Whether you’re hoping for fewer arguments over bathroom times or a higher market value for your house when it comes time to sell, adding a half bath to your home can help. This simple addition also proves useful when entertaining friends. Point them toward the half bath, and you won’t need to worry about dirty clothes on the floor, or anyone snooping through your drawers and medicine cabinet. Adding a half bath is ideal for those living in older homes with no bottom-floor bathroom. The project is minimal compared to other additions, and most families are able to stay in their homes throughout the entire construction process.

Size

A half bath generally only makes room for a toilet and a sink. Storage or counter space is not necessary. Many prefer a door that opens inward, which can also increase calculations for size. Consider a sliding door if you have limited space, but have concerns about awkward hallway traffic with an outward opening door. Although the average half bath takes up 20 square feet, the International Residential Code requires only 11 square feet for bathrooms.

Finding Room

Deciding where to add the half bath will be your first decision. Homeowners commonly choose closets they rarely use or the space under a stairwell. Sometimes adding a half bath might mean making another room smaller. Half baths serve best on the first floor, near the living room or an entertainment room. Most people prefer to keep any bathroom away from the dining room, where some smells or the sounds of a toilet flushing might not be appreciated.

Layout

Choosing your layout often comes down to the size and shape of your half bath. If possible, most future buyers will prefer a half bath where the toilet is the not the first thing they see upon opening the door. A common design is placing the sink first, and the toiler right behind it. Some might choose to place the toilet on the opposite wall of the sink, behind the opened door. Toilets are rarely placed on the wall adjacent to the door opening.

Value

Although the price tag of an addition may cause some to hesitate, a half bath will typically profit a household if they ever plan to sell. The market value of a house can increase up to $20,000 with this addition. Unless the house already has an equal number of bathrooms to bedrooms, homeowners who add a half bath can usually expect around a 10 percent increase of value for their house.

As you can see, the addition of a half bath is one of the home renovations that can really pay off upon resale. Many homes in Florida are traditional bungalow-style dwellings that tend to be holdovers from as far back as the 1920’s. Many of these homes have only a single bathroom for up to four bedrooms, so adding a half bath here pays off immediately for you while you live in the home. If you are interested in having a closet renovated into a half bath, we would be glad to help. We have branches throughout Central Florida, from Tampa to Orlando to Lakeland.

Sources:

National Association of Home Builders

This Old House

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Designed for Company

Finishing Touches

In this post-boom housing market, a lot of people are finding good deals on new homes. They are opting for new development for all kinds of reasons, from modern fixtures to a lack of desire to make home repairs. While newly built structures do give you a “brand new” feeling when you move in, home buyers should be aware that even a new house will likely need some renovation within the first few years.

If you are in a home that is just a few years old, you might be noticing some things around the house that warrant concern. Have you noticed:

• Cracks on the exterior of the house
• Cracks around door and/or window frames
• Bowing or space in hardwood or laminate flooring

Buildings Settle

All of these occurrences in your new home are most likely a result of your home settling. Generally speaking, these occurrences are not the fault of your home builder; rather they are natural occurrences that happen as your home settles. The foundation that your home is built on will sink into the earth a little bit, and the building materials used (we are talking about wood here) have a tendency to expand and contract as humidity and temperature change. This is an unavoidable event as gravity and nature have uncontrollable affects on your house. As these forces take their effects on your home, the structure itself will be tested and moved. While architects plan for this when designing buildings, anyone who purchases a new home should plan on making some repairs over the first few years to keep their house together.

What to Do Next

Gauge the damage: You will have to survey your house to see what has moved as the house settled. Cracks in the exterior of the home or along door and window frames will be visible, as will any instances where the floor has separated slightly. If you are having an issue where a door—to a room or to a closet—has become difficult to open, then this itself is a sign of settling. The door is sticking because the frame around it has pressure applied to it.

Get to work: Once you know what is broken, you will need to make the necessary repairs. Identify your issues, make a list, and plan out your repair schedule. Each issue will require a different approach.

• Cracked exterior: Often the cracks that show up on the outside of your home just need to be filled in. This will make sure that your structure does not fall victim to further deterioration from water damage. One summer of Florida storms will expose these cracks to enough water to make them larger and can eventually let water inside your home. If you have small, manageable cracks in your stucco, you will need to take a trip to your local hardware store. Talk to someone at the store about your problem and ask them to recommend a filler. You will probably end up with a bag of hydraulic cement, which you will need to mix with water according to the instructions on the bag. Once you have mixed it, fill in the crack using a trowel and then let it set for half an hour. The cement will expand slightly, so after it has set, take your trowel and remove any cement that has expanded outside of the crack until it is flush with the rest of the wall. Once it is dry, a little paint will cover it up and you will have sealed your cracked outside wall.
• Door frames: You will need to examine your hinges to see where the problem begins. As a house settles, the hinges are screwed into the frame, which moves. You may need to install a pad behind a hinge if the frame has bowed outward. You may also need to change the hinge out altogether. Each door solution will be a little different, so we can’t offer a one-size-fits-all fix here. If you can’t see what the problem is by looking at the hinge, you should call in a professional.
• Bowed floors: Settling foundations cause the floors to change slightly, which can separate floor boards or push them closer together, causing them to bow upwards. In either case, you will need to add or remove some of the flooring to bring it back to normal. You will be able to see where the problem starts pretty easily; it is either the gap or bowed part of your floor. The humidity we live in is usually the culprit here, so issues with wood-based flooring is simply a trade-off for the snow-free winters you get once you move to Bradenton or Orlando. Once the home settles and the floor has been repaired by someone who knows what they are doing, you should be trouble-free.

Sources:

eHow.com

House Task.com

Ask the Builder

Remodel Kitchen.net

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Time for Floors: Laminate Verse Hardwood

Interior Doors More Than Finishing Touches

The Environmental Protection Agency oversees some aspects of the repair and renovation world. One of the factors that they are interested in is lead based paints. Going back to 1978 and before, many contractors, painters and even do-it-yourselfers used lead-based paints in and around their homes and businesses. Since then it has been discovered that lead based paints can be harmful to people and animals. As the paint gets old or is sanded down, the paint chips that result can be dangerous.

In order to combat this danger, the EPA has come up with a standard for contractors and handymen to follow. They have a Renovation, Repair and Painting Certification for professionals such as ourselves. This certification ensures that professionals take necessary precautions when sanding, cutting, or performing demolition work on a property that contains lead-based paint. These work standards ensure that Certified Companies properly approach the project with safety in mind. The work area must be properly contained, any dust or lead paint covered debris must be minimized and after the work is finished a proper clean up job must be performed.

Handyman Connection of Tampa Bay has taken the time to become certified. It lets all of our customers know that we are committed to quality and safety. Working around lead-based paint can be dangerous, it takes craftsmen that really know how to properly remove and dispose of the old paint to safely get the job done. This certification is just one more reason that The Handyman Connection of Tampa Bay is a go-to source for renovation or repair work n the Tampa Bay area.

Your bathroom is one of the most used places in your house. The bathtub in particular gets as much or more use than any appliance that you own. Everyone who lives in a home uses the bathtub on a regular basis. Replacing an entire tub can be costly. Maybe you should consider converting your tub into a shower stall or revamping it with a bathtub conversion kit.

Change your tub into a shower stall

This option gives the bathroom an entirely new look. It is also an excellent option if accessibility is an issue, since stepping over the edge of the tub can be difficult.

• Cut your current tub: Some people choose to cut a space out of the side of their tub. This makes stepping in and out easier and is the best option if your motivation for the conversion is to help family members who need easier access to the tub. With this option you may want to install some additional grip handles on the walls of the stall for extra support for your loved ones.
• Install a shower kit over top- Other people prefer to pick out a conversion kit that fits over the top of your current tub. These kits come in a variety of colors and styles. They can be applied directly over your current tub which makes the process a lot simpler than an all-out replacement. Both options are generally less expensive than replacing your tub.

Keep a bathtub

Once again you have options. The wide variety of options is one of the reasons that converting a bathtub can be a fun project. You can create a new look regardless of which option you choose. In this case you get to choose between

• Resurfacing your bathtub- Maybe you like the way your bathtub looks except for its color. Or maybe the old tub’s surface has worn away with use. Resurfacing your tub will fix either scenario. Remember that if you resurface yourself, you will be working with a variety of chemicals that need to be handled carefully. Precautions need to be taken so you are safe. Regardless of whether you do it or you hire a professional, resurfacing will make your tub look brand new and it will definitely feel smoother to the touch.
• Purchase a conversion kit- Just like with the shower stall conversion, there are kits that will fit over your tub, turning it into a new one. This option lets you change everything about the way your tub looks because you can choose from different styles and finishes (maybe you are tired of porcelain and want marble for instance). One appealing option is turning your traditional tub into a whirlpool tub. Having massaging jets in your tub will help you relax, or in some cases even recover.

You can look up pictures on the internet or go to your local hardware store to see what all of these choices actually look like. You have so many options when converting a bathtub that you will definitely be able to find the one that fits you best. As always, if you have any questions about how to install, or would like the job done professionally, we are ready to help at Handyman Connection. Good luck and happy remodeling!

Handyman Connection is proud to serve the home improvement and home repair needs of Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Orlando, Bradenton, Sarasota, Naples, Ft. Myers, Melbourne, Merritt Island & Titusville.

Updates to your home make it more comfortable while you are living in it and add value in the event that you want to sell or draw equity. You can change the entire look of a room and add durability to your floor with properly installed tile. Making the remodel decision is easier than actually installing the tile, but following the right steps simplifies the process.

1. Gather your tools- Here are some of the things you will need:

1. Scrapers
2. Wedging tool
3. Sandpaper
4. Spacers
5. Level
6. Chalk string
7. Tile cutter
8. Knee pads
9. Measuring tape
10. Sponge
11. Grout
12. Tiles
13. Tile cement

2. Prepare the area- The underlying floor itself will need some work. Remove any old adhesives that may be left from the previous floor. Sealing cracks in concrete may also be necessary. You want your floor to be level all the way across, so that your new tile floor will be even and last for years. Also be aware of parts of the room that will require you to cut tiles. Thinking about this during the preparation stage will make the work more efficient during installation.

3. Find the center- The exact center of your floor is where you will begin laying the tile. First measure the center points of the walls of the room. Then stretch your chalk string from wall to wall, stretched from center point to center point. Now “snap” it down and it will leave chalk lines giving you an accurate center point of the floor.

4. Do a practice run- Lay tiles down without any adhesive. Use your spacers and make sure that you like the look and that the center has actually been found. A dry run is important because it easy to fix mistakes when you haven’t used any adhesive.

5. Install the tile- Once your floor is prepped, you know where center is and you have completed your practice run it is time to get started. You will be working on one small section at a time. Space out the section you will be working from (starting from the center of the room of course) and apply your chosen adhesive. Then carefully place tiles in straight lines. Use your spacers to help keep your floor uniform. Work quickly so that the adhesive dries against the back of the tiles, but don’t go so fast that you lay the floor unevenly. The corners of the tiles should be next to each other to obtain the look you want for your finished floor. When laying the tiles, place them in a downward motion in the place you want them to be. Do not slide them or wiggle them into place. Place them gently, apply some pressure to spread the adhesive and move on to the next tile.

6. Lay the grout- After you have installed the individual tiles, you will need to let the adhesive set. Your best bet is to let the tile set for 24 hours before you begin grouting.

1. Start by removing the spacers you put down during installation.
2. Next vacuum the crevices between the tiles to remove any excess dirt or pieces of flaked adhesive.
3. Next mix your grout according to the instructions.
4. Spread the grout evenly over the open portions between the tiles. Make sure you are using enough to completely fill the gaps. Like with the tile installation, work in one section at a time.
5. Once you have spread the grout, use a damp sponge or cloth to wipe any grout that may be on the tile itself. Do this right away so that the grout does not have time to dry. You only want grout in between tiles, not on top of them.
6. Look over the whole floor when you are done grouting to make sure you have been consistent in all areas. This will be the best time to fix mistakes because once the grout sets it is very difficult to fix mistakes.

Consulting with a professional is a good idea before you begin any home improvement project. We are available to provide tips for projects you decide to undertake yourself. We can also reduce your workload and do the installation for you, ensuring a professional finish.

Handyman Connection is proud to serve the home improvement and home repair needs of Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Orlando, Bradenton, Sarasota, Naples, Ft. Myers, Melbourne, Merritt Island & Titusville.