Having a stylish and functional bathroom can really make a difference in your home. Bathroom remodeling can become a big project so why not sit back, relax and let Handyman Connection Florida create the perfect bathroom that you’ve been dreaming of through our bathroom remodeling services! Here are a few ways that Handyman Connection can upgrade your bathroom.

• Lighting – Having a well lit bathroom can be the difference between a drab and a fab bathroom. Chandeliers, dimmer switches, fan/light combos are just a few of the many ways that your bathroom lighting can be upgraded.
• Shower or Tub – A luxurious shower or tub is not as farfetched as you might think. Handyman Connection can upgrade your bathing experience through their extensive bathroom remodeling services. If you’ve been wishing for a Jacuzzi tub or stand up shower with clear glass doors you can have it!
• Sink and Vanity – While we all learned how to share when we were young, when it comes to hygiene sometimes sharing is not the best. If you’ve ever wished for dual master sinks or your own medicine cabinet, Handyman Connection and help. Whether you are looking for granite or acrylic countertops, vessel sinks, eco friendly hands free technology or any other specialty bathroom remodeling services then look no further.

Any kind of remodeling job for your home can be stressful and overbearing. Choosing to let a professional from Handyman Connection help through their extensive bathroom remodeling services can put your mind at ease. Contact us today to schedule a free estimate!

Whether you’re hoping for fewer arguments over bathroom times or a higher market value for your house when it comes time to sell, adding a half bath to your home can help. This simple addition also proves useful when entertaining friends. Point them toward the half bath, and you won’t need to worry about dirty clothes on the floor, or anyone snooping through your drawers and medicine cabinet. Adding a half bath is ideal for those living in older homes with no bottom-floor bathroom. The project is minimal compared to other additions, and most families are able to stay in their homes throughout the entire construction process.

Size

A half bath generally only makes room for a toilet and a sink. Storage or counter space is not necessary. Many prefer a door that opens inward, which can also increase calculations for size. Consider a sliding door if you have limited space, but have concerns about awkward hallway traffic with an outward opening door. Although the average half bath takes up 20 square feet, the International Residential Code requires only 11 square feet for bathrooms.

Finding Room

Deciding where to add the half bath will be your first decision. Homeowners commonly choose closets they rarely use or the space under a stairwell. Sometimes adding a half bath might mean making another room smaller. Half baths serve best on the first floor, near the living room or an entertainment room. Most people prefer to keep any bathroom away from the dining room, where some smells or the sounds of a toilet flushing might not be appreciated.

Layout

Choosing your layout often comes down to the size and shape of your half bath. If possible, most future buyers will prefer a half bath where the toilet is the not the first thing they see upon opening the door. A common design is placing the sink first, and the toiler right behind it. Some might choose to place the toilet on the opposite wall of the sink, behind the opened door. Toilets are rarely placed on the wall adjacent to the door opening.

Value

Although the price tag of an addition may cause some to hesitate, a half bath will typically profit a household if they ever plan to sell. The market value of a house can increase up to $20,000 with this addition. Unless the house already has an equal number of bathrooms to bedrooms, homeowners who add a half bath can usually expect around a 10 percent increase of value for their house.

As you can see, the addition of a half bath is one of the home renovations that can really pay off upon resale. Many homes in Florida are traditional bungalow-style dwellings that tend to be holdovers from as far back as the 1920’s. Many of these homes have only a single bathroom for up to four bedrooms, so adding a half bath here pays off immediately for you while you live in the home. If you are interested in having a closet renovated into a half bath, we would be glad to help. We have branches throughout Central Florida, from Tampa to Orlando to Lakeland.

Sources:

National Association of Home Builders

This Old House

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Finishing Touches

The plumbing in your home does a thankless job. It constantly brings water in, disperses it properly, and then removes it from your house. It generally does such a good job that we take clean water to drink or bathe with for granted–until there is an issue with the plumbing, that is. To keep your pipes in tip-top shape, or at least to have some type of warning before a plumbing issue becomes a serious problem, it is important to keep up with some maintenance.

Take some time to inspect your plumbing and do a little work. You should at least invest an afternoon annually, but doing it more often will definitely not hurt. Take these tips to clean out pipes and inspect for problems.

• Leaks- You can hear a leaky faucet, but when it comes to pipes the leak might not be obvious. Walk around the areas of your home where you know you have pipes in the walls or ceiling. Look for discolored spots or other signs of water damage. Usually the leak is at the spot of the discoloration, but water may be traveling down the pipe before finally dripping off. Catching a leak early can save you from replacing portions of walls or ceiling when you replace the pipe. If any pipe is exposed, look for green tarnish around joints and sealed portions. If there is a green substance, it is likely that the seal you are looking at is not tight enough.
• Hot water heater- Think about life without a hot shower. Now take the time to go drain your hot water heater. As sediment makes its way into your heater, it collects in the tank. Draining the tank will remove corrosive sediment and keep it from clogging up your hot water heater. It will also mean that the water you use to shower with does not pass through a sediment-filled reservoir before you use it bathe. When you are done draining the hot water heater, follow the instruction manual and restart it. Look into the burner chamber that displays a flame. The flame should be entirely blue; if you see yellow or orange you might need to have the valves that feed the flame cleaned out.
• Drain exterior faucets- You don’t need water to set idly in your plumbing. Turn of the water feed to the faucets on the outside of your home and then go turn each one on and allow it to drain. This will remove sediment and keep standing water from growing mildew and/or leading to corroded pipes that will leak.
• Drains- A well working drain turns standing water into a swirling display that quickly and effectively removes spent water. If your drains are slow to remove water or if bubbles are coming back up from your drain you have an issue. You can try plunging, chemical drain cleaning products or you can purchase an inexpensive disposable device that you insert into a drain to clear any debris at your local hardware store. If none of these fix the clogged drain the problem could lie deeper than you are ready to handle and you should call a professional.
• Toilets- Toilets play an important role from a plumbing and a sanitation perspective, so they must stay in good shape. Make sure that they do not rock back and force when you push them. If they do, they need to be anchored; a moving toilet can lead to leaky or broken pipes. Also take off the top and make sure that interior parts are in working order. The plug should fit snugly in the drain at the base of the toilet and should not leak. Otherwise the interior of your toilet could have one of several basic kits. So long as the toilet is not “running” and fills and drains efficiently when flushed, you should be in the clear.

Preventative plumbing maintenance is necessary. It can save you headaches and reduce repair bills even if they are necessary. If your inspection turns up some leaky pipes then you should consider professional help. Feel free to visit us online, we have replaced toilets from Bradenton to Orlando and helped with many other plumbing problems.

Sources:

Do It Yourself.com

Good Services Plumbing and Heating

All Bay Home Inspection

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Remodeling a home can be a big decision, between the time that it will take up and the money that it will require. Once you have decided to go through with home improvements, you will probably be asking yourself “Where do I begin?” This is a very important question; if you neglect it and skip the planning process, you will likely regret it later.

Deciding which part of the house to focus on takes thought. In your mind you probably have ideas for every room in the house, but in reality you will have to focus your project on targeted areas. First sit down and think about why you are remodeling in the first place. Common reasons to renovate a home include:

• Repurposing space to change its use, such as remaking a bedroom into an office
• Renovating parts of the home to accommodate an aging or handicapped loved one
• To modernize the house for your enjoyment or to increase resale value
• To make the house more energy efficient

Once you know your overall inspiration for making the changes, you will have a better focus on which room to begin in. You should take some ideas into account regardless of the reason for your remodel.

Repurposing

If you are repurposing a space, then the decision is usually easy. Maybe you know that you want the smallest bedroom to become an office or you want an unused den to be turned into a home movie theatre. Do take total space and use into account, though. For instance maybe you are eyeing the back bedroom as an office but you never use your garage. A good handyman or contractor can build out a portion of your garage and give you the extra room while still leaving you storage space in the garage. Then you get to keep your guest bedroom intact.

Accommodating Lifestyle Changes

If you have special needs in mind, then you are likely thinking about switching up a bedroom. Changing closets so that clothing can be reached more easily and removing bulky furniture are good starting points, but the rest of the house might need some work, too. The bathroom will need additions, from handlebars to help your loved one keep their balance to elevated toilets that better accommodate people with less mobility. You also will want to consider having your handyman add some easy-to-reach shelves or drawers in your kitchen.

Modernizing

Upgrades to modernize a house make it more of a home. They also increase a home’s value, which is necessary if you want to sell in a housing market like the one we are in. It is useful to decide which rooms either needs the most work or will bring the most value. The kitchen is often a good place to start for both criteria. Modern cabinets and countertops, revamped flooring and new appliances can turn a kitchen into a whole new room. Moving unused countertops can open up the room and allow for more family and social interaction. Family rooms and dens can also be good areas to begin. Removing walls that close things in, adding shelving to allow for pictures and decorations and having a new floor laid can change the look and function of a room. With a few changes you will be surprised how a previously unused room can become a central hub in your home.

Energy Efficiency

Going green can save money over the long run and show your commitment to sustainability. If you are considering environmental friendliness, you might want to think about which rooms get the most use and cost the most. Adding skylights to a family room that always has lamps on will cut your electric bill. Water-saving toilets and shower heads can save you money several times a day and are easy to put in when you are installing that Jacuzzi tub you have been thinking about. On a side note you might not want to focus on a room as much as a roof. It doesn’t matter whether you have a house in Tampa, Orlando or Boca Raton. Florida gets enough year-round sun to make solar panels a wise investment. You can shop around, find what you want and use green energy to power some of the key items in your house. What if you paid a bit up front but then never saw the effects of your laundry equipment and hot water heater on your electric bill ever again? It’s not hard to make your house a little greener while keeping a little green in your wallet at the same time.

Sources:

Remodelormove.com

HGTV

National Association of Homebuilders

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Updates to your home make it more comfortable while you are living in it and add value in the event that you want to sell or draw equity. You can change the entire look of a room and add durability to your floor with properly installed tile. Making the remodel decision is easier than actually installing the tile, but following the right steps simplifies the process.

1. Gather your tools- Here are some of the things you will need:

1. Scrapers
2. Wedging tool
3. Sandpaper
4. Spacers
5. Level
6. Chalk string
7. Tile cutter
8. Knee pads
9. Measuring tape
10. Sponge
11. Grout
12. Tiles
13. Tile cement

2. Prepare the area- The underlying floor itself will need some work. Remove any old adhesives that may be left from the previous floor. Sealing cracks in concrete may also be necessary. You want your floor to be level all the way across, so that your new tile floor will be even and last for years. Also be aware of parts of the room that will require you to cut tiles. Thinking about this during the preparation stage will make the work more efficient during installation.

3. Find the center- The exact center of your floor is where you will begin laying the tile. First measure the center points of the walls of the room. Then stretch your chalk string from wall to wall, stretched from center point to center point. Now “snap” it down and it will leave chalk lines giving you an accurate center point of the floor.

4. Do a practice run- Lay tiles down without any adhesive. Use your spacers and make sure that you like the look and that the center has actually been found. A dry run is important because it easy to fix mistakes when you haven’t used any adhesive.

5. Install the tile- Once your floor is prepped, you know where center is and you have completed your practice run it is time to get started. You will be working on one small section at a time. Space out the section you will be working from (starting from the center of the room of course) and apply your chosen adhesive. Then carefully place tiles in straight lines. Use your spacers to help keep your floor uniform. Work quickly so that the adhesive dries against the back of the tiles, but don’t go so fast that you lay the floor unevenly. The corners of the tiles should be next to each other to obtain the look you want for your finished floor. When laying the tiles, place them in a downward motion in the place you want them to be. Do not slide them or wiggle them into place. Place them gently, apply some pressure to spread the adhesive and move on to the next tile.

6. Lay the grout- After you have installed the individual tiles, you will need to let the adhesive set. Your best bet is to let the tile set for 24 hours before you begin grouting.

1. Start by removing the spacers you put down during installation.
2. Next vacuum the crevices between the tiles to remove any excess dirt or pieces of flaked adhesive.
3. Next mix your grout according to the instructions.
4. Spread the grout evenly over the open portions between the tiles. Make sure you are using enough to completely fill the gaps. Like with the tile installation, work in one section at a time.
5. Once you have spread the grout, use a damp sponge or cloth to wipe any grout that may be on the tile itself. Do this right away so that the grout does not have time to dry. You only want grout in between tiles, not on top of them.
6. Look over the whole floor when you are done grouting to make sure you have been consistent in all areas. This will be the best time to fix mistakes because once the grout sets it is very difficult to fix mistakes.

Consulting with a professional is a good idea before you begin any home improvement project. We are available to provide tips for projects you decide to undertake yourself. We can also reduce your workload and do the installation for you, ensuring a professional finish.

Handyman Connection is proud to serve the home improvement and home repair needs of Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Orlando, Bradenton, Sarasota, Naples, Ft. Myers, Melbourne, Merritt Island & Titusville.

A running toilet is more than just a minor annoyance—it’s also an expense. Caused by a leaky valve, the running means that extra water is constantly being cycled through the toilet, resulting in hefty water bills. But this home repair is easy and inexpensive to make, usually requiring no more than a quick trip to the hardware store and a $5.00 part.

What Causes a Running Toilet

A toilet tank contains a reservoir of water that cycles into the toilet bowl whenever the toilet is flushed. To maintain the proper level of water, the tank has a float and lever system to regulate flow. With each flush, a valve at the bottom of the tank opens up, releasing water into the toilet bowl. The tank begins to refill, and when the float reaches the right level, water stops flowing into the tank.

The valve’s rubber cover, called a flapper, can degrade or warp over time. Eventually the flapper no longer seals the valve tightly, and water can leak through into the bowl. Once this seal is compromised, water never stops flowing from the tank to the bowl, nor does it stop flowing into the tank. That constant flow creates the familiar running noise, along with the increased water bills.

How to Fix It

Repairing a running toilet is a simple procedure. Begin by turning off the water to the toilet: find the water shut-off handle, usually located near the toilet’s base, and turn it to stop water flow. Next, remove the old flapper valve. Take this with you to the hardware store, to ensure that you buy the right replacement part.

The new flapper valve should be relatively inexpensive and take less than ten minutes to install. Turn the water back on, and give the toilet a flush to test it out. Monitor both the toilet and the water bill, to make sure there are no other hidden problems. If the running persists, it’s probably time to contact a professional plumber.

Do-it-yourself home repair is both rewarding and cost effective, especially for easy projects like repairing a running toilet. Skip the expensive plumbing visit and repair it yourself.