Say hello to my mobile workshop. Since I started my business back in 2015 I quickly learned that contracting and the handyman service industry is not an easy one. In fact it was the most stressful job I ever took on. In order to be competent, efficient and keep customers satisfied you must prepare for everything and I mean everything. Before the van I spent much of my day hauling tools in and out of a Saturn station wagon. I made a list and checked it twice, no joke.
Let us travel back to 2015, the year I bought a 1999 Saturn station wagon to run my handyman business. The Saturn I'll admit was efficient, but not roomy. I did all of the repairs I do now from this car. I even made a wooden roof rack for hauling ladders and lumber, picture of roof rack is attached. This worked quite well for my gutter cleaning service. As time went by my business grew it became my life and I invested everything I made right back into it. The car became unsafe with the amount of tools I carried and a mess to keep organized due to lack of space. Along came a Chevy Venture mini van and now my commercial van. My commercial can is a 1 ton Chevy Express Unicell. This van helps me stay organized at all times and reduces the need to bring tools back in the shop. Spending less time cleaning the van means I have more time to focus on scheduling and completing jobs. As a bonus the van can be used to pick up sheet goods and lumber. Although it has slightly raised my overhead, and expenses I feel it was well worth it and at the moment I am looking at the thing as a good luck charm. Here in the near future I hope to have her repainted with Mr. Ken's decals. I really love what I do and provide the best service and experience for you as I possibly can. If I take a job on you are guaranteed to be a happy customer. The purpose of my blog is to let you get to know me. Everywhere I go I hear contractor horror stories and just want people to see I am out in the public making 1 to 2 happy customers a day and rest assured if I say I can do your job that is the god honest truth, this business of mine goes no where without trust, and relationships. I hope you enjoyed reading this, call or text me if you have any questions or would like to schedule me for a repair. Thanks, Mr. Ken
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Hi Everyone,
It is a beautiful March Mourning the birds are chirping and yep that bathroom door still doesn't shut. If there is one thing that I have learned a lot about in my 12 years in the business of small repairs it is doors. For every new customer I get it seems I re-align a latch plate or fix a hinge, or even update a door. In fact I will be installing a new pre-hung interior door tomorrow in Eau Claire, WI. A interior door takes me about an hour to install. Some times there can be obstacles like un true wall that make them a little more time consuming but not by much. If you are thinking of having me out to install a door and want to save money by picking the door up, all you have to do is measure your rough opening and subtract a 1/2 inch on the top and the side to get the needed dimension. Doors come in 2x4 and 2x6 widths so make sure you order the right one. Other materials you will need will be shims, 2 1/2 inch strait finish nails, 2 1/2 inch finish screws and of course the trim and need jamb extention boards if any are needed. Over my years in business one thing I have found very important when purchasing a door is to inspect it over before purchase. Often dents and dings are hidden under packaging. The last thing you want is for me to have to put the door in and have to pop the hinges out so you can drive back to the store sit in line and return it. Along with installing doors I also repair them. I am an expert in wood rot and carry needed items to repair them on the spot. The two part repair epoxies that I use require a temp above 50 degrees so this is not a winter job if we are talking an outside door. Other common door repairs include jamb damage due to high wind or maybe a tenant kicked it in. A lot of the time I find that home owners when installing doors neglect to get a good seal on an exterior door due to wanting the trim to look better when in fact the proper solution is often to fix the wall to true. Another common door installation occurrence is having to cut a door down to fit. Sometimes it is just because the foundation has lifted or settled, and other times it is just a cool door that you picked up and want to use it. The only problem is it is a little too big. Now unless this is something you have done before I do not advise you to do this on your own. There are many factors that you have to keep in mind. If you do want to try it, first off you need to be very good with a circular saw. For this very reason I advise a professional cut the door down. The second reason is you can ruin that beautiful door. Once the door is cut down I router all hinges both in the frame and on the door with a precision router jig. The last door in the slide show was a door that I cut down in my own home and is surrounded by a beautifully done pickled oak finished wainscot. If you lasted this far thank you and feel free to say anything I will not delete any comments. Also I look forward to your doors you have have in the future. Thanks, Mr. Ken |
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January 2022
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