The Ultimate Handyman

Dry Rot Repair

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:38:18 +0000

Dealing With Wood Decay:

The first and most important thing to do once decay is discovered is to figure out where the water is coming from.

Check for the obvious – roof and plumbing leaks, and missing or punctured flashing. Look for stains and drip tracks. Are eaves wide enough to prevent water from cascading down sidewall’s? Are gutters poorly maintained or missing? Do finish grades slope towards or away from the foundation? Are foundation cracks admitting water? Is untreated wood in direct contact with concrete, masonry, or soil? Check to see if crawl spaces have soil covers, and if venting and/or insulation is present, adequate, and properly placed. The same goes for attics. Peeling and blistering paint often signal inadequate interior ventilation, or a missing vapor retarder. Water stains on framing and sheathing inside walls suggest condensation. Remember that to make the remedy permanent, you’ve got to cure the disease -water infiltration, not just treat the symptoms- mildew, mold, and decay.

Once the source of water has been eliminated, remove as much decayed wood as is practical and economical.

This is especially important with girders, columns, and other critical members whose load-carrying ability may have been compromised. There’s no known way of accurately determining the remaining strength of decayed wood left in place. Cut back rotted members to sound wood, keeping in mind that difficult-to-detect incipient decay can extend well beyond visibly rotted areas. When a partially decayed structural member can’t be replaced, reinforce it with a “sister” anchored to sound wood. Decayed wood absorbs and holds water more readily than sound wood, so let rotted areas of members not removed dry out before making repairs and closing in. Otherwise, you’re just adding fuel to the slow fire.

In damp crawl spaces or other places where water is likely to appear, replace decayed members with preservative treated wood. The major model building code agencies -BOCAI, ICBO, and SBCCI- require that treated wood be used for sills and sleepers on concrete or masonry in ground contact, for joists within 18 in. of the ground, for girders within 12 in. of the ground, and for columns embedded in the ground supporting permanent structures.

In-place treatment with borates

Dormant fungi can be reactivated when dry, infected wood is re wetted. Consider treating infected, but otherwise serviceable wood left in place with a water-borne borax-based preservative that will not only kill active fungi, but guard against future infection as well.
An effective homemade version of Bora-Care is “HERE”

Borates have low toxicity to humans and are even approved for interior use in food processing plants. They don’t affect wood’s strength, color, or finish ability, don’t corrode fasteners, and don’t outgas vapors. Widely used in treating new timbers for log homes, they’re the preservative of choice for remedial treatment of wood in service. Because of the decay hazard posed whenever wood bears on concrete or masonry, solid borate rods are often inserted into holes bored near contact areas. Should wood ever get wet, the rods dissolve and ward off infection. Infected wood can be treated with
Boric Acid an extremely effective cure for a multitude of problems including control of wood rot in homes and boats and it is natures insecticide for control of fleas, roaches, termites, ants, spiders and many other household pests.

Before any repairs or replacement of damaged wood is started,
I recommend a through treatment of damaged areas with Boric Acid to eliminate future problems and stop the spreading of the fungi.

Epoxy repair of decayed wood

Sometimes replacing rotted wood isn’t an option. In conserving historic buildings, for example, the goal is to preserve as much of the original “architectural fabric” as possible. Stabilizing deteriorated wood with epoxy is often the only choice. Epoxies consist of resin and hardener that are mixed just before use. Liquids for injection and spatula-applied pastes are available. After curing, epoxy-stabilized wood can be shaped with regular woodworking tools and painted. Epoxies are useful for consolidating rotted wood, restoring lost portions of molding’s and carvings, and for strengthening weakened structural members. In the last case, they’re used to bond concealed metal reinforcement inside holes or channels cut into hidden faces. Epoxies aren’t preservatives and won’t stop existing decay or prevent future infection. They can be tricky to use; follow the manufacturer’s mixing, application, and safety instructions to the letter.

Construction Mishaps and why you should hire professionals

Handyman — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:40:19 +0000

Here at the Ultimate Handyman, we pride ourselves on professionalism when it comes to construction projects. Here is a video on what happens when you use unskilled labor or unlicensed contractors to complete your construction, maintenance and home improvement projects.

So do yourself a favor, hire only professional and licensed contractors to do the work. If you have a construction, maintenance, or home improvement project and need to hire a professional, give us a call at 323-651-0635 or via email. You can also check us out on the web

How to fix a slow running toilet

Handyman — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:42:38 +0000

Here is a video on how to fix a toilet that is running slow.

Having plumbing problems? We fix and repair plumbing issues of all types. Give us a call at 323-651-0635 or visit us on our website.

Drywall Repair

Handyman — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:36:36 +0000

Here is a video on how to fix holes in drywall.

Do you have some holes in your drywall that need to be fixed? The Ultimate Handyman can help. Just give us a call at 323-651-0635 or check out our website

How to replace a dryer belt in 15 minutes

Handyman — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:26:48 +0000

Even though we do not repair appliances, we thought this post could help the folks that call us with this recurring request:

Here is a neat little video on how to replace a dryer vent.

Pre-Cast Concrete

Handyman — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:04:06 +0000

Here is a small video on utilizing pre-cast concrete in your home. This is a video about a using pre-cast concrete for a fireplace.

Pre-cast fiberglass reinforced concrete is lighter weight than regular concrete. If you need any custom made pre-cast concrete reinforced pieces made for your home or office, please call The Ultimate Handyman at 323-651-0635. We also do many other types of concrete work. You can also check us out on our website

Visit The Ultimate handyman

Handyman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:11:14 +0000

For more information on our services and what we can do, check out The Ultimate Handyman’s main website:

www.ultimate-handyman.com

A Construction and Maintenance Company

Los Angeles, California 90069

(323) 651-0635

projects@ultimatehandyman.com

How to Unclog a Sink Using a Drain Snake

admin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:01:32 +0000

here you can see how to use a snake to clear out a clogged drain.

If you need help with your plumbing or if you have a plumbing problem, feel free to call us at (323) 651-0635 or email us for more information. You can also check our website for our rates, and services. We fix all kinds of plumbing issues from clogs to new construction, to complete rebuilds.

Bathroom Remodeling for the Do it Yourselfer

admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:41:12 +0000

A decent video on remodeling your bathroom

Need a bathroom remodel done? The Ultimate Handyman can help. Just give us a call at 323-651-0635 or email us.

Do It Yourself Kitchen Cabinet Construction

admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:35:14 +0000

Here is a neat little video on Constructing your very own kitchen cabinets.

Need some custom cabinets made? The Ultimate Handyman can help. Just give us a call at 323-651-0635 or email us.