My name is Joanie T and I am home repair challenged.
But my house is now 18 years old and starting to look a bit raggedy. Ok, so hurricane damage might not count as day to day wear and tear but it did get me to taking a look at some things.
Not that I have an overwhelming need to whip out my trusty “Do It Herself” tool kit (A present from my ever optimistic Daddy on the advent of
moving to my own place. Hey! I’ve used the screwdrivers….a few times…in eighteen years.) and fix things. But I do wish I had a better understanding of what DOES need to be done, how it IS done and how much it should COST to get done.
I’ve had a couple of instances of lack of knowledge impacting getting things taken care of. As many of you know, in September Hurricane Ike blew through my Old Kentucky Home. It stripped some siding off and lifted a boatload of shingles free of their seal.
I had a reputable roofer come out and give me an estimate. I dutifully waited for the insurance company to send an assessor. I was home when a contracted assessment company came to look at the damage. It was a sixteen year old boy! He was up on my roof for THREE minutes! He sent in a claim for less than 2 pkgs of shingles to replace “the few” that were loose.
So who do I believe? The roofer who demonstrates how the seal of the roof was compromised, the grit blown off the surface of the shingles into my gutter, the negative impact on the warranty with a patched roof or the main insurance assessor who told me he was “too busy” to re-assess.
I believed the roofer and got my settlement.
What about you? Who do you rely on for home repairs? How many have handy husbands/fathers/boyfriends? Do you know how to do “stuff”? Who taught you and what is your favorite tool?Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/11/pass-me-hammer.html
Visit violeta diario for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
Yup, can’t do hardly anything when it comes to fixing the things I need repaired around my house. It isn’t laziness….all the time…but a lack of skill and understanding how things work. And I hate it, I really do.
But my house is now 18 years old and starting to look a bit raggedy. Ok, so hurricane damage might not count as day to day wear and tear but it did get me to taking a look at some things.
Not that I have an overwhelming need to whip out my trusty “Do It Herself” tool kit (A present from my ever optimistic Daddy on the advent of
moving to my own place. Hey! I’ve used the screwdrivers….a few times…in eighteen years.) and fix things. But I do wish I had a better understanding of what DOES need to be done, how it IS done and how much it should COST to get done.I’ve had a couple of instances of lack of knowledge impacting getting things taken care of. As many of you know, in September Hurricane Ike blew through my Old Kentucky Home. It stripped some siding off and lifted a boatload of shingles free of their seal.
I had a reputable roofer come out and give me an estimate. I dutifully waited for the insurance company to send an assessor. I was home when a contracted assessment company came to look at the damage. It was a sixteen year old boy! He was up on my roof for THREE minutes! He sent in a claim for less than 2 pkgs of shingles to replace “the few” that were loose.
So who do I believe? The roofer who demonstrates how the seal of the roof was compromised, the grit blown off the surface of the shingles into my gutter, the negative impact on the warranty with a patched roof or the main insurance assessor who told me he was “too busy” to re-assess.
I believed the roofer and got my settlement.
Even then, I had to deal with a very condescending agent who implied in more than one way that I was being taken. Grrrrr….
Onto the next home repair. I need the rear door of my garage replaced with a more solid one that doesn’t hang at an angle and actually has a deadbolt that will hold. Thinking I’d go ahead and have the kitchen/garage and basement door replaced I arranged for the home improvement guy to come and measure. Final cost? Over $1,000!!!!! AND that does not include the doorknobs/deadbolts. I dropped the two interior doors.
Countless friends with busy, handy husbands with lives of their own gasped at my agreement to the rear door anyway. “That’s ridiculous! Call my cousin’s second son’s sister in law’s brother. He’ll do it way cheaper.”
Yeah? But then if things don’t go right or are done shabbily you might lose friends.
I’ve tri
ed the Handyman services too and most are just as expensive. Had a guy come by and had to pay a flat rate for 1 ½ hours AND charged for any items used. Very expensive just to get some vents fixed and who knew a simple nail cost almost $3?
Onto the next home repair. I need the rear door of my garage replaced with a more solid one that doesn’t hang at an angle and actually has a deadbolt that will hold. Thinking I’d go ahead and have the kitchen/garage and basement door replaced I arranged for the home improvement guy to come and measure. Final cost? Over $1,000!!!!! AND that does not include the doorknobs/deadbolts. I dropped the two interior doors.
Countless friends with busy, handy husbands with lives of their own gasped at my agreement to the rear door anyway. “That’s ridiculous! Call my cousin’s second son’s sister in law’s brother. He’ll do it way cheaper.”
Yeah? But then if things don’t go right or are done shabbily you might lose friends.
I’ve tri
ed the Handyman services too and most are just as expensive. Had a guy come by and had to pay a flat rate for 1 ½ hours AND charged for any items used. Very expensive just to get some vents fixed and who knew a simple nail cost almost $3? (Of course if my handyman's toolbelt had looked like this guy's it would have been worth it :-)
So I wish I knew more about home “stuff” like my critique partner who re-did her bathr
oom…by herself!! I wish I knew how to put down a hardwood floor like I want for my kitchen, hang new cabinets too. Heck, I’d like to know how to hammer a nail straight!
Guess the closest I’ll come is baking cookies like these :-)
So I wish I knew more about home “stuff” like my critique partner who re-did her bathr
oom…by herself!! I wish I knew how to put down a hardwood floor like I want for my kitchen, hang new cabinets too. Heck, I’d like to know how to hammer a nail straight!Guess the closest I’ll come is baking cookies like these :-)
What about you? Who do you rely on for home repairs? How many have handy husbands/fathers/boyfriends? Do you know how to do “stuff”? Who taught you and what is your favorite tool?Source URL: http://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/2008/11/pass-me-hammer.html
Visit violeta diario for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
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