GREEN LIVING TIP - RAIN BARRELS

The raining season is fast approaching and one way to “Go Green” this year would be to use a rain barrel. What is a Rain Barrel, you ask? A rain barrel is a container that simply captures and stores rain water draining from your roof.

Benefits of using a rain barrel:

1. During the summer months, a rain barrel can save up to 1,300 gallons of water.
2. Typically, one inch of rain on a roof produces 600 gallons of water!
3. Approximately 40% of our water usage, during the summer, is for watering plants and yards.  Using the water collected in your rain barrel will help save, not only the environment, but money as well.
4. Keeps runoff from washing into yards and nearby drain systems or streams by placing a rain barrel under a downspout.
5. Makes you feel good about yourself for helping the environment.

Barrels can range from a 40 to 200 gallon capacity and have a convenient spigot for filling water cans as well as a connection for a soaker hose. They usually sit up against your home under a water spout you insert to direct the rain water down from the roof gutter. The barrels have a screen on top to help filter out debris as well as keeping mosquitoes from getting inside. Barrels come in all shape and sizes and can also be painted to match the color of your home. Some barrels have containers on top that can be used as flower planters as well. 

Watch this short You Tube video on the Benefits of a rain barrel.

If you would like to talk more about getting one or more rain barrels installed, please give me a call.  I would love to help out.

Gutter Cleaning Tips

It’s that time a year again that you’ll need to keep up with regular cleaning and maintenance of your home’s gutters.  Gutter cleaning can be not only time consuming for the homeowner, but also dangerous. 

Cleaning your gutters is a necessary job, as overtime, an excessive amount of dirt and debris can put too much strain on your gutter system and cause them to not function the way they are designed too.  Gutters are designed to control the water that gathers around your home.  If your gutters don’t function properly, the water buildup can eventually lead to much more expensive home repairs, such as moisture damage to the wood siding of your home, leaks, cracked wall foundations, mold and washed out landscaping.

You know it’s time to clean your gutters when you have significant leaves, twigs, dirt or debris in your gutters.  Overtime, this buildup can weigh down your gutter fasteners and eventually they will come loose from your house.  Another expensive home repair!

If you want to do the gutter cleaning yourself, you will need a ladder, gloves and a hose.  As I mentioned earlier, cleaning gutters can be dangerous, especially if you are afraid of heights and not too comfortable on a tall ladder.  You also need to watch out for power lines as well.  I recommend working from the ladder as the roof may not be all that stable to walk on.  If you find any loose gutter sections along the way, make sure to tighten them up as you go along.

Once the gutters are completely cleared of any debris, consider installing Gutter Guards to keep leaves and other debris from building up.

If you don’t want to take on the task yourself, consider hiring someone to do your gutter cleaning for you or you can give Steve’s Handyman Service a call.  You can schedule this exterior home repair or other home maintenance projects by calling me today.

Updating a Room

Does your home feel plain or dull?  Do you feel that your home needs to be updated, but you don’t have a ton of money to remodel?  Have you ever considered adding molding or trim to your home?  This touch can dramatically impact the overall feel of any room – it can instantly bring a room from casual to classy. Besides enhancing the overall look of just about any room in your house, another benefit of adding molding and trim is the long term protection to the wall from damage, wood expansion, and drafts, along with concealing the connecting parts of the walls, doorways and windows.

There are many different styles to choose from.  Some of these include crown molding, casing, window and door trim, baseboard trim as well as wainscoting.  You can choose a traditional look as well as contemporary. 

Painting your trim and molding to contrast with the wall color can really make a room stand out.  I like having a lighter trim and lighter ceiling along with a darker color for the walls to really open up a room and make it look fresh.  If you are interested in learning more or getting a free estimate, please give me a call or email me.

Four years and going strong!!!

This coming month marks the 4 year anniversary of Steve’s Handyman Service.  To think that it’s been four years since I made the decision to leave a successful career in the movie industry and move back to my home town of Novato in search for a better quality of life.  We packed up our lives and left L.A., after 22 years, not knowing what was ahead.  In my previous career as a Special Effects Technician you sort of become a Jack- of- all-trades.   Not having a job to come too when we arrived in Northern California and with a truck full of tools I decided to start a home repair business. 

I have the greatest clients who continually keep me busy with their projects as well as continuing to refer me to their friends and family.  Thanks to them, my business is over 75% based off of referrals.

I just want to take a moment to thank all of you who have made Steve’s Handyman Service the success it is in just 4 short years.  I will continue to work as hard as possible for you and I look forward to many more years servicing your home improvement needs.

Take a look at my testimonial page and see what some of my clients have to say.  If you need some home improvements done or know of someone who does, please give me a call.   Steve

Emergency Preparedness Tips

I woke up this morning to the news of a 4.5 magnitude earthquake about an hour north of us.  This has been the 4th earthquake in the past month in that general area.

I had to ask myself that if the 'big one' were to hit or any other type of disaster, would me and my family be prepared, and to be honest, the answer would be no.  After doing some research, I am not the only one who is not prepared. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half of Americans aren’t prepared.  That's a scarey thought!   I thought I would take a moment and remind everyone, including myself, about how important it is to have a Family Disaster Plan and Kit.

Being the handyman that I am I want to stress how important it is to make sure that your home and its contents are safe.  Some important items to include in your plan/kit are: 

   Make sure to have an evacuation plan with your family including a designated safe place to meet.

  Appoint a family member to turn off electricity, gas and water, if needed.  

 Have copies of important family documents such as insurance policies, ID’s, passports, bank account records.  Store these in a waterproof, portable container.   

 It’s estimated that 42% of phone owners do not know all their immediate family members’ telephone number.  Make sure to write down everyone’s phone numbers as well as other emergency contacts such as a neighbor, family doctor or an out of town friend or relative.  Don’t count on your cell phone to work during a disaster.        

 Identify potential hazards around your home and get them fixed.  This should include making sure  that all furniture, TV's appliances, bookshelves, items on shelves, lamps etc…are securely fastened to the wall or shelf using safety straps.  This is an easy and inexpensive fix that I highly recommend.

 Make sure your water heater is securely attached to wall studs.     

 If you have gas appliances, it’s a good idea to bolt them down as a broken gas line can become a fire hazard.    

 Make sure all CO and smoke alarms are in working order.  Batteries should be replaced at least once a year at the minimum.  I recommend doing this on January 1^st of each year, and then it’s easy to remember when it was done. 

 It’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on hand and that everyone in your household knows how to operate it.         

 Store hazardous liquids, paint, cleaners on lower shelves to help reduce the risk of spilling.  This is also a good idea for breakable items.           

Make sure to have a disaster kit that includes water, non-perishable food including canned (don’t forget the can opener), portable radio, flashlights, extra batteries, a first aid kit, medications, etc.  Having a generator is very important as well.  Make sure your disaster kit includes all necessities for your pets including water, food, leashes, etc.

Besides whats listed above, this kit should also include items such as matches, duct tape, rope, emergency blankets, gloves, and change of clothes, hard soled shoes and candles.        

 I would also include a cell phone charger in your kit as well.  I read that they have emergency crank or battery operated cell phone chargers too, which I plan on looking into.       

 Another tip that I have been trying to do on a regular basis is keeping our vehicles fueled up.  Get in the habit of filling up as soon as your tank reaches the half way point.      

 And finally, have cash on hand.  If there is a disaster of any kind and the power goes down, stores, gas stations, etc. will not be able to take debit and credit cards; ATM's will not work  Having some cash stashed away for emergency use only is always a good idea.

Being prepared is the key to survival.  Do everything you can to prepare for any type of emergency before it’s too late and don’t forget to call your local handyman to help with some of the items on the list if you find that you just don't have time.