Check Carpet for Stains, Popping Seams, Rumples and General Damage – Small stains can often be removed using WD-40 (Test for discoloration in an unexposed area first). Popping seams in small areas can be fixed with a glue gun and frayed pieces should be cut with scissors and covered with glue to prevent further unraveling. “Rumples” are areas where the carpet has a wavy look. This can be fixed with a “Knee Kicker” which is a tool with a pad and teeth that grabs the carpet and tightens it by pulling it further over the tack strip at the outside edge.
Check Linoleum for Rips, Tears & Curling – For rips, re-glue with the manufacturers recommended glue. For tears, re-glue with a clear vinyl-seaming adhesive. Curling means that nothing is holding down the outside edge. All linoleum outside edges need to be covered and held down by molding, transition strips, adhesive caulk or other materials to prevent curling and allowing water & dirt under the flooring.
Tighten Screws & Nails on Decks & Patios – Wood expands and contracts with changing temperatures and weather. Boards will loosen and warp if not maintained. To make your deck or patio last longer, tighten screws and hammer protruding nails carefully to make sure you don’t cause the wood to crack by over tightening.
Clean & Seal Decks & Railings – Do this once each year to extend deck life. Typically only the top horizontal parts of the railing need attention. Make sure that once you use one kind of product for this that you continue to only use the same type product every year in the future to prevent any incompatibility problems.
Review Concrete for Cracks, Chips & Shifting – For cracks, grind with an angle grinder to a minimum of 1/8” and fill with a DOT spec “Bridge Grade Self-Leveling Caulk”. Make sure to fill only halfway because it expands as it dries. For separation between your concrete and a wall of over ½” add a “backer rod” (a foam, flexible rod) to fill the gap and give the caulk something to sit on top of and stick to. For chips or missing chunks, scrape off any loose material and refill with “Rockite”. Texture to match the surrounding finish for best final appearance.
Test All Smoke or CO Detectors – Push the button on the unit to check it – a few minutes doing this each month could save your family’s life in a fire.
Check Linoleum for Rips, Tears & Curling – For rips, re-glue with the manufacturers recommended glue. For tears, re-glue with a clear vinyl-seaming adhesive. Curling means that nothing is holding down the outside edge. All linoleum outside edges need to be covered and held down by molding, transition strips, adhesive caulk or other materials to prevent curling and allowing water & dirt under the flooring.
Tighten Screws & Nails on Decks & Patios – Wood expands and contracts with changing temperatures and weather. Boards will loosen and warp if not maintained. To make your deck or patio last longer, tighten screws and hammer protruding nails carefully to make sure you don’t cause the wood to crack by over tightening.
Clean & Seal Decks & Railings – Do this once each year to extend deck life. Typically only the top horizontal parts of the railing need attention. Make sure that once you use one kind of product for this that you continue to only use the same type product every year in the future to prevent any incompatibility problems.
Review Concrete for Cracks, Chips & Shifting – For cracks, grind with an angle grinder to a minimum of 1/8” and fill with a DOT spec “Bridge Grade Self-Leveling Caulk”. Make sure to fill only halfway because it expands as it dries. For separation between your concrete and a wall of over ½” add a “backer rod” (a foam, flexible rod) to fill the gap and give the caulk something to sit on top of and stick to. For chips or missing chunks, scrape off any loose material and refill with “Rockite”. Texture to match the surrounding finish for best final appearance.
Test All Smoke or CO Detectors – Push the button on the unit to check it – a few minutes doing this each month could save your family’s life in a fire.
For help with any of these items - Just give us a call in the North Houston Area at 281-358-6666 or visit us online at www.HandymanMatters.com
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