MURPHY WALL BED INSTALLATION AND MORE.....

I have a customer who was renovating a rental unit in Fairfax.  The unit is a studio apartment and she wanted to utilize the space as best as possible.  She decided on having a Murphy wall bed installed and so she gave me a call.  I admit, I had never built a Murphy bed, but I am up to tackling most anything.

I built, installed and painted the wall bed it in just a few days and can honestly say it really transformed this room.  Here are some photos…..the new tenant just loves it and when it’s not being used, she just puts the bed back into the wall and once again has more living space.

My customer also wanted to add some shelving so the new tenant has a bit more storage.  I built some shelves in the kitchen where there was some open space not being used, I also added shelving in the closet and painted the interior of the apartment.

This was a fun project and not something I get to do everyday.   If you find that you need more space in your home, like turning your guest room into a playroom or your office into an occasional guestroom, please give Steve’s Handyman Service a call or contact me here.

VINYL PLANK FLOORING

I just recently finished a small job where I installed some new Vinyl Plank Flooring in a bathroom.  The floor had dry rot throughout, so once I pulled out the very old linoleum, repaired the dry rot, I installed the new floor.

Some of the dry rot I encountered

 

I was real impressed with how the floor turned out and so was the tenant.   A major advantage of installing vinyl planking versus other types of flooring is cost.  It’s much less expensive to purchase and install vinyl planking…it can even be installed over your existing floor, as long as the surface is smooth.

Take a look at the before and after photos and let me know what you think!

Old Linoleum Floor

New Vinyl Plank Flooring

Before

 

 

NEW YEARS HOME MAINTENANCE/REPAIR CHECKLIST

Has the New Year heightened your desire to start making improvements around your home wherever possible?

Someone once said that “little things after a while get to be bigger things, so now is a time to start a Home Maintenance Checklist”.  Once you have your list together, it enables you, the homeowner, to plan out repair, maintenance and improvements for the coming year.

Here are some basic repairs/improvements to include on your home maintenance and improvement checklist:

1    Change out your light bulbs for some energy-saving light bulbs.  They really aren’t that much more expensive and they will save you on your energy bill.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs

2      Do something about your clutter…I admit, I am guilty here.  We tend to have a lot of clutter around the house and garage.  Start going through your stuff, throw out what you don’t need and maybe have a garage storage system installed, pull-down attic stairs, or another type of storage unit installed in your house/garage to organize what you plan on keeping. 

3     Get your gutters cleaned and have some gutter shields installed so there won’t be so much buildup the next time around.

4    Seal windows, doors and cracks with caulking.  Weatherstripping is inexpensive and easy to use and a way to help keep the cool air outside and the warm air inside and yet another way to help you save on your energy bill.

5    Updating a room at a time…whether you decide to apply a fresh coat of paint or some simple trim around the window, this is a cost-effective way to spruce up your home…one room at a time.

Dirty and clean filter

6    Change your filters – these should be cleaned or replaced every three months.  If your filter is dirty, not only are you breathing in the dust and other particles that can’t come through the filter, but it is making your furnace run harder which makes it less energy efficient.

 7   Check the batteries in your smoke and CO detectors.  I like to do this at the begi
nning of every year as it’s an easy way to remember when the last time it was done. 

 8    Popcorn Ceilings are stale…not much more dates a house than having a popcorn ceiling.  Removing popcorn from your ceiling not only updates your home but adds value as well.

Before and After Popcorn Removal

 9   Check all your faucets and toilets for leaks and replace as necessary.

10  With all the damp weather we are having, have you noticed some green buildup on your sidewalk, decks, siding?  Having your decks and other areas of your home power washed will not only remove all the grime and dirt, but will make these areas of your home look newer.

So, what is at the top of your home improvement/maintenance checklist?  If you need some help crossing some of these items off, give Steve’s Handyman Service a call.  I would love to help out…and remember, No Job is Too Small!!!

Happy New Year!!