Residential Driveway Resurfacing in Winter Park

We recently were asked by a pair of the nicest ladies to help with the driveway of their rental property in Winter Park, Florida.  First, a bit of history about the property.  This is the house where they grew up.  Their father built the place back when there was nothing else on the land, and no neighbors.  After their father passed away when they were quite young, their mother somehow managed to keep the house kept up.  So this house had a wonderful sense of history and needed to be addressed with proper reverence.

This driveway had about 30 years of neglect, but as a rental property it is the first thing that people see when they drive by.  The large oak tree in the middle had caused countless cracks, holes and bumps throughout its length, but in Winter Park, we take our trees seriously.  So the tree could not be damaged in any way.

Budget was an issue as it always is, and therefore we decided to use a combination of concrete for the major patches and holes, and an asphalt-based crack filler for some of the smaller cracks.  It was beyond the budget for these ladies to completely rip it up and replace, and plus it might have damage the oak in the center of the driveway.

So we set about filling in as much as we could with concrete.  Overall, we put used 10 bags of concrete which filled in the major holes and the broken areas on the edges.  Because the area near the tree was extremely uneven, we used a wet paintbrush to contour the concrete to blend into the existing asphalt.  After letting it set for a couple of days, this is what it looked like.

 As you can see, simply filling in the cracks and holes created a drastically improved look.  Now that the driveway was filled in and the concrete set, we came back and painted the driveway with the appropriate driveway paint.  A driveway of this size (about 20ft by 50ft) would take 15 gallons of this paint. 

 As you can see this simple proceedure, and a lot of time spent on the knees, creates a broad curb appeal and is one more element aiding in the speedy rental of this property.

Some of you might be scratching your heads about the mix of materials, and yes it is of some slight concern because the existing asphalt and new concrete will heat and expand at different rates which was clearly discussed with the customer and at great length.  However, statistically each renter stays in a rental unit for 28 months, so in a couple of years, after some wear and tear and new cracks that will appear due to the tree roots, we'll perform the needed repairs at that time with the asphalt based crack filler and repaint again.  Right now, the two customers are overjoyed at the present results since we quickly and without great expense were able to erase 30 years of weathering and Mother Nature.

If you have a similar driveway, we'd love to talk to you!  Give us a call or send us an email.  We're happy to service customers in Orange County and Seminole County, and we look forward to earning your business.

Quick swivel chair repair in Maitland

We were asked by a customer to repair her swivel chair.  This was a heavy duty swivel chair and was part of a set, so it was important to the owner that this piece get fixed.  What had happened is that the weld where the central post joins with the plate under the actual seat had finally separated.

We gave the owner the option of getting it fully re-welded or a quicker fix and the owner preferred the quick fix.  So we removed the top of the chair and set the base on level ground.  Then we cut out about 3/4 of an inch of JB Weld and worked it until it was even.  JB weld is basically a two part epoxy filler and there is approximately a 5 minute work time with another 15 minute set time.  Once it was evenly squished, we worked it all around the broken seam and pushed it as deep into the gaps as possible. 

We continued to work this until the putty began to solidify, again after about 5 minutes.  After this point there is still another 15 minutes for it to set, and another 24 hours to fully cure.

 
There were other things to do while this was setting up, so we left it alone for a while.  When we returned, the bond was solid enough for us to replace the chair and back.  We instructed the customer to leave it alone until the next day, and we expect that this chair will function like new for many years to come!

If you are looking for handyman service in the Winter Park, Orlando, Oviedo, Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Winter Springs, Pine Hills, Red Bug Lake, Windermere, Avalon Park, College Park or anywhere else in Orange County and Seminole County, please contact us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com and we'll be happy to take care of you!  We're your local neighbor, so we do work that we are proud of.

Bathtub Reglazing in Orlando

We recently were called on to perform a bathtub reglazing in Orlando for a rental property.  Before we get into the project, I'm going to apologize for the quality of the photos... this apartment was between rentals so there was no power and the bathroom had no windows.  Basically, we did this by flashlight.  That being said,  here's the before wide shot photo:

 And in this photo you can see a bad corner job.  This tub had been done via hand brush and the previous reglazer did not cover the entire surface.

We prefer to use the spray method.  It does not leave brush strokes and really does leave the surface looking like new.  This is a good option for rental properties which have to quickly refurbish their look between tenants.  It covers up previous marks and stains, is durable, and makes the rental process faster as it is more likely to get a prospective tenant to decide positively.

Once we got to the property, the first thing to do was to thoroughly clean the tub twice to leave it smooth, without bumps or surface texture, and to remove any sort of soap scum or mineral deposits.  Then we taped up the surrounding area well, and covered everything else in plastic.  After spraying evenly and repeatedly across the entire surface in many long strokes the surface looked like new.  When spraying any sort of spray can, it is always better to make several light passes.  Otherwise, to much paint will result in drip marks which are unsightly.

The landlord was very happy with the result.  This tub ended up by looking like new, and with a shiny new reglazed surface, they are certain to rent this property quickly.  Here are some after shots (again, we apologize for the poor lighting, all work was performed by flashlight!):

We recommend combining the reglazing process with re-grouting.  Usually the tiles do not retouching but the grout becomes darkened, stained and mildewed.  With reglazing the tub and regrouting the tiles, the bathroom begins to look like new again and it is a relatively quick and simple process to perform.

If you are interested in glazing your bathroom or kitchen fixtures, please contact us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com.  We like to think that we are your answer when looking for a handyman in Winter Park, Orlando, Winter Springs, Oviedo, or anywhere in Orange or Seminole counties.  We look forward to earning your business!

Creating a garden space and setting in Maitland Florida

We were recently asked to tackle a garden space that was vastly overgrown.  Here's what it looked like at first:

At one time, this might have been a pleasing space, but after many years of letting it grow wild this landscape was unusable.  In fact, it's even hard to see the stone bench on the lower right of the photo above.

The first thing we wanted to do was make it maintenance friendly.  All along the sides of the brick wall, we pulled or cut away a foot of vegetation.  This extended behind the clump in the middle.  Most of it were vines that had grown up along the walls of the bricks.  While this is pretty to look at, it also poses a problem with high winds as the roots of the vines will weaken the mortar and add a heavy weight to wall.

Once we cut away from from wall, we went to work re-using and re-planting the existing foliage that could be saved.  We believe in being as friendly to the environment as possible and letting mother nature do the rest for us.  The customer had some left over bricks, which we used as bases for the bird bath and the stone bench.  The bricks create a solid and stable surface as well as spreading out the weight.  In the future they won't sink.

Here's what it looked like after the first day:

We liked this because it shows what a little bit of elbow grease (and a lot of sweat!) can do.  There was no cost of supplies because all we did was use existing materials to create a usable space for the homeowner.

The homeowner is looking forward to us coming back and doing more work on this area in the future, and we're happy to oblige!  If you are in the Central Florida, Winter Park, Maitland, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Winter Springs, Orange County, Seminole County or Southern Volusia County areas and you would like some of this type of landscaping done, we'd love to talk to you!  Email us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com or call us (but email is better... we're always out in the field).  We look forward to earning your business.

Sprinkler and Irrigation System Pump Repair in Winter Park

We recently had a homeowner contact us about repairing the pump system to the sprinklers. The hapless homeowner had not one but two previous 'irrigation experts' come out to try and fix the problem. Not only did they not fix the problem, but they both disappeared with the cash and left the situation worse than before.

So I offered to take a look at the system and offer a diagnosis. The first thing we did was to rule out supply issues. This pump pull from a well, so I checked the USGS water levels in the area and determined that even with the recent dry weather, the local water tables were back to typical levels as gauged by years' past. Next was to see if the previous attempts at repairs had left air gaps in the PVC. We simply took kitchen plastic wrap and duct tape and wrapped the pipes. There was still only about 10lbs of output pressure.

In this photo you can see some of the plastic wrap and duct tape that we used to rule out leaks in the pipe:

We wanted to check the valves as well to insure that the lack of pressure was not at the output side. So we dug out the valves. There was +24V feeding all the valves and it was working with the timer, so we were able to rule that out. Therefore, there was only one last thing: the pump itself.

The homeowner had offered to simply replace the pump, but this was a Berkeley pump and rather expensive. My thought process on these is that the more expensive the pump, the greater the ability to replace worn parts. It's 'price vs. cost of ownership', and these are great pumps. Any replacement would be going far backwards...

This is the pump once we got it out.  Pretty simple mechanism, water goes in the hole in the middle and is flung out the sides:

So I pulled out the pump and discovered the issue within 5 seconds: whoever replaced the pump previously had failed to line up the motor, diffusor, manifold and intake. The rubber diffusor ring therefore slipped, fell, and was wedged between diffusor and intake pipe! A $5 part, always seems to be the culprit. Once we swapped that out, the pressure was not high enough (50+ lbs with all valves closed) so we obtained further replacement parts and then the system was back to running like new. BTW, running like new means 40lbs of pressure with a sprinkler line open, 50+ with the all valves closed.

At the end of the day, the homeowner spent less than the cost of a new pump and ended up with a better system that will work quietly in the background for years to come.

Here's some photos of the system once it was put back together:

We also repaired the piping going to the pressure valve (those are the small pipes on the bottom):

If you need your sprinklers, motors, pumps, heads, piping, misters, rotors, or any other part of your irrigation system repaired, designed or installed please give us a call or email us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com. We service Orange County, Seminole County and the surrounding area. This includes Winter Park, Orlando, Maitland, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Garden, Altamonte Springs, and anywhere else in the neighborhood. We're your neighbor too!

Handyman Service Exterior Stucco Repair and Painting in Winter Park

Recently, we had a customer contact us about fixing the exterior stucco that was falling off of the outside of the garage. We took a look and tapped the wall to determine just exactly how bad the was the damage. The cracking began where the gutter drain was located at the corner, so the wall was getting water from both the drain and the ground which had built up over years. Additionally, there was a sprinkler head that was hitting this wall. Three sources of constant wetness created the problem.

Here's what it looked like when we first came upon it:

The trickiest part of this was getting the new texture to match the old texture. We did this by first applying the underlying layer of stucco and left just a little bit to go. A day later, we returned and made a soupy mix of stucco mix, water, and paint. It's hard to describe, but the texturing was achieved by applying the soupy stucco mix and then using a trowel we would pull up on the mix creating a craggy surface, and then using a floater we would lightly swipe the surface in the apparent direction of the original texture. In the end, we were able to create just the right look and the homeowner was ecstatic.

The following pictures are with only one single topcoat of paint. The homeowner wants us back to paint the entire wall, but we're waiting for the rainy season in Florida to be finished. Nevertheless, even with a single coat, the match is extremely close:

 

One thing we did learn along the way is that the original seems to have been done back in the 1970s. The chips we removed had two distinct layers, one of the typical gray stucco, and an equally thick top layer of a yellow stucco mix with little flakes of shiny material. In the 70's there were people who sprayed this mixture on the top of the first layer of stucco so that it was stucco'd, painted and textured all at the same time, and if something scratched away the scratch would still be the original color. Clever technique which we duplicated.

If you need stucco repair, stucco painting, interior painting, exterior painting, trim work, stucco re-painted, glazing or patching, please give us a call or email us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com. We service Orange County, Seminole County and the surrounding area. This includes Winter Park, Orlando, Maitland, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Garden, Altamonte Springs, and anywhere else in the neighborhood.

Rush Job! Handyman Service Painting of a Master Bedroom in Waterford Lakes

We were recently called on to do an emergency Handyman interior paint job for a customer. This family cleaned out the Master Bedroom in preparation for painting, but their previous handyman had disappeared. The found us and we pushed aside some other projects so that Mom and Dad could sleep in their own bed again!

This room was painted the typical all white, and the homeowner had pulled aside all the furniture so we were able to get right to work. This one was fairly simple, except that the walls were very high in one area. The color was a sort of salmon, and it eventually grew on us.

Here's the finished, painted Master Bedroom:

The paint was chosen by the homeowner and was a primer/top coat. Because of the texturing in the walls, the age of the drywall, and thickness of the paint, a gallon would only cover about 250 square feet. In this case, a small splash of water in the pan can stretch the paint closer to the typical 400 square footage. However, this is a tricky thing to do, and if you try it, use just a little water and make certain that you mix it well. And of course, it had better be a water-based latex!

If you need interior painting, exterior painting, trim work, stucco re-painted, glazing or patching, please give us a call or email us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com. We service Orange County, Seminole County and the surrounding area. This includes Winter Park, Orlando, Maitland, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Garden, Altamonte Springs, and anywhere else in the neighborhood.

Handyman Service Interior Painting of a Child And Baby Room in Waterford Lakes

We were recently called on to do a rush Handyman job for a customer. This family had prepared the child's room but their previous handyman had disappeared. The found us and we pushed aside some other projects so that the child could sleep in their own room... we have a soft spot when we can hear the child crying in the background while the homeowner is asking us if we can come out on a Sunday!

This room was painted the typical all white, and the homeowner had pulled aside all the furniture so we were able to get right to work. The colors they picked out were a baby blue and a bright yellow, and were just right for a kids room. Because of the speed with which we had to work, we had to free-hand the corners where the blue and yellow met, i.e. no tape to make the line sharp. Also, the owner wanted the raised sections of the French closet doors painted in blue as well, which was another freehand task but smartly pulled the room together.

Here's the finished, painted kids room:

In this case, the paint was chosen by the homeowner and was a primer/top coat. Because of the texturing in the walls, the age of the drywall, and thickness of the paint, a gallon would only cover about 250 square feet. In this case, a small splash of water in the pan can stretch the paint closer to the typical 400 square footage. However, this is a tricky thing to do, and if you try it, use just a little water and make certain that you mix it well. And of course, it had better be a water-based latex!

Overall, this job took about 9 man-hours to complete.  A little longer than normal for a room but we wanted the child to enjoy this room for years to come!

If you need interior painting, exterior painting, trim work, stucco re-painted, glazing or patching, please give us a call or email us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com. We service Orange County, Seminole County and the surrounding area. This includes Winter Park, Orlando, Maitland, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Garden, Altamonte Springs, and anywhere else in the neighborhood.

Handyman Service Exterior Painting of a Pergola in Maitland

Have you ever seen those structures outside of a house made of posts and large 2x10's and wondered what they were called? They're called a 'pergola' and is Italian in origin. This is a feature that will provide partial shade for a sitting area or walkway. There will be a structure of posts and frame which typically attach to a building. On top of this post and frames will be a series of large beams and held in place by another series of smaller boards running perpendicular to the beams, and this creates an open lattice.

Since these are exposed to the elements, and in Florida the sun, they must be taken care of regularly, i.e. painted on an annual or bi-annual basis. Here's one that we did for a customer in Maitland, Florida.

When we first saw it, the previous paint was very faded and was not present in many locations. Also, the top was not painted, allowing water to enter from the top and then seep out the sides. Very bad for the wood and would have allowed the pergola to eventually rot away. Painting a pergola takes a deceptively long time because there is a lot of surface area. This one took us a total of 7 man-hours to paint from top to bottom.

Here's the finished, painted Pergola:

When we were done painting, the pergola looked like new.  In case you were wondering, we used Kilz exterior white paint. It has a very strong odor and is a little more expensive, but it will absolutely do the trick. This paint will retain its color and will form a protective barrier to the elements. Better a few extra bucks spent on the paint to do the job right, than to have to come back out in six months and do it all again.

If you need interior painting, exterior painting, trim work, stucco re-painted, glazing or patching, please give us a call or email us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com. We service Orange County, Seminole County and the surrounding area. This includes Winter Park, Orlando, Maitland, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Garden, Altamonte Springs, and anywhere else in the neighborhood.

Yard Cleanup, Debris Removal, Mowing and Lawn Care in Winter Park

This is a small yard that we take care of for a nice lady. When we first arrived, there was a fair bit of the accumulated debris that happens over time, and the back yard had been untended.

Here are some of the 'before' pictures:

We cleanup up the trash and organized the remaining things that the homeowner would want. Afterwards, we saw that there was a birdbath that wasn't being used, and lots of little fencing accents. So we put the bird bath in the center of the yard where nothing was growing (basically a patch of sand). There were several bags of potting soil left on the ground. We placed the potting soil around the birdbath and the orange tree, then arranged the small fencing around each item. Finally, when we were raking some of the leaves, we took the leaves and turned them into a natural mulch for the birdbath and orange tree, so the homeowner could have two accents in the yard. The best thing? No cost! We were able to utilize the existing materials at hand.

Here's what she look out at now:

Of course, we now now maintain this yard for the homeowner.

If need yard work done, to include cleanup, debris removal, trimming, mowing and clipping, please give us a call or email us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com. We service Orange County, Seminole County and the surrounding area. This includes Winter Park, Orlando, Maitland, Longwood, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Winter Garden, Altamonte Springs, and anywhere else in the neighborhood.

Tile Backsplash Installation Video

We recently installed a tile backsplash for a customer and they liked it so much that they took a video and posted it to Youtube!  Here it is:

Full kitchen installation

Here's a full kitchen installation that required quite a bit of skill.  The previous tenants had ripped out everything down to the walls.  There were holes everywhere in the drywall as well as large sections of tile that needed to be filled.  Adding to the complication, the client furnished us with cabinets that had been pulled from another home, so the cabinets needed to be modified to fit this space.  We finished this off with a granite countertop.

Here's the before picture:

And now the after photo:

If you need a new kitchen installed, email us today at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com and we would love the opportunity to earn your business!

Kitchen Tile Installation

This is a kitchen tile install that we recently performed.  We needed to pull out 3 layers of linoleum to get down to the actual flooring.  Once we were done, we grouted and installed the matching floor edging.

Here's what the kitchen floor looked like before:



 And here's the tile afterwards:

If you're in the Winter Park or metro Orlando area, please email us at winterparkhandyman@gmail.com.  We'd like to earn your business!