Orlando Handyman Sevices Installs 

8' x 16' Arrow Shed

 

Handy Tips for Christmas Lights and Trees

Knee-Saving Watering Technique

To make tree watering easier, hang a funnel from a tree branch with a loop of clothes hanger. Then slip a plastic tube over the end of the funnel and run the tube along the trunk and into the water reservoir. To prevent overfilling, have one of the kids watch the water level or put a finger in the reservoir and tell you when it's full.

A voltage checker will identify and often times help you to fix most problems in miniature and icicle light sets

Hose Reel for Holiday Lights

To keep holiday lights from getting tangled and make it easy to string them around the yard, roll all the strings of lights onto a portable hose reel with wheels and a handle.

Autumn Maintenance Tips

Home Exterior

• Regularly clean gutters and downspouts. Make sure all drainage areas are unblocked by leaves and debris. Consider installing gutter guards to make the job a lot easier.
• Use a screwdriver to probe the wood trim around windows, doors, railings and decks. Use caulk to fill the holes or completely replace the wood.
• Lower humidity and cooler (not yet cold) temperatures make fall a good time to paint the exterior of your home.
• Inspect your roof, or hire a licensed professional to examine your roof for wear and tear. If the shingles are curling, buckling or crackling, replace them. If you have a lot of damage, it's time to replace the entire roof. Also, check the flashing around skylights, pipes and chimneys. If you have any leaks or gaps, heavy snow and ice will find its way in.
• To prevent exterior water pipes from bursting when the weather gets below freezing, turn off the valves to the exterior hose bibs. Run the water until the pipes are empty. Make sure all the water is drained from the pipes, if not; the water can freeze up and damage the pipes.

Keeping Warm

• Have your wood-burning fireplace inspected, cleaned and repaired to prevent chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Wrap water pipes that run along exterior walls with heating tape. It will save energy and prevent them from freezing.
• Clean and replace filters in your furnace or heating system. Contact a licensed heating contractor to inspect and service your gas heater or furnace to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Your local utility company will often provide this service for free.
• If you use a hot water system for heating, drain the expansion tank, check the water pressure, and bleed your radiators.
• Check the attic to make sure the insulation is installed properly. The vapor barrier on insulation should face down toward the living space. If it is installed incorrectly (with the vapor barrier facing up) then the insulation will trap moisture causing possible water problems. Cut slits in the vapor barrier to allow moisture to escape. To install attic insulation, unroll the insulation with the paper side out. Install small pieces of insulation between the joists on the attic floor. Be careful not to step between the joists.

Doors and Windows

The change in temperature and humidity and normal wear and tear can cause window seals to crack and shrink. Check your windows and doors inside and out for leaks and drafts. Caulk cracks or install weather stripping around windows and doors, including the garage door. Replace screens with storm windows and clean them if needed.

Gardens

• Fall is the perfect time to divide or move perennials. Remove dead annuals and mulch hardy perennials. Annuals typically die when temperatures drop below freezing. But perennials often appear as though they too have bitten the bullet. That's because their top growth dies back, although in most cases the root ball is hardy enough to survive even extreme temperatures, especially if it's covered with a layer of mulch.
• The best time to mulch perennials is after the first hard freeze. Just make sure you don't cover the crown or center of the plant, because that can lead to rot.
• Clean garden tools before storing for the winter.
• Trim dead branches out the trees to prevent them from coming down and causing damage in a winter storm.

• Lawn Care

  • Rake up the thick layers of leaves that settle on lawn surfaces. Large leaves in particular, especially when they get wet, can compact to the point where they suffocate the grass below and lead to all kinds of insect and disease problems. So it's a good idea to routinely rake or blow them off the lawn or, better yet, use a mulching mower to shred them into fine pieces.
  • Put the raked leaves in the compost pile or use as a mulch. Whatever you do, don't waste fallen leaves because they're an excellent source of nutrients and organic matter. You can also add them to flower beds to put a winter blanket on your garden.
  • Fall is a good time to aerate your lawn; it will allow moisture and nutrients to get into the roots. When you're done, spread fertilizer then grass seed.
  • This will be the ideal time to sow cool-season grasses such as fescue and rye - it will give them the opportunity to germinate and develop a good root system before freezing temperatures arrive. It's also the right time to fertilize turf grasses, preferably with slow-release, all-natural fertilizer. When given adequate nutrients, turf grasses have the ability to store food in the form of carbohydrates during the winter months. That will mean a better-looking lawn come spring.

  Attic Pest Control

  • Pests love attics because they are full of nice warm insulation for nesting, and they offer easy access to the rest of the house. With gable vents that lead into the attic it is a good idea to install a screen behind them to keep those critters out.
  • Even after closing off those entryways, pests can still find a way in. The first place to check for any unwanted guests is under the kitchen cupboards and appliances.

  Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors

• Each fall, check carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms and put in fresh batteries. These are very important detectors to have in a home. A smoke alarm can save lives in a house fire. A carbon monoxide detector can also save lives if a home has oil or gas-burning appliances, like a furnace or water heater.
• Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless byproduct of burning oil or natural gas, and it can be deadly. For just a few dollars, a carbon monoxide detector will sound an alarm if the levels get too high.
• Always install carbon monoxide detectors according to manufacturer's instructions. Generally they should be installed near each potential source of carbon monoxide, and within ear shot of the living and sleeping areas.

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How to Pest-Proof Your House in 15 Minutes

Watching the leaves change is arguably the greatest pastime of fall. The worst? Dealing with unwanted house guests—rodents, cockroaches, stinkbugs, spiders, and other insects that are looking for a warm, cozy place to curl up for the winter. Opting for the chemical pest-control sprays at your local hardware store will only pollute your air, and could put you at risk for various types of cancer and nervous system problems. Also, they’re unnecessary. Most pests can be controlled with some do-it-yourself pest-control tricks that take less than 15 minutes and could actually save you money in the long run.
Got a few minutes? Here's what to do:
#1: Set out some sticky traps. It can take all of five minutes to set out glue traps, such as the Victor Poison-Free Insect Magnet.
What you'll trap: Anything that crawls—spiders, stinkbugs, roaches, ants, crickets, and silverfish.

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#2: Clean up your kitchen. Set aside 15 minutes of every day to wipe down your countertops with vinegar (vinegar removes odor trails left behind by foraging insects such as ants), put dirty dishes in your dishwasher, sweep your floors, mop up any spills, put away food, and empty your garbage, if needed. On grocery day, transfer any food that comes in a plastic bag from its original packaging to tightly sealed glass jars, particularly grains, rice, pet food, and nuts.
What you'll trap: Pests coming inside looking for a meal, from roaches and ants to rodents, as well as wasps and spiders, which feed on the insects coming indoors looking for food.
#3: Seal up their entry points. This project could take longer than 15 minutes, only because it involves a little bit of hunting. Insects and rodents will use even the tiniest hole to get inside your warm, cozy home, and a tube of low-VOC silicone caulk, which you can find at any hardware store, can be your best friend in sealing up those holes. Pay particular attention to window and door frames, the seal around your external dryer vent, anyplace where pipes enter or leave your home, and anywhere TV or cable wires come inside. Stuff some steel wool into larger holes, or cover them with wire mesh, before sealing them up. The good news? In sealing up all those pest entry points, you'll also be sealing up tiny air leaks that allow precious heat to escape your home during the winter.
What you’ll trap: Every pest that views your house as its new home.
#4: Install a door sweep. Another tool that keeps pests from entering your home and will save you energy this winter, a door sweep blocks the gap between the bottom of your door and the ground. You can buy one at any hardware store, and for a super-easy fix, buy the kind that simply sticks onto the door with an adhesive strip—no drilling needed.
What you’ll trap: As with caulk, every pest that views your house as its new home.
#5: Vacuum. It won’t be possible to seal up every hole or keep every critter from crawling indoors. That’s where a weekly vacuuming session comes in handy. You’ll suck up any crawling insects that make it indoors and trap them before they can get crushed and stink (stinkbugs) or leave stains (some varieties of ladybugs). Plus, if they’re gross—cockroaches—you can vacuum them up without having to squish anything.
What you’ll trap: All crawling insects.
#6: Clear the clutter. In addition to weekly vacuuming, spend 15 minutes a week clearing out piles of newspaper or junk mail and removing piles of clothing from your floors. All these things serve as nice, dark hiding places for insects.
What you’ll trap: Roaches, spiders, stinkbugs, and silverfish.
#7: Fix leaky faucets. Insects need water to survive, and the most common source for them is a drippy faucet. Fixing leaky faucets is a lot easier than you might think and, like sealing up cracks, it’s an insect-control measure that’s good for your wallet and for the planet.
What you’ll trap: Rodents, roaches, and spiders.

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How to install motion detector lights

How motion detectors work

Motion detectors are small electronic eyes that detect infrared waves—heat waves that radiate from moving objects. When the detector senses an object moving across its field of view—especially warmer objects such as people, animals and cars—it electronically turns on the lights. The light stays on anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes, depending on how you preset the timer. Then the detector automatically shuts the light off unless it continues to sense movement. A photocell deactivates the light during daylight hours. Most motion detectors have a semicircular field of view of up to 240 degrees and a distance range, adjustable on most detectors, that extends to 70 ft. or more. The detector will react to the movement of your dog, an approaching person, a passing car or sometimes even wind-blown leaves.
Nuisance “trips,” such as blowing leaves or a passing car, can fool the detector and turn the lights on when you don’t want them. These can be annoying to both you and your neighbors, and in fact, some homeowners won’t install motion detector lights for this reason. However, you can solve most unwanted switching-on by adjusting the distance-range setting and by carefully aiming the sensor to limit its field of view. You can also narrow the field of view even more by applying tape to the sensor, as shown in Photo 7. If nuisance trips concern you, be sure to buy a light that has an adjustable distance/range setting, and an aimable detector unit as shown in Fig. A, Nos. 1 and 3.
Motion detectors allow you to operate the light in the conventional, manual way, usually by flipping a switch  off for a second, then back on. This allows you to keep the light on at night when you want to, even when there’s no motion. By double flipping a second time, you return to automatic.

Motion detector and light styles

Figure A: Motion detector and light styles

There are many motion detector and light styles to choose from.

Where to put them

For best effectiveness, position motion detector sensors to cover the walks leading to your front and back doors and the driveway (see lead illustration). That way the lights will come on when you come home at night. You can also use them to light up decks, patios and any potentially hazardous locations such as around stairways and swimming pools.
If improved security is a priority, position the lights to cover all the approaches to your house, including fence gates, the patio door, the darker areas of your yard, and around trees and bushes. Good lighting can’t guarantee security, of course, but it’s one of the best low-cost ways to get unwanted intruders to back away.
Ideally, it’s best to mount motion detector lights 6 to 10 ft. above the ground and position them so that most movement will occur across the sensitivity zone rather than directly toward the detector. Obviously you can’t always do that if you use existing light locations. One solution is to buy a remote motion sensor unit that you can mount some distance away from the light itself (Fig. A, #3). The wires connecting them to the light are low voltage and may not be dangerous, so you don’t have to enclose them in metal or plastic conduit.

How to install motion detector lights, step-by-step

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Photo 1: Shut of the electricity

Turn off the power to the fixture at the main panel, then test the wires to make sure the current is off. Rub one lead of a voltage tester (from hardware stores or home centers) against the ground wire and rub the other lead first against the hot wire (black), then the neutral wire (white). If the tester lights up in either case, the power is still on. Shut off the correct circuit at the main panel.

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Motion detector lights are easy to install, but each brand has a few different details, so read the instructions. You’ll find the basic information printed on the outside of the box. Read the box before you buy the unit so you know what you’re getting. You’ll find more detailed instructions inside the box.
Our step-by-step photos and tips from our experts provide a general guide of how to do the job. In most cases, you’ll simply replace an existing fixture with the new one, as our photos show. Make sure to turn off the power to the fixture at the main panel before removing it.
However, if you have to run a new electrical line and install a switch, the job can get much more complex. Outdoor electrical lines must be encased in approved conduit and weatherproof electrical boxes. If you’re not familiar with conduit or the rules for running new electrical circuits, call in a licensed electrician.
Working with old electrical boxes can be tricky too. Sometimes they don’t contain a ground wire (bare wire or one with green insulation) or other grounding means such as metal conduit. The National Electrical Code requires all electrical boxes and fixtures to be grounded. If you’re not sure yours is, check with your electrical inspector to determine if you have to run a new ground wire.
Additional installation tips:

• The cover of an outdoor electrical box must be waterproof. Seat the rubber gasket carefully (Photo 4). And if you are placing it against a rough surface, caulk it as well.
• Moisture can seep into the detector and light and ruin them. To prevent this, either locate the fixture under an eave or other protected area or buy one that has bulb seals  and angle the bulbs downward so water can’t run into the
• Heat from the light bulb itself can confuse the detector. Keep the bulb and detector as far apart as possible
• Adjust the field-of-view angle and set the distance range of your motion detector to avoid nuisance trips from normal passing traffic, animals, pools of water, air conditioners, heating vents and wind-blown trees and shrubs

Get an electrical permit from your local department of inspections. Check for special local rules and have your work inspected when finished.
CAUTION:Don’t let your ladder or your body touch lethal overhead power lines while you’re working.
CAUTION: Aluminum wiring requires special handling. If you have aluminum wiring, call in a licensed pro who’s certified to work with it. This wiring is dull gray, not the dull orange that’s characteristic of copper.

Size requirements of electrical boxes

You also need to check out the size of your electrical box. A shallow box like the one shown in Photo 1 no longer meets code requirements, and we had to replace it with a larger box, shown in Photos 2 and 3.
The computation table gives the method for calculating minimum box-size requirements. To do the calculation, count the number of wires coming into the box. However, some other things besides wires are counted as “wires” for computation purposes. For example, all the cable clamps used count for one wire, and we recommend always counting the fixture as two wires. Then multiply this total wire number by 2 cu. in. for 14-gauge wire (or 2.25 cu. in. for 12-gauge wire, even if there’s just one of the heavier wires in the box).
The computation method given here sometimes overestimates the minimum box size required by code, but it simplifies the calculation.Required Tools for this Project

Have the necessary tools for this project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.

• 4-in-1 screwdriver
• Wire stripper/cutter

Required Materials for this Project

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here's a list.

Motion detector light
Electrical box, remodeling type
Wire connectors
Clear silicone caulk
Electricians tape, plastic

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Garage Safety and Storage Tips

For many Americans, garages are the most well worn entryway to their homes.  Besides the daily family traffic, the garage is also a place where we risk safety by mixing things together for storage that would never be found in the same place anywhere else in our home.  Toys and toxins are a dangerous combination but check any garage and you are likely to see just that:  toys, bikes, and balls stored within inches of insecticides, turpentine and gasoline.
It should be no surprise, then, that these same spaces can be the source of many injuries.  Here are the main sources of garage dangers and what you need to know to make your garage safe:
DANGEROUS DOORS - The overhead door is most likely the largest and heaviest door in your home.  It is also the cause of three types of injuries:

• Crushing - According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4 children a year are crushed by garage doors.  These doors, powered by automatic openers, come down and simply don't stop.  While garage door openers have been required to have automatic reversing mechanisms since 1982, these mechanisms can wear out or fail if not properly maintained.  To be safe, test your door's ability to reverse by placing a 2x4 under the door.  When the door hits the wood, it should reverse and go back up.  If it doesn't, replace it.  Also, if your opener is more than 5 years old, it is also a good idea to replace it.  Garage door openers are an important piece of safety equipment and it's just not worth taking a chance with an old one.
• Pinching - Most garage doors are made of 4-large, horizontal, panels on hinges.  Unfortunately, these door sections can pinch children's fingers and cause severe injuries.  The solution is a pinch-free door design, which effectively pushes a child's fingers out of the way as the door closes.
• Flying Springs - Most garage doors are powered by very large, heavy, springs that provide the extra strength to lift the door.  The problem is that eventually, these springs WILL break.  When this happens, they'll fly off the door and across the room, potentially injuring anyone in their path.  The solution is a simple do-it-yourself safety trick.  When the door is in the closed position, thread a wire (picture hanging wire works well) inside the extended spring and secure it to the eyelet at each end.  With the wire in place, a broken spring will have no where to fly except safely back on the wire itself.

UNSAFE STORAGE - Playthings and poisons are a bad combination.  To keep your family safe, be sure to store dangerous chemicals out of the reach of children, or better yet, in a locked cabinet.  Also, be sure to keep chemicals in their original container with the labels in good condition.  Never purchase chemicals in quantities more than you will use in a reasonable period of time.  While it might make sense to buy a case of canned vegetables at the local supermarket warehouse, having to store leftovers from a 6-pack of ant poison isn't worth the risk.
Storing combustibles like gasoline, propane and kerosene is also something that needs careful planning.  These fuels must be stored in containers designed especially for them.  Gasoline cans, for example, have special vents to avoid the dangerous build up of combustible fumes.  Storing gas in anything else is an explosion waiting to happen.
Finally, common, everyday products like ladders and lawn tools can be unsafe if not stored correctly.  Ladders, for example should always be stored in a horizontal position so that children can not climb on them and tumble over.  Rakes, hedge trimmers and shovels left on the garage floor or leaning against a wall can easily fall under foot and cause injuries.  To be safe, use wall space and get as many of your tools off the floor as possible.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY - Electricity and water don't mix but this dangerous combination can easily happen in a garage.  To be safe, all garage circuits should be protected with a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter).  While regular circuit breakers are designed to prevent wires from overheating and causing a fire, a GFCI breaker is specifically designed to prevent shocks. A GFCI can be installed at an outlet or in the main circuit breaker panel and works to prevent a shock.
Secondly, most garages are not properly lit.  Fluorescent lamps tend to dim in colder weather and most garages simply don't have enough fixtures to help you see your way clear of storage and other hazards.  To avoid trouble, make sure that all garage outlets are protected by GFCI's and add additional lights as needed to see your way to safety.
SAFE STRUCTURES - Building codes require that garages be constructed to protect the rest of the home from fire damage should they become engaged in flame.  For the most part this is accomplished by what is known as the fire wall, a wall-assembly constructed to keep fire at bay by the use of fire resistant drywall and other similar tactics.  Unfortunately, older homes may not have a firewall and even modern homes may have had their firewalls rendered ineffective.  For example, in an effort to make use of every available space, many families install an attic stairs in the ceiling of the garage.  Unfortunately, doing so creates a hole in the fire wall and a short cut for fire to take out your entire home.  To ensure safety, make sure all walls and ceilings between your garage and your house are constructed with at least 5/8ths inch thick drywall and that any attic stairs are covered with sheet metal for fire resistance.
Finally, make sure your garage has a fire extinguisher rated A-B-C.   This means the extinguisher can handle all types of fires, including fires from wood and paper, electrical and gasoline or grease.
GREASY RAGS MUST GO - Old towels or t-shirts might make convenient rags to have in a garage, but when they become soiled with grease, oil, gasoline or any other flammable materials, they must be tossed.  These rags are nothing more than kindling that, with the right ignition source, can become the fireball that destroys your house.
Never try and wash rags like these.  The petroleum will leach into your washing machine and leave your next load of laundry smelling like yesterday's lawn mowing session.  Also, placing any rag that has contained a flammable substance into a hot dryer is extremely dangerous. Rags are cheap.  Always toss them and find new ones for your next project.
Garage safety is not hard to achieve.  The key is to get storage organized so that unsafe situations never have the chance to develop. For help with your projects

Choosing the Right Door Knob and Lockset

Introduction
Selecting the correct door knob and lock-set for your home is a decision you’ll have to make when replacing, installing new or upgrading your door hardware. You’ll be choosing the type of doorknob style you want and the appropriate lock-set mechanism for your needs. The type of lock-set you select will be based on the security function you want the door hardware to perform. The Doorknob
Although you may expect the doorknob to be a round or square knob, it may not be a knob at all. It may be a “lever handle” or it may be a “handle set” which is a combination thumb latch / handle used on exterior entry doors. Lever handles are easier to grab than doorknobs and are an approved operating device meeting handicap ADA Barrier Free / Accessible Design requirements. Doorknobs are not approved for this use because they require tight grasping, tight pinching or twisting of the wrist to operate. Although ADA compliance is required in commercial construction and not necessarily required in your home, these Accessible Design standards are still useful if a wheelchair bound person lives in or visits your home.
In any case, lever handles make it easier to open a door, especially for folks with arthritis. Personally I like the looks of lever handle door hardware and have lever handles in my home just for the style and convenience of use. I love them.
Also worth noting are the different ways the doorknob attach to the lock-set. On older style door hardware the doorknob is attached using an exposed set-screw that fastens the knob to a square threaded spindle. When turned, the square spindle rotated and operated the latch mechanism. The downside to this style of attachment (besides the unsightly set-screw) is that the set-screw style doorknob often becomes loose and may end up spinning in your hand.
The currently popular method of attaching a doorknob to the lock-set mechanism uses no screw at all, but rather a concealed device called a detent. This type of ”no-screw” doorknob is easily removed using a special technique.
The Lock-set
There are an infinite variety of finishes and designs of lock-sets but they all come down to four basic types:

• Passage Lock-set (no lock)
  This type is used for general passage room access doors, closets, hallways. Neither knob is lockable and both turn freely.
• Privacy Lock-set (key-less lock mechanism)
  This type of lock-set is used for access to rooms that need privacy such as some bedrooms and bathrooms. The privacy side is lockable by a turn button that turns a lock mechanism. There is a small hole in the knob on the other side of the lock-set that allows use of a small emergency key to open the door if necessary.
• Keyed Entrance Lock-set (keyed locking mechanism)
  This type of lock-set is lockable on both sides and can be used with interior or exterior applications. It may be locked or unlocked by using a key on the outside or from the inside by using the turn button.
• Dummy (non-functional)
  This last type is essentially just a handle and does not turn or activate any type of locking or latching mechanism.

So decide on the type of door knob style that best meets your design needs and then select your lock-set type based on the security function you want the door hardware to perform. After that its just a matter of selecting the finish of your new door hardware and your are all set

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