KST HandymanTwelve things worth knowing before you call anyone.
Written for homeowners, not for search engines. Several of these explain how to fix the problem yourself, because some jobs are not worth paying a person to do and you should know which ones.
All guides
Why your door will not latch, and the three fixes
A door that sticks is almost never warped. It is hinge screws, a strike plate out of line, or a jamb that moved. How to tell which.
Choosing a faucet that will actually fit
Four things decide whether a faucet fits: the hole count, the deck thickness, the supply threads, and whether your shutoffs still turn.
Running, sweating or rocking: reading a toilet
Running, sweating, rocking: three complaints, three causes. How to tell a ten-dollar part from a job that needs the toilet lifted.
Shutoff valves: five minutes that can save a flood
Find the main shutoff, test the valves under each sink, write down where they are. The most useful unpaid half-hour in the house.
Mounting a TV where there are no studs
Studs sit every sixteen inches whether or not that suits your sofa. What to do when the bracket needs framing that is not there.
Hard water in the South Bay, and what it does
White crust on the aerator, glass that will not come clean, a showerhead spraying sideways. What hard water actually does, what helps, and what is a waste of money.
Caulk or grout: which one failed in your shower
Grout goes between tiles; caulk goes where two surfaces meet and move. Putting one where the other belongs is why your joint cracked.
A disposal that hums, buzzes or does nothing
Three sounds, three different faults. One you can fix in five minutes with the key that came with it, one needs an electrician, and one means the unit is finished.
What a written price should actually say
A number in a text message is not an estimate. Six things a written price should contain, and the clause that prevents a surprise.
How to get the most out of a single visit
The expensive part of a small job is the trip, not the work. How to batch five small things into one visit and halve what each costs.
Does your job need a permit? How to find out first
Replacing a fixture where one already is usually needs no permit. Moving or adding one usually does. How to check your own address.
Five small repairs that get expensive if you wait
Most deferred maintenance just sits there. These five do not — each one quietly damages something more expensive than itself while you put it off.
Read one and still want it done?
Text a photo to (650) 780-6722. Reading the guide first tends to make the conversation shorter and the price more accurate.