It's not even November yet, and I've already gotten a couple of calls from clients who are ready to winterize their homes. And according to the almanac, it's going to be a looooonngg cooooolldd winter. (Brrrrr.) With that in mind, I thought I'd show off a few options for preventing drafts and saying warm during our Asheville mountain winters. Storm Doors Especially in historic homes with old-fashioned fittings, it's quite possible that your front door is letting in a draft. Storm doors can stop drafts, and they also let in light on sunny winter days. I can measure the door for you, pick it up at the hardware store, and install it. You don't even have to lift a finger. The newer doors are also very subtle and attractive. Interior "Storm Windows" This is another great way to stop drafts without having to replace all of your windows. Bonus: I've recently learned that they're the preferred choice in historic districts such as Montford, because they won't change the exterior look of your home. These aren't the heavy, expensive Plexiglass windows that are so hard to put in and take out. The latest product is a super-heavy-duty plastic film stretched on a frame that friction fits into your window opening. And as the title implies, they're "installed" from the interior, so you can take them out if you want to open the window. They're also very subtle in appearance, and they come in white or bronze. Here's an example of a white one: You can barely tell the difference. Here's what they look like up close: I really like these as an alternative to the old Plexiglass windows. They're cheaper, they're easier to install, and they work. Weatherstripping Another common winter problem is drafts around otherwise solid doors. In those cases I recommend weatherstripping.
Now, you may harbor a few grudges against weatherstripping. It's true that the cheap stick-on stuff is awful. It's made of a low-quality foam that quickly degrades and leaves an ugly mess. However, I can install a heavy-duty silicon rubber weatherstripping that lasts a lot longer and really stops the drafts. I can also install a permanent metal-and-rubber door sweep along the bottom of the door to prevent breezes from blowing in under it. If you live in Asheville, Weaverville or Mars Hill, and you want to keep Old Man Winter at bay, give me a call, I'll be glad to help you stop those chilly drafts. If you own a second home, especially one that's in another town or another state, you've probably discovered how hard it can be to get maintenance done, You have to get in your car and drive over just to tighten a loose doorknob... and a big job like interior painting is even more involved. Case in point: One of my clients recently inherited a home that was in good structural shape, but needed a complete interior repaint as well as a few other minor repairs. The home is here in Asheville, but she lives in Texas, which is quite a drive for a paint job! Luckily a neighbor referred her to me, and I was able to help her with the project. I'm halfway through the interior painting, and the patched and repainted walls have already made a huge difference in the look and feel of the home. Take a look at these before-and-after pictures which I recently emailed to her. Now that the new paint is on, you can pay more attention to the fine old woodwork in the home. The fresh paint really brightens the space up and makes it look clean and move-in ready. I still have lots to do on this job, but I already have the satisfaction of seeing an "old" house become a "new" home. More importantly, I get to help someone tackle a long-distance project which otherwise might seem impossible, and I can send pictures and status updates so the homeowner knows everything is being done right.
If you need maintenance or updates on your second home, please let me know and I'll be glad to help. I'll keep you in the loop and make sure everything is done to your satisfaction. Give me a call... I love this stuff! If you love your home and are always looking for ways to make it look "finished," then adding trim may be a great option for you. Trim is one of those things which home builders skimp on, and it's a shame, because it can really make a room. A house without trim is like art without a frame. Take a look at my latest project and you'll see what I mean: My clients' home is in the historic neighborhood of Montford, and it has many old-fashioned architectural details, so I was surprised the builder hadn't installed any trim around the doors. As you can see, it gave the rooms the finishing touch they needed. I started by measuring the doorways. Then I went back to my workshop to cut and mill the trim pieces. I used pre-primed wood for efficiency, but I made sure to sand and round the edges to soften the look of the wood and make it appear original to the house. I basically have a portable workshop in my van, so I could have done the mill work onsite, but this kept all of the sawdust and noise in my shop instead of my clients' yard. It made their life easier and kept dust to a minimum. Once I had it milled up, I took it to their home and cut it to length on site where I could be sure to get the perfect fit. Of course, I'm simplifying my explanation. There were lots of little details to fiddle with. For example, this doorway was originally out of square, so I had to correct it: It turned out beautifully. As you can see, the new trim blends in perfectly with the classic woodwork that was already there. It really frames the views into the next room nicely. Could your home use a few small updates like this? If you live in Asheville or Weaverville, give me a call, I'll be glad to help.
I do regular property maintenance on an historic building in downtown Asheville. It's an interesting challenge, because like every historic building, it has "character." In other words, it's got lots of little quirks that need a special approach if I want to fix a problem and make it stay fixed. Lately we've been plagued with peeling ceilings. This is an old industrial building where the ceilings are made of concrete, and there are a few problem spots where the paint just won't adhere. I have stripped them, primed and repainted only to have them peel again. The paint seems to be peeling due to recurring moisture in those areas. (Click pictures to enlarge.) The property manager and I spent hours working on this mystery. First we checked with the company that maintains the roof. They came out twice and found no problem. We also combed the building looking for potential leaks. Eventually we determined that the roof is probably sound and the moisture is coming from another place. This makes sense since some of the peeling ceilings aren't on the top floor. Where is the moisture coming from? We can't be sure. I could advance several theories, and it probably has more than one cause. Concrete can be tricky in this regard, because it can wick moisture from one place to another. Basically we couldn't stop the moisture. We needed to find another solution. One thing I've learned as a handyman is that there is a pre-manufactured product to fix every conceivable problem known to handymankind. It's just a question of doing the research to find it. After internet research failed us, we took our problem to the Asheville branch of PPG Paints. The tagline on their website says "Every job matters," and they lived up to their motto. They actually sent a representative out to look at the problem and bring us a can of this stuff: Say hello to XIM Peel Bond. According to Rustoleum's product page, it penetrates into the surface and creates a tough, flexible surface that helps prevent the paint from peeling. So as not to waste any more effort, I decided to test how well this product works on a small area in a bathroom that was particularly problematic. The Peel Bond went on with a white hazy look and dried clear. It looked a lot like watered-down Elmer's Glue. After waiting 3 weeks, I checked on it again and it has held up very well. The area that was not test coated had peeled even more. I tried to scrape the area where the "Peel Bond" was applied and I wasn't able to even scrape a small portion off. This stuff is tough! Now that I have confirmation that the peeling won't continue, I painted the entire bathroom ceiling with Peel Bond, waited the required two hours while it dried, and then top coated it. I'll be sure to keep an eye on how it does over the next few months, but I'm cautiously optimistic that this product does the trick. Need a handyman to help you fix your ceiling? Give me a call... I love a challenge. Keep Reading
Those of you who love chocolate (and who doesn't?) might recognize the downtown office building I've been working in recently. It currently houses Kilwin's Chocolates on the ground level, and it has gorgeous office spaces upstairs.
Check out a few "before and after" photos to see what a difference a coat of paint can make.
By pushing their desks to the center of the room, the agency was able to keep its office running while I painted. After I finished painting, I hung magnetic boards on the walls so that each employee has a place to pin up ideas.
Since this is a working office, they needed a place to make their lunch... but since they invite clients to their office for meetings, the break area also had to look good in the room.
They chose glossy white Ikea cabinets which blended nicely into the decor. I also added a shelf above to store a few supplies.
I really love what they've done with this space. It's contemporary while still retaining the beautiful details from the past. The open, airy nature of the room seems like an excellent place for creative work. You could say that it leaves room for thought. This was a dramatic update to the room, and I was glad to be a part of it. I wish the Griffin Agency the best of luck with their beautiful new office space... I think I'd enjoy working in a room like this.
Do you have a room that could use a coat of paint? Give me a call. I'll be glad to help.
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