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.

•  For help with all of your Home Projects Orlando Handyman

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

Need More Help?

What kinds of jobs can a handyman perform?

Some common jobs that a handyman might be hired for would include drywall repairs, paint touchup, replacing a bathroom vanity, replacing damaged boards in hardwood flooring, fixing a dripping faucet, replacing damaged pieces of siding, installing a shower door, or fixing a door that does not latch properly.

Many handyman services are willing to perform almost any task that you will pay them for. Some less common jobs that handyman services may perform include gardening or landscaping, assembling furniture or tool shed kits, changing hard to reach light bulbs, setting up Christmas decorations, hanging picture frames, or even house sitting for a family while they are on vacation. Some handyman services are willing to perform larger tasks such as building a deck, building a new addition, building a garage, or building a fence. Others like to stick to the small jobs like fixing a small hole in drywall, replacing screws in a door hinge, cleaning a clogged downspout, or replacing a piece of trim that has come loose. Some have more experience in certain trades than others. For example, one handyman might have extensive experience in finish carpentry while another worked for many years installing vinyl floors.

 In some areas handyman services are not allowed to perform certain tasks such as electrical or plumbing. Some handyman services can subcontract these tasks out but often the customer will be responsible for hiring a licensed professional to perform these tasks. For example, if a handyman service were doing a bathroom remodel they might do everything necessary to get the job ready for plumbing. The customer would be responsible for hiring a plumber to take care of all the plumbing needed. Then the handyman service would return and finish the job. I have been told that a good handyman is worth their weight in gold (I weigh about 230 pounds if any one wants to send me that check). A good handyman has lots of experience and can do just about anything. If a good handyman comes across a job that they have not done before, they will learn how to do it before they try to do it on your house. A good handyman also can come up with creative solutions to problems to help keep your costs down. A good handyman should have an understanding of building practices that would have been used when older houses were built as well as building practices used today. reposted article by Eli Larreau

How to Replace a Light Fixture With a Ceiling Fan

Save heating and cooling costs by replacing an existing light fixture with an energy-efficient fan/light combination.

• Step 1: Determine the Right-Size Fan
• Step 2: Remove the Existing Light Fixture
• Step 3: Install a Support Brace
• Step 4: Install the Fan Mounting Bracket
• Step 5: Connect the Fan Motor Wiring
• Step 6: Attach the Fan Blades
• Step 7: Attach the Light Fixture
• Step 8: Install the Wall Control Switch

Step 1: Determine the Right-Size Fan 

The larger the room, the bigger the fan. Measure the longest wall in the room. If it is less than 12 feet, you'll need a fan that is 36-inches in diameter. If the longest wall is 12 to 15 feet, get a 42-inch fan. Anything over 15 feet, you'll need a 52-inch fan.

Step 2: Remove the Existing Light Fixture

Replacing a room’s chandelier or ceiling fixture with a ceiling fan that includes its own light fixture is an easy DIY project for anyone comfortable with basic electrical improvements. If the room has no existing fixture, this project is more difficult and entails cutting through the ceiling and installing new wiring and a switch.
To replace an existing fixture, first turn off electricity at the home’s main electrical panel to the circuit that powers the light and its switch. Cover the switch with tape to make sure it doesn't get turned back on while you are working (Image 1). Use a circuit tester to ensure that the power is off before you touch any of the electrical wiring.
Disconnect the fixture wires and remove the central mounting nut and any screws that hold the old fixture in place. With the fixture out of the way, try to determine whether the electrical box is securely fastened to a ceiling joist or support bracket. Fans can weigh up to 50 pounds and require a sturdy mount. If your ceiling box is enclosed by drywall or other material, you may need to access the joists from above, such as through the attic, to inspect it and attach a support brace if needed. Alternative installation methods are described below.

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If you have access from above, you can make and install your own support brace using a length of 2x4 lumber nailed to the ceiling joists on both sides of the box location (Image 2). Position the brace directly above the ceiling box. From below, use wood screws to attach the ceiling box securely to the brace.
If you do not have access to work above the ceiling, you can install an expanding metal brace from below to support the ceiling box and fan. First, remove the existing box, then insert the brace up through the hole and secure it in position by ratcheting the mechanism into place. As the ratchet is turned from below, arms on the brace extend until they contact the ceiling joists on both sides of the hole (Image 3 demonstration). The spikes on the arms anchor securely into the wood. Some braces are available with a ceiling box attached, or you can attach the existing ceiling box to the brace.
This method also may be used to mount a fan on a ceiling where no electrical fixture was previously installed. After a hole is cut in the ceiling, electrical wiring is routed to the hole from a convenient nearby junction box, then the brace and a new ceiling box are installed as described above.

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Step 4: Install the Fan Mounting Bracket

Most ceiling fans come with a mounting bracket; if yours does not, you can buy a mounting kit separately. Attach this bracket to the ceiling box following the manufacturer’s instructions. This bracket typically has a circular receptacle for a ball mount installed on the fan motor or extension rod.
Because mounting a fan too close to the ceiling restricts air circulation, an extension rod of any length is generally recommended. If you use an extension rod to suspend the fan, temporarily tape the ends of the fan motor wiring together and pull the wiring through the rod. Attach the rod to the fan motor, and secure the ball mount at the upper end of the rod.

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Step 5: Connect the Fan Motor Wiring

Mount the fan motor to the ceiling bracket by inserting the swivel ball into the bracket.
Attach the fan motor wires to the house wiring. Typically, this requires connecting black to black (“hot”) wires and white to white (“neutral”) wires. If the fan has a bare copper or green insulated wire, attach this to the existing ground wire and connect both to the metal electrical box. Additional wires or a receiving unit may be included for an optional remote control operator, which allows you to control the fan and light without a switch or pull-chain. Follow the manufacturer’s wiring instructions carefully. Use wire nuts to secure all connections.

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Step 6: Attach the Fan Blades

Install the fan canopy that covers the ceiling box and mounting bracket.
Attach a blade mounting bracket to each fan blade and then attach these brackets to the rotating bezel below the fan motor. Be sure all of the mounting screws are tight; loose blades will cause the fan to wobble when operating.

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Step 7: Attach the Light Fixture

If your fan includes a light fixture, assemble the fixture and switch housing (if provided), then attach the fixture to the fan motor assembly. Connect the wiring according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Install the glass dome, or decorative light shades and bulbs.

Step 8: Install the Wall Control Switch

Most fans are controlled by a rheostat-type wall switch that allows for basic on/off and fan speed operation. In order to reverse the direction of the fan, to circulate warmer air near the ceiling during winter months, homeowners have to manually operate a reversing switch located on the fan housing.
Some fans today include “smart” electronics that expand the various functions that can be controlled from a single switch, such as forward/reverse and light dimming, without requiring replacement or upgrading of the home’s existing wiring.
Before you install a new wall switch for your unit, recheck the existing switch wiring with a circuit tester to ensure the power is off. Install the fan control switch according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Turn the power back on, and test the fan and light operation in all operating modes.



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