Mike The Handyman

Energy Efficient And Passive Heating and Cooling Remodeling

2012-02-22T09:03:00.000-05:00

For years now I have studied how to make homes more energy efficient by super insulating them, using thermal mass and passive heating and cooling.

Even though that was my primary interest I have mostly just done whatever remodeling jobs that have come my way. This year I have decided to change that and start looking for remodeling jobs that are more in line with my own interests. I will write more about this in future articles.

So if you are in Ohio or western Indiana and are contemplating the building of a passive solar home, earthship construction or other types of super insulated energy efficient construction and remodeling give me a call. I have one apprentice helper, tools and truck and am willing to travel for the right kind of jobs.

Winter Work

2011-11-17T07:07:00.000-05:00

As we head into the winter I have been pondering the direction to take for the winter and for next summer. Doing lawns did not really work out this last summer, as it was to difficult to bounce back and forth from weekly lawn mowing and handyman/remodeling work. The weather played a major role in causing problems and put me behind schedule numerous times.

For the next couple winter months I am going to do handyman and interior remodeling work, bathrooms, basement remodeling and that sort of thing. Will do complete projects or partial projects if a person wants to do part of the work.

As spring gets near I will start taking on roofing and siding jobs as well as keep doing carpentry and handyman work.

The Rain Is Driving Me Crazy

2011-10-19T22:03:00.000-04:00

All this rain is driving me crazy! Anyone need a boat built? Or maybe an ark? Sorry, I don't like working outside in bad weather. OH well, looks like it is that time of the year again.

This month I am in the Wapakoneta Town Money Saver with some great coupons, so don't forget to check it out. Given the rain, especially the coupon for bathroom remodels. LOL

Changing A Headlight

2011-10-16T08:18:00.000-04:00

Great video for how to not change a headlight! If you need a headlight changed and can't do it yourself, give me a call. My technique is a little different than the one used in this video, but I think you will like it better.

Handyman Work For October 2011

2011-10-06T20:48:00.000-04:00

Finally starting to get caught up! The rain last week really complicated things but I am almost caught up. This months Town Money Saver Coupon book has some really good deals for handyman work so check it out and give me a call. The mowing season is officially over at the end of October. I am booking small jobs for the rest of this month, gutter cleaning, painting, power washing, etc. I am also booking remodel jobs for those wanting work done over the winter. I am pretty good at bathroom remodeling, ceramic tile, basement remodeling or finishing. Book early!

Heading towards Fall

2011-09-11T20:50:00.001-04:00

September is swiftly passing us by and the next thing we know the season for doing outdoor work will be gone. Right now my schedule for doing Handyman work in the Lima Ohio area is fairly full for the month of September. A few different issues including the rain over the last week has really made the schedule full.

Right now I am planning on doing jobs like gutter cleaning, lawn work and pressure washing the first week of October. So if you need work like that done make sure to schedule it with me as quickly as possible. Nothing is planned past that so let me know what you need done.

Getting Caught Up

2011-08-31T19:48:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe that this is the last day of August! Mike the Handyman has been very busy in the Lima Ohio area the last month. Started building a roof over Ivo's deck, ended up rebuilding the deck, doing siding and am doing the electrical as well as a tongue and groove ceiling. Lot's of mowing, apparently the dry season is over. Between lawn mowing and a couple other jobs I am booked up for September except for small jobs that only take and hour or two. Next available date for larger jobs will be the first of October.

A lot of people have been asking me about snow removal. I will do snow removal using a snow blower, in the areas of Lima, Cridersville, Shawnee, and Elida this winter. I decided against plowing due to liability issues and the cost of maintenance on the equipment and my truck.

It is finally raining again!

2011-08-19T06:47:00.000-04:00

Finally, we are starting to get some rain and things are greening up! Looks like I will be back into the 7-10 day cycle for mowing again, so the schedule is going to get tight. When everything started drying out and dying I was able to get other carpentry, landscaping and general handyman type jobs. Now I am pretty busy. Gotta Love That! Nothing like not having to participate in a recession. LOL

I have also had a couple guys helping me, my step son for the last few weeks and another guy this week. As things get caught up in the next couple of weeks I will most likely go back to working by myself.

I am now doing bids for the middle of September for those interested in scheduling work. I can try and fit in small "emergency" type jobs sooner if need be.

August 2011 Schedule

2011-08-04T06:53:00.001-04:00

Over the next couple of weeks I will be pretty busy. I am:

building a roof over a deck
installing an entry door and storm door
doing a landscaping job
installing a bi-fold door
small ceramic tile job
installing an ice maker
installing a privacy fence
brush clearing

All this along with doing mowing since we finally are starting to get some rain. And of course there is my "winter job", I work at Westgate Entertainment Center during the winter and due to their loosing some employees got called in to work Fri-Sundays.

Busy Busy

Given the above scheduled work I estimate the next date available to be scheduled will be the week of the 22 of August.

Power Washing Contractor Lima Ohio

2011-08-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

Power Washing Contractor Lima Ohio Pressure Washing Services

When it comes to curb appeal and keeping up with the general maintenance of your home, nothing beats a good old fashion cleaning, using a pressure washer of course. Mike the Handyman offers the following services in the Lima Ohio area.

Power Washing Vinyl Siding

Vinyl Siding can collect dust, dirt and grime and when I clean it off with my pressure washer will leave your siding looking like new again. I use special concentrated detergents to clean and wax your vinyl siding. Exterior gutter cleaning is also included in a bid to pressure wash and clean your vinyl siding.

Gutter Cleaning

Gutter interiors should be cleaned out in the spring and again in fall, to keep them from getting clogged and causing drainage problems. I will clean out all of your gutters, including down spouts.

Low Pressure Roof Washing

Do you have black streaks on your shingles? How about moss growing on your roof? I can kill and remove the black algae and moss using contractor grade cleaners and low pressure, making your roof look nice again.

Concrete Cleaning and Pressure Washing Services

Want to increase the curb appeal of your home? Having your driveway cleaned, along with a house wash, is a great way to increase curb appeal. A lot of people do not realize how dirty their driveways, sidewalks, and patios are and are amazed with the difference, once cleaned.

Brick and Block Power Washing

Brick also collects dirt, mold, and mildew and must be cleaned. There are many types of brick; some brick can not withstand as much pressure as others can. I can adjust the pressure and clean brick as needed.

Cleaning Decks Wood Restoration and Pressure Washing

Wood restoration is, probably, the most misunderstood process. Wood is soft and can be easily damaged with too much water pressure. A lot of factors determine what deck cleaner I will use to restore the wood. Once I choose the correct cleaners, I wash the wood with the right amount of pressure. I then do a neutralizing process to prepare the wood to be sealed. The number one reason a sealer fails is because the wood is not prepared properly. After the wood dries to the proper moisture level, I can then apply a contractor grade sealer.

I provide numerous home exterior cleaning and pressure washing services for decks, roofs, driveways, wood restoration and more. If you live in the Lima Ohio area, give me a call to request a Free Power Washing Estimate!

Brake Repairs

2011-07-27T07:26:00.000-04:00

Just got back from a four day weekend and ended up having to completely replace the brake lines on my van last night. The old brake lines rusted out and needed to be replaced.

Good thing for me, I went to Central Texas College while in the Army, for auto mechanics and welding. So needless to say I have done a lot of auto repairs over the years.

Repairing brake lines is a pain in the butt. Brake lines are located under the vehicle, open to all the nasty weather, rain, snow, mud, ice. Needless to say they tend to rust out over the years and are hard to get apart. Rather than just splice a new line in on a bad section, I replaced everything including new brakes and cylinders.

If you need auto repairs in the Lima area I can do it on a mobile basis at your place. If the weather is nasty and your vehicle is not to big we can also arrange for you to drop it off at my place.

Investing In Home Improvements Investing In Safety

2011-07-26T07:49:00.000-04:00

I recently picked up a copy of the August 2011 issue of Holmes Magazine and found an interesting article "Stop Fire". With the economy being a little rough right now, many people opt to remodel and invest in their current home rather than attempt to move. An interesting statistic in the article is "In 2009, a home fire was reported every 87 seconds in the U.S." from the National fire Protection Agency.

Given the potential danger of a fire not only to ones home, but to your family and friends, it is a great idea when remodeling or doing home improvments to utilitize materials that will help stop, slow down or contain a fire.

Some of the recommended techniques for fire proofing your home are:

Thicker Stronger Walls
Fire Proof Coatings
Safe Lighting
Tougher Exteriors

A basic method for making your home a little safer is to install 5/8th inch gypsum wall board instead of the standard 1/2" normally used. The thicker wall board has a fire resistance rating of 1 hour, the thinner 40 minutes. When I used to build townhouses and condominiums, we installed two layers of wallboard between each unit giving a two hour rating. Seems like a great idea that if you are remodeling a kitchen to use two layers of wallboard.

Different materials used to build or remodel a home can be purchased that have a fire proof rating. Everything from framing materials to sheeting materials like OSB can be ordered through your local lumber yard. These materials are more expensive but part of the expense may be offset by lower insurance costs.

Fire proof caulks, sealants, primers and paints are also available for putting on the finish of your project. These products have a chemical reaction when exposed to high heat that help seal off the product it is applied to and slow down or prevent fire from spreading.

Safe Lighting. This is a problem I have seen a lot in our area. Lighting installed in the ceiling connected to insulated areas should have a firebox installed above it. The box should be made of metal to prevent fire from spreading and insulated to keep from wasting energy. Based on my experiences crawling though attics in the Lima Ohio area, people are spending a lot of extra money on their energy bill by not having proper insulated fire boxes. I typically can build, install and retrofit boxes for $100 each.

Tougher exteriors. When making home improvements in our area a common job is installing new vinyl siding. This looks great, but if you can afford it concrete or brick will provide not only a higher resale value buy much better protection from fires. Concrete also is great as framing material in the form of "Insulated Concrete Forms". ICF's can be used to build whole houses, foundations and basements, and room additions. Couple your ICF walls with stucco or concrete Hardy Board siding and you should have a pretty safe home with a lower insurance premium.

Mowing In The Heat

2011-07-21T07:27:00.000-04:00

WOW It sure is getting hot! It looks like most lawns are pretty burnt out at this point, nothing but weeds growing for most yards. I am going around and trimming everything up. Looks like the dog days of summer are upon us.

If anyone is watering their yard and would like extra attention, let me know. Otherwise I will be on an every other week schedule for the rest of the summer. There is some rain in the forecast for next week, maybe we will get lucky!

Senior Remodeling

2011-07-19T07:46:00.001-04:00

Just came across an interesting statistic for seniors or those nearing retirement age with a home in need of remodeling. 81.2% of Americans between the ages of 62 and 74 own their own home, (from Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University).

Who wants to live in a "retirement home" or other type of "assisted living" facility? I have never met someone that eagerly looked forward to that situation. Most people want to live in their own home, the one that they worked hard to pay for, the home with the memories of a life well lived.

If we don't want to be forced by nature to move out of our homes and into a retirement facility then the thing to do is start working early on remodeling our homes so that they will be more suitable for senior living.

Items that should be considered when thinking of remodeling for senior living:

enlarging doors to 36"
hallways that are 36" to 48" wide
windows that easily open and close
counter tops and cabinets that are wheel chair accessable
flooring that a wheel chair can easily roll on
a shower that is low wall or walk in
grab bars and railings
maintenance free siding
roofing with a 30 - 50 year guarantee

Remodeling for our senior years not only involves making things accessible and easy to traverse but also of a quality that ensures the products used will last the rest of our lives. The last thing one wants is to need remodeling but can's afford it due to a fixed income.

Lima Ohio Remodeling

2011-07-18T20:23:00.000-04:00

If you are in the Lima Ohio area and are thinking of remodeling your home, you have come to the right place. Mike The Handyman not only does handyman tasks, but also remodeling and home improvements. Would you like your kitchen updated? Is your bathroom old and outdated? Would you like your home to be more energy efficient?

I am not talking about slapping some plastic over your old fixtures. I do quality remodeling that involves tile, stone, natural woods and other quality materials.

The process starts with me coming to your home and discussing your project with you. After this initial consultation we can mutually decide if we would like to work together on your project. If so, I then will work up a project proposal that includes all pricing. When it comes to fixtures and other materials, many clients do not have an exact idea of what they would like in their remodel. I will accompany you as needed to local supply houses and help pick out materials, cabinetry and other items that are needed. That way you and I are in sync and your remodel really becomes the remodel of your dreams!

Give Lima's own Mike The Handyman a call today for your free initial consultation! 567-712-4211

Dry Weather Mowing

2011-07-15T13:32:00.000-04:00

Due to the dry weather I have not been mowing the last couple of weeks. I plan on mowing July 19th - 21st for those that want their lawn mowed. I will be out of town from July 22 - July 25th. Unless we get a lot of rain or someone is watering their grass and needs mowing sooner, the next time I will mow after that will be on August 4-6.

Lima Ohio Fencing

2011-07-14T20:33:00.004-04:00

Very busy week, just finished building this privacy fence for a young lady in the University Heights area of Lima. Turned out pretty good and the client is very pleased.

I built the fence according to the clients wishes in the shadow box style out of treated lumber from Menards. I did not buy the completed fence sections, instead built everything by hand and used decking screws instead of nails. That way it will hold up longer and is a higher quality product.

I also build fencing and do fence installation out of cedar, composite or vinyl if anyone is interested. I have no problem building to spec, so if you have a special request let me know.

Lima Roofing

2011-07-14T07:43:00.001-04:00

When one does roofing in the Lima Ohio area a major benefactor is the wind. The other day we had a quick wind storm come through the area ahead of a brief downpour of rain. All over the east side of Lima trees came down and people lost electricity.

I do a lot of work at Country Estates on Reservoir Road and one of the neighbors of the people I built a deck for lost a portion of their roof, sheeting and all!

I had just finished a landscaping job when I got the call to do the repair. Moved my schedule around a bit and went to work ensuring that my new client had a roof over their head before it got dark.

Painting Wicker Chairs

2011-07-13T08:13:00.003-04:00

I had an interesting request from a client in Cridersville, she wanted her wicker chairs painted. Years ago her children had purchased a wicker furniture set for her. Now they looked old and out dated.

Rustoleum makes a paint in a spray can that works well on wicker so we picked up 10 cans. As you can see in the pictures, her wicker furniture now looks like new!

The trick to painting wicker is to spray from all angles. It took 10 cans of paint to finish this furniture and an extra can for touch up the next day.

Dry Weather In the Lima Area

2011-07-10T16:24:00.002-04:00

Wow! We went from two straight months of rain in the Lima Ohio area, to practically nothing since the first of June. Unless someone requests otherwise I do not plan on mowing again until between the 18th of July and the 21st of July. The extreme heat combined with no rain is killing most peoples grass and everything is turning brown.

I am going to take a 4 day weekend from the 22nd of July to the 25th of July and visit my parents in southern Ohio. Because of the dry weather it looks like I will have more openings for handyman work, so now is a good time to contact me if you are looking to have some work done either for before my 4 day weekend or for after.

Assembling a Smith Machine and Bowflex Stair Climber

2011-07-02T07:45:00.000-04:00

Lots of things going on over the last week including the assembly of a Smith Machine and Bowflex Stair Climber. A moving company had just moved a new doctor into the area and hired me to assemble the machines for them.

The doctor had moved from West Virginia to the Lima Ohio area. Apparently the person who took the machines apart was not so competent and had a lot of problems. The doctor and his wife was very happy that I was able to put the machines together with ease.

Deck Building

2011-06-29T21:47:00.000-04:00

Just finished building a deck for a client in the Country Estates park in Lima Ohio. Well...I guess finished is not quite right. The deck is small, 7' X 7' with stairs. I built the frame at my house and delivered it to the clients home for final assembly.

Just as I was starting to put the deck together a woman drove up, got out of her car and asked me what I was doing. Kind of obvious I was building a deck! Turns out she is the park manager for Country Estates, Crestwood and Hunters Chase mobile home parks in the Lima Ohio area. She also informed me that there are eleven pages of rules governing her fiefdom, er, I mean Country Estates and that had I have gotten her permission to build the deck on my clients home, I would have been told that I can not use lattice...the bottom of the deck must be trimmed with white skirting that matches what is on the home. White? She does not allow other colors in her park. WoW Talk about a take charge woman!

Anyway, so the deck is not quite finished since I have to order white skirting to put on it. On the bright side, the look on the clients face when they first looked at their new deck was priceless. They looked so happy you would have thought they were a couple kids at Christmas.

Note to self...don't build in mobile home parks without getting permission from the park manager.....I must be getting a little wiser with age, just found an old note that said "build on weekends" LOL

Aquaponics & Vertical Farming In Lima Ohio

2011-06-27T23:16:00.000-04:00

I have been reading about Aquaponics & Vertical Farming for a while now and am interesting in finding other people in the Lima Ohio area that are either already doing it or interested in starting a project.

If you go to Ray's or the Community Market in the winter and look at the fresh produce like lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers you will find that this produce is grown using hydroponic methods in Canada and shipped here to Ohio. It seems to me that it would be more cost effective to raise our own vegetables and fish instead of importing it from other states and countries.

I have a lot of interest and knowledge from reading about various systems and of course being a very skilled handyman I can build just about anything. Did I mention I have a green thumb? And fish love me?

Anyway, I would be interested in pursuing a commercial project that involves Aquaponics, Hydroponics and/or Vertical Farming. I can provide the skills to make it happen for someone that has the money to set up a system. I would also have no problem setting up a system for personal use for anyone interested. Truth is, I really love the idea of being self sufficient and not relying on sources outside our community for basic survival necessities.

The Super Handyman Diet

2011-06-26T20:10:00.000-04:00

A few years ago a doctor told me that I should weigh 170 lbs. Wow! I normally weigh about 205 in the winter and get down around 195 in the summer. A few years ago I got out of the remodeling business and starting cooking for a living. This change of lifestyle made getting under 200 even harder, not that I actually tried, just saying.

I have always been interested in the topics of health and longevity and the weight gain has been bothering me lately. I will be 48 in a couple of months, getting closer to the big five O, time to start taking better care of my health.

After some serious pondering and virtually no research, I came up with the "Super Handyman Diet". The Super Handyman Diet is a fantastic way to loose weight and get into shape.

Continue Reading The Super Handyman Diet

Shutters Garage Doors and More

2011-06-22T06:55:00.005-04:00

Among other things, I installed a garage door, some shutters, outdoor lighting, did some hauling and of course mowed a lot of lawns over the last couple of weeks. No time for sitting down to write! LOL

I was taken by surprise by the storms and rain we have had this week. As hard as it is to believe, we needed the rain to keep everything green.

I picked up a 52" Gravely Zero Turn Lawnmower this week so will now be able to do larger lawns. If the weather cooperates I am trying to move the lawn mowing to Thursday and Fridays, leaving the rest of the week for doing Handyman services.