I got a call from an apartment community manager today; there was a problem with the sheetrock in the kitchen. I drove out to take a look at the situation. This is a photo of the ceiling in the kitchen; there is a crack in the area of a previous repair.
There were 4 or 5 cracks in the drywall ceiling in the apartment unit. Looking at the repairs, I could tell that the repairs have been done several times – in the same areas. In at … (27 comments)
Yes, I can give you a “ballpark” dry rot estimate, but it will likely be flawed. It has been my experience that this only works out after we have worked together for a while. It takes a while to get to know what you mean by “a little bit”, “not too bad”, “a long time” and all the other descriptions that we have. Your definition and my definition may be worlds apart, if we have worked together for a while, we can come to a better understanding … (48 comments)
Not everyone can do the type of jobs that we do. Maybe we just have strong stomachs and are willing to do the jobs that many just don’t want to take on. Today got a little messy in an apartment in Sacramento. But in the end, Everyone was happy. Enjoy the weekend!
Mistakes can happen in the repair, remodel, and restoration of a building. It can happen to contractors, homeowners, flippers, and handymen; accidents do happen. I saw some things today that caught my eye; some mistakes in construction that should have been corrected. While demolishing a bathroom floor, I discovered that the exhaust vent from the kitchen runs under the bathroom floor. The size of the vent pipe does not leave much room between the bathroom subflooring and the drywall ceiling in the kitchen below. This isn’t a problem … (4 comments)
Don’t wait for the big, expensive water damage to happen when the little signs of water intrusion have started. Water damage can come in many forms, a broken water supply line, frozen pipes, or even a leaking dishwasher. But the water problems that can be the most troublesome are the leaks that happen slowly and gradually get worse. The slow leaks can often times create mold and rot because is has been moist for a very long period of time. These are the moisture areas that are important to find. It … (42 comments)
repair: I wish I could just wave a magic wand and make it better.
- 03/19/12 05:48 PM
I had one of those days where the client was faced with some bad news for the homeowner. The dry rot damage is extensive, and the repairs are going to be expensive. I’m a contractor, isn’t this good news? No, it’s not really. The damages are hidden behind the stucco exterior, with no visible signs of staining inside to home. It started when dry rot was found to the sheathing behind the stucco in the crawl space. Things escalated after that. The windows seem to be leaking on that side of the home, and running inside the wall. The … (18 comments)
I often, come across jobs as a contractor that I just have to “wonder why this happened”. Something just didn’t make a lot of sense. There must be a reason this was done. I recently walked into a unit that had a big hole in the drywall ceiling, for no apparent reason. I guess I don’t need to know, I just need to fix the hole!
There it is, a fence line that probably should be torn out and redone from the ground up. But there is no money in the budget right now. Maybe you can get by with a quick fix. The fence may be rotted but it is still hanging in there. Can we get through another year with just replacing a few fence posts? I guess its better than doing nothing!
Early in the Water Damage Repair project, things can look a bit overwhelming. There will be damaged materials, discolored surfaces, and maybe even some dry rot involved; all of this can be corrected by a professional.
After correcting the source of the problem, the rebuilding can begin. You will be amazed how quickly the change will occur. Once the new building materials have been installed, and the finishing touches applied, you will be pleased with how things have turned out.
I got tagged in a photo on Facebook, and I know that I wasn’t alone. Photos were posted to my page that I can delete. Since I was tagged and not included in the photo, I thought that I’d add myself to one of them. J
Sure, you know me as a General Contractor who specializes in Dry Rot and Water Damage Repair, but I like to think that I have a life outside of my work; maybe even sitting courtside at an NBA game with a woman in … (20 comments)
Water and soil is the nature enemy of wood. Given enough time, water and soil will cause wood to rot, decay, swell, split and a bunch of things that will ultimately cause the wood to fail. It is at this point when we need to replace and repair the wood. Since it is important to protect wood from water, soil, and extreme weather, we need to paint, stain or somehow protect the surface.
There are limits to the amount of protection that we can provide. Most products have a limited life, regular … (4 comments)
One of the dangers in apartment construction is dry rot, sometimes it just happens over the years. This Sacramento stairway was found to be sinking quite a bit. The steps were originally at 6 ¾” each, this first step is now at 2”.
Why is it sinking? The wood has rotted and is no longer structurally sound, and is in need of repair. The stairway is 14 feet in the air, this should be corrected right away.
I got an emergency water heater replacement call today; it’s an emergency for the residents who do not have hot water! Whenever we work on water heaters, we check for other potential problems because this would be the time to correct the problem. With the water to the unit shut off already, a couple of changes will cost next to nothing in additional labor. We always change the flex lines, check the straps, secure exhaust vent, and test pressure relief valve. At the shut off valve there was a short galvanized pipe … (22 comments)
Have you ever looked at a wall or ceiling and thought “This has been patched”? Sometimes the patchwork is more obvious than others, but we don’t want to draw attention to it. Ever find yourself steering the client away from that “bad spot” during a property visit? There are many reasons for a wall repair to not look perfect, but most of them can be avoided with some experience. A good drywall patch finalizes the repair work. The water leak, door knob punch through, or electrical relocation all looks like original work … (14 comments)
Okay, maybe the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but it doesn’t mean it’s the best answer when it comes to property improvements. I got a call to check for a leak in the storage shed in Sacramento, that is attached to the main building. There were several problem areas but this one topped the list. When adding power to the shed, someone ran a conduit line straight down through the roof and into an electrical box. The water was leaking through the roof, down the conduit, and all over … (8 comments)
Service Area
•Acampo, CA
•Amador City, CA
•Angels Camp, CA
•Antelope, CA
•Auburn, CA
•Avery, CA
•Cameron Park, CA
•Campo Seco, CA
•Carmichael, CA
•Cedar Ridge, CA
•Ceres, CA
•Citrus Heights, CA
•Clarksburg, CA
•Colfax, CA
•Davis, CA
•Diamond Springs, CA
•Dixon, CA
•El Dorado Hills, CA
•Elk Grove, CA
•Elverta, CA
•Emigrant Gap, CA
•Escalon, CA
•Esparto, CA
•Fair Oaks, CA
•Fairfield, CA
•Folsom, CA
•French Camp, CA
•Galt, CA
•Georgetown, CA
•Gold River, CA
•Granite Bay, CA
•Grass Valley, CA
•Herald, CA
•Hood, CA
•Ione, CA
•Isleton, CA
•Jackson, CA
•Jamestown, CA
•Keyes, CA
•Knights Landing, CA
•Lathrop, CA
•Lincoln, CA
•Linden, CA
•Live Oak, CA
•Lodi, CA
•Loomis, CA
•Manteca, CA
•Marysville, CA
•Mather, CA
•Modesto, CA
•Newcastle, CA
•North Highlands, CA
•Nut Tree, CA
•Oakdale, CA
•Olivehurst, CA
•Orangevale, CA
•Penryn, CA
•Placerville, CA
•Rancho Cordova, CA
•Rancho Murieta, CA
•Rescue, CA
•Rio Linda, CA
•Rio Vista, CA
•Ripon, CA
•Rocklin, CA
•Roseville, CA
•Sacramento, CA
•San Francisco, CA
•Shingle Springs, CA
•Sonora, CA
•Stockton, CA
•Sutter Creek, CA
•Sutter, CA
•Thornton, CA
•Tracy, CA
•Tuolumne, CA
•Turlock, CA
•Twain Harte, CA
•Twin Bridges, CA
•Vacaville, CA
•Victor, CA
•Walnut Grove, CA
•West Sacramento, CA
•Wilton, CA
•Winters, CA
•Woodland, CA
•Yolo, CA
•Yuba City, CA
•Zamora, CA
;)
;)
;)
