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I have been in the home repair business since 1975.

And have been employed by many top residential service companies in the Kansas City Area.
Skilled Trades Journeyman 30 Years.
Electrical
Plumbing
Heating and Cooling (H.V.A.C.)
Carpentry
You name it I can do it repair it or install it.
Free estimates
Call Anytime
Weekend work welcomed no extra charge.
Small jobs welcomed
One-three day jobs wanted.

Defective Chinese Drywall

Nelson urges Obama to take action on drywall
By RICHARD DYMOND - rdymond@bradenton.com


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tool goes here LAKEWOOD RANCH — With 60,000 American homes suspected of containing tainted Chinese drywall including 30,000 in Florida, President Barack Obama must broach the subject of culpability with the Chinese president later this year, said U.S. Senator Bill Nelson today during a visit to a tainted home in Lakewood Ranch.

“That issue will be an agenda item when the president goes to China at the end of the year and visits with Chinese president Hu Jintao,” Nelson said, adding he will personally address the president about the drywall problem.

Nelson spent Tuesday morning visiting several homes containing drywall in Greenbrook Village.


U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson talks with Kristin Culliton and her mother, Kay, about the tainted drywall problem on Tuesday at Lakewood Ranch. Photo RICHARD DYMOND/rdymond@bradenton.com

Crist: Test air in Chinese drywall homes
Crist asks EPA, CDC for help with Chinese drywall
Senators seek Chinese drywall recall
Law firms lining up to attract drywall clients
The law firms
State probe into drywall opened
The senator, who has recently written legislation to remedy the drywall problem, believes the manufacturers of the material should be held responsible to correct the problem and not necessarily the builders.

His bill, if made law, would initiate a drywall recall and would impose an immediate ban imported Chinese drywall.

The bill would also ask the Consumer Products Safety Commission to join with federal testing labs and the Environmental Protection Agency to determine the danger level of chemicals and compounds in the drywall.

Nelson, who is allergic to mold and mildew and who gets congested and experiences hoarseness when he tours homes with the tainted drywall, said he was experiencing symptoms within moments of entering a home Tuesday on Skip Jack Loop purchased for $331,000 several years ago by Kristin Culliton.

Culliton, a single mother who used to sell houses for builder Taylor-Morrison, bought her house from her former employer.

She moved out of the home in December, 2007 when she was two months pregnant with her son, Cayden. Now she wants Taylor-Morrison to buy her home back from her.

“This is not how my life was supposed to be,” said Culliton, who is living with her son in a nearby two-bedroom condo owned by her mother, Kay.

“I bought this house, my dream house, with the plan for my son to go to schools around here,” Culliton said. “But I haven’t been able to live in my home.”

Nelson and Culliton went to the second floor of Culliton’s home and pointed out how the coils on her air conditioning system had turned black. Nelson said the corrosion is from some compound in the drywall. Nelson took a screwdriver and scraped the black debris from the coils and uncovered gleaming copper underneath.

“Imagine what it does to lungs if it does this to copper,” Culliton said.

Culliton, who believes her home is now worthless and should be torn down, also showed Nelson an electrical outlet near her front door where the wires had turned black.

“That could cause an electrical fire,” Culliton said.

Nelson said he will give Obama a report about what he has found while visiting locations on the west and east coast of Florida recently, including the homes in Greenbrook.

Culliton invited Obama to visit her home.

A state toxicologist from the Florida Department of Health also visited Culliton’s home Tuesday.

Dryer vent cleaning

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Removing and Replacing drains under residential concrete basement floor

KansasCityHomeRepair.blogspot.com
1. Floor is marked and punch point jack hammer tip is used to penetrate concrete.


KansasCityHomeRepair.blogspot.com
2. 3" wide chisel tip is used to break away completely around area.


KansasCityHomeRepair.blogspot.com
3. Concrete only is removed.


KansasCityHomeRepair.blogspot.com
4. Dirt is removed and defective drain is located.


KansasCityHomeRepair.blogspot.com
5. Defective drain is removed ready for new schedule 40 piping.


KansasCityHomeRepair.blogspot.com
6. Schedule 40 pipe installed.


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7. Dirt fill installed with gravel on top of dirt.


KansasCityHomeRepair.blogspot.com
8. Toilet reinstalled.

5 Easy Home Improvement Projects for Less Than $500

5 Easy Home Improvement Projects for Less Than 500
It is possible to update a room and even remodel it without taking out a loan or raiding your savings. Here are five easy projects you can do yourself on the cheap for $500 or less.

1) Paint. A $35 can of paint (or two or three) can great a huge impact with minimal expense. In fact, if you've been ready My Home Redux at all, you've probably seen me write this, oh, say, at least a dozen times. Truth is, this is the easiest and best way to spruce up your house - inside or out - bar none.

2) New light fixtures. Whether it's a strip light across your bathroom mirror or an in descript ceiling fixture, changing light fixtures can make an immediate dramatic change. Check out online lighting fixture sites (my favorites are Lamp Depot http://lampdepot.com , Lamps Plus http://www.lampsplus.com, and Lighting Universe http://www.lightinguniverse.com/Default.aspx), but you can also get some nice fixtures at big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot.

3) Cabinet Facelift. I can't tell you how many kitchens could simply be made new with a good coat of paint on the cabinets. You'll need to prep them well and paint carefully, but you'll save THOUSANDS of dollars. (Read here for some good advice at: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,783875,00.html .) Finish off the facelift with new hardware. (You'll notice in the article linked here showing the picture above that they also painted, added new hardware and changed the light fixtures.)

4) Closet Organizers. Unless you have a really large closet, you can still do this for less than $500. Simply go to a home improvement store. They carry similar systems as Elfa but much cheaper. Add shelves, sliding drawers, and two-tiered hanging racks. You'll be more organized and your closet will also be sporting the latest style.

5) Shutters. Adding painted shutters - or changing the color of your existing shutters - is a great way to improve the curb appeal of your house. I'm surprised how many houses don't have shutters, and how many would look so much better if they did. Most traditional styles work wonderfully with these classic window accents. You can paint vinyl ones, but I prefer wood for this very reason. Ok, wood shutters could cost more than $500, but the key is the front of the house - save your money and skip the sides and back.

So before you look at getting a home equity loan or liquidating your savings, take a second look and see if some simple ideas and a little imagination couldn't go far in enhancing and updating your home.

Copyright: Copyright © 2008 Julie Lohmeier

About the Author:
Julie Lohmeier is the veteran of numerous home remodeling and building projects. From working hands on and doing much of the work herself to hiring contractors and construction managers, she has seen the entire spectrum of home improvement. She shares her remodeling tips, home decorating ideas, and other various rants at http://www.myhomeredux.com. Subscribe to her free newsletter at: http://myhomeredux.typepad.com/blog/2005/09/get_my_home_red_2.html

How to glaze a window ( right click full screen and options) Http://www.Gardenfork.tv

Bath Remodel Before

BATH REMODEL BEFORE 

Bathroom Remodel After

BATH REMODEL AFTER 

Cedar Deck

DECK 2  

Platform Deck

FLAT DECK 

Built new front porch

FRNT PORCH 

Kitchen Cabinets Before

KITCHEN CABINETS BEFORE 

Kitchen cabinets After

KITCHEN CABINETS AFTER 

Roof vent leak at the stack

This morning I will be patching a leak at the roof vent for a new customer. (pictured at right)
This is the pipe that sticks out of the roof of your home and is the largest of the roof vents on the roof of the home.

Your plumbing system is vented to the atmosphere to allow waste water to flow to the main sewer at the street or septic tank. Think of this vent as a straw. If you submerge a straw in to a liquid and then hold your finger over the end, when you remove the straw
the liquid will stay in the straw. When you remove your finger the liquid will flow.

All plumbing systems have a vent. There is another type of vent that is used when there is no other option to vent to the atmosphere. This is called inline vent. (Pictured above at left)
I have had customers with slow or non flowing sinks that assume there is a clog.
This is not true, the real reason is that the vent is closed and not venting like a straw.

This usually happens in the colder times of the year when the inline vent is exposed to the colder temperature. The remedy is to plunge with your hand or use a plunger. Sometimes moving the inline vent is the best remedy.



Job complete.

This was a tricky one the roof pitch was 12/12, I positioned my ladder at the gable and crawled out 4’ (I was praying all the way). This was no fun but the work is done.
Also I installed a complete new dryer vent system.

This house is over one hundred years old and has lathe and plaster with no insulation and asbestos siding.

This customer want’s an additional bid to blow insulation.

Utility drain cleaned out

In most homes the utility drain connects the kitchen sink and washing machine and runs to the main line out of the home.

This home is a rental property and the renter uses the garbage disposal as a trash can.
Every bit of food is run down the insink erator. Plus the washing machine drain is putting cat hair and lint from the clothes.

I ran 15’ of cable cleaned out the line job complete.

Kansas City Home Repair 913-284-6872

Kitchen was completed at the first of the year.Other work to be posted soon.

Installing new counter tops and sink

I Just started this new project 1-4-08
To be continued

Installing new floating prefinished faux wood floor

Sub floor has been installed in half the kitchen. The other half has vinyl preexisting. The blue material is vapor barrier and sound deadening.



Half of the flooring is installed. All the pieces just fit together and "Float" with no nails or glue.

Installing new water service line.

This is a customer that I'm working with. There main service water line to the home broke under ground.I am helping customer replace line. The customer will be pulling his own permit to have work completed. Was to start Wensday 11.28.07 was unable to start my scheduled back hoe operater has other comitments to meet. Found another operater to start this Saturday 12.1.07



Looking North from water meter to Murdock hydrant 75'





During 12/1/07


















Looking West water line to run 65' West from Mudock hydrant (Before)





During 12/1/07











During 12/1/07









Hand dug hole looking for 4" main gas line.





Looking in to meter hole at city supplied water meter






Looking into hand dug hole at orange 4" main gas line.





Main cutoff valve in home.










Job Completed 12.20.07
I want to thank Karl at K.B. Complete Plumbing Heating & Cooling, also Jerry at service supply. These two companies gave advice for this project and also donated materials or sold materials at cost. Thank you.

Installed new Front door and storm storm door.

This customer had been broken into and front door was replaced with a new 32" Steel front door and storm. It was snowing all day long my toes are frozen and I feel like frosty the snowman. Old door had to be completely removed with the jam and all new framing installed.
On the inside of the door way there is a small foyer I stapled plastic to the wall to keep the cold out as we worked all day long on this project.

Installed new tub valve washers and seats.

Handles removed ready to pull valve stems.




Valve stems removed and new washers installed with new seats.




Valve stems installed with handles job complete.

Installed new stove/oven. Cut counter top to fit.

This is the old drop in stove/oven 20 years old.




This is the new slide in stove oven. Counter top was cut for stove/oven to fit. Bottom of cabinet was cut too.

Repaired wood rot at exterior window sill.

Wood rot at sill and left on brick mold trim




Affected sill cut out and removed, Complete left brick mold trim removed too.




New sill and brick mold installed. Primed/Calked ready for home owner to paint.

Repaired 2nd floor toilet leak and repaired ceiling under toilet on 1st floor.

2nd floor toilet new tank to bowl seal installed and new wax ring at toilet to floor




Toilet tank to bowl seal being installed




Wet ceiling removed




New drywall installed




Taped and finished ready for popcorn texture




Area covered with plastic and sprayed with can of mediam texture




Finished product

Nail to the Head

Are Granite Countertops a Health Threat?

Click image and watch this video

Installed Customer supplied dishwasher

Installed customer supplied dishwasher.I allways install a new 6' nonburst water supply line. About $20.00. 2 hours labor.
Before.


Unit removed


New unit installed

Repairing spongie floor & installing tile.

This customer’s rear entrance floor area is spongy and needed to be repaired.
The first image is the tear out. The second image is a view of the support legs installed and the third is of the ¾ inch plywood installed.


Tile is layed out and final cuts are made.


Tile is set to floor with spacers installed.

Customer's drain at kitchen sink was leaking into basement. Lead pipe was removed and replaced with ABS pipe

This customer had water damage in the shower. Tiles where removed and replaced.

Window and Sil Replacement

This is the before and after images.



This is what the windows looked like Old vs New











These images show the exterior window sil's that where cut out and replaced due to wood rot.





This is an interior image job complete.

Power washed and painted house.

Installed new Double oven, Built in micro wave oven and dish washer.

Removed old built in oven



Installed new customer supplied stainless double oven.
Dry wall had to be cut and support frame built.

New Deck before and after

DECK BEFORE 

DECK AFTER 

Water Heater Install

Installed new kitchen Vinyl flooring

Installed basketball post and goal.

The first thing I do when ever doing any type of digging is to call.
Kansas one call. 1-800-344-7233
http://www.kansasonecall.com/

Missouri one call. 1-800-344-7483
http://www.mo1call.com/


This is a free service to the home owner and contractor.

It may seem small and trivial.
Better safe than sorry.

The customer notified me that the marking where in place and I can start the install.
Arrived at site inspected markings and turned on sprinkler system and located the sprinkler line and started my digging. Set post and returned the next day to set backboard and goal.

Painting/Paper Removal

I have learned the hard way.

Not all wall paper needs to be removed or should be removed.
All new sheet rocked walls need paint on them before applying wallpaper.

Many new homes I have worked on do not have paint on the substrate (Sheet rock).
Later on down the road someone will want to change the wallpaper or paint the walls. Removing the wallpaper turns into major repairs. If only the new substrate was painted removing the paper would be less work and less cost to the home owner.

1. If the drywall was not painted and you are going paint the best way I have found is to apply oil base kills directly over the wallpaper repair the wallpaper joints and go from there.

2. If the drywall was not painted and you are going to paper, apply sizing and paper right over the top. You must inspect the joints and make sure they are tight and all paper is tight. Nine times out of ten the paper is glued to the wall. Do not put joints on top of joints offset the joints.


When wallpaper is applied directly to unpainted drywall the glue absorbs right in to the paper and the new wallpaper becomes part of that wall.

If there is a coat of paint it can be any type of paint removing the paper at a later date will be much easier and less cost to the home owner.

Sizing acts like extra glue and lets the new wallpaper slide when matching up the print at the joints.
I have hung thousand of rolls of paper. I no longer offer this service.

Installed new Electrical GFI Recepticals in bath. Per code. GFI within 4' of water.

Job Complete 11.30.06

Tomorrow I start a new job installing GFI receptacles in a home for a new customer.
This home is in the area of 95th St. @ NALL. Most of the homes in this area where built
in the late 50’s and early 60’s and back then 12/2 no ground wire was used.
This customer want’s ground fault receptacles installed in two bathrooms.
To do this correctly new 14/2 with ground needs to be installed and ran back to the service panel. You can install a new GFI breaker at the panel or two new GFI receptacles in the bathroom walls.

HDTV-LCD Installed with Sony dream home theater sound system this is a real sweet sounding system.

* Job Completed 12.28.06* Installing plumbing drain & supply lines for washing machine and other work.

Installed new window sash ropes 12.26.06 I was dreading this job and I really don’t know why. I removed the right side of the trim looking for a cavity where the window weights are and to my surprise there was no cavity. Upon further inspection after removing the sash and sash track’s there was a small opening for access to the weights. I removed the old ropes and installed new ones reinstalled the old trim and calked. Today I will go back and paint.

When I bided this job the customer informed me that other contractors did not want to attempt to replace the sash weight ropes. They wanted to install replacement windows. This is a great idea and I had suggested the same. This is the first time I had ever installed sash ropes, I had seen my Uncle do this when I was a kid. This is fairly easy to do.








This job I have to cut drain line below urinal and connect for washing machine drain.
Also I have to connect pex water supply lines.

Installed new compactor.

Cabinets where cut and new compactor installed.

ABS drain repair

Customer had a leak to the left of main stack.
2" ABS pipe was removed and replaced

cat door installed and power washed two showers and recalked/grouted.

A Kansas Handyman Removed and replaced mail boxes

Hydraulic lifting foundation

Customer had foundation problems and cracks in living area.

A company was hired and foundation repair was made.

Water heater maintenance

Installed new ceiling fan/light with new 110v electrical line

This is the type of work I really like to do “small one day jobs.” I started around 12 noon and install was completed by 4:30PM. Taking in to consideration of going to do the bid 1.5 hours
Going to supplier and purchasing the materials 2 hours.
Writing this post 2 hours. This was a 10 hour job.

This customer is very pleasant to communicate with and a very caring person I cannot say more. The job went smooth with no problems considering the obstacles and difficulties that I had to encounter. This home was built a few years back and is in excellent shape.

When the house was built there was no electrical lighting installed in the center of the ceilings in some of the rooms. This install today was to install a ceiling fan in the ceiling of the main living room on the first floor with new electrical service. No wall switch. Fixture to be operated with pull chains supplied by manufacture.

The switch could have been installed in the wall but this would of encountered cutting drywall, repairs and paint. The cost factors where taken into consideration.

This type of install can be very difficult in other situation due to many factors. (I.E. access and electrical). There are many ways to do this install. Channel can be run exposed but this has a look that is not acceptable in residential installs.

I arrived at the job site and the first priority was to calculate/articulate where and how I am going to do this work. I prayed and with the help of the LORD JESUS it went smoothly.

I tapped into electrical on the 2nd floor at the junction of the unused attic fan.


Thru the wall down to the 1st floor ceiling. I had to cut access hole inside the 2nd floor closet to help fish and to do my pull. This access hole was repaired with installing a remodel single gang box and blank cover.










A small access hole was cut in the ceiling just big enough to get my hand in to pull my fish tape down through. 14/2 with ground was attached to fish tape and my pull was completed easily with no problems.









Blue in color remodel ceiling junction box was installed. (When I say REMODEL this means a special junction box that has tabs that grab the ceiling drywall when screws are tightened to affix it’s self to in a secure manner.)
Ceiling fan motor was screw attached to joist and motor installed and electrical was tested to make sure motor operated. This test was performed before any other work is completed. It makes the job go more easily and you don’t have to back step.








Ceiling fan/light assembly installed/tested.





I always have the utmost respect for customer when in there home. Clean up is one of the most important parts of the job. When I leave the job is clean. Vacuum was performed and furniture move back to is original position.

Totals where calculated and final payment made.

I started this report this morning 4.11.07 the day after the work and here is an e-mail from customer.

“Just wanted to take a moment and tell you how appreciative I am for my beautiful new ceiling fan/light! Kudos to you for a job well done!”
Thanks again,

Disconnect electrical and drain hot tub

I disconnected electrical line at hot tub and at the G.F.I. panel breaker and drained.

Customer is moving

Customer had a new L.C.D. HDTV installed and electrical receptical needs to be moved up and behind T.V.

Job completed 1.23.07

Installed Attic Fan Cover

This is the customer I had previously worked for a month ago installing
insulation in the attic area.

Install time was about an hour.

Here is the link to purchase one

www.batticdoor.com/atticlouvercover.html

For Hire

* * * FREE ESTIMATES! * * *

1969