The Handymen

01/09/2025

Are you enjoying the challenge of navigating slippery sidewalks and driveways after the recent snowfall? I walk every morning, and this week’s snowfall has left a treacherous layer of ice, especially on sidewalks that haven’t been shoveled. With conventional boots or shoes, slipping feels almost inevitable.

This morning on my walk, I heard the siren of a fire truck, followed shortly by an ambulance. As I turned the corner, I came upon the scene: a man sitting on the icy sidewalk, surrounded by firemen. Next to him was the bag of trash he’d been carrying out to the curb. A simple chore turned into what could be a life-altering moment.

Sadly, I’m sure this scenario has played out countless times over the past few days. Slip and fall—it happens in an instant.

For years, I’ve relied on ice cleats for my boots whenever there’s snow or ice. Over time, I’ve tried various types. Some have spring-like coils on the bottom, while others use chains, but neither works well on slick ice. Now, I use cleats with spikes, similar to the studs on snow tires. They perform exceptionally well on powdery snow, slick ice, and the uneven surfaces of sidewalks and streets.

I imagine if he could go back in time the man taking out his trash this morning would gladly invest in a pair of ice cleats before his ordeal. A pair of ice cleats might seem minor, but they could mean the difference between a safe walk and a life-changing fall. How do you plan to stay steady on your feet this winter?

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06/28/2024

Applewood Plumbing: stay away from it. This is just another example of a company that consistently overcharges, especially with older people and people who don't understand what needs to be done and how much it should cost.

Steve On Your Side has tips on how to get the best deal when you have an emergency plumbing problem.

04/29/2022

Many years of water seeping under the deck plate of the faucet and it was a mass of rust. The bolts were not going to unscrew, they just broke from the plate and spun. The next step was to drill them out from the top, being careful not to damage the sink. It added about an hour to the job. The beauty of the new faucet more than makes up for the added work.

11/11/2020

06/23/2019

Do you have a sprinkler timer? If so, then this may be for you.

I got one of these timers at the beginning of this season and find it amazing. It connects to WiFi and the weather. It then calculates when and how much to water.

On my walk this morning, I noticed many sprinklers running. With all of the rain we have had that isn’t necessary but because the timer doesn't know about the rain, it just keeps going. I had my old timer set for every three days. If it rained, I tried to remember to skip a cycle but that wasn’t always successful.

This timer is so cool because it runs a cycle based on soil type, amount of shade, what the temperature has been, how much moisture there has been and how much is expected. It is amazing and I can see that it will save a lot on my water bill.

Denver Water is also offering a $75.00 rebate so after that it costs almost nothing. If you are not handy, you can even get installation through Amazon.

Adding to their legacy of top-of-line sprinkler timers, Orbit is pleased to announce the addition of their most intuitive, feature-rich timer to date. The Orbit B-hyve Smart WiFi Sprinkler Controller is made in the USA with global materials. The perfect timer for new installations or for replacem...

03/06/2019

I have had a handyman business for 34 years. As I went to install a garbage disposal today I saw this price estimate from yesterday for the same job.

Here is a warning about companies out there that take advantage of people not knowing how much a repair should cost. Many of these companies advertise flat-rate pricing. If you have a competent and honest worker, time and material is always going to be cheaper. Also beware if a plumber shows up in a white shirt - more of a salesman than a worker.

Here is an example of a ripoff. Look at the picture. Their basic charge for a standard disposal installation is $655.00. The deluxe model is $1057.00. What you need to know is that the standard disposal costs about $110 and the deluxe one is around $300.

So, labor on the standard is over $500 and if you get the deluxe it is over $700. Both take the same time to install which is under an hour. That may not be illegal but it is certainly an overcharge.

My minimum charge is $118.00 for the first two hours of time. With the disposal and tax my charge to the customer was $237.00.

It always makes me sad to see people being overcharged.

02/14/2019

A burst washing machine hose is a top homeowner Insurance claim.

Washing machine fill hose failure could flood your house and cause thousands of dollars in damage. State Farm says about 150 million dollar...

07/15/2018

I thought this was a really good article on decluttering. I received it from a realtor friend of mine. If you need help buying or selling a home, Garland Thurman is one of the best. His contact info is at the bottom.

But most important, great advice on getting rid of the junk!

03/21/2018

I must give a warning about Applewood Plumbing, Heating and Electric.

I had another customer today telling me about their experience with Applewood. Their toilet was leaking water from the tank to the bowl. They had Applewood out and were told that the toilet couldn't be fixed and they would need a new one and that would cost $1600.00.

I looked in the tank and could see that the gasket on the flush valve needed to be replaced. Picked up the part at the hardware for $4.00. That is all that was needed. Took about five minutes to install and the time to pick up the part.

I have had multiple customers through the years who have recounted their stories of Applewood. It's usually about the same story that ends with a very inflated cost. Many were about garbage disposals where the cost ranged from $500 to over $1000. That is for a disposal that costs around $100 and takes less than an hour to install.

The toilet I mentioned above would cost from $125 to $300 and take less than an hour to install.

So hopefully that gives you an idea of what I am warning about. And it's not just Applewood. There are many other companies like them. I always think that if a plumber shows up in a white shirt he is more of a salesman than a plumber.

11/08/2017

Make sure to disconnect your hoses from your outside faucets. A freeze is coming.

03/23/2017

Taking down Christmas lights today. Thankful that it's warmer than the day I put them up.

03/22/2017

Worked on this yesterday.