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As the year winds down to a close, I've been flipping through all the projects I've done and realizing that it's been a great year for repairs that are both beautiful and functional. Here's my pick of the three best before-and-after projects of 2016. Rebuilding a Really Rotten Railing This railing rotted away from the inside because the original builder didn't use pressure-treated lumber. It looked solid until I touched it with my chisel... then it fell apart! I rebuilt it with water-resistant materials for a truly solid and lasting stair railing.
Tori's Built-In Bookshelves Noted author Tori Hartman moved to Montford and needed shelving around her fireplace. I installed custom shelving which complemented the room beautifully.  Before  After Here it is after she styled it:  A Light, Bright Office Update The Griffin Agency moved into a new office in an historic building in downtown Asheville, and they needed a fresh coat of paint to brighten up the place:  Before The transformation was somewhat heightened by my new camera.  After In addition to interior painting, I also installed a new kitchenette which fit right into the decorative scheme of their office:
Does your New Year's list include a resolution to get those small home repair projects done? If so, give me a call. I'll be glad to help you go from boring "before" to amazing "after."
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You've probably dreamed about having a "vine covered cottage," but this winter one of my clients took the first step to making it happen: she had me install some good, sturdy lattice. Here's the "before" picture so you can see where we started.  This home in Montford has a big back porch with white stairs that wind down into the yard. It's beautiful architecture, but the skimpy lattice under the stairs left the "potting shed" area underneath exposed. I installed all new lattice to wrap around the stairs...  ...which gives it a much more solid look. She'll still have lattice to support her flowering bushes, but now it also hides the potting bench. This makes a more private shed to putter around in on a Sunday afternoon:  Call the decorating magazines! This place is crying out for a few casually draped gloves and a pot of geraniums. Decorative touches aside, I also had some more practical work to do: repairing and repainting the porch floor. (Click any of those pictures to enlarge.)
I make it look easy, but the porch floor repair was actually something of a challenge. The biggest challenge was getting a day that was warm and dry enough to paint the new boards. Fortunately living in Asheville is right next door to living in Paradise, so even in winter there's usually a good day if you time it right. If you have a porch or railing in need of repair, please give me a call. I really enjoy work like this, so I'd be glad to help.
She was talking it over with her dinner guests one evening when suddenly the idea popped into her head: why not replace the legs completely? Then she remembered the Rustic Industrial Hutch which I recently built for her, and the inspiration was complete.  We had a great time working on this project together, and since Suzanne was there to help me out, I got lots of pictures. Here's how we did it.
 Each leg is made from plumbing parts: two flanges and a pre-threaded length of blackpipe. I bought these pieces as-is from the local hardware store and simply twisted the flanges onto the pipe. We also added felt pads to the bottoms so the legs wouldn't scratch the floor.  This was a very rewarding project for such a minimal investment of hardware.  If you've got a simple furniture repair that can be done onsite, I'll be glad to discuss it with you. Give me a call today to get started.
My wife really likes this project.  One of my clients had a somewhat small guest bedroom in serious need of shelving. She had a set of beautiful, ornate shelf brackets, plus a small vanity chair, which gave her the vision to add a set of shelves on either side of the brick chimney in her historic home.
Here is a before-and-after of the shelving installation. My client liked the new shelves so much that she immediately styled them, so I took a glamor photo:  It's not your imagination: the chimney leans to one side. The formerly cluttered guest room now has a dressing table and a place for books. I guess I can see why my wife likes this project. As an added bonus, I did a little minor onsite furniture repair to that chair:  I liked the stylish lines of this old piece, so I'm glad I was able to save it.
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Welcome to my blog! This is a chronicle of the adventures of Arthur Teel, a handyman working in Asheville and Weaverville, NC. Need someone to fix your home?
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April 2022
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Our current turn-around time is 1 to 4 weeks for picture hanging and interior painting, and 6-8 weeks for most other projects.
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"Arthur is that rare professional handyman who is totally reliable; fairly priced; pro-active in communications; honest; punctual; skilled -- and a really nice guy." "Arthur is a great resource to have here in our area. He's prompt, professional, does great work and is cost effective. I'll definitely use him again!" |
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