What happens when a homeowner wants to hold band practices at their house? Theses Exeter, NH homeowners had an extra room in their house (versus the traditional basement approach) but weren’t sure if they could add enough soundproofing to contain the noise for others in the home, and the neighborhood.

Eric wanted to hold band practice at and Marguerite wanted to explore what their options were and how much the project might cost. They were existing clients of my handyman business so they gave us a call to see what advice we could offer. READ MORE

Wondering what tape and mud means? Tape and mud are some of the magic ingredients used in home building. You see the results every day when you look at your walls and ceilings so you’re wondering where the magic is?

A stick-built home is made up of hundreds of 2 x 6 wall studs and even bigger pieces of lumber for all of the horizontal framing that goes into a house. Inside the wall cavities go all sorts of important things like your electrical wiring, your plumbing, your heat and air conditioning distribution (HVAC) components and more.

Learn about Habitat’s Women Build projects where you can learn to mud & more

Applying drywall mud is like spreading peanut butter? You spread the joint compound with a knife, until you have a smooth coating, to hide the seams joining 2 pieces of sheet rock along with the screws or nails used to hang the drywall. I’m still laughing at the analogy but it’s perfect! Credit goes to Chester Spier who I was chatting with this weekend about wallpaper repairs.

Watch a young child spread peanut butter, especially if they’re putting it on a cracker which is likely to break. We can’t remember when we learned to use a butter knife and that’s the point. Once you practice and master a skill like spreading peanut butter, you simply pick up the knife and never give it another thought. Spreading joint compound is just another skill, one that takes practice until you can do it with ease and get the results you want. READ MORE

Wall trim refers to many different types of decorative molding which can be added to walls to create decorative patterns and dress them up. Molding can be used as individual pieces and often they are combined to build up depth and more elaborate designs.

Traditionally trim molding has been wood which is painted or stained. Ceiling decorations and intricately carved designs are often made of plaster. More recently, new foam moldings have become available and while they may cost as much or more than the equivalent wood, they’re easier to install. The foam is cast from carved wood trim and can be painted so from a distance, you can’t tell that it’s not wood. READ MORE

Basic trim is a tool of the builder, covering up the gaps where different building materials meet. Drywall (also called sheet rock) covers the wall’s framing plus insulation on exterior walls. The trim used to cover gaps where the sheet rock meets windows and doors is called casing, i.e. the window casing. Where this same drywall meets the flooring whether it’s wood, carpeting or tile, there is also a gap which needs to be covered and that trim at the floor is called baseboard.

Trim can be simple or elegant depending on the style of the home and budget of the buyer. Homes built today typically use the same trim style throughout the house, providing continuity as you go from room to room. Simple trim will be a single piece of wood while more complicated designs can be built up from several pieces of wood combined to form the design. READ MORE

When we get in our cars and turn the key, we expect the engine to start and if there is a problem, we’re likely to hear it. We can  decide to fix it now or wait for the next scheduled maintenance check. Houses have problems too but rarely can we can hear the problem, and there is no manufacturer telling you how often to inspect your home. Few home owners have the skills to thoroughly inspect their home, so they rely on home inspections typical when selling and/or buying a house.

Can You Tell How Safe Your Home Is? READ MORE

What are popcorn ceilings? Most people equate popcorn with going to the movies and munching on the fluffy white stuff while sitting back and relaxing at the movie theater or at home. What does popcorn have to do with our homes?

Many home owners remember when they had a popcorn ceiling and wanted to get rid of  the bumpy texture. People feel it dates a house, that it’s difficult to paint and almost impossible to match texture after making repairs to the ceiling. Here is information to help you decide what to do with your popcorn ceilings. READ MORE

Often removing a popcorn ceiling becomes part of a ceiling repair.It is a very messy job but many home owners feel it is worth the expense in time and/or money to get a smooth or textured ceiling more to their liking.

The most common type of ceiling repair follows a water leak, from the roof or more often, from plumbing problems in an upstairs bathroom.  Covering water stains with a stain block can solve small problems, but there are many occasions when drywall (also called sheetrock) in the ceiling has to be replaced. With a popcorn ceiling, not only do you have to apply popcorn to the new sheetrock. You also need to remove the popcorn back far enough to properly mud the seams connecting the new drywall to the old ceiling. READ MORE

A handyman helps homeowners with almost any type of problem. While you might typically think it’s time to call a handyman when the job is too messy (drywall mud) or you don’t have the tools (tile wet saw) to get the job done quickly, the fact is they bring more knowledge to the job.

A house is made up of many interconnected systems that must all work together to keep you safe and comfy. Many homeowners call my handyman business asking for help with a problem when in fact, they may really only know the visible symptom of the problem. An important rule for any home repair is to back track until you find the source of the problem and fix that first. There is little point to repairing sheet rock if the water leak isn’t fixed. You also need to understand how the water traveled to the ceiling stain because often, and especially when water is involved, there is hidden damage that must also be corrected. READ MORE