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Does anyone have any recommendations for handymen/general contractors around Huntsville?
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My wife and I recently bought a home and we have a handful of things we need fixed.
Does anyone know any great contractors who work on any or all of the following:
A few rafter supports in our attic need replaced
Bathroom / kitchen exhaust needs rerouted to the outside
A leak in the tin roof of our shed
a door needs installed on our crawl space
a water spigot installed upside down
Any recs / self recs appreciated!
Top Comment: Try Kelly Tate at Grey's. He can do a variety of work: Kelly Tate (256) 783-6696
Any tips on how to learn to do home repair projects?
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I've moved to a new place and want to do some work around the house myself to save money (like handyman type work - fix sinks, maintain equipment , do some repairs etc). Are there any tips on how to be better at it. Are there any classes/training I can take or books that I can read? Sorry if this sounds silly but I have never done any home projects before but I want to learn.
Top Comment: Renovision or This Old House on YouTube are legit sources on many DIY projects. I’ve used them on several myself.
Home repairs are ridiculously expensive, does it get better?
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Coming up on 3 years owning a house and it's been exhausting. I DIY as much as I could, but some things are way out of my skill level like working on a 2 story roof or replacing stucco. So many repairs. House is only 20 years old.
1k roof repair
20k to replace water heater, replace 20 year old carpet with LVP, paint interior, replace garbage disposal. (this was the price for everything. Labor and materials. 2k sqft.)
$500 fence repair
$500 tree trimming
8k repairing exterior stucco leak
$600 to replace original fridge
1k to replace original stove
HVAC started failing last summer, will cost 13k to replace
I know I'm very lucky to own a home, but does it get easier? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
Edit: Everything was pretty much at end of life. I already knew about all the repairs needed prior to buying the house and got a fantastic deal. The only big surprise was the stucco leak that happened at year 2. I already do a lot of DIY, but there is no way I can match the stucco texture and no way I'm going to get on my 2 story roof.
Top Comment: We've owned our home for almost 10 years. We just got a 7k estimate to repair the roof. It's been repaired twice before. 🙃
A sub where you can ask questions about home improvement or home repairs and people give you advice on how to do it?
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I need to reseal a bathtub and have no idea where to start
Top Comment: r/fixit
Home repairs as a single woman
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The only thing I seriously dread as a single person ( and especially a woman) is having to get any kind of home repair done. It’s just vulnerable to have usually a man come into your house that you don’t know when you’re alone. I’m going through this now & it gives me all kinds of anxiety. Just venting but if you have any precautions you take or advice I’d appreciate it *** update*** thanks for all the great advice everyone! I found someone licensed on Facebook & will have my cousin call me . I’ll start looking into doing simple repairs on my own. This particular repair I wouldn’t be able to do on my own. It’s possible water damage, flooring, etc. Thanks again 💗
Top Comment: There’s so much you can do by yourself. My toilet wouldn’t flush and I also hate the idea of people coming into my home. I called the plumber and he quoted me $300. I used Reddit to diagnose the problem and then used YouTube to complete the job. The part I needed was only $15 at Walmart. When I successfully turned the water off, disassembled the toilet, and put it back together by myself in 20 minutes it was a self esteem boost. Since diving into my own repairs, I realized most repairs are actual quite simple fixes. They require neither skill or knowledge if you can follow instructions, society has just allowed us to assume only men can complete these tasks.
Where can I consult for home repair / DIY questions?
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As a relatively new homeowner who isn’t handy, I’m never sure what to do when I have questions about some aspect of home repair or maintenance. As you can see from other posts I’ve made both here and elsewhere, I’ve asked them before, and I currently have one about smoke detectors that’s more complicated than I thought it’d be, and of course, asking on Reddit is a roll of the dice depending on who decides to respond, not to mention the unreliability of being able to ask follow up questions. Also, I’ve found that just random Google searches is just as unreliable.
So I figure there has to be a better way to get answers to my questions, like the ones that’ll determine how I decide to address my smoke detector issue. Who do y’all turn to when asking these kinds of questions or feeling out what to do in specific situations? I’m sure for a lot of you, it’s an individual you have a close personal bond to, like a parent or family friend, so obviously I’m looking for publicly available options. Paid is okay if necessary.
Thanks in advance!
Top Comment: I always start with the make and model of whatever I'm researching. Sometimes enough other people had the same question and there will be a youtube video or post on reddit or another forum with the answer already there. I also try to word the question or search term in different ways. To see if it gets any outlier type results. Asking someone at the hardware stores these days is about the same as asking here.
Where to even start with home repairs?
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I recently moved back in with my mother who hasn’t had the money to fix some major issues with her house for a number of years. I’d like to help her out but I don’t even know where to start. I think my priority would be the shower as the plaster wall is rapidly deteriorating, but any opinions would be helpful.
Further information: House was built in the 1950s. The roof leaked for a number of years but was replaced about a decade ago and no longer leaks. My mother has some experience with home improvement projects and I have none.
Do I need to get testing done for asbestos? Is it possible to diy this project (specifically the bathroom)? Willing to put in the research and energy to learn. Any help is appreciated!
Pics 1 & 2 - bathroom Pics 3-5 - living room Pics 6 & 7 - bedroom
Top Comment: Be sure to take your questions over to r/homeimprovement and r/plumbing as well. Best of Luck Be Excellent
Subreddit for DIY home repair tips : r/homeowners
Main Post: Subreddit for DIY home repair tips : r/homeowners
Which home maintenance tasks / repairs handled DIY have the best $ savings for the effort expended?
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Curious about what others think regarding which home maintenance or repair tasks have the best $ savings for the effort.
I read in another forum that HVAC capacitors cost <$20 and you can replace them with average electrical skills in <15 minutes. That would save $350-400 repair bill.
What other things should I consider?
Top Comment: Not really repair, but painting by far is the best bang for your buck when it comes to updating the feel of a room.