Stephen Alberts

Nov 05 2020

The Importance of Roof Maintenance

Chances are you don’t give your roof much thought—or won’t until something goes wrong with it. But you should, at least, if you don’t want something to go wrong with it. Regular roof maintenance will prolong the life of your roof and reduce the chances of leaks, damage, and more.

At One Man & A Toolbox, we’re happy to handle your roof’s maintenance for you, but thought we’d give you just a few—or five—reasons to call us. Here are five key facts stressing the importance of roof maintenance:

Roof Maintenance Decreases Your Liability

A roof is like most other facets of your home. If you leave it unmaintained, you will run into issues that can be harmful not only to your house but your personal safety. Even worse, your homeowner’s insurance may deny your claim if it is found that you deliberately ignored minor roofing issues in the past. The potential of small issues compounding to extreme problems over time is remarkably high.

Roof Maintenance Saves You Money

Keeping with the theme of regular maintenance, having your roof inspected frequently will save you a lot of money in the long run. Major roofing issues, particularly leaks, can run your tab up into the thousands.

If you give your roof the attention it needs, you can ensure it will last for potentially decades and make your bank account breathe a sigh of relief.

Roof Maintenance is Non-Invasive

We have all had that handyman come in and pull out the noisiest equipment attached to his utility belt. One of the benefits of roof maintenance is that it is, in fact, very non-invasive. This is great news for you and your neighbors, as you will be able to go through your day undisturbed.

On the flip side of the coin, once water damage has been done to your home, the process becomes more complex and invasive. This is yet another reason why regular maintenance is essential.

Roof Maintenance Extends Your Roof’s Lifespan

As we touched on a bit earlier, roofs are built to last a long time. Maintaining your roof will save you the hassle and expense of having to replace it earlier than expected.

Full roof replacements are obviously a disruptive and time-consuming process. Professional maintenance is the only way to ensure you get the most out of your current roof.

Roof Maintenance Prevents Leaks

Finally, leaks are the most common issue that we see with roofs. Your roof will naturally experience wear and tear as it is exposed to the elements. If you only take one thing from this article, it should be to prevent leaks at all costs. Leaks not only damage your roof but the entire infrastructure of your home.

At One Man & A Toolbox, we can’t stress the importance of roof maintenance enough. Don’t let small issues go unattended and turn into big problems. Call us today to have one of our vetted professionals inspect your roof and give you an estimate.

Oct 14 2020

When Should I Call a Local Handyman?

At One Man & a Toolbox, we appreciate homeowners and business owners who have that “can-do” spirit. But not every project should be “do it yourself.” If you have a variety of projects that need to be done — and you don’t have the time, the tools, or the know-how to tackle them — consider One Man & a Toolbox to be the local handyman you can rely on for quality work at a reasonable price.

If you need a handyman in Birmingham, Montgomery, or Tuscaloosa, reach out today through our online form with the details of your project or any questions you have, or call us at 205-749-6568. We are more than happy to give you a free estimate on our services.

What Jobs Can a Local Handyman Do?

We like to say that we can help you with whatever you need, short of rebuilding your home or business from the ground up. In other words, if you’re dealing with new construction – like an extension – or modifying any of your property’s existing systems (plumbing, electrical, gas), you’ll want to find a licensed plumbing or electrical contractor who is certified in that area.

A handyman can take care of lots of other non-urgent repairs, some large and some small. We fix leaks in the bathroom or kitchen sink, repair windows, rehang a door, pressure wash and stain a deck, repair a fence, seal a driveway — and so much more! We are the proverbial “jack of all trades.”

Basically, if you have a “honey do” list, and your honey won’t — feel free to call us instead!

Residential Projects

Count on a local handyman for residential projects that you might find intimidating – or can’t fit into your schedule. We can install a garbage disposal or a new faucet in a sink, install a new toilet or other appliances, and clear a clogged drain.

Need a ceiling fan or a light fixture replaced? We’ll install it safely and correctly. We’ll also help you mount that flat-screen TV on the wall or hang those photos above the fireplace.

We can paint, repair trim, patch drywall, clean gutters — and install weather-stripping, too.

Commercial Projects

At One Man & a Toolbox, we built our reputation providing residential services, but since 2009, we’ve dedicated a division of our business to commercial work as well. So if your business doesn’t have a regular maintenance crew, or you have some issues that you need to bring up to code, consider us your one-stop shop for a variety of repairs.

A local handyman can paint or pressure wash your building’s exterior and handle other minor electrical work or plumbing jobs, such as replacing the office refrigerator or installing motion-sensor lighting. If your smoke detectors are out of reach, we’ll be glad to replace the batteries. We’ll also replace the florescent bulbs in your company’s warehouse or install new lighting fixtures so your business can be more energy efficient.

Special Projects

If you’ve never considered calling a local handyman before, you might be surprised by all the tasks we can help with on your property. We don’t mind assembling that playset in the yard or climbing up a ladder to hang holiday lights. When it’s time for seasonal maintenance like staining or sealing a deck, we can do that, too. We’ll even be the extra set of hands you might need to lay that tile floor or assemble new furniture.

Call One Man & A Toolbox When You Need a Local Handyman

One Man & a Toolbox is licensed, bonded, and insured, as well as a member of the Better Business Bureau. We have an affordable hourly rate, and we also provide evening and weekend appointments as needed.

Learn why customers rely on us. Be sure to call us today at 205-749-6568.

May 04 2020

5 Ways A Professional Handyman Can Serve Your Small Business

Every small business needs a helpful handyman nearby to provide for all of their needs. If you have been putting off tackling a few projects, investing in them now with the help of a professional handyman can help ensure your business is in fit condition. How can we help you?

#1: Building Maintenance

Keep your business’s building in pristine condition. That means providing for all of the updates around your physical location to ensure it is safe for both your team and your customers to operate in. Whether you need

#2: Plumbing Problems

It is not uncommon for most small businesses to have leaking toilets or running sinks. Getting these fixed as soon as possible is critical to ensuring your property is well maintained and your business offers a professional impression.

#3: Pressure Washing

Give off the right impression to your customers with pressure washing services. Spare yourself the time-consuming labor of polishing off your cosmetics and let our team come out to freshen up the exterior of your building in no time.

#4: New Vinyl Flooring

New floors can enhance the productivity of your team while also creating the right professional appearance to your customers and clients. Think about the value of vinyl flooring, for example, which is an attractive option. Give us a call and we’ll have your business looking like it just had its Grand Opening.

#5: Simple Tasks

Do you need help with ceiling fans that do not operate? Do you have a fencing problem? Do you need desks assembled for new employees, or partitions set up in your open office space? We’re the guys for the job!

When You Need Help, Call Our Team

No matter what odd job or project you need to complete, our team at One Man & A Toolbox is ready to help you. Give us a call for immediate help no matter what your project is.

Apr 02 2020

4 Quick Tips for Home Office Productivity

The current public health crisis has many professionals shifting to a home office setting quickly. During normal times working from home has many advantages, from avoiding the daily commute to the option of spending the entire day in your pajamas. But creating a productive environment for getting work done can be challenging.

Here are 5 simple things you can do to help you stay productive in your home office.

1. Choose the right desk and chair for comfort and space.

The first thing most people think of when they consider creating a home office is their workspace. You may be wishing for a huge mahogany desk with a leather presidential chair, but that may not be in your budget and honestly it may not even be needed.

While aesthetics are important the primary focus when creating your workspace should be adequate space and proper ergonomics. Both can be accomplished no matter what your budget is.

First find out how much space you will need. Do you normally operate with a single large monitor, do you use a dual monitor setup, or can you get by with only your laptop?

Whatever your setup is you will want to make sure you have enough space for your primary screens as well as writing space. For most people a 4-6 foot desk should be adequate.

You don’t have to spend $1000 on the perfect desk. You can find many budget friendly options online for $250 and under.

Just make sure your desk is assembled correctly. You don’t want it to topple over with all of your electronic devices.

Choosing a good office chair is also important. You will spend a lot of time sitting at your desk and it is important that you’re comfortable or you will spend most of your time distracted by discomfort. Thankfully most office chairs are made to be adjustable in height giving you the ability to find the perfect height for you.

2. Make sure you have adequate lighting.

No matter where you are, having quality lighting can increase your productivity. Poor lighting, on the other hand, can dampen your mood, decrease your morale, sap your energy and cause headaches and eyestrain.

If you can take advantage of natural lighting by opening your blinds and letting the sun in do so. But if that isn’t an option here are a few tips for choosing the best artificial lighting.

Avoid working directly under harsh overhead lights. Too much light can cause just as much eye strain as insufficient light. Instead keep the lighting indirect and diffused throughout the room.

Pay attention to the placement of lights. You don’t want your light source to be directly behind your workstation where it is bound to cause annoying glares.

Because of the many different tasks accomplished in your home office space it’s best to start with warm ambient lighting and add additional lighting such as floor lamps and desk lamps where they’re most needed.

If you can, place your ambient lights on a dimmer switch, so that you can adjust them throughout the day.

3. Color matters. It may be surprising to hear but the colors in your office have a great impact on your level of productivity. There have been many studies over the years that illustrate how color can affect our mood and productivity level depending on the type of work at hand.

For instance red is a great color for a physically intensive workspace but it can cause feelings of anxiety in an office environment. If you live in an apartment or a new home your walls are more than likely white, which isn’t the best color for creating a productive environment. White feels both clinical and intimidating which aren’t the best emotions for having a productive day. By contrast yellows can induce creativity and a feeling of happiness, blue inspires focus and compliments mind intensive tasks, and greens can help create a sense of balance and calm.

Think about the type of work you do before choosing the color that will most encourage productivity in your office setting.

4. Hide wires to decrease clutter.Another area of aesthetics that can affect your mood and productivity is openness and clutter.

Cluttered environments can make it impossible to think. One common source of clutter in home offices is the tangle of wires and cords connected to your many devices.

To reduce clutter you can create a hidden charging station in a desk drawer in a few easy steps.

First simply select a drawer. Next drill a hole in the back of the drawer, place a power strip inside and attach it to the side of the drawer with adhesive. Finally feed the power cord through the back of the drawer.

Now you can simply plug in your electronics when needed and hide the cords within the drawer when they are not.

Mar 05 2020

Top 5 Home Repairs Suited For A Handyman

Owning a home is a big responsibility. In order to make sure your house retains its value, there is a lot of upkeep that must be done. Whether you are a DIY expert or clueless when it comes to a home repair project, these are the top five home repairs you should call a handyman for.

1. Gutter Cleaning and Repair

Clearing or fixing your gutters is not the most strenuous home repair activity, but it can be one of the most dangerous. Depending on how many stories your home is, climbing a ladder to get up to your roof is a dangerous activity that causes thousands of injuries every year. Hiring a handyman can not only save you a trip to the hospital, it could also save you from missing the early signs of roof damage.

2. Tile Installation

Adding tile to your home can be a great aesthetic addition to any kitchen or bathroom. Tile is durable and easy to clean. Installing tile, however, can be a different story. One small mistake can throw off the entire layout of your home’s tile. Laying and cutting tile also requires expensive and dangerous tools that most households do not have lying around. Skip the trip to Lowe’s or Home Depot and call your local handyman (psst… us!) to get your tile installed the right way.

3. Painting

Almost every homeowner opts to repaint several rooms in their house upon purchase. While most people decide to paint the inside of their house themselves, many leave with stories of a catastrophe. Painting the outside of your home, however, is a different beast completely. Painting the exterior of your home can be a dangerous job that only those with experience should approach. Save yourself the stress of having to repaint your mistakes. Call One Man the first time.

4. Window Repairs

Whether the neighborhood kids knocked a homerun through your foyer, or you’re struggling with a drafty old window in winter, a handyman is the most reliable solution for your window pain. Save yourself a stressful and frustrating weekend project by picking up the phone and calling a professional to make repairs and adjustments to your windows – frames, screens & all.

5. Bathroom Remodeling

Most of us can work a plunger, but that is where our knowledge of bathroom repairs stops. Fixing leaky pipes, unclogging drains, and remodeling your bathroom fixtures can all come with unexpected surprises. Don’t risk thousands of dollars of water damage just to prove a point! Call on One Man & A Toolbox’s expert handymen and breathe easy knowing your bathroom repairs will be a breeze.