www.mykansascityhomehandyman.blogspot.com 913-284-6872

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30 years experience
Qualified in all skilled trades
Electrical
Plumbing
Carpentry
Painting
Mechanical

Window and Sil Replacement

This is the before and after images.



This is what the windows looked like Old vs New











These images show the exterior window sil's that where cut out and replaced due to wood rot.





This is an interior image job complete.

Installed tile @ kitchen

Extended deck 12'

Set up deck customer to finish at later date.

Installed commercial lighting in warehouse and painted parking lines

Installed stairs to 2nd floor exit.

This was an install of stairs to the 2nd floor at the rear of a commercial building.

Installed concrete slab.

This customer talked me into installing this concrete work.
I no longer do concrete only on this occasion.

Installed new garage door and frame

I installed new garage door and special framing. ( this is not typical I had to use 4"X4" post on the out side frame.Also skim coated rock wall on each side of drive way.

Set up deck customer to finish

I set up post for this customer to finish out himself.

Removed and replaced wax seal @ toilet flange

Removing and replacing a toilet flange seal.
There are two types of wax seals.
the standard and then the thicker type.
I always install the thicker type of wax seal.

1. Turn off water.
2. Remove tank lid and remove all water. Put towel in tank and remove all water.
3. Take one gallon bucket and pour water into toilet
to remove as much water as possible.
4. Disconnect water supply line at bottom of tank placing smaller bucket under tank to catch any water.
5. Remove Johnny bolts and tilt toilet towards front of toilet then check under toilet to see that there is no wax on bottom of toilet. If there is remove it.
6. After toilet is removed looking and old wax ring. Place plastic grocery sack over your hand and remove all wax.
7. Remove new wax seal from box placing on toilet flange at floor.
8. Install new Johnny bolt on toilet flange.
9. Reset toilet installing Johnny bolts nuts and water supply line.
10. Turn on water flush toilet five time check for leaks.
.

Power washed and painted house.

Installed new Double oven, Built in micro wave oven and dish washer.

Removed old built in oven



Installed new customer supplied stainless double oven.
Dry wall had to be cut and support frame built.

Installed missing gable feca metal siding & secured sofet

Gable feca siding was replaced.


Above door and various other places around house
sofet was buckled and needed to be resecured.

Removed and replaced p-trap

Customer had left a candle burning in the sink. The candle had burnt down to the very bottom and cracked the glass container and wax ran into the pipes and clogged.

Repaired leaking water line installed ceiling @ garage and painted

Cleaned gutters

Replace seals @ shower valve

Remove handles and Escutcheon's.
Remove the handle/valves.You need a special plumbers tool to do this.
Replaced rubber seals greased valves and reinstalled.

Installed two water heaters

Installed new kitchen Vinyl flooring Ceiling repair with new texture

Installing new kitchen vinyl cove base

Basement Finished

Painted kitchen.

Installed new vinyl bathroom floor and existing toilet/pedestal sink.

Calked residential home ready for paint.

Flordia Outdoor Furniture Manufacture Contacted Me to Inspect Damaged Freight.

A major Florida outdoor furniture manufacture commissioned me to inspected pool patio furniture that was damaged. The customer Claimed damages to furniture.
I went to the apartment complex and inspected damaged goods. Images where taken and inspection report was filed to the manufacture.

Installed 4 thermal windows with tabs.

This customer was relly nice to work for and laid back. He purchased 4 thermal windows at Home Depot.The type of window he had where aluminum thermal and probibly where in stalled in the 1970's.

Painted 12' X 12' room

This week I painted a room 12' X 12' from pink to white and touched up all walls in this customers apartment. Unfortunatly I did not get the before image of the pink room.

Installed new swimming pool

Customer purchased this pool at wal-mart and I installed it in 2.5 hours with no grade work involved.

Installed 3 exterior light fixtures/door bell switch

Installing the light fixtures before and after





The area where the door bell wires protrude had to be drilled bigger to accept the base of the door bell.



Customer was very happy with the new look.

Used metal insulated door install

Customer originally had a flush slab door to the garage area.
I installed a customer supplied metal insulated six panel door and painted.

Low Rate Home loans 5.20.07

Click on image to view.


I had read this article last week and it seems to be good opportunity.

Water heater maintenance

Repaired Ceiling 2nd Floor Toilet Leaked

Installed Basketball Goal

Deck Before

DECK BEFORE 

Deck After

DECK AFTER 

Removed and replaced mail boxes

5 Biggest Real Estate Myths

Click to inlarge

How to glaze a window ( right click full screen and options) Http://www.Gardenfork.tv

Replaced interior trim and thermal window that was fogged.

Hydraulic lifting foundation

Customer had foundation problems and cracks in living area.

A company was hired and foundation repair was made.

Kitchen drain repair

Customer had a leak to the left of main stack.
2" ABS pipe was removed and replaced

Installed cat door and power washed two showers and recalked/grouted.

New counter tops installed by other contractor. Needs trim and dishwasher set.

This customer is really very nice and pleasant to work with. They recently had new counter tops installed and the contractor did not trim out the tops and there is a big gap showing. Also the dishwasher was not set and when you open and close the door the dishwasher tips. Trim was installed and dishwasher set. New bath fixtures where installed too. The new types of finishes are called brushed brass I really like the look antique and polished brass are out.

Installed new ceiling fan/light with new 110v electrical line

This is the type of work I really like to do “small one day jobs.” I started around 12 noon and install was completed by 4:30PM. Taking in to consideration of going to do the bid 1.5 hours
Going to supplier and purchasing the materials 2 hours.
Writing this post 2 hours. This was a 10 hour job.

This customer is very pleasant to communicate with and a very caring person I cannot say more. The job went smooth with no problems considering the obstacles and difficulties that I had to encounter. This home was built a few years back and is in excellent shape.

When the house was built there was no electrical lighting installed in the center of the ceilings in some of the rooms. This install today was to install a ceiling fan in the ceiling of the main living room on the first floor with new electrical service. No wall switch. Fixture to be operated with pull chains supplied by manufacture.

The switch could have been installed in the wall but this would of encountered cutting drywall, repairs and paint. The cost factors where taken into consideration.

This type of install can be very difficult in other situation due to many factors. (I.E. access and electrical). There are many ways to do this install. Channel can be run exposed but this has a look that is not acceptable in residential installs.

I arrived at the job site and the first priority was to calculate/articulate where and how I am going to do this work. I prayed and with the help of the LORD JESUS it went smoothly.

I tapped into electrical on the 2nd floor at the junction of the unused attic fan.


Thru the wall down to the 1st floor ceiling. I had to cut access hole inside the 2nd floor closet to help fish and to do my pull. This access hole was repaired with installing a remodel single gang box and blank cover.










A small access hole was cut in the ceiling just big enough to get my hand in to pull my fish tape down through. 14/2 with ground was attached to fish tape and my pull was completed easily with no problems.









Blue in color remodel ceiling junction box was installed. (When I say REMODEL this means a special junction box that has tabs that grab the ceiling drywall when screws are tightened to affix it’s self to in a secure manner.)
Ceiling fan motor was screw attached to joist and motor installed and electrical was tested to make sure motor operated. This test was performed before any other work is completed. It makes the job go more easily and you don’t have to back step.








Ceiling fan/light assembly installed/tested.





I always have the utmost respect for customer when in there home. Clean up is one of the most important parts of the job. When I leave the job is clean. Vacuum was performed and furniture move back to is original position.

Totals where calculated and final payment made.

I started this report this morning 4.11.07 the day after the work and here is an e-mail from customer.

“Just wanted to take a moment and tell you how appreciative I am for my beautiful new ceiling fan/light! Kudos to you for a job well done!”
Thanks again,

Customer had a new L.C.D. HDTV installed and electrical receptical needs to be moved up and behind T.V.

Job completed 1.23.07

Installed new compactor.

Cabinets where cut and new compactor installed.

Bathroom Power scrub/cleaning and various other work to be completed.

Job Complete 1.016.07 added new light fixtures.






The two light fixtures over mantel are to be removed and two new fixtures in stalled.
Also two new fixtures will be in stalled between the beams.









This is a referral customer from the job I completed two week s ago installing H.D.T.V. and Sony sound system.

The home owner has been trying to sell the property and a few upgrades are to be completed.

Bath room power scrubbed/cleaned, new light fixtures and new lights added,
painting and window well repair to name a few.

Home projects best time of the year to tackle

Click on article to enlarge.

Istalled Hot Water Heater & New 7" Duct Flue

1.3.07
Customer had concerns about the duct flue and Carbon Monoxide.
I inspected duct flue and rusted metal was present with holes.

Water heater P&T drain tube to be installed at later date.

Repaired fogged headlight lenses

* Job Completed 12.28.06* Installing plumbing drain & supply lines for washing machine and other work.

Installed new window sash ropes 12.26.06 I was dreading this job and I really don’t know why. I removed the right side of the trim looking for a cavity where the window weights are and to my surprise there was no cavity. Upon further inspection after removing the sash and sash track’s there was a small opening for access to the weights. I removed the old ropes and installed new ones reinstalled the old trim and calked. Today I will go back and paint.

When I bided this job the customer informed me that other contractors did not want to attempt to replace the sash weight ropes. They wanted to install replacement windows. This is a great idea and I had suggested the same. This is the first time I had ever installed sash ropes, I had seen my Uncle do this when I was a kid. This is fairly easy to do.








This job I have to cut drain line below urinal and connect for washing machine drain.
Also I have to connect pex water supply lines.

HDTV-LCD Installed with Sony dream home theater sound sytem this is a real sweet soundin syatem.

Merry Christmas

Insulating attic and Electrical work

This is a customer I did work for yesterday and the home is in the West height area of K.C.K.
The house was a flip and the flipper did not complete the work.
He had left these people with an upstairs bedroom ceiling with out installing the insulation. They are the nicest people you will ever meet. They had called me and had stated the room was cold like a meat locker and had noticed there was no insulation over there bedroom ceiling. Luckily for them there was 6” insulation in the attic area. I do not think it was left behind by the flipper. ( It was bundled up and the string was very old and rotted.)

This house was built maybe in the 20’s or 30’s it has a rock foundation. Back then men would dig a hole by hand and gather rock from the dig and build foundation walls.
The home was probably never insulated walls or ceiling. I believe the home was insulated in the 1950’s when insulation was developed. This type of insulation was called rock wool it is a black insulation and is the worst of the worst types of insulation to have to work with I just hate it.

Insulation was installed and the customer noticed an immediate difference.







Also in the attic area the flipper did some electrical work and just ran wire with out putting slices in boxes he just left wire exposed with wire nuts left out in the open.
This is a big time mistake. This is how house fires are started.

Especially in the attic if there is ever a leak and moister just happens to get to the connection and it usually does.

When you wire nut wire at the splice moister accumulated inside of wire nut due to the heat this is not much heat but I have seen moister in side of those connections.
The next thing that happens is a very microscopic arc starts and then starts growing and growing until something catches on fire and you house burn to the ground.

I have seen this happen especially with copper wire splice to aluminum.

Always put splices in boxes.

I also installed one new ceiling fan and move one.




I think the flipper did not have a building permit and this is one of the reasons for permits.
It keeps people from getting hurt.

Installed new Electrical GFI Recepticals in bath. Per code. GFI within 4' of water.

Job Complete 11.30.06

Tomorrow I start a new job installing GFI receptacles in a home for a new customer.
This home is in the area of 95th St. @ NALL. Most of the homes in this area where built
in the late 50’s and early 60’s and back then 12/2 no ground wire was used.
This customer want’s ground fault receptacles installed in two bathrooms.
To do this correctly new 14/2 with ground needs to be installed and ran back to the service panel. You can install a new GFI breaker at the panel or two new GFI receptacles in the bathroom walls.

Installing remodel can lighting.

Job completed 11.26.06



<
Yesterday I started a job for a customer installing can lighting and troubleshooting electrical mysteries.

Customer had purchased a house for a flip in the Turner area and has started extensive remodeling projects. Walls had been removed and some 12/2 no ground wire has been exposed and needs to be moved and or eliminated.

Upon troubleshooting the electrical
two of the lines operate 110v receptacles in the living room. These will be eliminated or moved. Four can lights are to be in stalled in the living room and three can lights installed in the kitchen.

I cut the holes for the living room and gained access to the ceiling via knee wall in the upstairs area.

Thank You LORD for all the blessings,health,food,work and knowledge this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, No stress and no gifts to buy.

Home owners are getting ready for this upcoming holiday and are sprucing up the home.

Last night I completed painting for a customer. They had purchased this home a year ago and the lower half bath was not completed. The previous owner had started some drywall repair, drywall mud was applied at a thickness of 3/8”.(Too thick) Also there was no toilet.

The bath was only big enough for a water closet and a 24”sink. I closed the door and stared sanding with my electric sander and had the sanding completed in fifteen minutes.
The dust was so thick you could not see your hand in front of your face.

Walls where painted and a new toilet installed. On the other side of the bath sink wall customer had installed a slop sink and needed a drain. I cut a hole and installed a tee,
Voula a new drain.

Upstairs in the kitchen area I painted 30’ of wall below the chair rail.
Today I will go back and touch up and settle with the customer.
Tuesday I start electrical work on a remodel for new customer.

Small repair work, light electrical

Last night I started a small electrical repair job. Customer had a ceiling fan light four bulb, two of the lights did not work upon inspection, the reason two of the lamps did not work was due to the socket, where you screw in the lamp there is a tab that connects to the base of the lamp and it was not touching the base. I readjusted the tab and the lap worked.

Also inspected two exterior coach lamps that seem to blow lamps, the customer was using yellow bug lamps and the coach light did not have a vent, my conclusion was that the lamp was getting to hot and the lamp failed? Installed two new regular lamps and will
See what happens.

R/R motor in broan bath exhaust fan too. Started at 4PM and finished at 6PM.

2nd Bath tub install

Last week I gave 6 bids and the work has come back. Yea!

Saturday I installed two bathroom light fixtures, replaced two switches and replace a bedroom light fixture.

Monday I started on replacing the waste and overflow on a rental for a customer and the bath tub needs replacing so I removed the tub on Tuesday and today plan on going to the hardware and purchasing a new 5” tub right handed tub. The removal was not too bad I removed the first row of tile along the tub and cut the door trim 2’ up and the wall corner bead. The tub slid out and hopefully the new one going in will not give me too many problems.

This evening I’m to meet a customer sign contract and start repairing various electrical light fixture problems.

Saturday I’m going to meet two more customers and sign contracts and start on there work next week. Thank you LORD for all the work at this time of year!


The tub went in perfect and all plumbing is complete.
Today install tile and complete job.

Installed home theater sights and sounds

Please note the lighing effects.











A good Handyman friend of mine contacted me a few weeks ago. He is from the L.A. Area and wanted to know how many Plasma/Flat screens/HDTV I had in stalled. I told him about ten.

"LOL" He has installed over 500 and this is all he is doing now. WOW.

Apparently on the West coast this is a very hot item. I should have picked this up after the third install but did not give it much thought.

If you really want a great home theatre you have to put some thought into it.
I.E. = Sight/Video. Sound/Acoustics. Lighting/Ambiance. Seating/Comfort
A little planning goes a long way and will put a smile on your face.
I have experience with sound and electrical work. There are thousand of places to pick up home theater and kicken sound systems.

Back in the late seventies I was at a restaurant next door to Italian gardens down town and was reading a menu. I kept hearing a couple talk and it sounded as though they where sitting at my table. To my astoundment I look around to find out who was talking so loud. I had noticed a couple on the other side of the room and could hear every word they spoke over the back ground noise. This completely baffled me (no pun intended). After observing and coming to conclusion. The ceiling had dome skylight and the couple and myself where positioned perfectly. They spoke sound traveled up around the curve of the skylight and back to my ear. Astound


The Bottom line.
The more round you make your room the better the sound. Especially the four corners at ceiling. This is easy to do.

I have always wanted to go and hear a concert at the RLDS temple in Independence.
The auditorium is round and you can hear someone talk on the stage even if you are sitting in the back roe in the nose bleed area.

Suggestion for a great home theatre.
1. Round room
2. Hard surfaces for sound to bounce off.
3. Kicken sound system
4. Eye candy (HDTV/Flat screen/Plasma) Installed at a comfortable eye level.
5. Comfortable Seating (Plush for long seating periods)

Sight = Click here This is a sweet video = http://www.hitachi.us/tv/

Sound = Click here http://www.learningcenter.sony.us/assets/hpd/hdaudio/choose-simplicity.php?DCMP=HPD_HA_Google&HQS=home_theatre

Bath tub install

Last night I bided a job to install a bath tub.
Also installing new drain line and fixtures too.
The customer has the job site already with materials.
Scheduled to install this Saturday A.M.



Job complete.

Customer to install drywall (green board) and finished tub walls.I am to return and install spigot at a later date.


Customer completed tub install with new doors and paint.
Great Job well done!

Drywall repair, sliding closet door install

Last night I finished a one day job installing sliding closet doors and drywall repair.
This customer had two drywall repairs, one area dry wall had to be installed 3' X 3'and the other the joints needed to be taped and finished. The jams around the closet needed drywall and metal corners with two sliding slab wood doors installed.

I started at 11AM and finished at 7PM. Also gave the customer a bid on inclosing area going to the basement threw the garage to basement.

Surge Suppression

IG1240 and IG3240
Residential Whole House Hardwired Tranmsient Voltage Surge Suppressor (TVSS)protects AC power. Designed for 120/240 VAC single (split) phase. Installs using a 15 or 20 ampere 2-pole breaker. Two single-pole breakers may be used. NEMA 4 rated enclosure for indoor or outdoor installation. Product has 5 year warranty as well as $ 10,000 Connected Equipment Limited Warranty for appliances and electronics. See complete warranty for details.

Plasma T.V. installed

Plumbing water heaters, Sink Fixtures and exterior Hydrants.

In winter months I install more water heaters. It is cold outside and customers want a hot shower to warm up.
Never leave your garden hose connected to an out side hydrant (water spigot.)
Frozen water will travel up and into the residence and bust pipes I have replaced many hydrants and repaired water damage due to freezing.

Furnace Repair/Humidifier install

All this week I have been cleaning and starting up furnaces for customers.
Every home needs a humidifier, Homes without a humidifier dry’s everything in the home from people to wood floors. Noses are dry and lips crack. You spend 50% of your time at home.

I have seen brand new homes with and with out humidifiers and I can tell the difference, Just by looking at the hardwood floors. There are cracks at all the joints. In the summer the cracks disappear and the flooring looks as good as new again.

Aprilaire humidifiers are the best, they are easy to install and maintenance is simple.
Also there is always a clean fresh supply of water flowing over the filter.
( No mold build up)

Exterior Seasonal Lighting and Electrical work

Electrical
Now is the season to start thinking about exterior receptacles for Halloween/Christmas lighting.

Painting/Paper Removal

I have learned the hard way.

Not all wall paper needs to be removed or should be removed.
All new sheet rocked walls need paint on them before applying wallpaper.

Many new homes I have worked on do not have paint on the substrate (Sheet rock).
Later on down the road someone will want to change the wallpaper or paint the walls. Removing the wallpaper turns into major repairs. If only the new substrate was painted removing the paper would be less work and less cost to the home owner.

1. If the drywall was not painted and you are going paint the best way I have found is to apply oil base kills directly over the wallpaper repair the wallpaper joints and go from there.

2. If the drywall was not painted and you are going to paper, apply sizing and paper right over the top. You must inspect the joints and make sure they are tight and all paper is tight. Nine times out of ten the paper is glued to the wall. Do not put joints on top of joints offset the joints.


When wallpaper is applied directly to unpainted drywall the glue absorbs right in to the paper and the new wallpaper becomes part of that wall.

If there is a coat of paint it can be any type of paint removing the paper at a later date will be much easier and less cost to the home owner.

Sizing acts like extra glue and lets the new wallpaper slide when matching up the print at the joints.
I have hung thousand of rolls of paper. I no longer offer this service.

Electrical bid

This afternoon I'm to meet a new customer to trouble shoot a pushmatic 100 Amp service panel. Customer had stated water has traveled into panel from service line and half of the house has no current. There are two remedies.1.Trouble shoot and fix the problem and find out why water comes into panel. 2.Replace complete service panel, new meter can, mast and new line from service provider to panel.

Assembly Cabinets

Am meeting an established customer and assembling some type of cabinet. This is a cabinet off the self bought at the local retail chains. Last year I installed a new over the stove micro wave oven and had to do some custom work on the cabinet to make the micro wave fit.

The newer cabinet now days are designed for a micro wave install. You must have a clearance of 24” from the bottom of the micro-wave to the top of the stove and these dimensions are considered and incorporated with the newer cabinets.

I have no idea what they look like; this appointment was made one week prior. I need to get paint matched for my door and return to the dishwasher/kitchen sink install and finish up.

Job complete.
Job complete 2.5 hours labor
This was an assembly of a four drawer file cabinet made of wood
I used wood glue and calked all inside corners for more strength.
Usually this type of cabinet seem to be flimsy due to manufacturer construction practices.
If extra glue and calk are used they seem to hold up better.

Installing stainless steele kitchen sink and dishwasher.

Yesterday I was almost complete installing a custom door and trim for a customer and at the end of the day I was painting and realized the paint was flat and not satin and had to pull off the job at 5PM. Labor hours 36

I arrived at the next job at 6PM and installed a new stainless steele kitchen sink with plumbing. The customer is rehabbing the house and new counter tops and cabinet are pre existing. Also I installed a new dishwasher too. 2.5 hours total labor.

I need to return and extend the drain line on the dishwasher and shim the sink. The clips that hold the sink to the counter top are not correctly holding the sink in place.

This is before I started work on this home.The first part of the job was to powerwash remove the old deck and bushes.Calking and priming begins with a new coat of paint.

Roof vent leak at the stack

9.24.06



This morning I will be patching a leak at the roof vent for a new customer. (pictured at right)
This is the pipe that sticks out of the roof of your home and is the largest of the roof vents on the roof of the home.

Your plumbing system is vented to the atmosphere to allow waste water to flow to the main sewer at the street or septic tank. Think of this vent as a straw. If you submerge a straw in to a liquid and then hold your finger over the end, when you remove the straw
the liquid will stay in the straw. When you remove your finger the liquid will flow.

All plumbing systems have a vent. There is another type of vent that is used when there is no other option to vent to the atmosphere. This is called inline vent. (Pictured above at left)
I have had customers with slow or non flowing sinks that assume there is a clog.
This is not true, the real reason is that the vent is closed and not venting like a straw.

This usually happens in the colder times of the year when the inline vent is exposed to the colder temperature. The remedy is to plunge with your hand or use a plunger. Sometimes moving the inline vent is the best remedy.



Job complete.

This was a tricky one the roof pitch was 12/12, I positioned my ladder at the gable and crawled out 4’ (I was praying all the way). This was no fun but the work is done.
Also I installed a complete new dryer vent system.

This house is over one hundred years old and has lathe and plaster with no insulation and asbestos siding.

This customer want’s an additional bid to blow insulation.