How to cleanly re-caulk a bathtub or surface to prevent premature damage

You can make small improvements to spruce up your bathroom and make a dramatic difference, one of the easiest things to do is to re-caulk your bathtub and shower to help prevent mold and structural water damage. To understand these two failures will help you take the appropriate action to avoid unexpected expense of a home repair in your bathroom.

The first failure is the old caulk needs to be replaced with new bathroom caulking. The typical lifespan of caulking is no more than 10 years. Maintaining your shower, lavatory sink, bath tub are critical home maintenance tasks to prevent water intrusion.

Second the most common failure is the type of the correct caulking to use. The proper caulking to use is one that is designed specifically for bathrooms. Vinyl and latex based siliconized caulks are readily available in most regions. You want to choose the right caulk which is water and mold resistant and rated for bathroom use is the right solution. To get a professional pleasing appearance to match your décor in your shower or tub it is best to use a colored grouted caulk found in most tile supply stores for the tile surfaces.

The problems with caulk

Acrylic, silicone and latex caulks are very popular since the ease of use. However, they pose significant performance problems. In dry settings, they eventually dry up, peel and crack. In wet settings, when they are exposed to continual moisture, they re-emulsify, soften, peel, and eventually wash out of the joints, and sometimes turn black in color from mold and mildew. Caulk is not chemical resistance and when certain cleaners are used, the caulk reacts and eventually loses its bond, which allows moisture to compromise and penetrate through the surface creating mold and rot! Caulking your home is a routine task.

Over time, most caulk will mold, dry up, peel or crack. Exposed caulk or grout joints often result in severe water damage and costly repairs.

Common signs you might need to Caulk your Bathroom

If your current caulk in your bathroom shows mold or discolorization, signs of cracking, missing or damaged caulk, or any part of the caulk bead no longer adheres to the surface then it would be wise to re-caulk to prevent water intrusion behind gaps and seams around bath fixtures.

Prepping the caulk surface

Removing the old caulk is vital of a good caulking job. Since this is a harder task there are plenty of products on the market to make the job much easier. With the right tools and knowledge you can save valuable time on your re-caulking project. Pick up a handy caulk removal tool, towels, and some caulk softener at your local hardware store. Apply the caulk softener over the old caulk. Let the product sit for two hours on the surface. Careful here and don’t let the softener product dry out. Grab your handy caulk removal tool and go to work removing the soft caulking. Use the flat plastic side of the tool to clean up the excess areas and wipe and scrub the surface clean. Once the surface is dry and free of caulking apply your bleach or rubbing alcohol cleaning product that you normally use to clean the bathtub. Scrub all the soap residue on the surface you are working on to clean the area squeaky clean. Take a break and let the surfaces completely dry out. To ensure the strongest seal on a bathtub, fill up the tub with water before applying new caulk.

Apply the new caulk

Grab your caulk gun and caulk tube and cut the tip off about a 45 degree angle. Insert the tube in the caulk gun. Grab some painters tape and apply the tape around both sides of the caulking bead edge. Apply the caulk to the shortest wall first surface using a steady constant pressure to ensure you are not ending up with more in one spot or less in another. When you reach a corner, stop and finish with that wall first before proceeding to the next wall. Use your finger and steadily push the caulk in to the joint and release some pressure when you reach a corner so you won’t pool the caulking over, after you have completed all walls around the bathtub. Wet your finger and run along the new caulk line to make sure it is smooth and even. Remove any excess caulk with a wet rung out towel with water or appropriate cleaner printed on the caulking tube. Remove the tape at this time. Be sure to remove the tape slowly and carefully so not to remove the caulking with it.

Let it dry and cure

Your last easiest step is the most important, let it dry and cure. Consult the instructions on the back of the caulk tube to find the appropriate amount of cure time. Do not use the fixture until proper cure time to prevent water intrusion issues.

Get help with bathroom shower, bathtub, or sink caulking

Replacing caulk is an easy way to save money and Do it yourself for home repairs. Although you could save yourself the hassle if you don’t have the time nor inclination to do your own bathroom caulking, invite our Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service craftsman to come out and get your bathtub or shower caulking done now for your bathroom.

Common washing machine signs to keep an eye out before repair

With much wear and tear on most home appliances a washer can really take a beating over a year. In fact the average American family washes nearly 300 loads of laundry per year. It is bound to act up at some point in time after a few years. Keeping a skillful ear and eye to identify issues can avoid the need for an expensive repair or replacement.

 The agitator doesn’t work

The agitator is the plastic device in the center of top loading washers that wigs and wags spinning left and right rapidly during the wash cycle to make your clothes come clean. If the motor engages but the agitator doesn’t that is a sign that the transmission is going out.

On Whirlpool washers the agitator has plastic clogs which can break off internally within the device to help prevent transmission failures.

It is easy to check to see if the agitator is working, simply lift the washer lid during the wash cycle to view the agitator is shifting the clothes around. Your pants socks ad shirts won’t get clean if the agitator is not working. So it is worth having this problem looked at sooner then having an expensive repair bill later.

Clothes are dripping wet after the spin cycle

The transmission may have something wrong if the water may drain but the spin cycle may fail to engage. The spin cycle is important for removing as much water from your clothes as possible. So the dryer doesn’t have to work as hard to dry the clothes later on.

If the transmission has something wrong the motor may engage but the drum won’t spin, leaving you up duck’s creek with sopping wet clothes? You wouldn’t want to make your dryer to work overtime causing more wear and tear on the dryer making to wear out faster since it even wastes a lot of energy. So it is best to call in an washer repair professional today then delay if this is the problem you are having.

Water doesn’t drain from the drum

During the normal operation of the washing machine, the washer drains right before the spin cycle starts. A problem with the water pump could prevent water from draining out of the tub. When this happens you will notice the wash tub is still full of water when you lift the lid to transfer your clothes to the dryer. This will require an appliance repairman to come take a look at the problem.

If your washing machine is acting up and you eyed the problem. It would be wise to contact Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service to schedule your appliance repair visit today. Do it yourself washer repairs is not recommended since it could cost you more in the end to fix.

Back to school with home organization

Home organization with summer ending and kid’s getting ready to go back to school, it’s a fun time of year to get your home organized for the school year. While the young one’s are meeting new friends and learning new skills it is a great time for you to get the household in order. When your home is an obstacle course with all those shoes lying around it’s time to get a shoe organizer at a back door entrance. Hang hooks for jackets and bags to gain some extra storage space. An organizer not only helps clean up but saves time in the morning to grab the shoes and head to school.

Create a drop zone

Grab a few cloths wrapped wired baskets and create a drop zone to drop stuff off when you walk in the front entrance. Utilize a drawer by the front entrance to drop your keys, phone charger, wallet, favorite lipsticks and other important stuff.

Gutter and drywall repair

No matter your home maintenance needs, it’s never a bad idea to hire a handyman for that little extra help during the busy back to school season. With summer time ending blues and afternoon showers often leaving some home owners with leaky roofs and soggy drywall. Water damage can cause havoc on your homes structural weakness and can cause wood rot. In fact heavy rain and high winds can cause gutters to pull away from the side of the home, so water can seep through walls and ceilings. Before summer ends make sure the gutters are securely fastened and properly cleaned and flowing. As drywall repair and replacement can be a big project, it’s better to fix the problem before it turns into a safety health hazard down the road.

Check your dryer vent

With the work load your dryer is about to endure over the up coming months of the school year. This is a smart idea to help you save some money with the energy efficiency savings you dryer can endure with a clean flowing dryer exhaust vent. Not to mention a restricted dryer vent may cause premature failure on your dryer's internal components. Lint can build up in the dryer vent with consistent use can wear out the heating element, thermal fuse, high temperature limit safety switch, and other mechanical components prematurely of the dryer. It is recommended to clean your dryer vent at least once a year depending on the size of the household and dryer usage. Ask about our dryer vent cleaning services.

Get your home organized now can eliminate the hassle of juggling repairs and improvements with sports schedules and homework. Call Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service and we will work with your busy schedule and offer the quality home repairs that your casa deserves. 

Smart Summer Tips to improve your homes quality and retain housing market value

Whether you want to keep your home cost efficient or boost the resale value of your home. Our innovative ideas for summer home repair tips to improve your homes quality and retain housing market value to ensure your property keeps in top-notch condition.

One thing you should remember while trying to boost the resale value of your home. People have a wide variety of tastes. The flexibility of an attractive non customized home will be more appealing on the home buying market. Like most homeowner’s they want to get rid of that ugly green stuff growing on the exterior siding of a house. While some people will tell you to pressure wash the house to remove the green algae growth. This may cause damage to your home since most homeowner’s aren’t particularly used to handling the high volume of pressure which the pressure washer sprays out. Double pane windows can even show unsightly damages using this pressure cleaning method if a homeowner is not properly trained handling the pressure washer correctly while using this exterior house cleaning technique. Here is an innovative idea and a less labor intensive way to remove the green growth from siding. Remember to be safe while using any house cleaner product and keep pets off and away from all areas to be cleaned for at least twenty four hours. Mix up five parts of water to one part of “Wet and Forget” in a pump up sprayer and spray to fully saturate the siding and wait. In a matter of weeks the green algae will be visibly reduced or eliminated. Reapply once a year to troubled areas in the home to ensure proper control.

 Updating or installing ceiling fans in indoor spaces reduces the amount of energy to cool a home. Dark bronze ceiling fans are more appealing to prospective buyers and make a stylish look to a room.

Lighter house paint colors promote cooler homes on blissful summer days. Why not paint the garage door to improve the aesthetic appeal of your home and help keep the garage cooler in the summer months. Home painting could make a vibrant clean house appeal and potentially boost the resale value of a home.

From choosing the right ceiling fan, to cleaning and painting to boost the homes resale value, energy efficiency should be an important factor with in a home. 

If you’re interested in improving value to your home or just need a home repair contact Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service for these neighborly upkeep tasks.

Keep the bad out with good refrigerator maintenance

Keep the bad out with good refrigerator maintenance

Prevent internal component failures with good yearly refrigerator maintenance. It’s important to keep your refrigerator cool and efficient. This prevents bad spoiled food and costly repairs down the road. The good news is that dirty condenser coils on a refrigerator are easily and quickly remedied. The bad news is you risk the expense of a high-priced compressor failure should you allow the coils to become excessively clogged with dust, dirt and other airborne particles. One of the main components of any refrigeration or air conditioning system is the condenser. Clogged condenser coils can produce poor circulation of air, restricting your fridge’s ability to keep cool. Dirty or blocked condensers are one of the most frequent service problems in refrigeration and summer appliance repair fields today. We offer simple maintenance steps to keep your fridge running in great shape. Forget about spoiled food, you too can have a trouble-free refrigerator. Clean the condenser coils twice a year or more often if you have shedding pets or a dusty home. The job of the condenser coils is to cool and condense the refrigerant. When the coils are clogged with dirt and dust, they can't efficiently release heat. The result is your compressor works harder and longer than it was designed to, using more energy and shortening the life of your fridge. Some refrigerator manufacturers place them on the back of the unit, where they are quite easy to reach, while others locate them beneath the unit, which makes them harder to get at but still worth the effort. If it's been a year or longer since you cleaned them and brushed them down, it's a safe bet that it's time to do so.

Some steps can be taken by the average person to clean the condenser coil, but to get the job done thoroughly and to get the best results it will most likely take a professional service technician. To clean the inside of the condenser coil and make sure that it is free of obstruction, it will require the skills and equipment of a appliance repair service man. Getting an annual inspection and cleaning will ensure the efficient operation of the unit and it will help to guarantee that the unit has a long operating life.

Disconnect the refrigerator from the power before removing the toe grill (consult your owner’s manual to see if your toe grill can be pulled straight off without any additional steps). Using a coil brush, push the tool into the condenser coils and knock off the dust that has collected there. You can then vacuum up the dust and reinstall the toe grill.

Refrigerators sometimes keep food too cold so that it freezes. This may be because you set the thermometer too low or it could indicate that the coils on the condenser coils on the outside of the appliance are dusty. It may also be a problem that requires professional repair.

According to the FDA, a refrigerator’s temperature should be set to 40°F or lower, while the temperature of a freezer should be at 0°F.

A warm refrigerator isn’t always an obvious fix. There are a number of different things that could be causing the issue. Malfunctioning parts can be tricky, especially when you have to discern which part is causing the problem. It may be best to contact a professional appliance repair technician with Mr. Fix-It to keep your refrigerator in good repair.

More refrigerator repair tips

Here is a tip to prevent an expensive gasket repair bill ($100 to $200) and cut down air leaks by keeping your door gasket clean. Syrup, jelly or any other sticky stuff dripping down the front sides of your refrigerator can dry and glue the gasket to the frame. Wipe down the door gasket frequently with warm soapy water to prevent build up of food particles and debris. Apply a small amount mineral oil on the gasket to help assist it from sticking to the door frame and prevent it from cracking or tearing.

If your fridge isn’t up-to-snuff and isn’t cooling or preserving your food, our helpful technicians at Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service can help you diagnose your potential problem, walk you through the repair steps, and explain when you should step back and let a professional handle it. Call us today for your refrigerator repair.

What you need to know damaging termites

What you need to know damaging termites

Termites leave few clues of there arrival and are active all year round. Those pesky termites cause severe damage to homes, sometimes repairs are not typically covered in standard insurance policies. Discovering unsettling damage at your home can cost thousands of dollars. Termites like damp, dark, and warm areas of a home. Termites live in colonies and once the little termites grow to a certain extent they form a swarm, which is a traveling crowd, and maintain a colony.

Signs of termite damage can include buckling ceilings or walls, appearance of water damage, maze like tunnels in wooden structures, mud tunnels on foundation walls, swarms of termites, termites are known to ruin carpeting, walls, furniture, and flooring.

Can the damage from termites be fixed?

Even though it is rare for some termite species to damage a home beyond repair, if the infestation is not treated for many years. If caught soon enough the cost of the termite repair would be much less.

Subterranean termites

Florida has the subterranean termite species as a termite colony can case significant damage to a house in approximately two years, if it is not treated or controlled. These African subterranean termites dwell underground in loose damp soil. The largest subterranean termite colonies eat about a pound of wood per day and up wards to 100 pounds per year. These critters can travel in tunnels from the ground up on foundation walls and enter your home.

Drywood termites

Other smaller colony species such as the drywood termites can cause the same type of damage over a period of 20 years. These termites live in and feed on wood, they are often found in studded walls, attic areas, and furniture. They eat wood from the inside out.

Swarming termites

These termites swarm in warm weather and often after a rain shower to start new colonies. As the swarming event be so brief you may not even see the flying termites. You are likely to view the discarded wings around window sills, doors, house vents, bathtubs and sinks. Winged termites are attracted to light sources and are mostly active in spring time.

 What can I do to prevent termite damage?

Termite bait or liquid treatements are the best ways to prevent termites. A preventative measure would include eliminating wood-soil contact and resolving moisture problems, store firewood at least 20 feet away from your home, maintain a 18” gap between mulch or soil and wood parts of the home, cut foliage at least 3 feet away, aim irrigation sprinklers away from the foundation, and direct downspouts away from the home. Keep air vents clear and clean so the air can circulate in attics and crawl spaces, however these measures will not keep termites from trying to enter your home.

As a preventive measure, you could use “Bora-Care”. This is a borate treatment that is easily applied to wood and over time can penetrate the entire mass of wood. It is not only a fungus treatment but also making wood unappetizing to wood boring insects and uninhabitable to fungi.

If you believe you’ve found termite damage or have inspection repairs with in your home or just want some peace of mind, call a trusted handyman for your repairs.

If your home needs siding repairs, take action now and schedule Mr. Fix-It Handyman Service to fix up your home!

Help solve temperature fluctuation on a tankless water heater

Troubleshoot temperature fluctuation problems

Learn how to troubleshoot and solve temperature fluctuation on a tankless water heater. You wouldn’t want to get caught in an unpleasant cold water sandwich situation when taking a shower. As the water temperature fluctuates delivered from a tankless water heater after the first few minutes you enjoy a nice hot shower and then changes to cold and back to warm/hot again.

Cold water sandwich 

This problematic issue especially on an electric tankless water heater occurs when the temperature variation when the heater is on as it provides hot water. When the water is not being dispensed from a fixture. Such as the tap being closed the unit shuts off, as the water inside the pipes get cooled. The water heater turns on and the cool water inside the pipes dispenses the cooled water before the hot water reaches the fixture. This results in cold water bursting or the cold water sandwich effect.

In homes it is suggested to set the water heater to a safe 120 degree temperature. One of the main reasons why temperature fluctuates is your tankless heater stopped working due to lack of low water. Usually the minimum flow rate is around 0.4-0.5. If your water heating system is not designed properly where the capacity is smaller than the demand, such as a change in flow from other fixtures in the home are opened or closed you can ‘feel the fluctuation of the temperature drop. Today, most tankless water heating systems have some type of water filtration or may have an inlet filter screen before water reaches the heater elements. It is suggested to change the filter or clean the inlet filter screen located at the bottom of the unit every six months or more frequently depending on your homes water usage.

Restriction of water flow

Water in Florida has a high mineral deposit count the can lead to a restriction of water flow in plumbing fixture parts such as long term mineral build up deposits on faucet aerators, shower heads. It would be a good idea to flush and clean each single one. You can soak them in household white vinegar to help dissolve the mineral deposits and flush the parts toughly with water before reinstalling.

Plumbing crossover

Temperature fluctuation may occur due to a plumbing crossover of a faulty mixing valve, incorrect plumbing, single lever faucet, or failed washer in a fixture. An easy way to find out is close the main line going to the heater and open a hot water tap, wait five minutes, and if water is still flowing there is a problem with a plumbing crossover.

Water pressure

A tankless water heater normally uses constant water pressure maintained at 30 psi. The pressure needs to be consistent so if you have a well on your property, be sure the pressure is present.

Mixing Valves

Do you have a mixing valve installed; a mixing valve lowers the temperature of hot water and mixes it with cold water. Check to see the water temperature on the valve.

Before any changes to fix your temperature fluctuation problem, measure the fill time to see what the proper activation flow rate is. If your experiencing longer than usual the odds is the activation rate is not met.

If you are experiencing difficulty to solve your temperature fluctuation problems and you need other home repairs, hire a professional handyman.