The dirty on grout
I get a lot of calls about dirty grout or caulking around tubs. It’s actually pretty important to keep in good shape. It’s not just for the look, either. Caulking seals water from behind the tub. And grouting does the same for the tile. If you have loose grout, water can sneak behind the tile…
Can you fix a dark backyard?
Once daylight savings hit, the days get dark so quickly. Many people can’t enjoy their backyards because they have old solar powered lights, broken lamps, or non-existant wiring! Luckily, it doesn’t take a huge amount of work to get your backyard lit again. Here is a project where I changed an old floodlight set up…
Bathroom Remodel in 4 Hours
In this rental I worked on, the bathroom was old and ignored (like many are). This remodel brought a new look, but also important functional upgrades. I replaced galvanized steel pipe (which is old and prone to breaking – very costly repair!) with brass for all shut off valves. That means anyone can turn off…
Can you fix those weird rope windows?
I used to rent a classic Oakland/Berkeley Crafstman in Rockridge back when that was affordable. We held up all our windows with sticks, which seemed normal to me. Those old, sticky wooden windows just fall down when you open them, right? I even asked a handyman friend if he could fix the windows. He flat…
When the catio is key
My favorite summer project this year was constructing the 12’x8′ catio. My customer has four cats, and they need to go outside or they make their displeasure VERY obvious. But outdoor cats are at risk of coyotes, cars, and they eat birds so… I built this catio! Custom projects like this are super fun. The…
How to work around previous mistakes…
A lot of handyman work is trying to figure out what was that other contractor thinking?? Sometimes there’s a good explanation and sometimes…you have to trust they were just doing their best. I ran into that with this job installing an over-the-range microwave. When we looked at options for where to install the microwave, we…
Where can I plug in my electric car?
If you’ve recently purchased or are considering purchasing and electric car…I’m jealous. I’m seeing lots of electric cars in Oakland driveways these days! Unfortunately Ford’s electric vans aren’t in production yet… I’m on the waitlist 🙂 I used to have a plug-in hybrid. That’s actually where I first learned about wiring up outlets for EV…
How do you fix my weird wall?
You might not even know you have a “weird wall” until you try to hang a picture and the screw pops right out. Or huge cracks start to crawl all the way across the wall. God forbid you try to mount a TV! If you’ve run into some unexpected barriers behind your walls, you probably…
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