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Jul 06 2022

5 Ways to Convert Any Room into the Ultimate Home Office

Having a workspace of your own is important. We put together this article to help you figure out how to turn any room into a sanctuary that you can dedicate completely to your work. Because even though you might be wearing sweatpants, you still have to get the job done.

Here are five tips that you can use to convert any room into the ultimate home office.

1. Start from Scratch

No matter what room you’re using, you’ll want to completely clean it out before you start converting it—this way, you’ll have a blank slate to work on. From there, even if you’re not an artist, it’s helpful to sketch out the room to get an idea of where you want everything to go.

And don’t forget to measure your space and account for your desk, shelving, and storage!

2. Utilize the Whole Space

Not everyone has huge rooms to work with, and that’s okay. In order to get the most out of your space, consider installing custom shelving. Not only will this look great, but it gets things up and out of the way too. You can also utilize your space by placing the desk in the corner of the room.

3. Consider Comfort

No office is going to be quite as comfortable as the couch, but having a supportive, ergonomic chair that you’re not always fidgeting in is important. It’s also essential to choose the right desk, one that suits you and fits your space—whether that means you go with a standing desk conversion, a hutch to use for storage, or a desk with space for filing cabinets.

4. Protect What You Have

To keep your home office up and running, you’ve got to safeguard your items. Turn off your electronics at the end of the day and keep technology out of direct sunlight. Protect your floors from the wheels of your chair by investing in some protective mats.

5. Don’t Forget the Aesthetics

A productive office is one that looks nice. Try your best to fill it with natural light, and when natural light isn’t available, find comfortable artificial light that is easy on the eyes. To jazz up the room, design an attractive backdrop for video conferencing.

One Man & A Toolbox

We’re all about converting unused space into a well-loved home office. If you need help creating your work-from-home vision, get in touch with One Man & A Toolbox today.

Jun 28 2022

How to Fix Drafty Windows

When it’s cold outside, it’s easy to notice pesky drafts on your windows—spots where cool air sneaks in and makes your house chilly. Fixing drafty windows doesn’t just make your home more comfortable, it can also save you between five and thirty percent on your energy bill.

There are many ways—big and small—to fix up your drafty windows on your own, and we put this article together to explain some of the best methods.

Identifying a Draft

If you feel a breeze when you pass a window or hold your hand up to it, it’s time to fix it. Other telltale signs of a draft are the following:

Condensation inside the window
Condensation inside the pane
Visible damage to the interior or exterior weatherstripping

Fixing the Draft

Now that you’ve identified the draft, it’s time to get down to business. Here are the best ways to fix a draft:

Use a Snake

You can use a bean bag snake if your draft is located between the window sash and the sill. These handy things are typically used at the bottom of doors, but they can be repurposed easily.

Install Storm Windows

Storm windows are great at keeping drafts out. They are made of aluminum, and they mount to the outside of a window casing and provide another pane of glass that insulates and keeps cold air out.

Utilize Shrink Film

During the blustery winter months, you can install plastic shrink film over your windows in order to keep them insulated. You can buy these kits from any home improvement store, and they are simple to install.

Fix Up Weatherstripping

Repairing, replacing, or adding weatherstripping to your windows is an easy fix to a stubborn draft. There are many types of weatherstripping available, including felt, plastic, spring metal, and expanding foam.

Get to Caulking

Even if your windows are already caulked, it’s possible that your caulk has developed cracks and gaps over time and needs to be redone. Inspect the caulk to see if it’s the reason for the draft, and if it is, there are plenty of affordable caulk options available.

Put Curtains to Work

If you swap out your light summer sheers for something heavier in the winter, that will help keep drafts at bay. If you have window treatments like heavy draperies, layered curtains, or honeycomb shades, your house should stay warm and toasty during the cold months.

Quick Fix: Bubble Wrap

This isn’t a permanent solution, but bubble wrap can be used to seal windows in a pinch. All you need to do is keep it in place with some double-sided tape.

Paint the Cracks

If your windowpanes are cracked, there’s no doubt that cool air will find its way inside. If you’re looking for a temporary fix to hold you over until payday, clear nail polish can help. Not only will it seal the cracks, but it will also keep the panes from cracking further.

Styrofoam Can Help

While this isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing way to stop drafts, it’s a good option to keep in mind for windows that aren’t readily visible. Buy Styrofoam board and insulation, then cut them to the dimensions of your window. After that, place the insulation inside the window, followed by the Styrofoam board, and the Styrofoam will keep the insulation in place so drafts don’t occur.

Time to Replace

If you find that you are constantly looking for new ways to fix drafts, it might be time to bite the bullet and invest in a window replacement. If your drafty windows are costing you hundreds of dollars that you could be saving on your energy bill, then it’s time to look into new money-saving options that can keep your home warm.

Are Your Windows Drafty?

If your windows are drafty, this article is a great resource on how to mend them. If you have more questions on how to discourage drafts and potentially lower your energy bill, contact us at One Man & A Toolbox today.

Jun 28 2022

Handyman Tools You Didn’t Know Belonged in Your Toolbox

If you’re a handyman, you probably know quite a bit about tools, but if you’re just starting, you may be wondering what to put in your toolbox, or you just might want to know a few more things.

Perhaps you’ve been wondering how to expand your tool collection or what else would help you day to day or even on an irregular basis for specific jobs.

Anybody with any experience in tools knows about the basics like the tape measure or the hammer. But every handyman needs tools that they don’t use that frequently but could come up at any time.

Let’s take a look at some of the tools that not every handyman has in their toolbox but should:

Spirit Levels Are Great to Have

It’s poor practice to believe that you can tell what a dead level is just by looking at it. Having a spirit level in your toolbox will allow you to determine if an object is level with professional accuracy.

Spirit levels are placed on surfaces, and when the bubble sits directly between the two marks, then you know the object is level.

Have a Few Torches on Hand

You should have several types of torches within your toolbox: a long and thick one to illuminate large areas and a penlight to see into small, dark spaces.

You should also carry enough batteries with you to keep them powered effectively.

Clamps Come in Handy

You never know when you’ll need to fasten an object to another object so that you can work on it. If you have a few clamps in your toolbox, you will be able to use them whenever it is necessary. You should have a few different sizes of clamps as well—from small to as large as you can fit in your toolbox.

Get a Caulking Gun

If the type of work you do does not regularly require a caulking gun, you may end up on job sites where you’ll need one to finish up promptly. Having a caulking gun will allow you to work with different types of caulking and put the finishing touches on the rest of the job.

Magnetic Screwdrivers Save Time

You may want to add a magnetic screwdriver to your toolbox; it will save time, and you will lose fewer screws in the bargain. You will want a single magnetic screwdriver that uses interchangeable standard and Phillips tips—or different magnetic screwdrivers with solid heads.

These are just a few of the tools you could add to your toolbox that you may not have thought of. Spending the time to be prepared for any eventuality that you may encounter is wise.

There’s nothing like being prepared so that you don’t lose time and money on a job scrambling for tools or making trips to the hardware store.

Professional handymen like to know what they’re doing, so taking stock of your toolbox and what else you could fit in there is a prudent step.

May 10 2022

5 Tips to Consider When Hiring a Handyman

Your home is one of the biggest investments that you have, so it’s important to hire a handyman who knows what they’re doing when it comes to fixing things up. You may be tempted to try out the job yourself, but when it’s the quality of your house on the line, it’s better to leave things up to a professional.

It can be difficult to know where to start when hiring a handyman, though, which is why we put together this article. It details five key tips that you should consider when hiring a handyman so you can feel confident and secure in the process—and get your house fixed up ASAP.

Make a list of your issues.

Making a list of what you need to get done is the best place to start because it allows you to get your thoughts organized. It also will get you the best deal because many handymen charge per task or per hour. No matter what, a straightforward list is the way to go.

Many handymen prefer to spend a whole day working at one location instead of spreading their time and workload out. So if you can, save up your tasks until you have enough for a handyman to work at your home for a full day. That way, it’s convenient for both of you.

Figure out if you need a handyman or a contractor.

Before you hire a handyman, you’ll want to make sure that the services they offer actually line up with the work that you need. If the tasks that you need help with relate to specific jobs like plumbing or electricity, you might need a contractor—not a handyman.

There are many different definitions of a handyman. Some have form training, and some are self-trained. Some have specialized skills; others keep a wider focus. There’s no one set mold that a handyman has to fit.

Handymen are likely to be less expensive than contractors because you only pay for the hours that they work or a set rate that you’ve agreed up. They also don’t have a crew that they need to hire in the way that contractors do.

Know your options.

There are plenty of resources that you can use on the internet to find a good handyman. You can check out HomeAdvisor or Angi (formerly known as Angie’s List) for great local options that include licensing verification, reviews, and background checks. If you’re more inclined to search on your phone, TaskRabbit and Handy are two great apps that you can use.

Word of mouth works too. You can ask your neighbors in person or check out your neighborhood Facebook groups to see what handyman service people are using. Once people find a good handyman, they’re most likely going to want to share their information.

Do your own research.

After you’ve narrowed down your search to your top choice, do some research of your own on this handyman’s background. Check out their website (if they have one), their social media profiles, or any public reviews they might have. Before you hire, you can ask around for references from previous jobs that they’ve done to get a feel of who they are and the work that they do. If a particular handyman doesn’t have references or any internet presence, that’s a red flag—you might want to choose your next option.

Get curious.

Before welcoming a handyman to work in your home, you’re allowed to ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable. Here are a few that you can start with:

How much do you charge?
Do you have any specialized areas of expertise?
Are there tasks that you won’t do?
How open is your schedule?
How long does it take you to finish a job like mine?

You should also ask questions that are tailored to your specific job—these options are simply a place to start.
One Man & A Toolbox has offered professional handyman services since 1997 and would love to work with you. Get in contact with us so we can make an appointment to review your project.

Apr 19 2022

DIY vs. Getting a Professional Handyman’s Help

Whether you’ve just bought a new house or you want to fix up the house you’re already living in, home improvement projects typically get people wondering whether they should hire a handyman or try to tackle the task themselves.

We put together this article as a resource to use when you’re choosing between hiring a handyman and trying your own hand at a project.

Making the Decision

When you’re confronted with the choice of doing it yourself or hiring help, there are a few aspects of the project to consider. Those aspects are as follows:

Time and Effort

You might be thinking to yourself, “I won’t overlook details that a handyman would notice! I have a good number of skills, and I feel confident in this project.” While this may be true, you most likely have a day job that takes up a good chunk of your time. A handyman, on the other hand, does this type of work for a living and therefore can carve out the time to complete the project in an efficient manner. A handyman is used to sticking within deadlines, as that’s what they do day in, day out.

If you choose to complete a project yourself, you’re working on your own timeline and for your own rate, which means that you might not finish the project as speedily as a handyman would.

The Tools Needed

When you’re getting ready to start a project on your own, you might fail to consider all the tools needed to get it done the right way. While you probably have a hammer and nails lying around at home, there are other tools you may need that you don’t have on hand.

This means that you might not be able to finish, and your project will be left hanging simply because you don’t have the right tools. Hiring a handyman won’t run you into such a situation.

The Safety Risks

If someone lacks experience, they are much more likely to get injured while on the job, whether it’s from using tools incorrectly or from another accident. A handyman, on the other hand, will know how to get a project done quickly and safely. They will complete good quality work, and you’ll be able to avoid a trip to the hospital.

Potential Permits

Certain projects require a building permit before they can get off the ground. A permit basically states that construction work will be done safely. Some cities allow permits to be procured for DIY work, but other cities will only provide permits to licensed contractors. Make sure to look up your city’s rules before moving forward.

Related Expenses

Doing the work yourself can save you labor costs, but you’ll only really be saving money if you don’t make any mistakes along the way—because mistakes cost money to fix. When hiring a handyman, you’re also saving money by forgoing the purchase of tools.

The Value of Your Home

If you plan on selling your home, you might want to lean towards hiring a handyman. Real estate brokers aren’t interested in selling a house that has been shoddily patched up by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing—or even by a skilled amateur. A handyman’s work always looks professional and will allow your home to sell for what it’s worth.

When to Hire a Pro

There are a few instances when you should always hire a professional:

Large plumbing problems
- Leaking fixtures
- Blocked sewer lines
- Natural gas leaking from your water heater
Foundational problems
- When the issues with flooring go deeper than the surface and impact the foundation
Electrical repairs
- Anything bigger than changing a lightbulb or replacing a fixture should be done by a professional—especially when it involves exposed wiring.

Making Your Choice

If you decide to pass up on the DIY project this time and hire a handyman, get in touch with One Man & A Toolbox. We’ve been helping people since 1997, and we would love to help you.