air conditioning needs), attic re-insulation (reduced heating and air conditioning needs), replace old toilets with ‘low-flow’ toilets (reduced water consumption), replaced the air conditioner (reduced electrical usage with more efficient unit) and hot water tank (reduced electric or national gas usage through a more efficient unit).

So what’s possibly left that could conserve different forms of energy and thereby help the homeowner save the environment? An almost endless list. Here are but a few.

Replace the existing windows with ENERGY STAR rated windows (reduced heating and air conditioning needs) and also in Canada receive $60 per window rebate. Same for an exterior door, that is there’s another $60 for ENERGY STAR rated exterior door.

Then there’s an Air Sealing grant of up to $300 available in some jurisdictions. This is the one where they do a ‘blow test’ to see how much air leakage exists in the house and will re-do the test once you have called the energy auditor back in. They use this over sized fan to run the test. The more air leakage, the more hot air is escaping in the winter causing more heating to be required. Several items can fall into this category, including the following:

- The window and exterior door replacement referred to above can help out there. Air leakage leads to increased heat and air conditioning usage; reduced air leakage from a home reduces this usage.

- Also, most doors to the cold cellar in the basement have a gap between the bottom part of the door and the basement floor. This is an easy fix by simple attaching a door sweep to the bottom of the door.

- Another common sense air sealing technique is to put child proof plugs into the electrical sockets which were not being used on the exterior walls. As, well, put a ‘gasket’ around these electrical outlets and the covering plate. A ‘gasket’ is simply a rubber-like covering. This will also improve the air sealing within the house.

- Additionally, there’s air leakage around the access to the attic. On the market there is now a ‘strippable’ type of caulking specifically made to be removed when needed, so one can easily put it around the access to the attic typically from within a bedroom closet.

There are many areas of the home that can be addressed to reduce air leakage and thus heating bills which should improve the results from the air leakage test. Some of these are expensive (like window replacement) while others are very inexpensive (strippable caulking, gaskets and child proof plugs for the electrical outlets on exterior walls. All are good ideas to consider to do your part in the fight against global warming. And, in some jurisdictions, there are government grants / rebates to help offset the cost. A win-win for all of us!