Check out our exclusive interview on Fox 4 The Morning Blend. Our operations manager of the Ft. Myers & Naples branch, Matt Ross, discusses all of the home repair, home maintenance, and home improvement services that Handyman Connection can provide. Click the link below to watch the full interview and to find out the special discount that Handyman Connection is currently offering:

http://www.fox4morningblend.com/videos/128232938.html

2011 is now halfway over and it’s time to get going on those home repairs that have been looming all year. While putting these home repairs off can seem like the easier choice, it’s important to not let your problems get more severe. Small home maintenance issues can easily turn into expensive home repairs if they are not attended to. Handyman Connection Florida suggests that the following home repair issues definitely be taken care of immediately:

• Drywall – Having holes in your drywall are not just unsightly, but can get worse with time. Patching holes in the wall as soon as possible is important because the more you try and patch them, the bigger they tend to get. If you are having trouble getting some holes patched, don’t hesitate to call a handyman to help you out.
• Exterior Painting – While many think that the answer to sun damaged or chipped paint is simply painting over it, this is not the best way to solve these looming home repairs. For best results, sanding off old paint before applying new coats can help immensely. Checking out paint defects early can prevent serious chipping and paint damage, so calling a handyman to look at your damaged exterior paint before beginning would be advised.
• Plumbing – If any of your drains seem to be running slower than usual then it might be time to call a handyman to get it checked out. Homeowners tend to brush this home maintenance issue off, however if it is not addressed, this can result in a major clog that can become expensive. If you are just seeing a problem, occasionally run very hot water down the pipe to help with regulation and if it gets worse, try a drain snake or another draining solution.
• Decks – Homeowners may not realize that a discolored, soft, or flaky deck really means that it is rotting. If you are seeing this type of change in your deck, then it’s time to call a handyman. When spotted early, repairs can be as easy as just replacement of some boards or rotting areas. If you wait too long, then the entire deck will need to be replaced by professional. These can be expensive home repairs so make sure to get it checked out as soon as you notice any difference.

While home repairs can be expensive, getting them checked out as soon as they arise can really save homeowners time and money. Be careful not to put off these tasks for too long. Handyman Connection has a wide range of services that can help all of your home maintenance needs. Check out this full list at http://www.go-handyman.com/home-improvement-services.aspx.

Affordable Home Improvement Projects: Adding Color to Your Home

If your home is feeling bland try brightening it up through accent paint colors. Your home can easily, quickly and cheaply be transformed through these home improvement tactics. Using spring and summer tones can cheer up your home. From soft pastels to bold bright colors, the possibilities are endless! Choosing the right color does not have to be difficult. Pick one that you may already have sporadically through your home.

Here are a few great home improvement painting techniques that we at Handyman Connection Florida think will add color to your home without emptying your wallet.

• Accent Walls – Painting an entire room in a bold or even in a pastel color can be overwhelming. If you really want your color to pop, try choosing one wall to make highlight your color. Match the tone of your accent color with a neutral for the remaining walls.
• Ceilings – This is the forgotten area of the home, but one that can make such a difference! If you want to go wild and unique, try painting your ceiling as with your accent color! This easy home improvement touch can bring in that color while still allowing you to maintain stability with your walls.
• Furniture – Who says furniture always has to be in a white, brown or black color? Take that end table or coat rack and paint it in the color of your choosing! Whether you want pale pink or bright yellow, this is an easy and super quick way to bring color and life into your home.
• Molding – Use trim’s that are already in place in your home and transform them into a useful décor accent. Crown molding usually comes in white to offset the neutral tones in your home, but why not change it up? Let them take on some color and brighten every room in your home!
• Color Field – Color field art is something that can really make a difference in your home. It’s an extremely affordable home improvement method that is fun as well. It’s simple, take a canvas of any size, a whole wall or small shadow box sizes, and paint it the accent color of your choice! Use canvas stretchers and a staple gun to mount your canvas and then place it anywhere you would like. Use it as a headboard or in place painting in your living room! If you are really creative, choose two accent colors and create a few different sizes of canvas. Then place them in a design on a wall or two in your home involve color and create a piece of art!

Summer is here and if there is any time to brighten up your home, it’s now. Accent colors bring your home into the season and improve the energy as well. Use one of the above or other affordable home improvement projects to upgrade your home. It’s summer, have fun!

Knowing when to ask for help from a professional handyman can be difficult. We all believe that we know our home best and can take care of our home maintenance needs. However, there are more than a few times that home repairs can not only be too difficult but too dangerous for the average homeowner to take on. Here are three situations that we at Handyman Connection in Florida believe definitely require a quick phone call to a professional.

1. Gas Leaks – This situation is threatening not only on your home repair side but on  your personal safety as well. Gas leaks can lead to explosions as well as damage to your lungs if too much is inhaled. If you smell gas in your home, the following measures should be taken. Grab a phone and get out of the house. Once outside, call a handyman. Do not try and fix any kind of gas leak yourself, unplug any appliance in case of sparking or ignite anything!
2. Burst Pipe – If you have found a burst pipe in your home or business, it is important to ask help from a professional handyman. The handyman can then give you any preparation measures to take before they arrive. Water damage is a serious issue and if not addressed immediately can cause more than just plumbing home repairs.
3. Exposed Electrical Wires – Having exposed electrical wires should only be handled by a professional handyman. While they may not look or seem as threatening as a gas leak or a burst pipe, exposed electrical wires can cause not only damage to your home but you as well if you are in contact with them. If you come across these, keep everyone and everything away from them and call for help.

Believing that you can handle any and all of your home repairs can lead to dangerous situations. It is ok to ask for help, and it’s important to know when to do so. While the above examples are vital ones, remember that they are not the only emergency situations that may occur. Familiarize yourself with other emergency situations and remember to call for help and inform your water, electricity or gas provider in the event of an emergency. Handyman Connection offers emergency help as well as general home maintenance support throughout Florida. Visit www.go-handyman.com for a full list of emergency and general handyman services that are offered.

In this post-boom housing market, a lot of people are finding good deals on new homes. They are opting for new development for all kinds of reasons, from modern fixtures to a lack of desire to make home repairs. While newly built structures do give you a “brand new” feeling when you move in, home buyers should be aware that even a new house will likely need some renovation within the first few years.

If you are in a home that is just a few years old, you might be noticing some things around the house that warrant concern. Have you noticed:

• Cracks on the exterior of the house
• Cracks around door and/or window frames
• Bowing or space in hardwood or laminate flooring

Buildings Settle

All of these occurrences in your new home are most likely a result of your home settling. Generally speaking, these occurrences are not the fault of your home builder; rather they are natural occurrences that happen as your home settles. The foundation that your home is built on will sink into the earth a little bit, and the building materials used (we are talking about wood here) have a tendency to expand and contract as humidity and temperature change. This is an unavoidable event as gravity and nature have uncontrollable affects on your house. As these forces take their effects on your home, the structure itself will be tested and moved. While architects plan for this when designing buildings, anyone who purchases a new home should plan on making some repairs over the first few years to keep their house together.

What to Do Next

Gauge the damage: You will have to survey your house to see what has moved as the house settled. Cracks in the exterior of the home or along door and window frames will be visible, as will any instances where the floor has separated slightly. If you are having an issue where a door—to a room or to a closet—has become difficult to open, then this itself is a sign of settling. The door is sticking because the frame around it has pressure applied to it.

Get to work: Once you know what is broken, you will need to make the necessary repairs. Identify your issues, make a list, and plan out your repair schedule. Each issue will require a different approach.

• Cracked exterior: Often the cracks that show up on the outside of your home just need to be filled in. This will make sure that your structure does not fall victim to further deterioration from water damage. One summer of Florida storms will expose these cracks to enough water to make them larger and can eventually let water inside your home. If you have small, manageable cracks in your stucco, you will need to take a trip to your local hardware store. Talk to someone at the store about your problem and ask them to recommend a filler. You will probably end up with a bag of hydraulic cement, which you will need to mix with water according to the instructions on the bag. Once you have mixed it, fill in the crack using a trowel and then let it set for half an hour. The cement will expand slightly, so after it has set, take your trowel and remove any cement that has expanded outside of the crack until it is flush with the rest of the wall. Once it is dry, a little paint will cover it up and you will have sealed your cracked outside wall.
• Door frames: You will need to examine your hinges to see where the problem begins. As a house settles, the hinges are screwed into the frame, which moves. You may need to install a pad behind a hinge if the frame has bowed outward. You may also need to change the hinge out altogether. Each door solution will be a little different, so we can’t offer a one-size-fits-all fix here. If you can’t see what the problem is by looking at the hinge, you should call in a professional.
• Bowed floors: Settling foundations cause the floors to change slightly, which can separate floor boards or push them closer together, causing them to bow upwards. In either case, you will need to add or remove some of the flooring to bring it back to normal. You will be able to see where the problem starts pretty easily; it is either the gap or bowed part of your floor. The humidity we live in is usually the culprit here, so issues with wood-based flooring is simply a trade-off for the snow-free winters you get once you move to Bradenton or Orlando. Once the home settles and the floor has been repaired by someone who knows what they are doing, you should be trouble-free.

Sources:

eHow.com

House Task.com

Ask the Builder

Remodel Kitchen.net

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Time for Floors: Laminate Verse Hardwood

Interior Doors More Than Finishing Touches

An old adage tells us that you only have one chance to make a first impression. When it comes to commercial properties, a first impression is often made by the entryway. The entrance to a business needs to be functional of course, but adding a design element to the mix can ensure that your customers are greeted by a storefront that both impresses and accommodates.

Think Function First

• Doors- You need to funnel traffic in and out of your doors correctly. Hopefully the builder put in large enough doors to accommodate your floor space. If not, or if you have taken over some neighboring space vacated by a closed business, you may need to remodel your entryway with larger doors. If you are in an older plaza and your customers regularly carry large items out of the building, you might want to consider automatic doors or at least ones that open and close easily. Don’t forget the aesthetics if you are switching out doors. Commercial entry doors come in a variety of styles in addition to a variety of sizes. Going for the cheapest door may save you some cash, but appearance-wise it will be just that…cheap.
• Cover- Naples thunderstorms can slow business down. Don’t hamper the customers who do come out in the rain by not providing cover for them over your entryway. Anything from a simple, yet clean looking, canvas awning to a full-on wooden covering will help keep your customers dry and dress up your storefront.
• Flooring- Even once you have added cover you will likely need to keep water in mind; after all it is Florida. Go for concrete or install slip-resistant tile. The tile will look better and help to keep customers from falling. This will free up traffic and help reduce your liability if a customer ever does become injured.

Don’t Forget Design

• Put your best foot forward- Your building probably already has at least one admirable characteristic. Don’t take this away when you remodel your commercial property. Any historical significance in the architecture should be emphasized, not covered up. Focus on replacing the “uglier” aspects for your entryway and use the aesthetically pleasing portions as a basis for your new design.
• Chic and durable- People associate commercial buildings with concrete, brick, stucco and other durable materials. If you are currently in a building that has deteriorating siding or wood, your customers might get the impression that your business is cheap at first glance. Don’t let material choice or lack of maintenance give customers the wrong idea; get someone out there to fix your building. At the very least replace siding with newer, cleaner more durable varieties. If you are in a mixed use property that is fine; siding may be a good option for the residential units upstairs, but choose something different for your entrance.
• Details- Detail work can really add to the aesthetics of your commercial property. Paint the trim of a storefront window a complementary color. It improves the look of your entry and can potentially attract peoples’ attention, i.e. they will look at the merchandise in your window. Don’t stop at window trim–paint rails and anything else that could use a little sprucing up. The only thing that you may want to avoid painting is brick or finished concrete; these building materials look good on their own. It should go without saying, but avoid loud or disorderly colors unless they somehow can be worked into the branding of your business.
• Announce yourself- Your sign is a necessary means of announcing your presence. It should also work with the theme of your entryway. Make sure it is visible (you might need more space than the landlord originally gave you. Bring this up now or wait until they want you to sign another lease) from multiple angles or at least from both ways that traffic travels on the street. Think about your logo and colors when you are choosing paint for your trim–everything should match so as to be visually appealing.

The point is to make sure that your storefront is presentable. A few commercial renovations might be the difference between an inviting storefront and one that makes customers take their business up the street.

Sources:

The Tile Doctor

Iowa Department of Transportation

City of Minneapolis

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Finishing Touches

Top Tips for Choosing a Contractor or Repair Man

The Environmental Protection Agency oversees some aspects of the repair and renovation world. One of the factors that they are interested in is lead based paints. Going back to 1978 and before, many contractors, painters and even do-it-yourselfers used lead-based paints in and around their homes and businesses. Since then it has been discovered that lead based paints can be harmful to people and animals. As the paint gets old or is sanded down, the paint chips that result can be dangerous.

In order to combat this danger, the EPA has come up with a standard for contractors and handymen to follow. They have a Renovation, Repair and Painting Certification for professionals such as ourselves. This certification ensures that professionals take necessary precautions when sanding, cutting, or performing demolition work on a property that contains lead-based paint. These work standards ensure that Certified Companies properly approach the project with safety in mind. The work area must be properly contained, any dust or lead paint covered debris must be minimized and after the work is finished a proper clean up job must be performed.

Handyman Connection of Tampa Bay has taken the time to become certified. It lets all of our customers know that we are committed to quality and safety. Working around lead-based paint can be dangerous, it takes craftsmen that really know how to properly remove and dispose of the old paint to safely get the job done. This certification is just one more reason that The Handyman Connection of Tampa Bay is a go-to source for renovation or repair work n the Tampa Bay area.

Homeowners who may want to sell their home in the coming years will probably continue to face a tough market. One option for improving a home’s appeal—and increasing the resale value—is remodeling. Meanwhile, these projects also enhance a home’s livability. Each year, Remodeling magazine publishes statistics on the return on investment (ROI) that homeowners can expect from different remodeling projects, based on where they live. The ten projects below give the most bang for your remodeling buck!

1. Entry door replacement: Invest in an attractive steel door for the front of your home, and enjoy an average 128.9% return. Why so high? The entryway is usually the focal point of the house, so this project improves curb appeal and can also offer extra security.
2. Converting the attic to a bedroom: Add a functional bedroom with closet space and a full bathroom, for an 83.1% ROI. For this statistic, Remodeling looked at bedrooms that were at least 15 x 15 and used eave space for extra storage.
3. Adding a wooden deck: Enjoy the outdoors year round—and recoup about 80% of your money with a wooden deck. Composite decks also less return, around 71%. Lesson: stick with high quality materials for this outdoor project.
4. Replace vinyl siding: Like replacing the door, putting in new siding can significantly improve a home’s appearance. Return on siding replacement averages 79.9%. Stick with neutral colors for the best return and overall appeal.
5. Minor kitchen remodeling: Give an already-functional kitchen a facelift with new laminate countertops, energy-efficient stove and range, and fresh paint, and enjoy about 78.3% return. A minor kitchen remodel maintains the same structure, but improves appearance.
6. Install new wooden windows: New windows not only give your home a “fresh face,” but they can also improve energy efficiency. Home buyers reward that investment, and this project garners a 77.3% ROI.
7. Install new vinyl windows: Vinyl windows closely follow wooden ones for adding value, with a 76.6% return. The trim color on the windows should complement the siding, and neutral shades are generally the best bet.
8. Remodel the basement: Although this option isn’t common in Florida, it is a popular renovation elsewhere in the South Atlantic region—likely because it pays off about 75% of the homeowner’s investment. To qualify, the basement must be finished and air conditioned/heated.
9. Major kitchen remodel: With a 72.1% return, a major kitchen remodel can be worth the investment, particularly if you plan in staying in the home and enjoying the added functionality for a while before you sell. A major remodel entails ripping out existing cabinets, changing the layout of the kitchen, and new appliances.
10. Redo the bathroom: Use quality materials like tile and porcelain for a higher-end, finished look in the bathroom. Couple that with the finishing touches, like new faucets and towel racks, and enjoy a 71% return on your investment.

The key to maximizing your home improvement dollars is to do the job right the first time. Start with durable materials that will add to the home’s appearance, and don’t forget the details like paint, molding, and baseboards!

If you’ve been shopping around for home remodeling or repairs, you may have noticed that most companies advertise that they are licensed or certified. But what does that actually mean, and what benefit does it afford homeowners? The licensure and certification process ensures that contractors are authorized to perform certain tasks in your area. There are multiple levels of certification that contractors can attain:

• City and County Licensure: Depending on the area, most cities require a contractor to hold a city license. Some counties may also have the same mandate. In Florida, contractors have the option of applying for state-wide certification, which allows them to complete work anywhere within Florida. This certification is more expensive and requires more documentation, so it is less common. In the state of Florida, consumers can search for contractors and find out whether they have proper licensure through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
• Proper Insurance: In the unlikely event of an accident, insurance protects you from unexpected expense and headache. A contractor’s insurance covers expenses incurred due to installation error, unforeseen damage, and other complications. In some cases the contractor may also be bonded. This is more common for contractors who take large jobs that require third-party financing, such as whole-house remodels.
• Job-Specific Licensure: In Florida, companies must hold separate licenses for expertise that requires specific training. For instance, contractors must obtain licensure for electrical work and asbestos abatement. Be sure that your contractor holds all the necessary licenses if multiple projects will be completed.

Other excellent measures of a contractor’s reliability include registration with the Better Business Bureau. The Better Business Bureau sets high standards for businesses and gives consumers and excellent resource for researching potential merchants and service providers.

Beyond the usual government requirements, a contractor may have earned local recognition for outstanding service or community involvement. Check out the contractor’s website to learn more. Any additional accolades indicate that a business has truly gone “above and beyond” what’s required, to deliver superlative products and service.

The certification and licensure process offers consumers basic protection against fraud and poor workmanship. The best contractors will go beyond the basics, obtaining extra credentials to earn their customers’ trust.

Home repairs and renovations represent a significant investment. That’s why choosing the right contractor is so important for any kind of home repair or remodeling. Savvy homeowners can save money—and ensure that their projects are done right—by carefully determining whom to trust with their homes. Follow these guidelines to ensure that your contractor or repair personnel are honest, qualified, and reasonably priced.

• Look for well-established businesses. When a business has operated in the same community for a long time, its reputation is at stake with every customer. Choose a contractor who has worked in your area for a long time and can provide local references for the kind of project you need done. Avoid contractors who have set up temporary offices in your area. These “fly-by-night” companies may not be licensed, or may take homeowners’ money and leave without completing the job.
• Get referrals for exceptional work. Did your neighbors just get a fantastic facelift for their kitchen? Ask who did the work, and be sure to inquire about how satisfied your neighbors were with the entire process, from bidding to clean-up. When it comes to home renovation and repair, “tried and true” is an excellent characteristic to look for in a contractor.
• Ask for a written estimate in advance. Reliable contractors can provide written estimates and explain what happens if that estimate changes during the course of the project. For instance, what happens if a routine plumbing repair reveals other unforeseen problems? Stay away from companies that charge a fee to assess your needs and provide an estimate.
• Take low-ball bids with a grain of salt. Many companies will give a really low estimate, then inflate the cost with surprise fees or labor after the project has begun. Don’t be a “sitting duck homeowner”—question excessively low bids, rather than accepting them at face value. Remember: quality work takes time and expertise, so “quick fixes” with little labor aren’t always the best approach to home repair.
• Find out about quality guarantees. Any reputable contractor will offer a long-term guarantee on the work. Ask what happens if you have a problem or complication the next day, the following week, or months after the work is done. If the contractor won’t guarantee the work, find someone else to do the job.
• Check on licensure. Getting the proper certifications takes time, money….and expertise. Obtaining proper licensure shows that a contractor is committed to his craft and dedicated to doing things right. Call Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation to find out if your prospective contractor has earned the necessary licensure to operate in your area.

Ultimately choosing a contractor or repairman is all about finding someone whom you can trust with your home. The right contractor will be honest, straightforward, and direct about every aspect of your home repair.