Pictou County Handyman

06/27/2024

When your wife asks for a small veggie garden and it’s a month before your 35th wedding anniversary - even though this isn’t an anniversary gift - you go the extra mile to make it look nice and functional. I didn’t want to use pressure treated material near food producing plants and I didn’t want to spend days waiting for waterproofing products to dry. After a little research I found a nontoxic waterproof Gorilla tape. I double capped the ends and applied a double overlapping wrap on the bottom of each post. The 5’ high 11’x12’ fenced garden is attached to the existing deck and is wrapped in a fine mesh deer netting. The transplanted tomatoes are ripening already and the peppers are budding and flowering. This was a very rewarding project! (The woodshed in the background is still awaiting barn doors… that will be happening soon and will warrant a future fb post.

01/13/2024

It’s a pleasure to trim windows in an ocean-view cottage. The view was too beautiful to go with a standard picture-frame style casing so the homeowner considered 6 options and made the decision to go with a flat casing with a mission sill.

Most people refer to the board along the bottom of the window (on the inside of the house) as a sill but it’s actually called a stool. The piece of board below the stool, that is flat against the wall, is called an apron. The sill is actually the bottom part of the window on the outside of the house.

The jamb extension (the piece of wood that fills in the gap between the window and the drywall) was cut from 1” pine. The stool was also cut from 1” pine. The casings and apron were cut from MDF. It’s not recommended to use MDF for jamb extensions or window stools as moisture will cause the MDF to swell and deform.

The homeowner is going to apply an oil-based primer to the finished trim before applying the trim paint. Unfinished MDF will swell from the moisture in latex paint so it needs to be sealed first. The oil-based primer will also help keep any tannin (resin) in the pine from bleeding through latex paint.

The 3.5” casing really accentuates these windows and adds to the cottage charm.

12/27/2023

I had an opportunity to design and help build a half bath for a beautiful family and to tag team with the talented dad to split up the work to complete the project by early December.

The challenge was to make it all work in less than 30 square feet with no exterior light source and to make it look like it was always there. I went high tech by taking pencil to graph paper and designed a room with a corner cut door with a window above to let in some natural light from the surrounding windows.

I completed the design, framing, drywall, plastering, sanding, door box build, and door trimming/hanging. The dad subbed out the plumbing and flooring and he completed the painting, window install, casing and baseboard.

The old solid cedar door was a 1/2” out of square and in need of edge dressing. Incorporating the 100+ yr old door really helped tie it all together.

12/02/2023

Adding a tiled backsplash really adds to the look of a kitchen and protects the walls from grease splatters from cooking on the stove.

This tile had a deep surface pattern so I bevel cut the corners at a 45 degree angle to minimize the joint. The tiles in the corner were cut to allow the pattern to continue from left to right.

With the number of cuts involved (corners, electrical outlets, under cabinets, etc) I pre cut the entire wall, test placed the pattern with painters tape, numbered each tile as I took it back down, and then attached them to the wall with a mortar cement.

09/27/2023

It’s amazing what a couple of coats of paint can do. Here’s the before and after for a Pictou County customer ( # on the garage has been blurred out).

08/28/2023

Building a woodshed involves picking the right location and having a stable foundation. A cord of hardwood can weigh up to 3,000 lb and this shed is designed to hold 5 cords.

We decided to go with Tuftex clear roof panels for the roof. It’s 1/2 the price of a traditional shingled roof and allows the light to aid in drying the wood. Using reclaimed deck boards for the walls is another great way to keep costs down.

Building the shed on the sloped end of our property allows for air to flow up through the pallet floor and the 1” spacing between the boards on the walls will ensure that the firewood dries quickly.

We’ll add the front panels and doors in the coming weeks.

08/28/2023

Buying a “turnkey” house is never turnkey. We decided shortly after moving in to add in a kitchenette in the basement. The space was open from the bottom of the basement stairs to the far outside wall. I added in a “separator” wall to define the space, added electrical for the lights and plugs, drywalled, plastered, painted, and added in the cabinets, countertop, sink, and faucet. I subbed out tying in the electrical to the panel and tying in the plumbing - I’m not licensed for that stuff so there’s some lines I do not cross even though I have the skills to do it.

We decided to limit the reno costs by keeping the existing flooring so we chose a colour scheme to match. It’s got a Starbucks coffee counter feel which we kinda like ;)

08/28/2023

My handyman services include the installation, repair, and maintenance of drywall (along with plastering and interior/exterior painting), doors and windows, door hardware, trim (doors, windows, baseboards), decks, fences and gates, organization (shelving, closet organizers), kitchens, bathrooms, screens (windows and doors), roofing repairs, and tiling.

I also offer Smart home upgrades, baby-proofing, window washing, winterization, real-estate presale prep, picture hanging and installation, and furniture assembly.

If you’re looking for something not on the list just send me a message or give me a call.

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08/28/2023

Utilizing every usable square foot is important when you’re living in a small space. Installing removable wood corner shelves makes for smart storage. Installing adjustable height wire shelving is a great way to allow your space to grow and change to meet your storage needs. Enhancing a closet with aromatic cedar is icing on the cake.

08/28/2023

Our major kitchen build started in 2007 with the removal of the existing 9x10 L-shaped kitchen, removal of part of the wall between the kitchen and dining room, addition of a new wall to define the bar counter area, moving of the wall between the kitchen and laundry room, and building in a new 9x16 kitchen complete with custom wooden and marble countertops and modified IKEA cabinets.

I did all the work myself, including plumbing, electrical, studs, drywall, plastering, painting, cabinet assembly, cabinet modification, and countertop creation/installation.

We were looking for a couple of key features that didn’t exist with the IKEA cabinets so I made modifications to fit our needs. The glass front “floating” cabinet above the wooden bar counter was made from 2 wall cabinets that had 4” removed from the depth of each cabinet and then joined to make one cabinet with doors on both facing sides. The lower section of the bar counter was lowered 4” below standard counter height so the baker of the house could have an ergonomically friendly space for kneading dough and making delicious meals. The tall cabinet at the entrance of the kitchen had 8” removed from its depth to accommodate a concrete structural pillar that could not be moved.