St Louis Handyman

Helpful Handyman Tips From The St. Louis Handyman

More Helpful Hints From the St. Louis Handyman
Given the current housing market, many people are staying in their homes longer. And when something goes wrong, they’re learning to do repairs and maintenance themselves. Whether you’re freshening up to sell or looking to enjoy what you already have, here are simple how-tos for solving the most common problems.

Patch a Small Hole or Crack
If you have an old house-or can afford a fixer-upper-you may have some patching to do. Here’s how. Cover nearby floors and furniture with drop clothes to protect from dust. Carefully cut away any rough edges around the hole or crack with a utility knife sand gently and wipe away any dust. Measure a wall repair patch against the hole, allowing for a small overlap. For cracks, follow the same procedure using mesh repair tape. Cut the patch or tape with scissors and apply, adhesive side down, over hole or crack. Use a small puddy knife to apply a generous first coat of “mudd” (a.k.a. lightweight joint compound) above the patch or repair tape, then spread up and down, side-to-side, and corner-to-corner. Allow area to dry completely, about eight hours. Then sand with 80-grit sandpaper.
With a larger putty knife, apply a second coat of mudd to the entire area, using the same technique. Use fine sandpaper (150 grit) to sand area. Wipe any dust before priming and painting.

Open a Stuck Window
The best tool for this project is a pizza cutter! Carefully run the wheel of the pizza cutter around the perimeter of the window and apply lubricating spray in the side channels (the groove in the window frame). Use your fist to gently tap around the same area. Now open the window. Once you have it open, remember to clean the channels and apply lubricating spray again.

Unclog a Toilet
Clogs happen regularly, in homes new and old. When one occurs, immediately turn off the water supply to the toilet at the shut-off valve behind the toilet. Remember this rule of thumb: righty tighty, lefty loosey. Place a toilet plunger directly over the toilet drain hole (make sure there’s enough water to cover the plunger) and plunge rapidly 12 times. If it doesn’t work, repeat. If that fails, insert a toilet auger (around $10 at hardware stores) inside the drain hole. Maneuver the rubber tubing completely down the metal spring to avoid marring the bowl. Turn the handle clockwise until the entire spring has been fed through and reaches the obstruction into the drainage system or pull it out. Turn the shut-off valve back on and flush.

Clear Out a Garbage Disposal
When your garbage disposal is jammed, resist the urge to keep grinding whatever is in there. Instead, turn off the power to the appliance. Use a flashlight to view the obstruction, then use a tongs or long needle nosed pliers to remove it. Never put your hand inside a garbage disposal. Should that fail, turn off the power to the disposal at the wall switch and the main service panel. Insert an Allen wrench into the hole located on the exterior base of the disposal. Turn the wrench clockwise and counterclockwise until you can move it in a complete circle. This means the object has been dislodged. It has either gone into the drainage system or it is still inside the disposal and can be removed with tongs or needle nosed pliers. Once you remove the object, turn on the power at the main service panel. Locate the reset button at the exterior base of the disposal and press it. Turn on the cold water at the sink and flip the wall switch on for the disposal.

Weather-strip Your Windows and Doors
According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a third of a home’s energy is lost through its windows and doors-and that’s when they are closed. Instead of replacing them, save money and energy by insulating with weather stripping. The easiest way to check for air leaks is using a piece of paper. Open the front door, put the piece of paper in the doorjamb and close the door. If you can pull the paper out easily, there’s an air leak. Try the same thing on the windows. When purchasing insulation, invest in a product that’s easy to install (such as rubber weather-stripping) and comes with a warranty. For a double-hung window, cut the weather stripping to size and peel off backing. Next, apply weather-stripping in the channel-the groove in the window frame-on the bottom of the sash on the lower window and in the upper window. Then apply the weather-stripping into the middle channel of the vertical jambs on both sides of the windows. To insulate an exterior door, apply weather-stripping to the doorjamb and to the top and bottom of the doorframe.

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Handyman in St. Louis gets his own fence completed!

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Tips For Reducing Bathroom Barriers

Are you considering a bathroom remodel that takes into account the special needs of an elderly, disabled or obese person? Here are some tips to create fewer obstacles in your bathroom.
1) Will it be accessible to everyone that comes into your home? Incorporating “universal design” concepts can help make your bathroom barrier-free.
2) Install reinforced backboard in the walls of your shower area for easy mounting of grab bars, even if you don’t need them yet.
3) Choose fixtures that persons with limited mobility can reach and use. Many companies now make ADA raised toilets, lever bath handles and larger pull drawers with magnet closers, as well as hand held shower heads.
4) Consider hiring a professional, such as Andys Home and Business Repair LLc. The premier handyman in St. Louis!

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A Newly Remodeled Bath in Frontenac!

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A Kitchenette in the Basement

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A basement ceramic tiled floor.

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We Can Even Repair What Your Husband “Fixed”

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Our Latest Kitchenette

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St. Louis Handyman on Civil Preparedness

How many of you out there have ever been effected by a power outage? Last year in St. Louis we had two major power outages within 6 months of each other, both lasted for several days. We have a power generator that is simple to power-up. It runs on gasoline. We also have a campers stove, so we could still cook. Above ground catastrophes are one thing, but what if we were to have a major earthquake? Would YOU know what to do? Here are a few civil preparedness tips that every home owner should know.
1) When a water line breaks and the water is gushing, look for the main shut-off valve. It will be the valve that is first out of the foundation, normally a 3/4″ to 1″ copper pipe. Clock-wise is “off”. If the handle is stuck, loosen the packing 1 turn with a crescent wrench and try again. If the water still does not shut off, open the lowest basement sink or hose bib and let it run down a drain. This will take the excessive water to a safe area.
2) When electrical wires short, ground out or burn, it is easy to panic.
Rule #1, grab a pair of leather gloves or rubber cleaning gloves and go to the mail panel. With your gloves on and your feet flat-footed, not leaning or touching anything, with one hand find the large breaker at the top of the electrical panel (normally marked MAIN) and switch it to the “off” position. On a fused panel, grab the fuse holder carrier and pull. At this point if you smell smoke or see fire or sparks, call 911. You might have an electrical fire in the wall.
3) Most importantly, lets talk about natural gas. We all know the smell. First of all, appliances, water heaters, furnaces, etc., are required by law to have a shut-off valve within reaching distance or the unit. Most shut-off valves are 1/4″ turn, ball type. Now if this valve breaks or the leak is before the appliance, go for the gas meter main. If there is an earthquake just go straight for the main. Take a good sized adjustable wrench and line up the rings to the off position. They may be hard to move so be ready to use force. You CAN do it! Air-out the interior of the house as fast as you can. And no matter how nervous you are DON”T light a cigarette.
These are a few potentially life saving tips, at no charge, just for reading my website. If you would like a power back-up generator for your house, just give us a call! Stay tuned for more helpful household tips from the best handyman in St. Louis. If you have any questions feel free to shoot me an e-mail.

St Louis Handyman

St. Louis Handyman’s Tips on Un-sticking a Drawer

This is how to handle a solid wooden drawer that sticks: Slowly move it in and out to “feel” where it’s catching (on one side? along the bottom?). Or pull out the drawer and look for friction marks on the edge or bottom.
Set the drawer on a stable work surface. With 100-grit sandpaper wrapped around a wood block, smooth the sticking spot until some dust is created. Replace the drawer, slide to see if it’s no longer catching. If it is, repeat until the drawer glides freely.
To keep out the moisture that causes swelling and then sticking, seal the drawer, inside and out (though skipping the front), with a coat of polyurethane.
If the swelling is minor, you may be able to get away with just lubricating the drawer-no sanding required. To start, take the drawer completely out and set it on your work surface.
Run a bar of plain soap (like Ivory) or a candle, or a stick of paraffin-any of the three should work well-along the glide or glides on the bottom or sides of the drawer, and along any mating pieces inside the furniture. Also rub some on the edges of the drawer’s sides and bottom.
Replace drawer and move it in and out to work in the lubricant and be sure it’s fixed the problem.

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