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 No matter your position, or stature in life there is always more room for knowledge; and being a handyman is no different. As you can see I do not know everything and like a lawyer sometimes I need a refresher course, or an example to show a client. Quite sometime ago I picked up a book marker and it said " If knowledge is power, then libraries are power plants." Like many statement I read it is so true,and whether you like to admit it or not you do not know everything. More so in the construction industry and repair business things are always evolving, codes are changing and your contractor should keep up on things if he wants to compete, and be competent.
Best Regards, Ken I really like commercial work, so what ever you have give me a call. Commercial work gets priority on my schedule. I will even drive a long way to do your work, so no matter the scenario, give me a call. I accept credit cards and can get things taken care of in a timely manner.
It is that time of year again, yes Christmas. Many of you are preparing, but do not know how you will manage the time. Maybe you own a small business and do not have the labor or insurance to hire someone to hang christmas light. No matter what it is I will help you, weather it be putting your tree up, or assembling a gift for your child like a basketball hoop. So whatever the occasion give me a ring and I will make short work of your problems.
Ken I have accepted credit cards since the day I opened shop, or in my case van. Depending on your situation you may be out of state or even out of country, and because of this can only pay with credit card. Mr Ken's Fix-it Co. has you covered with a simple 3.5-3.75 % square transaction fee I can have you squared away. Other circumstances where credit cards may apply is you are in a larger corporation where PO's are needed and the company credit card is just more feasible for time reasons. So if you are hesitating to call just because you can only pay with a credit card please don't hesitate to call me Ken.
@ 715 303 7146 Thanks, Ken Do you have plants in your gutters and yet all the leaves haven't dropped? Some of you have had plants in your gutters for years. It is that time of year again, leaves are falling and gutters are clogging. I am currently running a gutter cleaning special. Clogged gutters can cause water and foundation problems fast. One year of gutters overflowing and not working is enough to allow water to sit around foundation until winter. When this happens the water freezes and lifts up on the foundation causing floors to change and drywall to crack, and doors to miss align. Especially in a older home with a stone foundation. After all of your leaves have fallen give me a call! Along with gutter cleaning I also install new gutters, gutter screens and yard solutions for downspout extensions. Also keep in mind that the leaf guard systems will not pay for them selves in 10 years.
$160 cleans 1-2 story homes up to 2000 SQFT Call me Ken for your gutter cleaning appointment Today! Hi Everyone,
In case you didn't know I do drywall work. It is actually one of my most common repairs. When I first started doing drywall I was told it was an art. At the time I chuckled and said yea right. Of course this is when I didn't know how to do it myself and was working as a laborer. Now of all the tasks I do it, Id say there is an art to this. From the min the pieces are cut you must do it right or you will spend extra time and mud. For instance using scraps when its un-necessary, uses up extra time mudding even though you save a few bucks not needing a new sheet. Sometimes this is the only thing you can do if the store is an hour away, but if you have an extra sheet cut into that baby. Also putting mudd down takes time, practice, and finesse. Not knowing what your doing in the mudding stage can make the job for a homeowner drag out. Why waste your precious weekends dealing with drywall, when you can call me. Weather it be a simple flat-wall, or an archway I can do it all. Best Regards, Ken Organization equals efficiency, If there isn't structure to a project I just don't like it. The pictures shown in the slideshow are one of the biggest projects you can take on in a home, including replacing a staircase and creating a much larger opening by putting in a massive header to support the weight. My point here for this post is, you save more money by having the work area clear and ready for me. Of course I understand that cleaning before I come is not always an option, but I do highly recommend it.
Point number two about keeping the site organized is it is safer. Any nails that are left sticking out of boards should be addressed immediately, either bend them over or pull them out. A nice sized garbage can should also be near at all times to minimize the number of times rubble has to be handled. Many jobs around the home can be completed without a company being bonded or insured. Jobs such as lawn-mowing, or cleaning, dry-wall and painting. But why take the risk I ask? The simple fact is there are many people out there who do what I do and are simply not insured. Yes, the home owners insurance might pick up the tab, or will it. In my days in business I've heard plenty of horror stories, the worst being from a company who solely does HVAC. This document above is for your reference as a customer. Sometimes before a job can start I show proof of this document.
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January 2022
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